Inside Monster Jam
This official Monster Jam podcast offers exclusive inside access to Monster Jam Operations, including drivers, safety, track design and the Monster Jam Garage.
Inside Monster Jam
Season 5 Episode 22 | Noah Bakken
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Monster Jam Grave Digger FMX rider Noah Bakken catches up with Scott Jordan to talk about his 2026 success.
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Inside Monster Jam, the official Monster Jam podcast. I'm Scott Jordan. I am joined this week by FMX superstar Noah Bakken. Noah, welcome to Inside Monster Jam. Thanks for being here, man.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for having me. I'm honored to be here.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. I've been chasing you down for a little bit on Instagram. I appreciate you coming on board here. You have been uh an absolute superstar in the FMX world. So I want to talk about before we get to any Monster Jam stuff, I want to talk about where you started your your journey on a motorcycle.
SPEAKER_00Man, basically in my in my backyard, you know, I grew up in a town with 140 people, and uh I would just ride the ditches and gravel pits, and uh and then one day my grandpa let me buy a freestyle ramp, and that's where it all pretty much started.
SPEAKER_01140 people that that was the uh population of your town.
SPEAKER_00That's what yeah, it was it was so like so. Going to big cities, I feel like a lost puppy.
SPEAKER_01So have they dedicated any type of water tower for you yet? Have they built built a Noah statue uh at the town hall or anything? Uh it seems like with a town that small, you you would be a superstar there.
SPEAKER_00I hope that happens one day. That'd be cool. I did actually jump over the hometown sign. Uh thankfully didn't get in trouble, but uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So that's so I think a qualification for jumping over the hometown sign is that they should put your name on it. You know, once you're it should be there. So are you are you still there now? You're still in that same hometown. What is the hometown, by the way?
SPEAKER_00It's Brooks, Minnesota, pretty much as about as far north as you can get in Minnesota, almost to Canada. And yeah, just real small town. There's like there's a gas station and a in a bar, and that's it. Okay, gas station bar.
SPEAKER_01Great. So anytime I visit Brooks, Brooks, Minnesota, at least I can fill my car up, and uh I'll find you and maybe we can jump uh jump over the hometown sign together. Uh let's talk about the next step in that journey. So you get your freestyle ramp set up, you start jumping a little bit crazy. What was the next level for you when it comes to actually wanting to do this as a career?
SPEAKER_00Man, there was a point in time where after I got the ramp set up in the backyard, like I I didn't know anybody, right? Because uh small town. So I actually went to California, and that's where I met all these people and started to uh learn all the backflip tricks, and uh that's kind of where the next step began. And then uh I just kept posting on social media, and then one thing led to another, you know, and that's kind of where I got into Monster Jam was really from social media.
SPEAKER_01That's fascinating. So, small town kid from Minnesota goes to California. Was that like small fish in a big pond for you?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. I was terrified, like absolutely terrified. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but uh there was something in me telling me to just stay home and I should not go out there, but I fought through it, and I'm really glad I didn't back out and and uh and get too scared because now we're here.
SPEAKER_01What part of California were you in?
SPEAKER_00Actually, uh Hellendale, California. It's it's a few hours uh north of LA in this town, it's kind of by Victorville, it's up in the high desert. Right.
SPEAKER_01I know Victorville, I've been to Victorville. Um that yeah, that's that's interesting. So is that a very popular, uh, like a popular town as far as freestyle motocross goes, supercross, motorcycles, anything along that line?
SPEAKER_00So actually, I don't know if you know Colby Raja at all, but he had these riding classes out there, and uh he had a an advertisement to you could come out there, you could lock in your spot for $100 or pay $500 to go there. But if you locked in your spot, you could uh pay the rest when you get there. And I had $114 in my bank account. I locked in my spot, uh, got a bunch of money, rounded up somehow, and made it out there and paid the rest of the money when I got there, and we became friends the first day. He must have seen something in me. And and honestly, if it wasn't for him, I don't know if I'd be riding dirt bikes at the level I'm at now. So he's a huge part of this.
SPEAKER_01That's dedication, man. We show up with $114 in your pocket, ready to ready to rock and roll, man. I love that. So, yeah, at what point what so Monster Jam obviously has been a part uh of this incredible motorsports world and and live event entertainment, but uh freestyle motocross is a big part of that. And I've talked about this on Inside Monster Jam before that anybody that comes to a Monster Jam event you know can see some of the best riders in Freestyle Motocross. So, when did Monster Jam get on your radar as a possible opportunity?
