Birthplace: Harlow, Essex, UK.
1986 Romford.
www.extreme.com: After seeing Evil Knievel in 1977 at Wembley Stadium, Zach was infected with the stunt cycling virus and immediately started jumping things on his bike.
Zach: I was the master of the brick high jump ramp at 8 years old.
ROMFORD.
www.extreme.com: In 1980, at the tender age of 9 he started riding BMX and developed his skills at Romford Skatepark in London.
I used to save my lunch money to go to Romford Skate Park in Hornchurch, Essex. That's where I learned to ride, on the streets of Harlow.
FREESTYLE BMX.
Early Zach Shaw coverage in Freestyle BMX november 1988.
2nd place 17 plus ramp and 4th place 17 plus flat@ BFA Farnham, 1989.
Freestyle BMX UK april 1989: Zak may well be thought of as a hyperactive ramp rider. The expression on his face during this backyard certainly doesn't fit the description of such a label. His fourth on ground and second on ramp gave him the overall. Photo by Kris Noble.
THE CHINGFORD JAM.
Zach, may 2005: The Chingford Jam was the fore runner for stuff like the Backyard Jam. There was a really strong Skate & Bike scene at Chingford and it was the first Ramp to have a Midi section connected to the Vert ramp. The Chingford Jam was around 88/89 about the same time as the scene was changing, it was the first real event without the blessing of the UKBFA which was the Official BMX Freestyle body of the time so it was a clear message to them that things were changing in BMX, Paul Wright was organising with Tim Ruck as far as I can remember and the sponsors for the event being Faze 7 & Mud Machine i think? The riders there were established people like Pepi Winder, Jason Lunn, Greg Guillotte, Jason Ellis, Dean Rush, Eric Steel and many other new riders who entered the Amateur class. It was the first time the riders had gone to an event and decided what the format was and how it was going to run without the intervention of the UKBFA, basically it was more like a festival style event with people chilling out drinking and having fun outside in the sunshine rather than inside a sports hall!
Chingford Trivia: Jon Taylor went as a skater and that's where he decided he wanted to ride bikes. David Beckham used to practise playing football in the same park by the ramp. Scoff lived under the ramp for 6 months.
BFA Franham 1989.
4th place B group vert @ UKKOV round 1, Portsmouth, UK, june 1990.
UKKOV MANSFIELD.
4th place B group vert @ UKKOV round 2, Mansfield, UK, september 1990.
Wallride at the 1990 KOC. Photo by David Palk.
1991 King Of Concrete.
Zach won the "King Of Concrete" title in 1992.
INTERVIEW.
Interview in BMX Now xmas 1992.
Zach pulled the first backflip 360.
Zach, march 2005: I came up with the idea after doing the Mansfield Demo with Mat Hoffman in 1990 where he pulled the first flair, it got me thinking that a 540 flair was possible but I had to learn flips first ! ... when I finally got the opportunity to learn flips I started messing with flipping and spinning (on a jump), I could do 180 flips no problem but getting the extra rotation was really hard and I never could get more than flip 270's until I went too the jump at Crowhurst in Hastings.
When I first jumped at Crowhurst I realised that this was THE jump i could do it on, I didn't say anything to anyone there and just rode in to try it, the first one i rotated full 360 and landed then my back wheel slid out, the second attempt the same thing happened on the third attempt I landed sideways and blew the spokes out of my back wheel and had the wind taken out of me as I landed on my ribs, this footage is on a rare video called WASTED II, possibly available from Custom Riders in the UK?
I vowed to pull the trick the very next weekend ! When I went back to Crowhurst it took me 2 attempts to pull the 360flip (zakflip) which was documented by DIG magazine.
Backflip 360 aka the Zakflip.
Zach is doing something like a 360 flair to fakie at a Northampton contest.
Zach, april 2005: I remember this attempt, that was my first attempt at a flair on Vert ! ... It went 360 because I had so much time and put to much effort into the rotation. After 2 attempts I wrecked my back wheel, so I borrowed somebody's wheel and tried it on the quarter pipe in the street contest and pulled it first time ! Years later myself and Simon Tabron were talking about that contest and he told me that he had learnt flip fakies before the comp and was super confident that he would go there and win Street and Vert He said he couldnt believe it when he arrived and I pulled those tricks out and beat him, I think Jerry got 1st and i got 2nd with Simon in 3rd. I have not tried any 540 flips since then !
