Editors: Andy Jenkins, Mark Lewman.
Photos: Spike Jonze.
Publisher: Bob Osborn (Wizard Publications)
First issue: summer 1984.
BMX Action, june 1984: Us folks here at Wizard pubs are so pumped on freestyle that we're in the start-up stage on an all new international newsstand magazine, BMX FREESTYLE (Ed note: Became Freestylin'). At first it will be quarterly. but that will probably only last for one or two issues. Then it'll be bi-monthly for maybe a couple more issues, and then who knows? It's highly possible that it will go monthly very soon!?
Mark Noble, Ride BMX UK december 1993: If BMX A was the bible for BMXers, then Freestylin' was the Koran for freestylers. On top of that, AJ, Lew and Spike Jonze were gods and definitely the most hardcore people ever known to mankind. Freestylin' even grew in large proportions and at time was 160+ pages big, glorious layout, beautiful photos, and more. This was at the time when the sun shone out of Wizard's jacksie, their Torrance HQ was unquestionably the place to be and a rider magnet for the UK hardcore. The bubble burst along with Wizard, and the magazine combined with BMX A to create GO Magazine around '90. On hearing this news, I almost topped myself.
Andy Jenkins, www.hessenmob.de, 1998: I loved BMX racing and "art" as a kid. I was fortunate enough to be able to combine them when Bob Osborn had the insight to hire me-an inexperienced 19-year-old from Wyoming fresh out of art school-for Freestylin '. My dream had always been to move to California and race, and it happened. I drove out with two bikes, moved in with Oz and started working at Wizard in March of 1984. To this day I feel extremely lucky to have been given that opportunity... so many of the great things in my life came from this turn. Great job, great friends, great experiences. I got to hire Lewman then Jonze, two people who've had (and continue to have) an indescribable impact on my life. Freestlyin ' (Wizard Publications in general) was not work for us... it was a playground. We made the magazine, had keys to the place and nothing was out of bounds. We played music, we shot photos, we had a darkroom, a copier for our zines, bikes to ride, great curbs to skate right in the parking lot... It's crazy how good it was. It was a little window in time that we were lucky enough to sneak into.
Freesylin' magazine started NORA cups and Eddie Fiola won the won the first one in 1985. NORA stands for Number One Rider Award.
Ron Wilkerson 2hip at Golden Gate on the cover. Photo by Bob Osborn.
Editorial: You Want Me to What - Notes from our newly imported editor.
Graffiti: The latest poop in the world of freestyle.
Street Scene: San Francisco's Golden Gate Park - Look out, here come the Curb Dogs.
How to do a 180 Rollback: R.L. Osborn shows us how.
Skyin' at the ranch: King of the Skateparks round 2, Del Mar.
Pullout poster: Michael Dominguez goin' full tilt bozo for max altitude.
Brian Blyther at home: How to do a 360 tailspin.
Freestyle Focus: Studio artistry by Oz, Action by R.L.
Basic Basics: Buns up! How to do a curb endo; take a gander at what them boys are up to, Martha!
Eddie Fiola and the GT Pro Performer: The Performers perform.
Mike Buff, Woody Itson, and the Hutch Trick Star: More trickery from Hutch and the boys.
Last Bite: Alright, what's going on here?
Donnovan Ritter, www.kingoftheskateparks.com, july 2013: In the table of contents we have a photo of Brian Blyther in his backyard. Above the photo Brian is a shot of Eddie Fiola at the Upland King of the skateparks contest. That’s interesting because this magazine covers the King of the skateparks from Del Mar. Another strange thing about this is Eddie didn’t even compete at this Del Mar contest. For this being the very first FREESTYLIN issue the King of the skateparks magazine coverage is CRAP!!! Eight out of the eleven riding pictures are GT riders and one of them didn’t even compete. See I wished that I knew this stuff when I was a kid. The truth is this, it doesn’t matter how crazy high you get! or that you get first place. The only way you get good pictures in Bob Osborn’s magazine, you have to have a sponsor that pays Bob to put pictures of you in there.
