Keith Mulligan, www.defgrip.net, november 2007: We (the editors) were unhappy with the magazine in many ways, advertisers wanted more out of it, and I’m sure readers weren’t pleased with what the magazine was looking like—most people wished the magazine was a bit better. When Brad McDonald ran the business and we were owned by Time Inc. our hands were tied. It was all about cutting costs to save money, and do this or do that to increase profits. Typical business, but it hurt us in so many ways. We were basically told what to do with a lot of things—what types of articles we should be doing, what our cover photos should be, what they should look like and say on them, etc. Now with our new owners, Bonnier, we’re finally able to make changes. And they believe in the things we want to do with the mag to make it better. They have invested the money in us to make it possible. It’s awesome.
Fat Tony, www.ridebmx.com, november 2007: Issue 140 is a really special one for Ride. We have reinvented ourselves after serving the BMX community for more than 15 years. We have a larger size, thicker pages, a new logo, and a whole new design for the magazine. And believe it or not, we actually have two covers this month. That's right, subscribers will get one, and the other will only be available on newsstands. We are really excited about the direction of the magazine and hope you will continue to support us as we move forward.
Cover for newsstands: Tom White scores another cover with this dead man hop-over smith grind in his home stomping grounds of Philly. Photo by Jeff Zielinski. Subscriber Cover: English John's Bike. Photo by Keith Mulligan.
Editorial: The Editor in Chief, Keith Mulligan will be kicking off each issue with a page of editoral. Keith has been working with Transworld for more than 10 years and has lots of experience and wisdom to share. This month he addresses the changes in the magazine.
Start: Pool experience. This photo could have easily been an inspirational poster in school—if you went to a BMX school, that is.
Up Front: The annual madness known as Interbike, injuries, sponsor changes, fine print, and a list of what to expect next month on RideBMX.com.
Pro Q&A with Brian Castillo: Badass street rider, company owner, graphic designer, photographer, and all-around cool dude, Brian Castillo answers eight questions from our loyal readers.
New Products: We have our usual two page of hard goods including bars, grips, accessories, seats, shoes, wheels, and sprockets, but we also have a new page with ten sweet T-shirts.
Pro Shop - Rise Above: Located in Lorain, Ohio, Rise Above is a great example of a BMX shop that carries products from companies they believe in. Support your local shops, kids!
Diversions: Nathan Williams talks about music and the Ride staff reviews five DVDs. Shitluck On the road, Summer of Fit, Props Rock'n roll tour, Season 2007 road trip, Making of Voodoo jam 2006, Fox Pedal to the metal.
Glimpse - Germany: Random photos from a land far away. Unless, of course, you live near Germany. But for us in SoCal, it is far away and very interesting.
Asses Up - wethepeople's Set Beat Exhibition; WTP had a really cool concept for an art show. They gave out several blank seats and asked people to transform the white seat into a work of art. Creativity and BMX tend to go hand-in-hand so there were some really cool seats hanging in the gallery.
Brad Simms Interview. Remember back in the day when Ride had twelve page interviews with badass riders? Well those days have come back, my friends. Brad Simms put in work and got worked shooting for this interview, but it was well worth it. If you think otherwise, Brad will 180 over your head.
Down & Turned Around - DK's Excursion in Europe: A ton of great riding went down while DK was filming for Mega Tour in Europe a few months ago. Along with that riding went a ton of other wild scenarios. Fudger wrote about both the interesting situations and the riding. Bonus info…there is a gnarly photo of a female rider in this article!
Empty Walls - Taj's School Project: Here is the precursor to this amazing article… Taj plays guitar. Taj goes on music tour and meets drummer friend in other band. Said band makes pit stop in Kansas at drummer friends' house. House turns out to be empty high school. Taj wants to ride bike in school. Taj calls Jim Bauer at Odyssey for approval and funds. Shredding ensues shortly thereafter.
The Africa Experience: This past summer Chase Hawk, Mike Atiken, and Brad Simms went to South Africa with a photographer and filmer. They things they encounter on their journey make for an incredible story and some amazing photos. Oh yeah, they shredded some parks and dirt jumps, too.
Committed: One rider shows his commitment to his personal riding style by permanently branding his body.
Focus: Twelve pages of outstanding photography from our staff and contributors. This month, the photographers give a brief insight to each photo. Sean Burns, Pierre Hinze, Little Jon, Mike Aitken, Josh Betley, Zach Sky, Gennaro Nappo.
Bio - Dave Thompson: Dave lives in Utah, but is from Idaho. He used to live with Matt Beringer who claims Dave is really good. If Beringer says so, we believe it and you should too.
Letters: Only handshakes and pats on the back this month. Except for the one kid asking for free parts... Our beloved Ryan Fudger responds.
Ten To End with Nigel Sylvester: Nigel had to answer one set of questions, then another because we got all new questions starting with this issue. The NYC street rider was a champ and got all 20 done. The ten new ones are in the mag, and we will post the old ones on the site.
Adam Grandmaison, thecomeupbmx.net, november 2007: Pretty much ever since I started riding Dig has been "the cool magazine" and Ride has been good, but not that good. Like the photography has always been solid and the riding has always been great but the design has been crappy for a while now, the page count has practically gotten cut in half and often the articles and interviews are pretty much filler that most people skip past. A lot of those issues can definitely be blamed on their corporate overlords. This issue is definitely refreshing though. First off it's wider and shorter, which makes for a much better, more book-like feel. The paper stock is much higher quality and it comes with 2 different covers ( I bought mine on the news stand so I got the one of Tom White doing an OD smith grind... where's my subscription at Fudger??? ). Second of all it almost seems like they sent a memo out telling everyone to stop submitting such ugly ass ad's. There are some really good riding photos in the ad's in this issue, which is nice to see. There are still the obligatory army ads and 50 page Redline catalog included but whatever, you gotta pay the bills. The news section has been condensed down, which is definitely good. I agree with Mulligan in his Defgrip interview, the news doesn't have to be removed completely and it definitely still serves a purpose, but making it smaller is a pretty wise choice. The Brad Simms interview is really good. All the riding photos are really good (besides one sequence of a gap where the first frame shows him already in the air and I'm really not sure where he launched from) and the interview itself is pretty decent. There's a DK road trip article which looks pretty intresting that I didn't get to read yet and a really awesome feature with Taj about his Odyssey video part that he filmed apparently entirely in an abandoned school. Then there's this African Adventure story featuring Aitken, Chase Hawk and Brad Simms. Walter Perringer wrote the story and it's honestly amazing. I hate road trip articles and can't even remember the last time I read one, but this one is fantastic. Although the things that happened to them are so unreal that it probably would have been a great article no matter who wrote it. The Focus section also is done very nicely with long captions by the photographers talking about the photos which is really nice. The whole thing clocks in at about 114 pages sans Redline catalog which is a bit more than they have had lately. So yeah, I hate writing reviews but felt compelled to write one about this magazine because I enjoyed it so much. Go get it.
