Birthplace: Bellflower, CA.
Eddie Fiola, www.notfreestylin.com, 2002: Before the dawn of freestyle was Evel Kineviel and MX so everyone wanted to look like super-motor-crosser and had all sorts of fenders and stuff on their bikes. So you looked like a motor-cross star. You wanted to do all this same stuff as Evel, but all you had was this small bike so you did all this little tricks off of curbs and plywood to try and look like the man Evil himself. So that is pretty much what it was before freestyle. Before there were magazines it was as all Bob Haro and RL Osborn.
RIDING SKATEPARKS.
Eddie, American Freestyler august 1987: I rode skateboards for a while down at the Skatopia Skatepark. Then some guys were tellin' me that they allowed bikes in another skatepark, so we tried it a couple of times. We simply used everything for a jump. I saw Tinker Juarez there and saw what he could do, and made me want to do more. Bob Morales was there too. He was the first guy I ever saw drop into a pool. I was like: "No way, that's possible !"
In 1981, Bob Morales and Eddie Fiola, started up the ASPA (Amateur Skatepark Association) and began putting on a "King Of the Skateparks" series. Of course, for those who think you know the ending of this story, the ASPA eventually changed to the AFA.
Eddie Fiola, july 2015: FYI, just because Bob is my friend doesn't mean I help him start the ASAP others might disagree.
LAKEWOOD.
Eddie airing at Lakewood on a SE Quadangle, spring 1981. Photo by Bob Osborn.
Bob Osborn, www.vintagebmx.com, march 2005: In the spring of 1981 I was hearing occasional rumors of a guy in Lakewood who rode skateparks and was really hot. So I tracked him down. This pic is from my first photo session with Eddie Fiola. In my opinion, in my time, NOBODY was better in skateparks than Eddie. Also, and he and I came to be good friends, NOBODY was a better guy.
Eddie, www.vintagebmx.com, march 2005: I remember that photo session - If I recall correctly that was my second shot in a magazine. And I think I was one of the first guys that wasn't wearing leathers? I recall most of the pics in the magazines, everyone appeared sponsored with full gear (or at least looked like they were).
In 1982 Haro Bikes rider Bob Morales helped with a deal to get Fiola on the team.
Franck Belliot, 2013: Eddie Fiola a demandé à Bob Haro à Cavaillon pourquoi il n'a été sponsorisé qu'UNE SEULE JOURNEE par HARO Bikes. Ils n'en ont reparlé ensemble qu'à Cavaillon... juste incroyable... On voit Eddie Fiola dans le bouquin de Dom Phipps sur Haro Bikes et bien ce fut un shoot sur une journée. Comme c'était le proto de Bob, une pièce unique, il l'a redemandé a Eddie Fiola le lendemain pour faire d'autres photos avec d'autres riders et Eddie n'a jamais revu le vélo !
SHOWS.
Eddie Fiola, www.notfreestylin.com, 2002: I was hired by a woman named Gale Webb to do live shows. So this woman hired me to do my first shows ever. 13 feet tall skate ramps but this is the clinch it was a real half there was no flat bottom (that means it was a complete curve no straight part leading to the coping). She was going to pay me to do shows I was all like "Wait, wait, wait your gonna pay me? I was doing this for free, whoa!!" Per day she paid us 25 bucks plus food how could go wrong? And so we did those for I don't know how long. I was doing shows in '80 no ummmm '82 with Gale. It eventually started paying me.
INTERVIEW.
Interview in Bmx Plus! april 1982; the art of getting vertical.
Eddie Fiola is a wizard. He makes things happen on a bike you just can't believe. Whether it's one-footer aerials, tabletops, cross-ups, one-handers, airborne 360-s or not-so-simple jumps, Eddie rips. Now 17, Eddie started out like most California kids. He jumped on the skateboarding rage at age 10 and soon gravitated to skateparks. The first one open to Eddie was Skatopia, near Knotts's Berry Farm. It was here Fiola learned the basics of vertical riding. There was a local spot, near his house, called Kitty Banks, that was part of the L.A. concrete riverway. Kitty Banks had enough vertical to it for Eddie to learn how to fly. Top skateboarders, like Ray Bones and Stacy Peralta, used Kitty Banks also and Eddie would interpret skate moves into BMX freestyle moves. The sport of BMX has had a lot of great trick riders. The standouts include Tinker Juarez, Jeff Watson, Bob Haro, Bob Morales, Perry Kramer, and more. In comparison, Fiola is the youngest and the most anxious.