7th place A group dirt @ Backyard Jam, Hasting, UK.
Zach, Ride BMX UK june 1997: GT offered me sponsorship in late '95 and I wasn't interested, but when they offered me in '96 I changed my mind. I've always rode a GT, so I thought I'd check it out.
Interview in Ride BMX UK june 1997.
KING OF CONCRETE.
Zach won the "King Of Concrete" title in 1997.
17th place pro vert @ Gravity Games, Providence, RI, july 1999.
15th place pro vert @ BS round 1, Lake Havasu, AZ, march 2000.
BS LOUISVILLE.
11th place pro vert @ BS round 2, Louisville, KY, april 2000.
8th place pro vert @ BS round 2, Louisville, KY, april 2001.
Zack Shaw was going high with variations and flaired his bald little head for England.
BS TEXAS.
19th place pro vert @ BS round 3, Grand Prairie, TX, may 2001.
EURO X-GAMES.
5th place pro vert @ 2001 Euro X-Games, Barcelona, Spain, july 2001.
KNEE SURGERY.
Knee surgery September the 9th 2001.
VIDEO GAME.
Zach is a character in Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 video game.
3rd place pro vert @ FISE 2002, Palavas, France, avril 2002.
Super-stylish carved alley-oops, six-foot airs to body jars, 540s, and a mind-bending flair, in the sense that he bailed out and his head barely missed the coping. He came back and pulled one later as perfect as can be.
EXPN INVITATIONAL TEXAS.
10th place pro vert @ EXPN Invitational round 1, Grand Prairie, TX, april 2002.
WORLDS.
3rd place pro vert @ Worlds, Koln, july 2002.
2002 X-GAMES.
11th place pro vert @ 2002 X-Games, Philadelphia, PA. august 2002.
VANS TRIPLE CROWN.
9th place pro vert @ Vans Triple Crown, round 3, Oceanside, CA, october 2002.
INTERVIEW.
Interviewon www.fatbmx.com november 2002.
INTERVIEW.
Backchat with Zach Shaw in Dig november 2002.
I am currently employed to ride my bike and look after the riders on the Vans UK/Europe Bike team and also Eastpack UK bike team.
BMX Rider #5 january 2003.
SPONSORS.
Vans, WeThePeople, Fenchurch Clothing.
WORLDS.
2nd place pro vert @ 2003 Worlds, Beja, Portugal.
Flair to icepick (?).
NO FOOTED FLAIR.
Zach Shaw pulled a no footed flair on vert at the NASS 2003.
Zach, february 2005: Nass 03 was the first No-foot flair I tried, it worked ok....scary though!
WHEN HE'S NOT RIDING...
When he's not riding, Zach is organising BMX Events, (BIKE 2003, Urban Games, NASS, King Of Street and The Board-X Festival), managing the Vans UK & Europe bike teams, Filming Video and other bits and bobs.
BROKEN ARM.
Zach, www.extreme.com, february 2004: It was an eventful 2003 for me, loads of events to ride at and organise and then a broken arm to end the season with.
NASS 2003
Simpel Session, Tallinn, Estonia.
X-AIR.
1st contest of 2004 in Hamilton, New Zealand, at the X-air event.
Zach, www.extreme.com, april 2004: The contest set up was really good with a festival feel to everything, the rider line up for the Vert contest was amazing Jay Miron, Eduardo Terreros, Achim Kujawski and a whole bunch of riders from around the world representing most countries. Eduardo took it on a No-Hander in practise because he didnt tighten his stem on arrival (dumb ass) and Mike Mancuso lost his front wheel on a hang up!!!! They were both ok... sort of, but guys come on check your bikes before you start going 10ft out, yeah! Jay Miron threw down a bunch of signature moves like 540 whips and crazy high speed grinds for the win, I placed 2nd with a big flair and some scary 540 variations thrown in... a little to smooth for my liking, Eduardo placed 3rd after staying on his bike for most of the contest which is a miracle in itself! Tim Wood 4th and Achim Kujawski 5th.
MALAYSIAN X-GAMES.