SPEAKER_00Oh man, I think what it was was somebody needed uh fill and rider because they were gonna be gone. So I went to my first Monster Jam show in uh Green Bay, and then after that, some time went by. I was doing shows for uh ATV Big Air Tour, and then TJ Tiffany called me last year, and he's like, Hey, you want to go on tour? And it'll be like a you know, a championship, you'd be teamed up with a truck, and I said, Say no more, I'm in. Like, I'm already there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's amazing because rookie season, and you're paired up with Weston Anderson on the Freestyle Mania Championship series presented by Spin Master. And I want to go back because Weston entering last year had done something that no one has ever done, and he has won a series championship every single year. He has been a part of Monster Jam. So he gets paired up in this Freestyle Mania Championship series, which is uh for fans that aren't familiar with it, is a Monster Jam driver, gets paired with an FMX rider, and you each do competitions, points are combined, and it's it's a winner-takes all team effort concept. It's amazing, it's very entertaining. But a lot of talk from our fans when that was announced was oh my goodness, Weston is not gonna win a championship this year. It's the streak is over because he's paired with some rookie kid. We have no idea who this guy is. So, did you hear any of that talk at all?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, not right away. I didn't learn that till about halfway through the season, and you know, I like that stuff. That that's the type of stuff that pushes me to you know drive harder and do better for myself. And and I'll be honest, I didn't think I was gonna be good enough to compete with any of these guys. There's so much talent there, like you know, we got Greg Duffy, Scott Murray, Drew, Camp, all of them guys are so good. And uh yeah, I I couldn't believe it where I stood with them guys, and I just kept getting better and better every weekend, finding my groove, came up with a new combo trick, me and Weston together that I I've personally never seen anybody else do before, but um I'm sure other people have, but yeah, it I I still can't believe it. It all really still feels like a dream, not gonna lie to you.
SPEAKER_01And and the fact that you came in and won a series championship on your first go-round uh was amazing. But let's talk about that because uh Weston uh is even though he's you know a younger superstar, now he's he's been in this five years now. So he's a veteran driver. Uh he's won all these series championships. You come in. Did you um what was your let's talk about what was your relationship like with him working? Because I know with freestyle mania, when you're not riding, you're cheering on him. When he's not driving, he's cheering on you. So talk about that dynamic on and off the track with you and Weston.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, we we have this this special spark. I don't know what it was the first time we met each other. It was like we were just the universe just wanted us to meet. And uh, you know, on camera, it looks like uh everyone's friends, but me and Weston, we actually were friends, like we'd be hanging out afterwards, you know, coming up with game plans, talking about new tricks, hanging out, riding live scooters to dinner, like just having a blast. And we we really did uh you know bond real well. And yeah, I think I got a friend for life there.
SPEAKER_01That's amazing. And what was your first thoughts when you saw your bike decked out in the uh black and green Wrecking machine paint out?
SPEAKER_00Well, I my first thought was wow, I got a lot of pressure on me. I gotta I got some work to do. But uh no, it was cool. It was like nothing I've ever seen before, you know, like looking like the Gravedigger truck, man, it was just mind-blowing.
SPEAKER_01Were you a fan of Gravedigger growing up?
SPEAKER_00I I really was, you know, and you know, honestly, I really didn't follow it too much or know nothing of too much about it. But uh yeah, Gravedigger, I was always like, man, that is the coolest truck. And never, if you would have told me I was gonna be Gravedigger as a kid, I would have said you're lying to me.
SPEAKER_01Well, I I wanna I want to say this because when you look at the the Gravedigger drivers, you have four Andersons there uh who are all carrying that legacy from Dennis Anderson. They share the family name and they've all won. Weston has one series championships, Kristen has won series championships, Adam and Ryan are both world finals champions, and you have Tyler Menninger, who is now a multi-world finals champion, doesn't share the Anderson name, but has lived up to that legacy, and then you have Noah Bachin, and you see that name on the back of the Gravedigger jersey. And what did you do? You come in and you win a championship, so you have lived up to that legacy. Gravedigger is all about, you know, digging graves and you know, taking names and winning championships. And I know there I you said there's a lot of pressure on you to live up to that legacy, but now as a two-time champion, you are right there with the rest of them. How does that make you feel?