BMX ACTION COVER.
The newly crowned King of Skateparks Eddie Fiola at Lakewood on the cover of BMX Action august 1982. From left to right in the background: Bob Morales (in Haro jersey), Denise Barter (sitting in the chair with a nice tan), Woody Itson (the skinny/wimpy lookin' kid with no shirt on), R.L. Osborn (leaning on the judges stand, hidden in Eddie's rear Tuff), Mike Dominguez (hiding behind the announcer's stand), Steve Bennett (MFM shirt), and Fred Blood (the announcer). Photo by Bob Osborn.
KUWAHARA.
By the end of 1982, Bob Morales and Eddie Fiola left team Haro and signed a one year contract with Kuwahara and designed the Kuwahara freestyle bike. Kuwahara licensed the "ET" rights and used Eddie Fiola and Bob Morales to promote its new "ET" freestyle bike.
Eddie, Transworld BMX april 2003: My first sponsor was Premier helmets, then Torker (they just gave us bikes) then Kuwahara, they actually paid a monthly income, which wasn't very much, but the company that owned Kuwahara was Everything Bicycles. We got to go through their warehouse with a shopping cart and just pull parts, left and right, whatever we needed.
KOS UPLAND.
KING OF SKATEPARKS.
Eddie is the 1982 King Of Skateparks. He wins the first 16 expert class.
Profile in BMX Action april 1983.
COVER.
Eddie Fiola workin' out on the Vans half-pipe at the Elsinore race on the cover of BMX Action may 1983. Photo by Bob Osborn.
OFF KUWAHARA ON GT.
Eddie Fiola and Bob Morales finished their contracts with Kuwahara and signed with GT Bicycles.
Eddie, Transworld BMX april 2003: I remember going to Japan back when we were doing promotional thing for ET and Kuwahara. When I came back, I got sponsored by GT, and we started working on the movie Rad.
EXHIBITION.
BMX freestyle exhibition with Bob Morales on the infield at Anaheim Stadium in front of 40,000 motocross fans at the Superbowl of Motocross.
COVER.
Eddie Fiola on GT Pro at the skatepark is on the cover of BMX Plus! october 1983.
KING OF SKATEPARKS.
Eddie is the 1983 King Of Skateparks. He wins the 17 expert class.
He performs a show with Bob Morales at the Super Bowl of motorcross in the Anaheim Stadium in front of 40,000 people. He is a judge for the World Amateur Championship of BMX and King of the Skateparks series.
Eddie Fiola becomes the first member of the renamed ASPA later known as the AFA.
GT PERFORMER.
Bob Morales and Eddie Fiola designed the first GT freestyle frame and named it the GT Performer.
KOS.
1st place pro @ 1984 King of the Skateparks round 1. Fiola broke his wrist two weeks before the contest trying to invent a new trick. He was trying to do a drifter air. Sort of a carve aerial. A couple days before the contest Eddie cut his cast off so that he could ride, but after the morning session he decided it would be best to have it back on. A new feature to the contest was the highest air competition. The judges were looking for the lowest point of the bike when it peaked, and there was some controversy brewin' as to who won 'cause it was real close between Fiola and Dominguez. The prize was $200, winner take it all. By the judges decision, Fiola won. The judges marked his winning aerial at eight feet, nine inches and that's on top of a bowl that is 12 feet deep. That's almost 21 feet from the bottom of the pool!
UK.
IEddie Fiola visits the UK to take part in the televised Kellogg’s freestyle BMX competition alongside fellow country man and main competitor in the King of the Skateparks series Mike Dominguez. He wins the series with the commentator naming him “the flying banana” due to his all yellow bike and apparel with “TRIX R 4 KIDZ” printed on the backside of his pants. Just after he visits Livingston skatepark with Dominguez for an article in BMX Action bike magazine and is interviewed for the Edinburgh Evening News.
BMX ACTION BIKE COVER.
Cover of BMX Action Bike april 1984 (bottom right).
AFA VENICE.