Jeff Zielinski, Jeff Z’s 10 favorite cover photos, bmx.transworld.net, april 2009: Tom White, hop-over-to-Smith grind, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sometimes a rider will show me something that they’ve been looking at doing for a while—it’s always something really cool, really scary, and would make for a great photo. But they just won’t be feeling it while I’m in town with them, which is understandable—you really have to be in the right zone for that kind of stuff. So then I just walk away, feeling a bit teased by this awesome photo opportunity I just saw. Then usually a few months will pass and I’ll see a photo or video clip of them finally doing it. When Tom showed us this setup he didn’t seem too set on doing it, and I thought I was getting teased again. Tom is one of my favorite riders to shoot with, he always finds wild set ups, does crazy sh-t, and he’s just fun to work with. This hop-over-to-Smith takes the title for craziest thing we’ve shot—it’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever shot, period.
On The Cover: Jamie Bestwick throws a huge downside tailwhip on the Woodward vert ramp after having an amazing contest year and winning the NORA Cup. Jamie Bestwick, www.jamiebestwick.com, december 2007: I am very honored to get this, and what many people won’t know about the cover shot is that I rode on one panel of the vert ramp and Keith Mulligan hung upside down right next to me, it was very close!
First Words: Editor-in-Chief, Keith Mulligan talks about his history with the NORA cup and some of the articles found in this issue.
Start: A long, eventful day in Mexico and a clever way to fix a flat tire get the start spread this month.
Up Front: Injuries, fine print, sponsor changes, winners from the United/RIDEbmx.com wallpaper contest, a book that tells you how to put on a BMX event, Stephen Murray, and Jimmy Levan.
Pro Q&A with Chris Doyle: Doyle does everything on a bike really well and smiles a lot too. He also answered seven of our reader's questions about DK, trends, trails, being tall, the Dew Tour, and more.
Products: A few complete bikes, gloves, stems, sprockets, tires, grips, and knee pads. Latest and greatest.
Softgoods: 16 winter products to keep you warm during these brisk months.
Pro Shop - Van Homan's Two By Four: Located in Pennsville, New Jersey, Van's shop carries a ton of great products and softgoods. Mulligan asks questions about the shop, and, you guessed it...Van answers.
Diversions: Corey Martinez talks about the music on his laptop and we review four DVDs so you can make an educated decision when you decide to drop twenty bones on a new vid.
Glimpse 02: A collage of Mulligan's point-and-shoot snapshots through the years.
Focus: Ten pages of riding photos that you may tear out and tape to your bedroom walls.
Bio - Josh Boatright: Age: 22. Location: North Carolina. Stoked on him enough to write the bio: Mike Laird. 'Nuff said for now, pick up the mag to read the rest.
Letters: Rick Thorne responds to a previous letter and six other readers write new ones.
Ten To End - Ryan Guettler: Ryan talks about getting knocked out, calls out Internet shit-talkers, and explains the first BMX photo he put on his wall.
Features:
NORA Cup 2007. Interviews with and photos of Corey Bohan, Aaron Ross, Jamie Bestwick, Ruben Alcantara, and Matthias Dandois along with a ton of photos from the '07 Number One Rider Awards party in Las Vegas.
A Means To The End - Boston To Toronto Collecting Clips. Josh Harrington talks about making his first video, "End Search" and takes us on his journey from Massachusetts to Canada to clock some footy of Rob Darden, Will Love, Whitesnake, Ty Morrow, and Dave Dillewaard.
PREconveived Notions. Ever wonder what a rider is like? Ever have your own preconceived notions about them, only to meet that rider and be completely wrong? Adam Grandmaison went on a trip and decided to write about each person on the trip as it pertained to his prior thoughts about each guy. Who are the guys? Glad you asked... Ben Hittle, Marlon Europe, Joof, Rory Ellis, Oba Stanley, Jake Seely, Chris Neighbors, and Garrett Reynolds.
Team Insight - Behind The Scenes With The Cast of Ride's Newest Film Insight
Ryan Navazio talks about his newest project with Transworld and what a disaster it turned out to be. Chester Blacksmith, Jared Washington, Mike Brennan, Davey Watson, Darryl Tocco, and Dakota Roche all have parts in the video, and coincidently have photos in the article.
Strength & Resolve - Kurt Yaeger Rides Again. Kurt Yaeger was in an accident back in '06 and lost his leg. He now has a prosthetic leg and is back riding again. Roads to recovery can be tough, but where there is a strong enough will, there is always away.
www.agoride.com, janvier 2008:
- Qui: "Ride(US)", issue 141, Février 2008
- La couverture: Jamie Bestwick en downside-whip à Woodward,par Mulligan.
- Le sommaire: "Nora Cup" l'élection des meilleurs riders BMX (dirt, street, vert, Flat et vidéo part) - "A means to the end" shoot bien gras avec Josh Harrignton, Will Love et Dave Dilleward - "preconceived notions" l'auteur nous montre quelques photos de riders en nous parlant d'eux et de "l'image" qu'il avait d'eux avant de les rencontrer ou de mieux les connaître (avec Ben Hittle ,Marlon Europe, Garret Reynolds ) - "The making of Insight" comme son nom l'indique, avec Davey Watson, Chester Blacksmith, Jared Washington, Mike Brennan, Dakota Roche et Randy Brown.
- La photo: La séquence double page de Randy Brown en wall et sa sortie par-dessus un grillage bien éloigné, par Jeff Zielinski.
- L'article: "Strenght and resolve" Kurt Yaeger roule encore malgré une jambe en moins, il le prouve en footjam dans une vrai courbe (avec sa prothèse en footjam).
