bmx.transworld.net, november 2010: On The Cover: Drew Bezanson’s future is so bright, he’s got to wear shades. Giant truckdriver at a spot that might be familiar to you from Dennis Enarson’s ender tailwhip from Nike’s “Writing On The Wall.” Sequence by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: I really don’t need to state the obvious and go into how crazy this truckdriver is. Dennis Enarson broke the cherry on this gap with a tailwhip in Nike’s Writing On The Wall. And a few years later, when we started shooting Drew’s interview, this spot was on Drew’s radar, so he talked to Dennis about the gap, and besides some “you got that” reassurance, Dennis also told Drew to bring a broom because the runway was rocky. So after the 2010 Dew Tour finals in Las Vegas, Drew, Fat Tony, and I packed all our bikes, gear, and bodies into a small rental car and drove to Phoenix, Arizona. After driving all day and finally arriving at night, Drew didn’t waste any time and still managed to fire out a banger gap-to-wallride that same night. And things weren’t any different once we got to the ditch the next day. After sweeping away a small desert’s worth of sand from the landing and runway, Drew walked up the hill, took a few run-ups, and then jumped down it, he then followed that up with a straight 360 (which everyone thought was more than good enough and we even questioned if he needed to bother with truck), but Drew was there for the truckdriver, so and he walked back up the bank and without much of a delay, he made sure everyone was ready and he did it. The overwhelming feeling of relief that Drew conquered it first go, and walked away totally unscathed, and of course the sheer shock of witnessing that insane move had everyone yelling and screaming hysterically. After our celebrating calmed down, Drew mentioned that although it was really scary, he had so much time in the air that he felt like he could’ve done even more than a truckdriver. And as crazy as that sounds, you have to remember that is Drew Bezanson we’re talking about. Camera Info: Canon 1D Mark II, 70-200 lens, ambient light.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor in Chief Keith Mulligan reflects back on shooting scene reports over the years and introduces the scene documented in this issue—Denver.
Start: Drew Hosselton scores a double-page spread with an after hours pedal grind.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A - Mike Spinner: Spinner answers all the questions our readers threw at him, and yes, we already know it is ironic that he likes to spin and whip and his last name is “Spinner.”
New Products: Wheels, tires, sprockets, pedals, bars, stems, and more…
Soft Goods: Fresh new threads from some of your favorite brands like Fit, Square One, Moley Gosh, Nike 6.0, Sullen, Volume, and more…
Diversions: Chase DeHart and Brian Kachinsky divulge what’s on their iPod, and a handful of DVDs get reviewed.
Focus: Nine pages with some of the best photography this month including Scotty Cranmer, Randy Brown, David Grant, and more.
Bio - Dusty Sampson: This Santa Cruz, California, local gets some shine time and fills in some blanks for us in this month’s Bio.
Letters: An appreciative older rider, a stoked young kid, a video gamer, and a really, really bad speller.
Finish - Brian Foster: The Blue Falcon finishes up his grocery shopping then finishes our sentences to cap off the first issue of 2011.
- Features -
The Humble Kid From Nova Scotia - Drew Bezanson Interview: This one almost needs no introduction…the 2010 NORA Cup Ramp Rider of the year threw down some insane bangers on ramps and in the streets for his debut interview in Ride. So, so gooooood!
In Search Of Sanctuary - The Eye Bikes Crew In Fresno: Eye Bikes took their team (Erik Engstrom, Eric Hough, Cody Mckenna, and Chris Bracamonte) on a trip to some really fun and unique locations in Fresno County, California, and Ryan Fudger tagged along to catch the action.
Coloradicals - Colorado Scene Report: The Rocky Mountain State has it all: beautiful mountains, crisp air, good burritos, and, oh yeah, one of the raddest BMX scenes around.