1st place pro @ AFA Summer Freestyle Championships, Venice Beach, CA, june 24th, 1984. Fiola won the hearts of the judges and the crowds with spectacular one-hand-one-footers, 360s out of the quarterpipe onto the platform, and the smoothest landings of anyone present, all done with such flair and personality that he out-scored even Wilkerson in the ramp riding. In the ground riding Fiola took the top score of the whole event, too, with a routine that didn't quite match Wilkerson's or ltson's as far as difficulty of maneuvers, but more than made up for that disparity with personality, showmanship, smoothness, end pure exuberance.
BICROSS MAGAZINE COVER.
One footer on the cover of Bicross Magazine #22 juillet 1984.
1st place Pro @ 1984 AFA Freestyle championships.
BMX Plus! october 1984: Fiola won the hearts of the judges and the crowds with spectacular one-hand-one-footers, 360s out of the quarterpipe onto the platform, and the smoothest landings of anyone present, all done with such flair and personality that he out-scored even Wilkerson, 96.6 to 96.3 in the ramp riding. ,In the ground riding Fiola took the top score of the whole event, too, with a routine that didn't quite match Wilkerson's or ltson's as far as difficulty of maneuvers, but more than made up for that disparity with personality, showmanship, smoothness, end pure exuberance. Fiola scored 91.5 for his ground routine.
FREESTYLIN COVER.
Top gun on the cover of Freestylin #2 fall 1984.
FREESTYLE BMX UK COVER.
Cover of Freestyle BMX UK #5.
BMX PLUS! COVER.
Cover of BMX Plus! october 1984.
BMX BIKER COVER.
Eddie Fiola on the cover of BMX Biker #8.
KOS FINALS.
1st place pro @ King of Skateparks finals, Pipeline, Upland, California, september 16th, 1984.
BMX ACTION COVER.
Eddie Fiola up close at the Pipeline on the cover of BMX Action december 1984.
BERCY.
December 1984, Eddie Fiola et R.L. Osborn sont les invités freestyle du premier Bicross International de Paris Bercy. Personne en France n'avait vu ça.
Eddie Fiola visits Paris for a demonstration with fellow American freestyler R.L. Osborn at the 1st Bicross International in the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy arena.
KOS.
1984 King Of Skateparks.
King of Skateparks round 1.
Eddie Fiola at the Bicross International de Paris Bercy (december 1984) on the cover of BMX Speed #2.
BMX ACTION BIKE COVER.
Eddie Fiola in France on the cover of BMX Action Bike #30 may 1985.
1985 GT WORLD TOUR.
In 1985 Eddie Fiola embarks on the GT freestyle world tour alongside fellow GT rider Dave Breed visiting 15 countries (Saudi Arabia, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Belgium, Holland, West Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the USA) over a 3 month period starting on 1st May and ending on the 30th of July performing shows and making television appearances. Whilst on tour he enters the second UK Kellogg’s Frosties televised competition finishing 4th overall.
Eddie Fiola, www.notfreestylin.com, 2002: I did the tour with Bob Morales. We did the tour, went from city to city. I was young I didn't get to see a whole lot of the sites, I was a kid who just got to ride, but I had a whole lot a fun doing it.
BMX TRICKX COVER.
Eddie Fiola on the cover of BMX Trickx july 1985.
Gerrit Does, www.facebook.com, september 2013: Picture taken in 1985 at Ponypark Slagharen, during one of the demo's in that dome at the European Challenge Cup I organized.
VIDEO.
Eddie appears in the Freestyle Raddest Tricks video.
KING OF THE SKATEPARKS.
He finishes 2nd in the King of the Skatepark series to his great rival Mike Dominguez.
NORA CUP.
Eddie Fiola won the first Freestylin' Magazine Nora Cup.
FREESTYLER OF THE YEAR.
Eddie wins the BMX Plus! freestyler of the year.
1985 King Of Skateparks finals.
Eddie Fiola is hired as a technical advisor and stunt rider on the Hal Needham film Rad with actor Bill Allen having to dye his hair to match Fiola's. It is said that the film is loosely based around Fiola's life.
Eddie Fiola, 2004: We filmed for about 2 weeks in Canada. In the qualifying race where "Crew" falls and gets hit by another rider, that crash was real!!! We cut the shot after I had recovered an hour or so later. I got my bell rung. The shot was reset in the bushes and started filming again from that start point. In the park scene where the 2 main characters are riding for fun "What's all this number 1 about?", the end scene with both jumping into the water, the water had a crust of ice on it and we did that early in the morning. Man was it cold! There were chicks everywhere.
