Second:
"if i could ride a spine like that for a fucking day..." -eric kuster
some might say listing this masterpiece second could be considered blowing my load too early. hell, i would probably think the same if i read this on the internet. what could follow this guys part on such a list? besides the fact it was released on VHS and could have been filmed last week, this is the kind of video part where a NORA "masters" category would probably still do no justice to the impact it had and still has on the BMX world. creativity hasn't met power like it did with this guy. i won't pick it apart, but in honesty his last clip is so fucking fast that i want to know his gear ratio. it doesn't seem possible to pedal that fast. seriously.
many things have changed in the scene of riding since this video part was made. having a generation of riders that may not know who taj is simply doesn't work for me. almost every trick in this part wouldn't have been done if it wasn't for taj's take on the world, ramps, street, and bicycles in general. in my and many peoples eyes, taj fucking mihelich was the best BMX rider of all time. after watching this part, then seeing it was released in 2002, there probably aren't many that would argue that point.
i wish this part was 20 minutes long.
taj mihelich etnies forward
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
First
So the video is done and the premier was completely amazing. More to come on this.
The fact I had to make a speech the night of the premier left me anxiety ridden and ultimately just making fun of myself on a stage in front of a hundred or so hecklers. I ended up completely forgetting half of the important shit I wanted to say. One of the things I look back on and remorsefully didn't talk about was the state of bmx. To keep this short and sweet, I used to be very very fucking salty over this topic because what I thought was cool wasn't going on anymore. The videos and video magazines are replaced by Instagram edits, print is dead, old true style is replaced by its methodical counterpart.
Opinion or observation, either way my focus was off. There is always something to be stoked on, and I was missing the point. Bmx is about being yourself, and I'm glad I ended up riding long enough to learn that and outgrow the sweats phase of bmx. Youth. Admiration through emulation. We've all been there. For our generation, it was stauffer taj moliterno robbie joe and the likes of the style gods. Then there was aitken and a whole slew of other dudes the generation after us. The point is, I'm seeing it from an older set of eyes and realize the coolest shit is thinking like sinisi, not trying to be like him. Or looking at a line like chase hawk might, the outside of the box thought process that makes people stand out. Individuality through self expression. Tunney. Friemuth. Ruben. The list goes on.
Dig saved bmx history by doing the twelve days of Aitken for Christmas this passed year. Earlier that year I was staying out at my friend Aaron's house in California and there was a dude on a filming trip who was staying there for a few weeks. He didn't know who Garrett Byrnes was. The internet exists in a way that it didn't back when we were kids, and there is so much information available for people. This series of posts will hopefully provide someone with some cool shit they forgot about or maybe didn't know in the first place. I hope it inspires the old farts to keep going, maybe get stoked again, and maybe a younger kid with some ideas of how to think outside the box more. It's not their fault they were two years old when Ruben busted out the wallride to tailwhip in Road Fools Europe. I wish I knew how rad Eddie Fiola was when I was three. Here's to the internet opening up some eyes to how things used to be.
This is my all-time list of video parts. In no particular order.....
ONE:
"it kinda looks like he's upset. Like really fuckin upset."-Sean Dillon
I remember sweating this video being released because of Vic Ayala's part, and not even having a fucking clue what was in store the first five minutes of this video. aptly named "please kill me," S&M's instant classic seemingly was named after the common reaction to our first contestants efforts in making everything look easy, but nearly exploding in the process. Most of my friends and I had no fucking clue this guy was even riding street.. I wasn't ready to have my jaw unhinged like it was when the aftermath of the crash section of his was over. Full throttle, psychotic, relentless, chaotic, madman, do or fucking die BMX. Speed wheelies, pedaling like he was possessed, almost every single thing in the part being nearly impossible. Tightwire tactics of barely escaping demise, yet applying just enough skills to fool someone into thinking something was no big deal. The fact that I can still watch his part and look at it after all these years and still say "what the fuck" to myself a few times is why he's the first on this list. That and the Astoria gap.
For those who don't know who that Vic guy is, just follow this for a few more days. Until then, watch and learn from a lesser known legend, josh stricker.