- La phrase: "If I were ever to really do a flipwhip or frontflip, i'd never do it again. It's just not me" Aaron Ross.
- Le bémol: On ne le trouve pas partout abonnez vous.
- L'avis du flateu: Pas vu le mag mais mon ami aux bras trop longs (Matthias) m'a dit qu'il y avait un petit article sur lui dedans au sujet de la Nora cup surement.
- Un commentaire: C'est sûrement un des magazines les plus carrés, avec les photos les plus "fat" des riders les plus forts du monde et en plus ça sort tous les mois !
- Prix: 4.99 $
www.ridebmx.com, january 2008: Our annual photo issue is back and better than ever. Corey Bohan snags the cover with a lookback in the middle of a Fijian waterfall! Inside we feature a digital photographer and his work, show you the anatomy of a photograph, have a photo essay about riding school yards on Sundays, have an enormous photo section with the year's best photos, and have twelve pages devoted to our cover story—a photo adventure with Corey Bohan and Corey Martinez in remote locations throughout Fiji!
On the Cover: Corey Bohan couldn't believe he was actually riding a quarter pipe at the base of a waterfall, so he had to lookback just to make sure. Terrible joke, great photo. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor in Chief, Keith Mulligan shares his history and experience with BMX photographs twenty-something years after he saw his first one.
Start: Ride where you can, when you can… It's winter.
Up Front: The disabled List and Sponsor Block make another appearance along with Taj talking about being on Giant Bicycles for '08 and a little comparison between digital and film cameras. Because it's the photo issue, get it?
Pro Q&A - Mat Hoffman: One of the greatest living legends in our sport answers more than forty questions from our readers about every subject you can imagine, and some you've never even thought of.
Diversions: Micreation owner and Nine To Five web developer breaks down DIY web design and development. Remember, you may be able to post photos on MySpace, but you still aren't a web designer.
Products: Fifteen new products…The latest and greatest from Hoffman, Simple, Macneil, Wethepeople, Felt, Wipperman, and more.
Pro Shop: Chad DeGroot talks about his second shop, Mesh Skatepark and Shop in Longwood, Florida.
Diversions: Biz talks about his top ten videos of all time starting with #10, Ride On. Then we go on to review six new videos including Mutiny's Stoked on Being Pumped and 50/50's That's It.
Glimpse 03: A full spread of nothing but crash photos. Sometimes the tricks just don't work out the way the rider planned, but the shutter gets snapped anyway. These photos are the results.
Focus: 31 pages of some of the best BMX photography of the year. This is what this issue is all about!
Letters: A guy named Bart from Canada wrote to us. He should be psyched that his letter got printed and that his name is the same as the most famous cartoon kid of our generation…but not psyched that he's from Canada.
Ten to End - Mike Aitken: If he could only do one trick for the rest of his life, it would be "flow."
- Features -
The Digital Photographer - Justin Kosman: Justin is one of our contributing photographers, and one of the best hustlers in the BMX industry. For this article, he shows how one simple digital photo can be interpreted eight different ways using post-productions techniques on the computer.
The Anatomy Of A Photo: Arguably, BMX's most notable photographer, Jeff Zielinski, shows you a photo, then shows you how he shot that photo. Hmm…interesting…very, very interesting.
The Fiji Project - A Photo-Driven Mission In A Third-World Country: Jeff Zielinski had the opportunity to travel to Fiji with Red Bull athletes Corey Bohan and Corey Martinez. The two Coreys sessioned outrageous spots including the one you see on the cover and…never mind. Just get the issue. These photos are amazing.
Sunday School - Behind Chain Link Walls: In Southern California, many of the best spots are at schools. And most schools are only rideable on Sundays. This photo essay documents some of that riding done at schools, on Sundays, in the L.A. area.
www.ridebmx.com, february 2008: Well, we've done it again. We have yet another amazing issue sitting in the office ready to go. This month you'll get the pleasure of checking out a full Tom White interview, another interview with Johnny Devlin, an article with the Colony team, a close look at Greenville, North Carolina, and a whole lot more. Keep reading for the full contents of the April '08 issue.
Liam Fahy Hampton descends a sixteen-stair the hard way, two tires on the rail on the cover. Photo by Fudger.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor in Chief, Keith Mulligan sheds a sliver of light on how an issue of the magazine comes together.
Start: While vert riders may be few and far between, the ones who ride on a regular basis are nothing short of amazing.
Up Front: The disabled List and Sponsor Block make another appearance along with Aaron Ross talking about his friendship with the FBM crew and new sponsor, Sunday. We also have random quotes from riders and enough fine print to last you at least one trip to the can.
Pro Q&A - Corey Martinez: More questions than anyone probably wants to answer, but Corey is a nice dude and replied to them all. Did your question make the cut?
Products: Sprockets, bras, grips, forks, frames, stems, and more... Plus two pages of softgoods including hoodies, hats, jeans, and shoes. Get rid of those old ass starter jackets and hop on board with what's fresh. Or something like that.
Pro Shop: East County BMX in Santee, CA is a dope shop run by a dude who can roll a hitchhiker smoother than you.
Diversions: Six riders put together a list of riders and songs to make up their ultimate fantasy BMX video. We also review four videos. Don't you wish you got paid to watch bike videos? ...We don't take our jobs for granted.
Focus: Twelve pages of the best action photos this month including a bunch of riders you're probably not too familiar with, but will be after you see their gnarly photos.
Bio - Talem Cowart: Seth Kimbrough wrote about this Atlanta native that you've probably seen on our site by now. He lives with Nathan Williams in Tenneesse, has great style, an even better attitude, and can bust a move on the dance floor.
Bio - Stephen Savage: Yep, two bios in this issue. Stephen hails from South Africa and is repping Sunday Bikes. He also has sweet hair that inspired me (Fat) to never use shampoo again.
Letters: We actually got good letters this month. Are our readers getting smarter, or are the dumb ones just tired of being publicly and internationally embarrassed? Either way, good job guys.
Ten to End - Bob Scerbo: The East Coast street animal managed to get out of bed long enough to answer our ten questions. Well, most of them anyway.