Subscriber Shipping Date: December 2, 2010
On Newsstands: December 21, 2010
bmx.transworld.net, january 2011: On The Cover: We’ll refrain from pointing out the obvious risks of this insane barspin. With only a half crank runway, Scotty Cranmer throws caution to the wind with the craziest barspin off a two-foot ledge you’ll probably ever find. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: As if the giant drop on both sides and the narrow landing weren’t enough risky factors for Scotty to contend with, the lack of a runway left him no choice but to basically step onto the pedals, do a tiny stutter crank for speed, and then commit to the hop, making this barspin both really dangerous and technically challenging. Before climbing onto the ledge, Scotty measured the length of his runway and then went over to a nearby bank to do some practice barspins with the same amount of runway just to see if it was even possible. Even though I have total faith in Scotty’s abilities, it was still one of the scariest and most stressful things I’ve ever shot because I was concerned for Scotty’s safety and I was sweating how important it was for me to get the shot right. He ended up doing the barspin three times, both so I could get the bars timed perfectly backward and so he was happy with how he rode off the ledge at the end. This shot was the icing on the cake for Scotty’s epic feature interview. The original photo is horizontal. Camera Info: Canon 1DS Mark III, 70-200 lens, three strobes.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor In Chief Keith Mulligan speaks about Scotty Cranmer’s interview that was more than two years in the making…
Start: Ryan Nyquist scores this month’s Start spread at a set of trails that, like so many others, have come and are now gone.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A - Chase Dehart: This month Chase Dehart answers a slew of questions from our readers including everything from tends to video parts, and from to pick up lines, to bike colors…
New Products: Bars, hubs, stems, forks, tires, frames, wheels, and more…the freshest products on the market hit the pages of our book.
Soft Goods: Animal, Demolition, Nike 6.0, Sullen, Odyssey, and a handful of other brands are all featured in this month’s Soft Goods section. I bet you East Coast cats can’t wait until it’s T-shirt weather again!
Diversions: Aaron Ross puts his iPod on shuffle mode and tells what songs pop up. Also, five new videos get reviewed including the long-awaited Anthem II.
How-To Steamroller Flip With Travis Collier: Travis Collier explains how to do a basic flatland switch on the front wheel.
Focus: Kyle Hart, York Uno, DGAF Dan Norvell, and Shawn Mcintosh all get some shine time on the five pages of this month’s Focus section.
Bio - Peta Shephard: This may be the first Bio Ride has ever done on a female rider. Female or not, hailing from Australia, Colony Bikes’ Peta Shephard is damn good on a bike.
Letters: Ryan Fudger pawns off a few responses this month to people who can answer a bit more thoroughly than he could. Eddie Buckley gives some business advice, and Catfish explains some of his tattoos.
Finish - Zack “Catfish” Yankush: Catfish finishes off a bunch of sentences for us about things such as conspiracies, fat chicks, America, and of course, BMX.
- Features -
The Scotty Cranmer Interview: This interview needs no introduction…an incredible rider with amazing stories and outlook and an unbelievable amount of skill on a bike spilled out on 11 pages of the magazine. You’ll certainly enjoy this one.
Motion In The Ocean - Red Bull’s Bargespin Trip: Drew Bezanson, Edwin De La Rosa, Corey Martinez, Daniel Dhers, Terry Adams, Anthony Napolitan, and Craig Mast float around Florida’s coastline on a barge full of ramps.
Identity Crisis - Kevin Kiraly: There’s a lot going on with Kevin besides grinds, no-handers, and tailwhips, and Ryan Fudger helps uncover some of that in his interview with the former scooter kid.
One Week In Pittsburgh: Whether it is on the streets, at the park, or at the trails, the Pittsburgh, PA, locals know how to have a good time. Here’s what one week in their city looks like as captured by Jeff Zielinski…
Subscriber Shipping Date: January 27, 2011
On Newsstands: February 15, 2011
bmx.transworld.net, march 2011: On The Cover: Not even the risk of getting lacerated by barbed wire can stop Tom Dillon when he has the opportunity to go super fast at a hip and lay one flat. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: After a series of gnarly covers featuring giant truckdriver and barspin drops, this grainy black and white shot of Tom Dillon doing a timeless trick was a nice change and an interesting cover shot for the Kink House article in the same issue. This photo is unique because it works as a horizontal or vertical photo, but while rotating it, we decided to stop somewhere in the middle and go with the diagonal layout. I really wanted to get that “in your face” raw feeling for this shot, so I tried to get as close to Tom and the barbed wire as possible, and in doing so I found myself precariously perched on the ledge with my back against a railing, barbed wire in my arm pit, and Tom breezing past my face at full speed—the white tips of my shoes along the edge of the frame are evidence of the cramped space I was working in. Look below to see a long lens version of this same trick. Camera Info: Canon EOS 1N 35mm, 15mm lens, Kodak Tmax 400, ambient light..
- Departments -
First Words: You mean to tell me different people have more than one perspective on BMX? Well I’ll be damned…
Start: Loofa spins the Bs down a ledge he has walked past thousands of times. Hats off to the recent graduate!
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A with Rob Wise: From wearing bandanas and having tattoos to growing up Mormon and everything in between Rob Wise answered all the questions you guys asked him here on the site.
New Products: Seats, pedals, cranks, grips, frames, bars, and more…New products never get old! (It’s a play on words…get it?)