BMX ACTION COVER.
Eddie Fiola and R.L. Osborn on the cover of BMX Action january 1986.
FREESTYLIN COVER.
Freestylin january 1986
SUPER BMX COVER.
One foot at the 1985 King of the Skateparks finals on the cover of Super BMX and Freestyle february 1986.
BMX PLUS! COVER.
Lookback at the pipeline on the cover of BMX Plus! june 1986.
WORLD CHAMPION.
Eddie wins a controversial IBMXF Freestyle World Championships in Vancouver, august 1986.
BMX Plus! december 1986: Controversy marred the results in the Pro Ramp class. Eddie Fiola (as per his normal style) didn't wear a faceguard or a full-face helmet. AFA rules require one. Eddie gets away with this in the U.S. He didn't get away with it in Canada. The judges deducted five points from his score, which moved him back to second place (behind Hugo Gonzales) by less than half a point. Of course, Eddie wasn't exactly happy about all this-even though he went onto win the Pro Overall with fifth in Flatland and a second-place finish on the ramps.
BMX PLUS! COVER.
Cover of BMX Plus! september 1986
SUPER BMX COVER.
Eddie Fiola at the World Championships on the cover of Super BMX and Freestyle october 1986.
FREESTYLIN COVER.
Cover of Freestylin november 1986.
BICROSS MAGAZINE COVER.
Cover of Bicross Magazine novembre 1986
GTV.
Eddie stars in the GTV video.
RAD TV.
Eddie is one of the riders in RAD TV: The Sequel video.
KOS.
Eddie Fiola wins the pro class King of the Skateparks series, the last one ever to be held.
NORA CUP.
Eddie won the Freestylin' Magazine Nora Cup again.
ADS.
Eddie Fiola tourne dans deux films publicitaires à gros budgets: Levis 501 et Montain Dew.
Yearly earnings: $100,000.
Eddie Fiola and Mike Dominguez on the cover of Freestylin' january 1987.
WASHED UP ?
Steve Emig, freestylebmxtales.blogspot.com, december 2009: By late january 1987, I'd scored a job at the AFA working for Bob Morales, editing the very sporadic AFA newsletter. (...) Among the things I did for the AFA was getting to go to the legendary Pipeline Skatepark to shoot photos for an interview with Tim Rogers, creator of the "Timvert," the super upside down inverts now standard among vert and trails riders. I think it was early evening when I got to Pipeline, more than hour in traffic from Huntington Beach. I met my friend Mike there, a Pipeline local who never rolled into the bowls. He was sort of the local flatlander, and knew everyone there. Tim was running a little late, but as luck would have it, Eddie Fiola rolled up soon after I got there. Although Eddie was known for being King of the Skateparks more than once, I was surprised to see him. He was in his final year of a grueling three year contract with GT, who was known for touring their riders to death and burning them out in those early years. Word in the industry was that Eddie was completely burned out on riding, and couldn't wait until his contract ended so he could quit for good. So when Eddie rolled up in his normal practice gear of Levi's, a T-shirt, and an open face helmet, I was confused. I'd heard he didn't even bother going to the skateparks anymore. So much for industry rumors.