- Features -
Colony On Colony: From Orlando, Florida to Athens, Georgia, the Colony team rode bikes and did stuff. Pretty vague, eh? Well, we'll let them elaborate. Each of the guys on the team (Dave Freiumth, Clint Millar, Nick Richardson, Ryan Guettler, Matt King, Toby Matthews, Liam Fay Hampton, Mick Bayzand, and Steve Woodward) wrote about each other so you can get a better understanding of them as individuals and as a team. The riding can be seen in the new Colony DVD available now.
Johnny Devlin - Inside The Mind of a Simple Man: While Johnny was in Southern California he did some amazing things on his bike. He also opened up and allowed us to see his great personality. We then prompted him to share those same things on the pages of Ride. Not a typical interview, we gave Johnny a topic and let him elaborate on it from his personal experiences and perspectives.
Markus Hampl: Get to know the German dirt jumper through this four-page interview.
Not Just Pro Town... 8 Things You Probaly Didn't Know About Greenville, North Carolina: Allan Cooke dismisses rumors about BMX's notorious "Pro Town" and gives you the real scoop from the inside.
"I can't curse, right?" - The Tom White Interview: "Tom's interview was conducted with a bunch of his closets friends at Vinnie Sammon's and Mike Brennan's apartment in Jersey City. Along with Vinnie and Mike, Dave Belcher, Bob Scerbo, Edwin DeLaRosa, and Ryan Navazio were all there to ask questions and make fun of each other. The evening was full of ridicule, partying, fumbling with the tape recorder, and forgetting questions, but somehow we still managed to successfully conduct the interview and learned that Tom's had the same amount of surgeries as Mat Hoffman, he's from the same town as the first Wawa, and doesn't give a shit what the fuck anyone thinks about him." - Jeff Z.
www.ridebmx.com, march 2008: We just got the newest issue of the magazine in, and it's another good one hot off the press. This time Karl Poynter scores the cover with a classic table off a famous spot in Barcelona, Spain. We also have Sean Sexton, Jimmy Levan, Russ Barone, Chad Johnston, and Josh Stricker packed in here as well.
On the Cover: You really need to love Barcelona's random pieces of public art. Karl Poynter shows his appreciation with a classic table launched off a Spanish sidewalk fin. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor in Chief, Keith Mulligan gets a little sentimental about long-time friend Jimmy Levan after his serioius head injury.
Start: A modern photo of a classic setup and trick.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Disabled List, and of course a little teaser of what's to come on ridebmx.com this month. Also a quick interview with Ian Morris about his ideas of being "pro," five pros tell their best trick, and lots of fine print. Oh, and a lil ol' contest where we are going to send you to Camp Woodward for a week!
Pro Q&A - Josh Stricker: Josh answerd our readers' questions while sprinting full speed at *insert any obstacle here.*
Products: Two pages of soft goods plus pegs, pedals, headsets, rims, frames, forks, bars, wheels, sprockets, tires, grips, stems, pads, and more. Whew, that's a lot of new products.
Pro Shop: Shad Johnson talks about the BMX only shop that helps hold the Portland, Oregon scene together...Goods BMX.
Diversions: Mark Mulville's top 5s as it pertains to music and seven vids reviewed, too.
Glimpse 04: A kid paid $400 to get Aaron Ross to ride and hang out in his town. These photos are what came out of it.
Focus: Eight pages of the stuff you have grown to know and love—amazing BMX photography.
Bio - Mark "Ratkid" Gralla: If Bob Scerbo has such good things to say about him, you know the dude has to shred.
Bio - Drew Hosselton: And if Smoker Dave has such good things to say about this one, he must rule, too!
Letters: Ryan Fudger gave some good advice and didn't even really piss anyone off this month. Don't worry though, he ain't gettin' soft on you. He'll be a dick next month.
Ten to End - Sean Sexton: Sean, by his own definition, is creative and has a positive attitude.
- Features -
Ian Schwartz Interview - The Progressive Innovator: Mad style, sweet bike setup, original lines and tricks... Ian is someone a lot of riders look up to and aspire to be like. This interview and these black and white photos shot in Spain do a great job of capturing the essence of Ian and everything that he stands for.
Dubai - Destert And Camels: Wait, Walter Pieringer has an amazing/interesting/bizarre story from a foreign country? I thought we'd never see the day such an article would come up. Oh wait...never mind.
The Best Trick He's Ever Pulled: A conversation with Jimmy Levan about his injury resulting in a coma and how a near-death experience can make life better...
Up In The Hills: A colorful photo essay of a SoCal pool covered with graffiti.
The Peaceful Warrior - Russell Barone Interview: This Long Island, New York native is a Rastafarian vegan who lives a healthy, positive life and kills it on a BMX.
Full Circle - Chad Johnston & Pegless Flatland: After seeing his first pegless flatland online video, we had to ask Chad about re-inventing his riding style sans pegs.
Mediterranean Paradise - A Sunday Foray In Barcelona: Barcelona is one of the best places in the world to ride street, and the Sunday team made good use of their time there.
www.ridebmx.com, april 2008: Since we reinvented the magazine a few months ago, we've got nothing but positive feedback from the pros, the industry, and our loyal readers. So thank you all for that, and enjoy issue 145 that has pushed the bar a little higher once again. This month we have full interviews with Daniel Dhers and Tony Cardona and other features with Adam Baker, Matt Beringer, Street One, flatlanders in Costa Rica, and much more. Full details below...
On the Cover: What you can't see: chaotic traffic, cars going the wrong way, hot moms stopping to flirt, and a difficult line of approach... What is visible: Daniel Dhers upside down, tabled, and flaired-out on a sweet street spot in Venezuela. Photo by Keith Mulligan.
- Departments -
First Words: The U.S. has it good. Better than most. Let our editor Keith Mulligan help you put things into perspective this month in his First Words column.
Start: Get there any way you can. Even if it means getting a custom bike rack put on a motorcycle like Steve Crandall did.
Up Front: The Disabled List, Fine Print and Sponsor Block make another appearance to keep you up to speed with what's going on in BMX.
Pro Q&A – Matt Beringer: One of the most unique individuals in our sport answers questions that you sent him...lots of questions.
Products: Compare seven new frames and a few other parts before getting a dose of softgoods from your favorite companies.
Pro Shop – Street One: This Naples, Florida shop is run by a husband and wife duo that have been doing a great job of serving their local BMX community.