SPEAKER_00Oh, it's mind blowing. Like, you know, I must just have the same blood somehow. You know, there was there was a few times where uh, you know, we'd be sitting at certain points in the in the overall championship for the day, and I'm like, you know what? I gotta lay it on the line. Like I'm either winning or crashing. Like that's but that's what it takes, you know. That's what it takes to ride the Gravedigger dirt bike. You gotta lay it all on the line and uh hope for the best, really.
SPEAKER_01So I want to ask you, uh just you know, peeling the curtain back a little bit, was that your actual personal uh motorcycle that was transformed into gravedigger, or is that something that was provided for you?
SPEAKER_00Yep, that is my personal dirt bike. Yep. I actually bought that one uh last year, bought it brand new, and then it turned into gravedigger.
SPEAKER_01So so when you're not uh in Monster Damage just home and and I assume you're still living there in Brooks, Minnesota, is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yep, yep, still here in Brooks.
SPEAKER_01When you're there, when you're there, are you are you still rocking that paint out when you when you drive around the neighborhood and jump over the hometown sign?
SPEAKER_00No, I actually have uh another dirt bike that's not gravedigger, and uh yeah, we I use that one at the house. You know, we got all the ramps set up back here. Uh, there's actually a local racetrack a few miles down the road, and I ride all the ditches, jump all the crossings and roads on my way there. And uh yeah, that's the bike I use here.
SPEAKER_01Nice. All right, let's talk about world finals. You go to Salt Lake City, you get the uh Gravedigger Red Primer paint out, which Weston also shared with you in the world finals competitions. And uh, this is an old school throwback, a very popular paint out of Gravedigger that's now a spin master die cast as well. What were your initial thoughts when you changed from the black and green paint scheme to the old-fashioned Gravedigger Red Primer?
SPEAKER_00Man, the red primer bike. I wish we could, I wish I could have kept that bike. That thing was so cool. Oh man, yeah. World finals was I'm like, man, this is a big stage. And uh the elevation's real high there, so the bikes are slower, so everyone was kind of worried. And uh, I just tried to not let it stop me. You know, I I came out there and the the championship was real close between me and Cam. And uh, yeah, I was trying tricks I've never tried before. Probably shouldn't have been doing that, but we pulled it off and we stayed safe. And uh I I knew I had to win. I really wanted to win for Weston after the mania tour, just to give him uh an extra surprise. And uh yeah, I that that was a crazy weekend. We we had a few close calls, but uh we got the win.
SPEAKER_01And you did win, uh, and now you you are forever cemented in the record books twice, not only as the first co-champion of the freestyle mania championship series presented by Spin Master when it comes to uh the first quarter series, but now also the first freestyle motocross rider to win a World Finals Championship. So in your rookie season, you help Weston continue his streak, you win a series championship, and then you go to Salt Lake City, the biggest show, the biggest event, biggest stage, biggest track, and all you do as a rookie rider is win a world championship. Was that a moment that you felt was uh was surreal? Was it too big? Was it uh something that you thought you were gonna do when you got there? What were your expectations going into Salt Lake City and what did you feel leaving the city?
SPEAKER_00Oh man, that's that's a good question. You know, on the drive down there, my brother drove down there with me, and we were talking, you know, we're like you were like, you know what, why can't I win? Like, I should be able to win. I got this, you know. Like I'll I'll do some of the tricks me and Weston uh created together, and uh I'm like, I got this. You know, there's the best whip competition. I'm like, I'm just gonna throw that thing, that bike as sideways as I can, and hopefully we'd ride away in two wheels, and uh yeah, leave leaving Salt Lake City felt like a fantasy dream. Like I had the trophy in the front seat just riding with me, and uh it was unbelievable. Very, very special moment I'll never forget.
SPEAKER_01Have you uh bought yourself a trophy case yet? Considering you now have two uh in your first year, you may need more, you may need room for a few more.
SPEAKER_00I was thinking about it, you know, buy a big a big glass case and then hang the jerseys up in the back with the trophies stacked on top of each other, that'd be pretty cool. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Let's talk about 2027 as the schedule announcement was released on social media. You will be paired with another Anderson. This time it'll be Kristen Anderson as Freestyle Mania Championship series presented by Spin Master Returns to Monster Jam. What are your uh what is your relationship right now with Kristen? Is there one? Have you talked about things? Are you you know still building that dynamic? How going?