"Is Andy Jenkins there?"
"Hi Andy, how's it goin'? this is Bob Osborn at Wizard publications. hey listen, we're startin' up a new magazine called freestylin'. I'll get right to the point. I was wondering if you might be interested in being the editor? I want you to think about it..."
"You want me to what?"
No thought needed here, I was on the road the next day. no more snow for this kid. Wyoming has seen the last of Andrew C. Jenkins... except when i go back to see my folks, of course. Well, here's how it all happened. I had sent a thank you letter to mighty bmxa to let 'em know I appreciated the bike they sent me for winning the drawing contest last november. I threw one of my resumes in along with it. "what the heck?" I thought. "couldn't hurt." I never even came close to imagining how that move would affect my life. All those years of racin' bmx and drawing funny pictures were finally gonna pay off. Bmx and freestyle. Take a look at those two words and what comes to mind? Lets analyze. Bmx one of the most radically fluid sports on two wheels. Raw power. Intense concentration. Freestyle. Free and style, that tells you a lot right there. It's a way of life. Freedom to express your style. Be it on the streets with a rockwalk or on a ramp with an aerial. Combine the two and you've got a sport with almost endless possibilities that can be done just about anywhere by anyone. But best of all, freestyle is just plain fun. You're probably asking yourself, "so what's this magazine gonna be like anyway?"
Well we're taking freestylin' to the streets, to the parks, to the competitions... Wherever the action is hot. We're also makin' it informative. you'll see the latest and raddest tricks broken down in how-to articles. The latest in freestyle technological advances; the bikes, the equipment, the accessories. You'll hear the latest rumors and gossip in the world of freestyle, plus we'll be pushin' interviews and profiles of the sport's celebs at ya (and there are a lot of you out there yet to be discovered). Phew, we're talkin' heavy duty here, spuds. Hold on to your britches or this magazine is gonna blow 'em off. Read on, radsters.
Eddie Fiola on the cover,
Graffiti: Who was really first? Eddie or Michael?
Combi-pool Madness: Upland; Do these guys belong in a rubber room?
Managing a Kick Turn: The Spiderman rides you through.
Small Ramp Specs: Double your pleasure, double your fun.
Joe's Ramp; The Great Nor-Cal Ramp Series: Heavy Shreddin' in San Leandro
Freestylin' Pullout Poster: Gonzo Gonzalez gettin' nuts!
Haro, all the right moves: From BMX racer and struggling artist to sole owner of a $3,000,000 a year corporation.
R.L. Osborn, the other side: Wild, incredible success discussed in detail by on of the top freestylers in the World today.
Last Bites: Ouch!, Ouch!, and Yahoo!
Todd Anderson getting all stylish on a PK Ripper on the cover with the whole SE Racing riders gang is in a Volkswagen bug underneath it, as well as the SE Racing factory in the background ! Todd Anderson, www.facebook.com, february 2009: There was a landing. If you look on the bottom corner theres a shadow of the landing but on this jump i only caught the last 12 inches of it. The only person missing in that shot is Scott. Good memories.
Graffiti: Rumor, gossip, and assorted drivel.
Scoot Trickery: Turning your old BMX'er into a prime freestyler.
Street Scene, The Tubes, Elgin, Illinois: Gettin' critical with the ADF Trick Team.
Competition: Venice Beach and Huntington Beach, two championships for the price of one.
The Ramp Zone: Get out your tools, we're gonna show you how to build a backyard half-pipe.
Freestylin' Pullout Poster: Hold on to your jaw or it's gonna hit the ground.
Robert Peterson: The Master of balance; the NorCal wonder tells all.
Test: Red Line RL-20 Pro-Styler, Scrutinizing the awesome new styler from Red Line
Last Bite: What the ...