And make sure to hold onto your ass while you do.
click to watch josh stricker in please kill me
The fact I had to make a speech the night of the premier left me anxiety ridden and ultimately just making fun of myself on a stage in front of a hundred or so hecklers. I ended up completely forgetting half of the important shit I wanted to say. One of the things I look back on and remorsefully didn't talk about was the state of bmx. To keep this short and sweet, I used to be very very fucking salty over this topic because what I thought was cool wasn't going on anymore. The videos and video magazines are replaced by Instagram edits, print is dead, old true style is replaced by its methodical counterpart.
Opinion or observation, either way my focus was off. There is always something to be stoked on, and I was missing the point. Bmx is about being yourself, and I'm glad I ended up riding long enough to learn that and outgrow the sweats phase of bmx. Youth. Admiration through emulation. We've all been there. For our generation, it was stauffer taj moliterno robbie joe and the likes of the style gods. Then there was aitken and a whole slew of other dudes the generation after us. The point is, I'm seeing it from an older set of eyes and realize the coolest shit is thinking like sinisi, not trying to be like him. Or looking at a line like chase hawk might, the outside of the box thought process that makes people stand out. Individuality through self expression. Tunney. Friemuth. Ruben. The list goes on.
Dig saved bmx history by doing the twelve days of Aitken for Christmas this passed year. Earlier that year I was staying out at my friend Aaron's house in California and there was a dude on a filming trip who was staying there for a few weeks. He didn't know who Garrett Byrnes was. The internet exists in a way that it didn't back when we were kids, and there is so much information available for people. This series of posts will hopefully provide someone with some cool shit they forgot about or maybe didn't know in the first place. I hope it inspires the old farts to keep going, maybe get stoked again, and maybe a younger kid with some ideas of how to think outside the box more. It's not their fault they were two years old when Ruben busted out the wallride to tailwhip in Road Fools Europe. I wish I knew how rad Eddie Fiola was when I was three. Here's to the internet opening up some eyes to how things used to be.
This is my all-time list of video parts. In no particular order.....
ONE:
"it kinda looks like he's upset. Like really fuckin upset."-Sean Dillon
I remember sweating this video being released because of Vic Ayala's part, and not even having a fucking clue what was in store the first five minutes of this video. aptly named "please kill me," S&M's instant classic seemingly was named after the common reaction to our first contestants efforts in making everything look easy, but nearly exploding in the process. Most of my friends and I had no fucking clue this guy was even riding street.. I wasn't ready to have my jaw unhinged like it was when the aftermath of the crash section of his was over. Full throttle, psychotic, relentless, chaotic, madman, do or fucking die BMX. Speed wheelies, pedaling like he was possessed, almost every single thing in the part being nearly impossible. Tightwire tactics of barely escaping demise, yet applying just enough skills to fool someone into thinking something was no big deal. The fact that I can still watch his part and look at it after all these years and still say "what the fuck" to myself a few times is why he's the first on this list. That and the Astoria gap.
For those who don't know who that Vic guy is, just follow this for a few more days. Until then, watch and learn from a lesser known legend, josh stricker.
And make sure to hold onto your ass while you do.
click to watch josh stricker in please kill me
Monday, April 4, 2016
the empty page
The door was frozen fucking shut.
"I didn't think I was drawing that long tonight,"
Incomplete motions all day. Auto pilot awake at nine, shop by twelve thirty. Set up, color, breakdown by 3pm, stuffed myself sluggish by 6:30. Met my friend about a website at 7, piles of crumpled paper and hair tugging by 9 are interrupted by a text from Russ. Unlike the video of Joe Rich's last rip on his ramp leaving Kaz and myself drooling to pedal our asses off at something, seeing Joe dismantle the bowl corner and standing amongst people power tools and scattered pieces of skatelite, the ribs of a masterpiece showing sickly through its skin...it bummed me the fuck out.
Problem is who am I to be bummed? Who are any of us to reflect and say "wow, this is fucked up."