SPEAKER_00You know, it's going the same direction as me and Weston because we had the two Mania stops in Florida with Kristen, and we had that same spark, you know, and we actually uh did a new trick together that I've never done before, and that was a lazy boy backflip. I learned it in practice on Friday, did it the best I ever did it in the show on Saturday, and uh I think I can't I think we got two overall wins uh throughout the course of those two shows, and yeah, we bonded the same way, the energy was the same way, and uh I am really looking forward to the 2020 2027 season. I think uh I think we're gonna be uh a tough one to beat for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I had a chance to uh see you in person uh in Orlando. I was there as a grand marshal for one of the events, and that was again it was my first opportunity to witness Freestyle Mania in person, and I was absolutely fascinated by the fact that they had a camera set up behind the scenes and that you all were back there watching and you know cheering each other on and also talking some friendly smack to your competitors. And I there's never that's what I love about freestyle mania, is there's never a dull moment, it's so exciting, and I I think the fans have enjoyed that as well, especially because it's such an eclectic group of monster jam trucks, and they get to see freestyle riders, motocross riders do things they probably haven't seen before.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for real. I I I love the interactions with the trucks, like like that that really got me into uh the monster trucks too. Like that part of it I love now. Like I'm super into it, and then when they get to react to us on the bikes, and it shows the honest reaction, and uh it's so cool. And like you said, there's there's never a dull moment, and I I I could do one freestyle mini show once a day forever. It's so much fun.
unknownAll right.
SPEAKER_01Well, a few years back, Kristen Anderson became the first female driver in Monster Gem history to win a series championship. She had an unbelievable battle with Tony Oaks uh that lasted until the last weekend of the year. So now you are paired with her as she tries to reclaim that series championship glory. I've I've checked out the lineup, and it is uh an incredible lineup from top to bottom between Monster Gem drivers and Freestyle Motocross riders. But uh, do you think that with your assistance as her FMX teammate on Team Gravedigger, that this will be the year Kristen has escalated back up to the top of that series points leaderboard?
SPEAKER_00I really think so. You know, I I do feel like it's gonna be a tough battle. You know, we got Tony Oakes, TJ Tiffany, Fernando Martinez, AJ Roseboro. Um, it's gonna be a close one. And uh I I would love to see Kristen back on top, and I would love to uh you know try to defend the title on my part, and uh yeah, I I think we got a good shot.
SPEAKER_01Do you feel any pressure at all now coming into next season as the defending and reigning champion with a bullseye on your back? Is there any extra added pressure to you night after night to have to maintain that same sense of performance and championship credibility?
SPEAKER_00There's always that little bit of pressure there, no matter what. But uh, you know, for me, I just want to do the best I can and uh do the best I can for my teammate. And uh I try not to let the pressure bother me too much. Uh you kind of get used to it a little bit, and and I kind of like it because it it pushes you out of your comfort zone and you do stuff you you didn't know you could do. And uh, so yeah, that's kind of where my head's at with it, and I'm just overall excited for it to be honest.
SPEAKER_01Is there any city on your tour that you are looking forward to that you've never been to before?
SPEAKER_00Oh, not that I haven't been to before, but uh there's some California stops on there, so I'm excited for those. Uh see some old friends, you know, where where this dirt bike journey started for me, and they can, you know, hopefully come watch the shows and uh see how all the hard work paid off, and yeah, everybody's winning.
SPEAKER_01One thing uh that that always fascinates me is that every everyone, so since you are a rookie or you were a rookie now going into your second season, but it seems like you were this incredible overnight success. And I don't think uh that you know anyone can truly appreciate the hard work behind the scenes and the many years it took you to get to where you are. So, what type of advice would you have for any kid uh you know from a small town with 140 people getting on a motorcycle for the first time to try to make it to this level?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. You know, you just gotta stick to your heart. Uh, there's gonna be some people that'll probably tell you no. You you can't listen to them. Don't let anybody tell you no. And uh keep a good mindset about it. Work hard. You know, you got to put in the late nights, the the hard training days, and uh I promise you you'll get there, it'll pay off.
SPEAKER_01What are you most looking forward to uh when it comes to your future with Monster Jam? Because I know you're just getting started here, and we got a long way to go, and this freestyle mania championship series seems to be taking off like uh like hotcakes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, I just want to keep looking looking uh on the bright side for learning new tricks. And uh, you know, actually, you know, I was thinking about this the other day. When I'm like, you know, 38, 39, 40 years old, you know, I'd really like to drive a monster truck, you know, get into that when I don't want to ride dirt bikes anymore. And uh yeah, you never know.