Mike and I stood by the fence at the end of the Pipe Bowl, the place I'd seen in so many photos only two or three years before. There was no one really riding it, so Eddie was alone at first. Mike, the consummate Pipeline local, explained that in the Pipe Bowl, air was counted from the top of the five foot high fence. If a local said Eddie got "two feet," it meant two feet over the five foot fence, or seven feet out of twelve foot deep bowl that had four feet of vert. You had to be a hell of a rider to even get above coping at Pipeline. Todd Anderson, for example, could blast ten feet out of the Camarillo Ramp, but got barely a foot out of the Combi Pool in his first contest. Although Eddie had been one of the rulers of that park, I expected this "washed up" old pro to get two or three feet out and be a little sketchy. While I didn't mention this "washed up" stuff to Eddie, I told Mike I'd heard Eddie didn't ride much anymore. Mike just smiled. Meanwhile Eddie rolled into the banked area of the bowl next to the pipe, and carved back into the pipe, hitting nearly 10 o'clock both directions. Eddie flew out to his trademark stalled footplant behind the pipe, then dropped back in and headed for us, he carved through the bowl towards us and blasted up about two feet over fence right in front of us. That was his warm-up air. He went through a run with a couple more amazing airs and carves through the pipe, then rolled up on the inside of the fence to talk to us. As I recall, Mike immediately said, "Steve here heard you're all washed up." I knew Eddie well from my days at Wizard, but was still pretty embarrassed. I think all Eddie said was that you shouldn't always believe rumors. Eddie rolled away, and in the next hour or so I saw him do almost everything I'd seen in photos. All his airs were seven or eight feet out of the bowl, and he went through his repertoire. One footers, one footed tables, one hand one footers, can-cans, over and outs (can-can to one footers) and 360 flyouts, all with the signature Eddie Fiola style. And he was just riding. There was no crowd, no cameras, just a couple other riders watching. As Eddie rode, Mike would shout out stuff, like "Eddie, get a foot out." Eddie got speed then carved the whole top edge of the bowl a couple inches below the edge (there was no coping) while dragging his top foot along the deck. Mike said "see, he got a foot out." It was one of Eddie's dork tricks, but was still hard. Mike said something about sparks, and again carved the bowl, this time rolling his front wheel out and doing a sprocket grind (feeble style), sparks flying, back wheel hanging in the bowl as he ground around the curve. This was over a year before I saw the first guy, Ron Wilkerson, grind a ledge on the street, and about three years before grinds became popular. The crazy part was that this was one of Eddie's old tricks. This went on for close to an hour. About the only thing Eddie didn't do was the flyout on the hip fence.
That day at Pipeline, the "washed up" Eddie Fiola, who'd I'd ridden with many times, blew my freakin' mind. He also taught me a lesson about putting to much faith in rumors, even if everyone seems to believe them.
BICROSS MAGAZINE COVER.
Cover of Bicross Magazine février 1987.
FREESTYLE SPECTACULAR COVER.
Cover of Freestyle Spectacular june 1987.
CHRONICLES.
The Fiola chronicles in American Freestyler september 1987; a day in the life.
Eddie, American Freestyler september 1987: I get up at about seven o'clock, take a shower, watch TV -HBO, Movie Channel, Thundercats. Then I go downstairs, clean up my bike around 11 and practice flatland until about two. Then I'm off to the skatepark, which open at about three. It takes about an hour to get there, depending on traffic, and I ride until eight and go home -that's a typical day.
DEMO TAPE.
GT Demo Tape. Vintage footage of Eddie Fiola at the Pipeline is probably worth the cost of the tape by itself.
OFF GT.
Eddie Fiola left his long time sponsor, GT.
BMX Plus! december 1987: Eddie Fiola's contract with GT Bicycles expired on August 1, 1987. Fiola has been looking for a new sponsor ever since. Although GT told us they would like to sign Eddie for another year, Eddie himself says GT's attitude toward him is cool. "They said they'd sell just as many bikes with me as without me," Fiola told us. "I don't need that." (Eddie told BMX Plus! that he had been making between $30,000 and $40,000 a year from GT before his contract ran out.) Nevertheless, Fiola is now considering potential deals with three companies: Air Uni, General and Hutch. Alan Brown of Air Uni told us that Fiola was asking $70,000 to $80,000 a year, but Eddie refused to comment on those figures.
Eddie Fiola: I got cocky. I knew there was more money to be made and wasn't thinking about riding. I was seeing guys with 4 and 5 different sponsors and they were making X amount of dollars from each company but GT was making everything on their bikes. So I got greedy and wanted to get other sponsors and GT didn't want to do that so we went off and did our own thing. I regret that. I could be managing a freestyle team now and not riding at all if I had not of not branched off done my own thing I would have had different opportunities. I think I should have maybe compromised.
101.
Eddie Fiola takes part in the BMX Plus! 101 freestyle tricks video.
Eddie Fiola riding a PK Ripper and Lord Voelker in the car on the march 1988 cover of American Freestyler.
CITICAT.
Eddie Fiola appears in ads with the new and unusual Citicat bike. They were saying "Eddie's back,". Maybe so, but those bikes are gone, at least for the time being. The manufacturer ran into some production problems with the bike and decided to stop the project for now. That being the case, the company negotiated a deal with Eddie to end his contract early, possibly starting it up again when the production problems are solved.