The scene in Austin is the largest cohesive personification of the spirit of Bmx. where some of us have grown generally cynical, they have embellished on the open mind and widespread acceptance that swells the true roots of our lifestyle. Personally speaking, it breathed new life into my desire to continue riding bmx at any level; a true fountain of youth. The relocation of the mystical ramp should not bring anyone down. It hasn't brought the founders nor the fabricators down, the shredders and the local blood; they are excited to see what new sheets of paper bring, new golden hours to rip a new one and to laugh pounds off bodies.
The magic had a home for over twelve years in the east side of Austin, TX.
There is no doubt in my mind that change will only bring new walls to inspire new chapters. The real magic, the thought process and creative think tank existing within the people responsible and the people they welcome daily into their slice of heaven, is eternal. It's intangible. It follows me back to New York from simply being a fly on the wall for a few weeks here and there.
It transfers through photo and video, makes anyone who has seen pictures inspired.
Pushes their legs to work a little harder.
Their minds, the soul of every rider is stoked a little more with every glance into the back yard of terrible one.
I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone I have ever known to ride when I say that we are all grateful beyond words. The ramp, the state of mind passed on through generations and through the proof that everyone's idea of "growing up" is total shit, it's invaluable.
Thank you Joe, Ryan Corrigan, Nina Buitrago, Russ Barone, Afro Pat, Thomas, Will Blount, Matty, Nutter, Logan, Isaac, and everyone else that has made Austin BMX not only a reality, but an inconceivably missing piece to a puzzle left unfinished for so long. Thanks for reminding me that there are so many more open spots to be stitched together.
Thank you for continually leaving an empty page to be written on.
Cheers everyone.
Austin Texas is the fastest growing city in the nation. With a list of statistics that constantly puts another hand atop of its own gang pile, neighborhoods once deemed inhospitable to the masses are the new hot spots for development. Sadly, staples of the famed shit hole known as "the east side" are becoming scarce. Buildings with structurally sound dilapidation, or "character" are being replaced with sterile and uninspired architecture of unrealistic property value. One real life stat to regurgitate for consumption is a bile-coated whopping 90 dollar per square foot property tax, three years prior only having a four dollar per square foot fee. Intrigued? Infuriated? Good. Me fucking too. I don't even live there and it makes me sick.
Among Austen's famed burger joints, ungodly amazing taco trucks, signature bars, and world famous tattoo shops that were forced out for the sake of los-anglification is a pillar of the BMX scene, once located on east 6th street. Terrible One's home base once loomed under the radar, unadorned to the naked eye. A few buildings in from the corner of Chicon, it's unattractive tan brick exterior wouldn't dare cause for double take. It's barbed wire gate looked more like a chop shop entrance than the holy passageway to the esteemed oasis laying completely undetectable from the cracked sidewalk.
I've heard twelve, and I've heard fourteen, so for conversations sake, well passed a decade existed something special. Out of town visitors lucky enough to catch wind of a session at the ramp were sent home with an undeniable glow, priceless frame by frame memories turned photographic by their severity. No place was as highly regarded as the terrible one ramp.
It has fallen prey to the gentrification of this neighborhood for the greed of out of state developers, giving no shit towards people who live and breathe the fine city of Austin. When the next cool thing pops up, the influx of population will hop on the cool train, leaving the heart of Austin with a ghost town of bad decisions from property owners of the past who chose to bulldoze the mojo and the magic for money.
It's another sad day for Austin. The worst part is, whatever office building or housing eye sore gets put on its foundation will never have a clue of the incredible moments spent at this geographic location.
All good things must come to an end. I suppose I'm just wishing it was time that the good things were finally allowed to stand the storm, leaving some negative soulless activities with no sand left in the hour glass.
RIP
The door was frozen fucking shut.
"I didn't think I was drawing that long tonight,"
Incomplete motions all day. Auto pilot awake at nine, shop by twelve thirty. Set up, color, breakdown by 3pm, stuffed myself sluggish by 6:30. Met my friend about a website at 7, piles of crumpled paper and hair tugging by 9 are interrupted by a text from Russ. Unlike the video of Joe Rich's last rip on his ramp leaving Kaz and myself drooling to pedal our asses off at something, seeing Joe dismantle the bowl corner and standing amongst people power tools and scattered pieces of skatelite, the ribs of a masterpiece showing sickly through its skin...it bummed me the fuck out.