SPEAKER_01When you're when you're 38, how old are you now? 26. 26. All right, so you got you got some years to go, but that's that's a great goal, man. I mean, if you can be successful uh on two wheels, uh who's to say you can't be successful on four? We've seen uh we've seen some crazy. I want I want to talk to you. Um, my my broadcast partner on Monster Gam Primetime, Adam X, the seven deuce deuce a super cross legend. Were you familiar with Adam's work at all? Uh in a uh in a on a motorcycle. I don't I don't know if I am familiar with that. All right, we're gonna clip this clip off. I'm gonna send it to you. Um no, he's uh you talk about wanting to drive a monster truck. Adam uh had a great journey because he was uh very successful as a privateer in Supercross, went to Monster Jam University, um, and ended up turning that into a broadcast career. Oh, really? There's a yeah, a lot of different opportunities there. But with MJU uh and you continue the successful road on your motorcycle, who's to say that that's not an option for you down the road?
SPEAKER_00Well, that's um that's good to know. Good to hear that it is it is possible.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it's it's it's it's so uh unbelievable to be able to switch sports and still be successful, not one but not two. But I definitely have faith in you. You you've been uh an absolute incredible story uh to watch throughout the 2026 season. I look forward to everything you do in 2027, and um you you know, you you being paired with Kristen Anderson, that seems like a very formidable team. But you did mention that that lineup is gonna be tough. And who do you think is your biggest threat to repeat as a series champion?
SPEAKER_00Oh man, I gotta say that's a tough one, you know. Like we got Greg Duffy, the double front flip hero. Uh TJ Tiffany, he's oh man, that's I I I I think Tony Oakes and TJ Tiffany are gonna be our our biggest uh competitors for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and that's to see uh Tony and Kristen go go at it again uh after their incredible rivalry from a few years ago, man. That should be tough. A TJ uh is a great rider. So he's the only other freestyle motocross rider I've had on inside monster jam. Oh, for guests. So yeah, so you're number two there. Um one last question I I think for you, as far as being on this gravedigger team now, and I've I've talked about this before, I've got a gravedigger t-shirt on uh as well. Every every every store you uh I come prepared, my friend. I come prepared for this. Um, but every everywhere you go, you see Monster Jam, whether it's the die cast toys, whether it's t-shirts, whether it's bed sheets, whether it's posters, there's always something monster jam. Do you take pride now when you walk into uh a retail store and you see Gravegigger toys? And and I I just I literally just saw this morning on my way here. I stopped, I saw a grave digger, it was a monster truck and a freestyle motocross bike in a package, a spin master package. So um, do you take pride in that now at all, knowing that you were a part of this storied team that's been around for multiple decades?
SPEAKER_00Oh, a little bit for sure, you know. The grave digger dirt bike toy at the monster truck. I seen that too, and I'm like, man, I really might have done something, you know. But you know, it's cool. Like I see, like, you know, my daughter, she's in school, and she's like, she'll come home and tell me, Dad, this this person was wearing a gravedigger shirt or this now. I'm like, man, it's everywhere, you know. So I'm glad I could uh you know do my part in it and and and do well. So yeah, it's it's it's amazing.
SPEAKER_01Well, you've won two championships already. You got a third one uh possibly on deck in 2027 and uh maybe a fourth at world finals as well. We'll see. But then also uh you jump over your hometown signs. So if anybody right now from Brooks, Minnesota is watching this episode of Inside Monster Jam, I think it's time that we put Noah's name on that hometown sign. He's already jumped in, don't make him do it again. Let's just put it there. I mean, it says hometown kid done good. 140 people, and you're a two-time world champion, man. That's amazing. Uh Noah, thank you so much for being here, man. I do appreciate it, and I look forward to seeing you uh lace him up again in 2027.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, Scott. I appreciate you, appreciate you having me on.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Noah Bach and everybody, team Gravedigger Kristen Anderson, Freestyle Mini Championship series presented by Spinmaster, coming to an arena you're near you in 2027. Get your tickets now at monsterjam.com. That's all the time we have this week. I'll see you next week for another brand new edition of Inside Monster Jam, the official Monster Jam podcast.