Diversions: Seth Kimbrough talks about his new band, Misery Chastain and we review the Metal video and Mega Tour Europe.
Glimpse 05: Two pages of photos from Venezuela to make your travel bug all excited like.
Premiere – Insight: Check out this spread of photos from our very own Insight DVD premiere.
Washed Out: Sometimes your riding plans just don't go as you expected. Case in point this time...rain.
Focus: Nine of the month's best photos ready to be hung on your wall.
Bio – Anthony "Boy" Flores: Eman gives some info about one of his good friends and riding partners from East Los Angeles.
Bio – Nick Cooper: Ryan Guettler and Colin Mackay both speak of their fellow Aussie who is really freaking good on a bike.
Letters: Who do you want on your side in a BMX fight? What are some of the slang BMX terms? What's up with the anonymous comments on the site? And so on, and so on...
Ten to End – Adam Baker: Adam wants BMX to be more mature...but not too mature so it turns dorky.
- Features -
Daniel Dhers Interview – Raw In Venezuela: We've got a really good, candid interview with the man who won the Dew Tour and X Games last year and is on a mission again this year. All the photos were shot in his home county, giving the interview a very personal (and non-contest-like) touch.
Snow Job – Matt Beringer & The Ski Bike: You may have heard of Matt Beringer's ski bike and been left wondering some things... Wonder no more and get a sweet photo of an invert, too!
Pura Vida – Flatland In Costa Rica: In February we were in Costa Rica for the fifth annual Ticos Jam. The Caribbean getaway yielded some great photos of the beautiful country, timeless stories and experiences, and some great riding.
Waste Not: When you spot a random roadside mini ramp and are in the company of great riders, you stop to check it out. Even if it is in the ghetto and a homeless person's sleeping quarters.
Tony Cardona Interview: Probably the polar opposite of Daniel Dhers who also has an interview in this issue, the now Texas local shreds with soul and lays in all out there in these nine pages.
www.ridebmx.com, may 2008: On the Cover: Brian Kachinsky had every intention of doing a hang over tooth grind down the infamous El Toro rail, but when he got to SoCal to fire it out, the rail had been removed from the stairs. Forced to find another rail, he hammered out this one on his first try. Photo by Ryan Fudger.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor in Chief Keith Mulligan attempts to decide which type of article is his favorite—interviews or photo features. We have both in this issue that you'll love, so decide for yourself which is your favorite.
Start: Is riding BMX really anything like flying a kite in a park? Not sure, but Fudger sheds his own light on the subject.
Up Front: X Games changes their event lineup for the Summer '08 games, we have our monthly Disabled List and Sponsor Block, a list of what to expect on the site you are reading right now, and plenty of fine print that you may need a magnifying glass to read.
Pro Q&A - Nate Wessel: Without the crazy creations Nate makes out of wood and turns into skateparks, BMX would may not be where it is today. He got drilled (no pun intended) by our readers and was nice enough to put down his nail gun long enough to answer your questions.
Products: All the latest goods from the companies you've grown to know and love: a complete, sprockets, tires, grips, frames, bars, seats, hubs, and more.
Softgoods: T-shirts, hats, and shoes from companies that support BMX. We all wear clothes, so we should all take time to look over this section. Plus, you don't want to show up to the spot looking dumb.
Pro Shop: Fuzzy Hall and Eddie Buckley's 50/50 BMX shop in Layton, Utah is featured this month and has a huge stock of parts and accessories you should check out of if you are in the area.
Diversions: Matt Coplon and Sandy Carson are both in bands. Didn't know that? Well now you do, and thanks to this month's Diversions you will know much more as both riders tell us about their musical projects.
Focus: A little bit of street and a little bit of ramp action this month in our photo section. Feel free to tear them out and hang them places—like your room, locker, or in your pantry. Yeah man, everyone likes looking at BMX photos while they try to decide whether they will eat Twinkies or Goldfish.
Bio - Karston "Skinny" Tannis: I've had my fair share of strange meetings when I introduce myself as "Fat," but when I finally got to meet someone named Skinny, it was the best. Keith Romanowski shot a photo of the NYC rider and wrote about him so you could get to know the man with the opposite name of me.
Bio - Max Roth: Jesse Puente speaks very highly of this SoCal hardcore flatland rider. Max has great, original style and lives to ride his bike. Hopefully you'll be seeing more of him on the flat scene in the future.
Letters: Jimmy Levan wrote in to say, "Thank you," to the BMX community for all the support after his recent injury. That and more from our readers, but that's the important one this month.
Ten to End - Heath Pinter: Heath has a lot going on. A whole lot. And he's an amazing dude with plenty of talents and friends. It's a privilege to get to read what he has to say to our last ten questions in the magazine.
- Features -
Kachinsky vs. Kachinsky: The long overdue Brian Kachinsky interview finally hits the pages of Ride and does not disappoint. Get to know BK a little better and see some amazing photos—the kind only he could produce...in between injuries, of course.
Vertical Mobility: Remember that fence hop in Brad Simms' recent Micreation video part? And remember when he hopped back over it on his feet from flat ground with no running start? Well, it is worth talking about, and we have a little feature about that.
Beautiful Wasteland: Keith Mulligan put together an amazing article from The Salton Sea, an abandoned desert town with a ton of amazing pools and sights. You will absolutely love this one. We will stop here and let the article and photos speak for themselves.
Where You Been? The Rise, Fall, & Return Of Shaun Butler: We've been asked several times, "Where is Shaun Butler these days?" Well, we caught up with him to find out and pass it back along to our readers. You can thank us by sending cool stuff to the office. Our address is on the contact page.
Go Fast, Anchor It In... Sean Burns Interview: This interview of one of the most eclectic people in our sport opens with one of the most amazing portraits ever printed in the magazine. Then it features a ton of burly street moves (to flat, of course) and some interesting reading material. How can you not want to read this one?
Fat Tony, www.ridebmx.com, june 2008: The cover is really different from our typical covers. Alistair Whitton fires a no-footed can-can into a huge ditch while on Shadow's trip that is covered in the issue. Photo by Fudger.
- DEPARTMENTS -
First Words: You'll probably get out of breath just reading Mulligan's editorial column this month. But it may also get you fired up to get out there and do something during these great summer months...
Start: Only time will tell what Superpark really turns out to be like this August at X Games 14...