Eddie Fiola: That was "that cocky someone". They offered me money. Piece of shit bike. If you ever seen the ad and read it word for word I never say it was any good. I think I said something like "It's like something you never ever ridden before." So I didn't lie, I don't think they sold one. But whatever. I am telling you exactly I have nothing to hide. I was cocky. Wanted the money. I've learned since then.
BMX PLUS! COVER.
Eddie Fiola and the Pipeline skatepark on the cover of BMX Plus! july 1988.
LEFT GT.
Eddie Fiola, www.notfreestylin.com, 2002: I got cocky. Knew there was more money to be made wasn't thinking about riding. Wasn't thinking about riding… GT made everything on their bikes I saw guys with 4 and 5 different sponsors they made X amount of dollars from each company. So I got greedy and wanted to get other sponsors and GT didn't want to do that so we went off and did our own thing. I regret that. I could be managing a freestyle team now and not riding at all if I had not of not branched off done my own thing I would have had different opportunities. I think I should have maybe compromised. But I am happy where I ended up.
TEST RIDER.
In 1988 Eddie Fiola is testing bikes for BMX Plus! magazine.
BMX Plus! magazine july 1988: We don’t know how many of our readers will remember this, but back around four years ago Eddie Fiola spent a brief time as a test rider for this magazine. He only did it for a couple of months or so before GT decided to sponsor him. GT didn’t want it’s riders testing bikes for any magazines, so Eddie had to leave us. All the same, we have learned over the years we’ve known him, that Eddie is one of the most knowledgeable freestyle riders in the world. He’s incredibly bright about bikes, extremely innovative, and an extraordinary rider. We asked him a couple of months ago if he’d be interested in testing bikes for us, and he said “yes”.
AFA KANSAS.
Josh Marsele, www.vintagebmx.com: I was at the AFA finals in Kansas in late 1988. From what I know, that was Fiola's last competition after having been gone for nearly a year. I saw his flatland run and it was really cool, though he didn't do anything new (and did touch several times) - but he just did everything with a ton of style. He ended up getting 5th (which was last, a very low Pro turnout). I think the crowd booed that.
Eddie Fiola dive-bombing a cancan aboard the Boss bike on the cover on the cover of BMX Plus! january 1989.
SHOWS.
Eddie Fiola: When I got out of competition, I did live shows for Vans. It was cool, I got to ride all the time. For 5-6 years I did live shows: on my own, with Gale Webb, and with team mates Todd Anderson, Scott Freeman, and Josh White.
Eddie's still living off doing shows but not "living large". GT helps out with their bikes and VANS is flowing shoes and promotion stuff but no salary.
FAT ZINE.
Todd Anderson and Eddie Fiola trick show in Fat zine #23, spring 1992.
Interview in Ride BMX US february 1996.
Eddie Fiola: I stepped out of the BMX limelight pretty much when Josh White came in. I didn't want to get hurt anymore. I had to start thinking, what am I going to do for the rest of my life? Where is the next pay check going to come from? If I hurt myself doing what I'm doing, I don't have medical insurance or anything like that, so I got into more commercial and movie stuff. I got insurance, hospital benefits, so it was a little bit better for me. I also see Matt Hoffman ride, and you just can't keep up with these kids I like watching them ride, I think these guys that are on ground are like God, like Jesse Puente is beyond good. Riding wise, he's the best. Watching these guys ride for little amounts of money, busting their butts, I just didn't see it happening. I was out there riding, I made good amounts, and then blew if all.
PACIFIC BLUE.
Eddie Fiola, 2004: Vans restructured and the promotional tours at that time took a back-seat. I had to find a way to earn a living doing what I enjoyed most: riding. I started hitting up LA again, going out for commercial auditions. Occasionally during my live show period I would get called for a specific commercial shot. When I started actively pursuing the TV work, the jobs began coming in more frequently. For about 5 years, I was putting in the time without pay to learn the stunt industry. I was taught the ropes (literally I learned to rig stunts), did a lot of grunt work, and put in countless hours of hard work just to get my foot in the door. One afternoon I got a phone call to audition for a new TV pilot - doubling police patrol on mountain bikes. My old school freestyle skills transitioned nicely to mountain bikes, the focus of the show. On Pacific Blue (USA Network) I doubled at one time or another all of the main characters. I was in the first 30 episodes ( 3 seasons). It ended for me there. Not every show in Hollywood wants BMX freestyle, so I began to train in other areas: motocross, climbing and rappelling, scuba, fabrication, street bikes, and precision driving. Since then I have worked on a number of movies and TV shows doing stuntwork, every little boy dream (and probably some little girls too).
www.notfreestylin.com
Interview in Transworld BMX april 2003.