Problem is who am I to be bummed? Who are any of us to reflect and say "wow, this is fucked up."
The scene in Austin is the largest cohesive personification of the spirit of Bmx. where some of us have grown generally cynical, they have embellished on the open mind and widespread acceptance that swells the true roots of our lifestyle. Personally speaking, it breathed new life into my desire to continue riding bmx at any level; a true fountain of youth. The relocation of the mystical ramp should not bring anyone down. It hasn't brought the founders nor the fabricators down, the shredders and the local blood; they are excited to see what new sheets of paper bring, new golden hours to rip a new one and to laugh pounds off bodies.
The magic had a home for over twelve years in the east side of Austin, TX.
There is no doubt in my mind that change will only bring new walls to inspire new chapters. The real magic, the thought process and creative think tank existing within the people responsible and the people they welcome daily into their slice of heaven, is eternal. It's intangible. It follows me back to New York from simply being a fly on the wall for a few weeks here and there.
It transfers through photo and video, makes anyone who has seen pictures inspired.
Pushes their legs to work a little harder.
Their minds, the soul of every rider is stoked a little more with every glance into the back yard of terrible one.
I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone I have ever known to ride when I say that we are all grateful beyond words. The ramp, the state of mind passed on through generations and through the proof that everyone's idea of "growing up" is total shit, it's invaluable.
Thank you Joe, Ryan Corrigan, Nina Buitrago, Russ Barone, Afro Pat, Thomas, Will Blount, Matty, Nutter, Logan, Isaac, and everyone else that has made Austin BMX not only a reality, but an inconceivably missing piece to a puzzle left unfinished for so long. Thanks for reminding me that there are so many more open spots to be stitched together.
Thank you for continually leaving an empty page to be written on.
Cheers everyone.
Austin Texas is the fastest growing city in the nation. With a list of statistics that constantly puts another hand atop of its own gang pile, neighborhoods once deemed inhospitable to the masses are the new hot spots for development. Sadly, staples of the famed shit hole known as "the east side" are becoming scarce. Buildings with structurally sound dilapidation, or "character" are being replaced with sterile and uninspired architecture of unrealistic property value. One real life stat to regurgitate for consumption is a bile-coated whopping 90 dollar per square foot property tax, three years prior only having a four dollar per square foot fee. Intrigued? Infuriated? Good. Me fucking too. I don't even live there and it makes me sick.
Among Austen's famed burger joints, ungodly amazing taco trucks, signature bars, and world famous tattoo shops that were forced out for the sake of los-anglification is a pillar of the BMX scene, once located on east 6th street. Terrible One's home base once loomed under the radar, unadorned to the naked eye. A few buildings in from the corner of Chicon, it's unattractive tan brick exterior wouldn't dare cause for double take. It's barbed wire gate looked more like a chop shop entrance than the holy passageway to the esteemed oasis laying completely undetectable from the cracked sidewalk.
I've heard twelve, and I've heard fourteen, so for conversations sake, well passed a decade existed something special. Out of town visitors lucky enough to catch wind of a session at the ramp were sent home with an undeniable glow, priceless frame by frame memories turned photographic by their severity. No place was as highly regarded as the terrible one ramp.
It has fallen prey to the gentrification of this neighborhood for the greed of out of state developers, giving no shit towards people who live and breathe the fine city of Austin. When the next cool thing pops up, the influx of population will hop on the cool train, leaving the heart of Austin with a ghost town of bad decisions from property owners of the past who chose to bulldoze the mojo and the magic for money.
It's another sad day for Austin. The worst part is, whatever office building or housing eye sore gets put on its foundation will never have a clue of the incredible moments spent at this geographic location.
All good things must come to an end. I suppose I'm just wishing it was time that the good things were finally allowed to stand the storm, leaving some negative soulless activities with no sand left in the hour glass.
RIP
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