Up Front: The Sponsor Block, Disabled List, and Fine Print are in their typical place with lots of words, some bold, some normal...
Pro Q&A - Dave Mirra: Mirra answered a ton of questions from our readers. Leaving questions in the comments on our site really helps this section of the magazine. You'll be able to read the questions that didn't make it on the site July 2nd.
Products: Forks, pedals, frames, grips, tires, seats, sprockets, cranks, hubs, stems... We have you covered. Bike parts sure are colorful these days.
Softgoods: Shirts, backpacks, and hats from the great people who support this magazine like Fox, Nike 6.0, DC Shoes, UGP, Animal, Fit, United, S&M, Shadow, Vans, and more.
Pro Shop: The shop closest to the Ride office makes an appearance in the magazine and has more products in stock that some mail order companies do.
Diversions: OG BMX video guy Chris Rye gets interviewed and a few new videos get reviewed.
Focus: Some of the best BMX photography in the biz including Travis Collier, Chad Moore, Ratkid, Clint Reynolds, Tate Rosekelly, Kurtis Elwell, and Jesse Whaley.
Bio - Albie Bennett: A wild one who rolls with Sean Burns and the Boston crew who would probably scare your grandmother.
Letters: The year is two-thousand-and-hate, what more can we say?
Ten To End - Anthony Napolitan: Anthony called his friends for a little help with these questions.
- FEATURES -
The House Of Shadows. Fudger turns on the tape recorder with the Shadow Team after their trip to New Mexico. And Alistair Whitton talks a bunch of sh-t.
Key To The City. When a janitor of a SoCal school gets a key that opens all 171 schools in the county, you instantly have access to more amazing spots than you could probably ride in your lifetime. Here are some black and white photos that were shot with help from that little key that opens all those locks.
Summer Down Under. The Fly Bikes team recently spent some time in Oz, soaking up the sun and riding the spots. Kevin Porter writes his account, and Guiri came through with the colorful and scenic photos.
Pagin Dr. Pinzon. "Don't let anyone tell you that you have to give up riding..." A quote from this rider who also happens to be a pediatrician.
Rolling Solo. There are those who can't ride without a good friend, and those who tend to do their thing on their own. This article is about the latter and features Bob Scerbo, Brian Castillo, Justin Miller, Adam Baker, and Eli Platt.
Fat Tony, www.ridebmx.com, july 2008: Nathan Williams stretches a huge no-handed 180 down a big set in Barcelona, Spain on the cover. Photo by Fudger.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor in Chief Keith Mulligan shares his surreal experiences while eating strange foreign foods with BMX legends.
Start: Crashing sucks...no matter what country you are in.
Up Front: The monthly Sponsor Block, Disabled List, and Fine Print are all in place. Sure you may have seen some of this on the Interweb already, but ten years from now you'll be able to open up this issue while dropping a duce and remember what was happening in the summer of '08.
Pro Q&A - Dave Dillewaard: Being tall, ping pong, bullbar... You know, the typical stuff that our readers ask the pros.
Products: Everything from frame to pedals (that's basically head to toe, right?) is featured in this month's product section including some wild new patterns and colors on a lot of parts.
Softgoods: New threads and kicks from DC, Nike 6.0, Redline, Fit, S&M, Vans, Shadow, UGP, and Fox.
Diversions: Justin Simpson breaks down some metal-inspired top 5s and we review five new videos.
Focus: Ian Munro, Colin Mackay, Geoff Slattery, and more. New pages to tear out and plaster on your bedroom walls.
Bio - George Boyd: Walter Pieringer gives us the skinny on this up and coming talent from Texas.
Letters: Fudger gets pissed about fixed gear bikes, and answers some letters too.
Ten to End - Mike Spinner: Mike Spinner recently just pulled the world's first quadruple tailwhip. He also recently answered our ten questions on the last page in the magazine. Coincidently in one of the questions he talks about a time before he could do a single whip. My, how things change.
- Features -
The Nathan Williams Interrogation: If you've ever tried to get more than a few words out of Nathan, you know why we called this one an interrogation. Nathan definitely lets his riding speak for itself. Look for some wild moves with great style in this interview.
Red Bull Elevation: Here's a local perspective of an international contest as described by Alex Vazquez.
Consumed Knowledge - Ten Days, Seven Fit Riders, And The Things You Learn
If seven guys from the Fit team are on a trip for ten days, you know stuff will go down. And luckily Keith Romanowski was there with his Canon to document it.
Free Space: A guerilla style showing of the 80s film Rad in the middle of downtown Los Angeles.
Lightning Bolts - An Electric Mix Of Legends, Artists & Pros Converge In China
Bob Haro, John Martin, and Mark Lewman talk about Nike's contribution to bring old school BMX to a new school audience via a number plate art show and limited edition book.
Back From The Dead - Smoker Dave Rides Again: Smoker Dave beat a rare form of cancer in the blood and is healthy once again and back on his bike. This is a quick interview with Smoker about his experiences.
Raiding Arizona: After going to Poenix three times in a month, Jeff Zielinski had more than enough ammo to fire out this awesome article about the desert hot spot known as Arizona. Look for a Web video based off this story in the near future, too.
Fat Tony, www.ridebmx.com, august 2008: On the cover: Jason Owens makes great use of a heavily sessioned spot in Philly with a really high invert out of the curved wall. Photo by Fudger.
- DEPARTMENTS -
First Words: Editor in Chief Keith Mulligan came back from Taiwan with a wealth of information about the bike industry to share with you that will help you understand our industry, sport, and lifestyle a little better.
Start: Ruben Alcantara is at it again with another outrageous gap to wallride. This time from square to triangle.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Disabled List, and Fine Print are all in their usual spot. This is where you can read the current news and not have to look at anonymous comments underneath the info. It’s also where you can return years from now to see what was going on “back in the day.”
Pro Q&A - Taj Mihelich: Taj is probably on the list of “favorite riders” for just about everyone out there and with the help of our readers at ridebmx.com, he filled up two pages of questions and answers.
Products: Bars, grips, stems, pads, hubs, sprockets, frames, and cranks… Our products section is almost as stocked as your local shop.
Diversions: Ten of your favorite riders give their top three albums of all time including Joe Rich, Mike Brennan, Seth Kimbrough, Leigh Ramsdell, and more. We also review two new videos from underground scenes.