In 2004 Eddie Fiola hooks up with Redline BMX.
SHOWS.
Eddie Fiola: I still do shows with Gale Webb, Todd Anderson, and George Deuville. Every now and then I go to the Vans Skateparks. Some of the kids in the neighborhood only know the new stuff they see on TV, so when I ride in front of the house the kids think the old school tricks are something new. I usually end up spending a few hours teaching them the basics like fakeys or tail whips.
In 2005 Eddie Fiola is interviewed in the film Joe Kid on a Stingray, the history of BMX
CREAM COVER.
Eddie Fiola en 1984 à Upland (photo exclusive d’époque) en couverture du Cream #13 de juillet 2005. A l'interieur une interview d'Eddie par Dimitri Coste s'étale sur six pages.
SHOW.
In 2006 he performs a BMX show with Todd Anderson.
Interview in Session october 2007.
In 2008 he is awarded with a white GT pro Performer at the OS-BMX gathering as a tribute to his achievements.
Eddie Fiola from www.vitalbmx.com.
HALL OF FAME.
In 2009 he is inducted into the American Bicycle Association (ABA) Hall of Fame (Freestyle Pioneer).
OS-BMX.
He takes part in the OS-BMX Old School Reunion.
In 2010 he takes part in the old school reunion at Woodward West camp in California.
FACTION.
He is riding Faction 22" BMX bikes and part of their test team.
Eddie is on the front cover of Classic BMX issue 6 november 2011 with an interview inside.
classicbmxmag.com: We meet ‘The King’ – Eddie Fiola.
RAD ANNIVERSARY.
Eddie attended the RAD 25th Anniversary held in Canada, and performed the bicycle boogie onstage, and along side Martin Aparijo.
In 2012, he was a performer in Gale Webb's Extreme Sports and Air Shows in California.
OS-BMX.
Eddie continues to entertain crowds at the BMX Society Old School events.
Press release, 2013: Eddie Fiola, the BMX legend known as “The King of the Skateparks”, introduces his first signature model the “EF|PROFORMER”. The 100% American made collection includes a frame/fork/bar. This limited collection delivers new school attributes in a classic frame style he made famous in the 80's. Only 250 sets will be sold in his favorite colors, solid yellow with black accents giving this modern classic a timeless appeal. The EF PROFORMER has been ridden and perfected by Eddie himself. The lucky recipients of this frame/fork/bar collection will know that they are riding the exact same bike as Eddie Fiola is today. “I know some people will want to preserve this, but I prefer they ride it. Seeing someone riding this bike would be the best reward,” says Eddie. For the launch Eddie is offering fifty lucky buyers a chance at a limited collector set. Each set includes, “My Life Behind Bars” a 22 page photo book, t-shirt, sticker pack, and EF PROFORMER decal sheet. Eddie will sign each frame and also call each customer to congratulate them on the purchase. MSRP is $800 not including shipping and available exclusively at www.eddiefiola.co. The remaining 200 sets will be offered with out the extra goodies as a frame/fork/bar set only. These will include the EF PROFORMER decal sheet. All other collector items will be available separately at www.eddiefiola.co. The MSRP is $700 and will be available as the sets are manufactured. All three pieces of the collections will be serial numbered. Another unique offering is that buyers will have the ability to choose their preferred numbers during the checkout process. “We did our due diligence on this.” Says Eddie, “I won’t put my name on just anything, which is why it has taken so long to launch a signature model. Partnering with Johnny at True Torch was really important to me, because his quality has always been the pinnacle of great BMX bikes Made in the USA.” True Torch Welding has a long standing tradition of being the best bicycle fabricator in the United States. Owner, Johnny Severns is a legend in the industry and the go-to guy for many major brands. His shop in Santa Ana, CA is world renowned and has been turning out quality bikes for more than three decades.
CAVAILLON.
Old school BMX event in France.