Zach, www.extreme.com, april 2004: I had a great trip but I sucked in the contest - I crashed 4 times in 2 runs and I have no idea how I came away with no injury, Eduardo Terreros won the contest with Koji Kraf in 2nd, Achim 3rd, Seji Sato 4th and me 5th... I dont even know how I placed in 5th I rode that badly! The night life in Kuala Lumpar is great, the taxi drivers are crazy and all the elecrical gadgets are cheap as chips
WOODWARD.
4 weeks of training at Woodward.
3rd place pro vert @ Bike Show 2004, UK.
Zach, www.extreme.com, april 2004: Bike Show in April, the contest was amazing with Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, Tobias Wicke, Jamie Bestwick, Simon Tabron and many more of the Worlds top BMX riders there to compete. Nyquist won the street contest with the craziest trick I think i have ever seen an alleyoop flair across a 10 ft channel!!! Bestwick pulled out the stops in Vert to take the win with a Flair whip, 540 alleyoops and massive airs and variations all over the new Redbull Ramp, Simon Tabron pulled a 900 taking his tally of pulled 9's well into the 50s mark. He also pulled the elusive alleyoop 540 barspin! I took 3rd place with some big flairs, 540 inverts and some well aimed body jars that nearly put me off the side of the ramp but at least i nearly landed on our MC Mr Paul Roberts!
LATIN X-GAMES.
3rd place pro vert @ Latin X-Games in Rio, may 2004.
Zach, www.extreme.com, august 2004: The day of the qualifiers I got a taste of how big the Metal Vert Ramp really was (13ft+). I tried to stay smooth and qualified in 5th or 6th - I was happy with that placing and would have been pleased to have taken that as a final result! The next day was finals and I wasn't going to hold back. In my run I pulled the smoothest 540 table I have ever done and threw down an alley oop X-up - no footer - for the first time ever. Finding myself over the wrong side of the ramp I aired over the channel to try and body jar the ramp and missed! I took my pads off and watched the next 5 riders throw down and took some pictures. After the contest I was whisked off by one of the ESPN staff and told I had placed 3rd and to go and collect the Bronze medal!!!! ... Jay Miron got the silver and Dennis McCoy got the Gold.
WORLDS.
4th place pro vert @ 2004 Worlds in Cologne, Germany.
Zach, www.extreme.com, august 2004: I headed out there slightly weary after so much travelling. To start Eduardo Terreros broke both his wrists in the high air contest, so that gave most of us the jitters going into the final. The contest format was jam so that meant 3 groups of 5 riders to go. I had a few really good runs, pulling 3 different 540 variations and a no-footed flip. My final placing in Cologne was 4th. I think the most of the riders were dissatisfied with the way things were run and the way it was judged. That goes for Flat, Street and Dirt at this event. However, congratulations to Simon Tabron for becoming 3 times World Vert Champion!
URBAN GAMES.
1st place pro vert @ Urban Games in London
Zach, www.extreme.com, august 2004: The ramp was set up perfectly and there were 4 Gravity Games spots up for Grabs in the Vert Contest. Jay Miron qualified in 1st and I qualified in 2nd. The next day was a different story - I threw down all of my tricks and pulled another no-footed flair to win the Urban Games!! Jay took 2nd, Matt Fairburn from Australia 3rd and Peter Geys, Belgium 3rd. I also placed joint 3rd with Jon Taylor in the high air contest at Urban Games.
www.fatbmx.com: Zach Shaw left the WeThePeople company in january and then enjoyed the freedom to ride any frame and any part he wants.
www.fatbmx.com, january 2009: Zach Shaw dislocated his shoulder at a show in Kuwait. Just when he was feeling good and his riding was improving (we've seen pics of inverts at 12 feet and no-handed flairs....). He's off to Barcelona for a show or for some chill time depending on his decision to keep riding or to let it heal. Get well soon Zach.
Zach: In 2010 I turned 40 and celebrated this by bringing the derelict Vert ramp at Upton skate park back to life with the Help of Vans who put the money up to make it happen, Myself and John "Cong" Barnett both celebrated turning 40 by holding a Vert Jam called the "Naughty 40 Jam" it was a great success and Vert riding in the UK seems to have had a resurgence! Long may it continue!
Zach, 2012: I will be at the Vans Warped Tour on November 10th at Alexander Palace in London doing a Vert Show with Dennis McCoy and Simon Tabron.