Pro Shop - Tyrone Williams’ Dah Shop: A few rider-owned shops have popped up recently in New York City, and this is one of them.
Glimpse 06 - Okinawa, Japan: Okinawa is like Japan’s Hawaii. It hangs low and to the left of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean and is a more tropical, laid back part of the country. This collage of black and white photos shot in The Land Of The Rising Sun sums up our travels abroad—from riding to pig’s heads to sheer cliffs that drop into the ocean.
Focus: Twelve pages of the stuff we are made of—amazing BMX photos including Sean Sexton, Cameron Wood, Nick Cooper, and more.
Bio - Miles Rogoish: From Tulsa, Oklahoma, this Mankind/Sun Ringle rider has been popping up all over the Internet lately with awesome Web videos and now he’s making his way from digital to print through this Bio by fellow Midwesterner Tony Malouf.
Letters: Contest haters, members of the armed forces, and video game players all write in and Drew Glaser fills up space with this awesome reader photo of Kyle Sketsch.
Ten To End - Edwin DeLaRosa: A man of few words with three capital letters in his last name answers our final ten questions of the issue.
- FEATURES -
Oh Hell Yeah, Dude - The Kink Bikes Northeast Tour: Fourteen Kink riders in a jam-packed van pulling an even more jam-packed trailer toured across the Northeast for a week and a half. This is the resulting story and photos including what may be the biggest rail hop ever.
New World Record? Kevin Robinson & The Red Bull Experiment: Did Kevin really hit 27 feet of air out of a 27-foot quarter pipe? Does it really matter? We’ll go to the judges on that one and get back to you…
[Very Well] Made In Taiwan: McGoo takes us through the factories of Taiwan that make most of the bike parts you’ve ever owned. This is an amazing behind-the-scenes look at something most of us have never even thought about. What you read will probably surprise you, to say the least.
Little Jeff, Lil’ Jeff, LJ - Jeff Kocsis: A fresh face to the Jersey scene is making a big name for himself. Is that an oxymoron since his name has the word “Lil’” in it?
Jeremiah Smith Interview: Jeremiah is an amazing all-around rider who can kill it on street and make finals at the Dew Tour, but can he do simple arithmetic? The Beard is doubtful. Chad Kagy, Jamie Bestwick, and Matt Bischoff helped with the questions and Fudger shot the photos in Barcelona to come up with this awesome interview.
Fat Tony, www.ridebmx.com, september 2008: Ride has hit another milestone… Some 16 years after its creation, Ride has dropped its 150th issue. On the cover: Bunnyhop up to less than a bike length of flat, air the upper bank, throw, catch, and bring it home. Sean Sexton sessioned this cement waterfall setup in Australia like it was nobody’s business but his own. Photo: Mulligan
- DEPARTMENTS -
First Words: Editor in Chief Keith Mulligan thanks the people who have made it possible for Ride to survive for 150 issues—our readers, and of course the people who have worked here over the years. He also tries more than a couple of times to smash a cake with a kickout to get the photos on this page. Eat up.
Start: Tate Roskelley does a trick on the ground—literally. This is freestyle.
Up Front: The Sponsor Block, Fine Print, The Disabled List, and an interview with the only company that has advertised in all 150 issues of Ride…Albe’s.
Pro Q&A - Dakota Roche: Dak answered a ton of questions in the magazine including the typical, “What got you into riding?” and the not-so-typical, “Would you save a girl in a burning building or a bus full of children?” And remember, the questions that didn’t fit in the magazine will be on ridebmx.com in the coming weeks.
Products: We have 12 new products including frames, bars, cranks, seats, pegs, and grips. May we suggest cutting out the parts and trying to build a paper bike? Then you can get your sister’s paper dolls to ride them. Then you can stop because that’s kind of creepy.
Soft Goods: Shirts, hats, and shoes from the great companies that sponsor this fine magazine… If you want to have the sweetest kit on the block, look here for the hottest threads. And we will continue to use the dopest slang to describe this shizzle…fo rizzle!
Diversions: We take a peek inside Adam Baker’s iPod and review the new Two By Four DVD and Joe Cox’s Tomorrow We Work.
Pro Shop - Circuit BMX: Pawtucket, Rhode Island’s, bike shop makes an appearance this month and is one of the best-looking BMX shops we’ve ever seen. We interviewed owner Vic Bettencourt to get the low down on the shop.
Focus: Come on, it’s issue 150? Did you think we’d let you down with this month’s photos? We have 12 pages of awesome riding and great lifestyle shots to entertain those A.D.D. kids who don’t actually read the magazine.
Letters: From a poet to a soldier in Iraq, our readers stretch the spectrum of riders out there and write in with some of the wildest stuff.
Bio - Kevin Troyer: Sandy Carson speaks highly of this Plymouth, Indiana ,native who shreds.
Ten To End - Sergio Layos: This Spaniard can never get enough of his bike and encourages you to have fun and not waste your life.
- FEATURES -
“What If I Hit A Roo?!” - A Fantastic (But Rainy) Australian Mosh Road Trip: Kangaroos, koalas, snakes, beautiful landscapes and cityscapes, and plenty of awesome riding from guys you love like Sean Sexton, Brett Walker, Corey Bohan, Jesse Whaley, and Heath Pinter.
A Place In The Woods - Connecticut’s Basset Trails: Walk into the woods, open the coffin, take out buckets, shovels, and rakes, groom jumps, then ride. Wait, open the coffin? Yep… Then flow through the line called “Sleepless” and hope you don’t join the list of people who have been knocked out riding that line.
For The Love: A heart-shaped scab inspired this editorial piece about what BMX means to us.
Getting Theatrical - The Making Of The Levi’s Video: Levi’s has done a ton for their riders and our sport recently, including sending their riders all over the world and producing an amazing film. This is a look at the Levi’s video that premieres at NORA Cup next week and everyone will be talking about for years to come. With its pro and flow teams and an amazing filmmaker behind the project, there is no way this video can fail.
The Silent Shredder Speaks - Rob Wise Interview: The former Mormon from Utah is one of the most progressive street riders out there right now. These 12 pages show some insane riding and give you good insight into a rider you probably don’t know much about.
- Plus, 2 Bonus Posters! -
150th Issue Poster: 151 covers over a 16-year span artfully arranged around our 150th logo… And on the back, countless photos ripped out of 150 issues of the magazine, taped to a wall in our office in a crazy floor-to-ceiling collage, photographed, and made into a poster. This is one to frame and hold on to.
DC Poster: Chad Kagy, Dave Mirra, and Daniel Dhers… These three athletes brought home four medals from X Games 14 and make for one hell of a poster. Keep your eyes peeled on ridebmx.com for a special contest where you can win all of the DC apparel featured on the back of this poster.
Fat Tony, www.ridebmx.com, october 2008: On The Cover: The day after winning gold in X Games street, Garrett Reynolds went for a victory run on this Los Angeles rail and wrapped it up with a no-hander-to-icepick. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
- DEPARTMENTS -
First Words: Mulligan wrote this one at three in the morning and attempts to explain how complex the timeline of our magazine is. I’m confused after reading it and I work here, so I doubt you’ll ever figure out why the December issue arrived near the beginning of October.
Start: Last year’s NORA Cup winner for flatland, Matthias Dandois gets a spread going round ‘n’ round next to a giant metal sphere.
Up Front: There are way too many sponsor changes, injuries, and news blurbs in here to relay to you, but most of them you’ve already read about online anyway. So why put them in the magazine? So your kids can look back at your old stack of mags and know what was going on when you were in your prime, that’s why ya old hag.
What’s On Ridebmx.com: Lots and lots of stuff coming up this month on the site including but not limited to Alistair Whitton and Mark Mulville magazine excerpts, the Orland Dew Tour, Baco-A-Go-Go, Pros’ Halloween costumes, and more!
Pro Q&A - Alistair Whitton: Ali is a smart ass with big moves on the BMX and this month he answered more than an handful of our readers’ questions including the normal ones like, “What are your favorite, least favorite, and hardest tricks?” and the less typical ones like, “Why do people hate you?” Ali responded with a quote from Lil’ Wayne.
Products: New frames, forks, hubs, tires, grips, bars, stems, and sprockets… Are your pockets burning yet?
Soft Goods: Everyone wears clothes and shoes, so this section is for all of us and includes hoodies, T-shirts, shoes, hats, and more from our advertisers.
Diversions: We interview George Kastrinakis about his NYC sneaker shop Front Street and Brian Castillo about his new Gypsy catalog. Then we wrap things up with a few DVD reviews including Road Fools 16 and Federal’s Remixed.
Pro Shop - Long Island Bike Shop: With more BMX industry guys from Long Island than I can even count, you better believe the Island has a thriving scene. We met up with Dean and Kenny from Long Island Bike Shop to get the 411 on the LI BMX community and riders.
Focus: Six pages of great action photos including dirt, street, and flatland.
Bio - Shane Weston: You may remember Shane from a recent Web video here on ridebmx.com with Nathan Williams. This up-and-coming Hoffman flow rider has a great attitude and unique tricks, and Seth Kimbrough has nothing but nice things to say about him in the write up.
Letters: Compliments, a kid who got paid $20 to get his letter published, and an old guy who can’t believe how good today’s young riders are… All this and more along with a good reader photo by Dan Kelleghan.
Ten To End - Rob Darden: Rob has been on fire lately and shows his love for The Blue Falcon in this interview.
- FEATURES -
The Double Life Of Mark Mulville: Mark Mulville not only kills it on trails, street, and ramps, but he also hits up the karaoke bar a few times a week. Ryan Fudger was able to spend some time with Mark and capture images of all of the above before having a semi-drunken conversation with Mark that translated into several thousand words in the pages of the magazine and will eventually overflow onto the site.
Built To Shred: Ryan Fudger ventures out of his comfort zone and into the scorching desert to photograph riders setting up piles of junk and making them into obstacles before turning tricks for Fuel TV’s camera crew.
Open Doors - Chris Doyle & Corey Bohan At Northwest Trails: Portland, Salem, and Seattle all altered their strict trails policies long enough for these two dirt legends to get some clips and photos at the NWC’s amazing spots. And of course we show some love to the locals.
Swan Song - A Swan’s Account Of Four Riders’ Playground Session
Brian Kachinsky, Tony Malouf, Miles Rogoish, and Drew York shred a tiny playground in Moline, Illinois, and a swan watching nearby tells the story.
Around The World In 6.0 Days: You may not even be aware that for the past year the Nike 6.0 team has been working on what is sure to be one of the best videos this year. They traveled to several countries and their four team riders produced a ton of amazing footage. This story captures some of the tricks that went down along the way.
Jeff Zielinski, Jeff Z’s 10 favorite cover photos, bmx.transworld.net, april 2009: This photo was shot the day after Garrett won a gold medal in street at X Games 14. Going out to shoot photos with the dude who won the X Games the day prior is a pretty big deal, and this was the first time Garrett and I were shooting in a non-contest setting, so I was hoping that some wild stuff would go down, but in all honesty, I really didn’t know what to expect. We initially met up at this rail and then decided to roll over to a warm up spot and maybe come back to the rail a little later. Eventually we made our way back and Garrett warmed up with a couple icepicks, a tooth hanger, and then decided to barspin-to-ice it. He made that one first go, and then said he’d do a no-hander-to-ice, too. At this point I was frantically moving around my flashes because I didn’t want to shoot both photos from the same exact spot. I was also worried that I might miss the full extension of the no-hander—barspins and no-handers on street are usually really fast and easy to miss. I knew Garrett’s no-hander was going to be super quick, but I really wanted a sweet still shot, so I set up for that, and then gave another camera to Nigel Sylvester and set him up to shoot a sequence. After Garrett did the no-hander we played the sequence back and low and behold, you could actually see one of the flash bursts in the peak action frame of the no-hander—that was a great indication that at least my timing was on point. Once I got the roll back, I actually had four banger shots of Garrett from the same day. He definitely lived up to my hopes for some wild stuff, and I was pretty relieved that I came through on my end of the deal, too. On a side note, while driving home from the shoot, I was so psyched on how productive the day was that I wasn’t really paying attention and I sped past a motorcycle cop who clocked me going 60mph in a 45. Glenn Milligan was driving behind me and saw me get pulled over, which was a bonus. A solid day of shooting, wrapped up with a hefty ticket—imagine how pissed I would’ve been if I blew those photos after all that.