Soft Goods: New threads from brands like Animal, Nike 6.0, Stolen, S&M, Osiris, Fox, and more…
Diversions: Corey Martinez talks about the songs from his video parts over the years and FU4, Still Here, and Pro Town: Greenville all get reviewed.
How-To Grind Handrails With Brian Kachinsky: Brian Kachinsky is definitely no stranger to handrails, and in this month’s how-to sequence he explains how to do double peg grinds so you can learn, too.
Focus: Tom Dugan, Dan Southwell, Biz, Chad Miller, and Lee Dennis all get in bangin’ new photos this month.
Bio: Shawn Swain: Here’s your into to a street shredder from Canada that rolls with the BMXFU crew.
Letters: Ryan tries his best to stay positive and be helpful in the answers to your letters this month. Key word being, “tries.”
Finish: Tate Roskelley: One of the most creative pro riders out there today finishes off the issue by filling in some blanks for us about his frame, tricks, filming, being scared, and more…
- Features -
Automatic Eviction - The Birth, Life, And Death Of The Kink House: After the Kink team moved into a house in Long Beach, California, they thought they had it made…and they did…until they were evicted. Here’s the story of their shortened stay in Socal.
Laws Of Motion - Understanding The Physics Of BMX: There’s a ton of science that is involved in BMX that none of us ever really think about, so Jeff Zielinski helps break down some of the laws of motion using a handful of awesome action shots to demonstrate.
America’s Finest - A Marine, A Police Officer, and A Navy Corpsman: Men known as “America’s Finest” aren’t what you typically think of when you imagine BMX riders, but remember…it takes all kinds. We interviewed three guys who wear their shin scars proudly under their uniforms.
Panamoka - Dirt Lives On Long Island: Long Island, New York, has a long history of trails, and this month Keith Mulligan took a trip back to his home state to get a look at what the scene is like these days on the island.
Subscriber Shipping Date: March 24, 2011
On Newsstands: April 12, 2011
bmx.transworld.net, may 2011: On The Cover: In order for Tom White’s front wheel to fit into the crack, his bike had to be so crooked that his back peg wouldn’t stay on the ledge, but that worked out perfectly for this forward pedal feeble instead. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: Always one to take full advantage of a good setup, Tom White wanted to grind this San Jose ledge with his wheel in the crevice and not just simply on top of the ledge. However, with his tire that far over his back peg wouldn’t stay on the ledge, so he just grinded on his forward pedal instead. The funny thing is that I don’t recall ever seeing Tom do a pedal grind before, but that didn’t stop him from getting it on his second try. This shot corresponds with the Story Of Skavenger article and I think the combination of the black and white film choice and the leaves scattered on the ground gives the photo a raw East Coast feel (even though it was shot in Northern California). Camera Info: Hasselblad 501CM, 80mm lens, Kodak Tmax 400, four strobes.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor In Chief Keith Mulligan talks about why touring BMX demos are so awesome. There are bound to be some demos hitting cities near you this summer, so get out there and meet up with them!
Start: One lucky rider shreds where no one has shredded before…the remains of Saddam Hussein’s palace in Iraq.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A - Brett Banasiewicz: Brett “Maddog” Banasiewicz answers the obvious (How often is your last name mispronounced?), the not so obvious (If you got in a fight with Scotty Cranmer who would win?), and all the other questions in between that you guys asked this month…
New Products: Bars, frames, grips, brakes, stems, pedals, and a handful of other parts…the freshest products on the market hit the pages of our book.
Soft Goods: Some of your favorite companies release their newest threads including Demolition, Stolen, Fox, Subrosa, Sullen, and more.
Diversions: Orchid, Demolition, and Wethepeople’s new DVDs get reviewed, and Trey Jones lists what’s on his iPod.
How-To Footjam with Drew Bezanson: There are probably few people out there that know this trick as well as Drew, and he breaks it down to the basics so you can learn to tackle it anywhere.
Focus: Garrett Reeves, AJ Anaya, Rob Wise, Pat Casey, and Corey Martinez all get some love this month with big ol’ glossy photos.
Bio - Zachary Newman: It’s not often these days that younger riders focus on vert riding, but that’s just one of the many reasons Ohio’s Zach Newman is a unique individual.
Letters: Fudger gets feisty with a kid who can’t spell, The Beard gives some advice on backyard ramps, a reader is torn between his bike and his babe, and a New Jersey local gets a sweet photo published…
Finish - TJ ELlis: TJ Ellis finishes off a bunch of sentences for us about things such as Riverside, prized possessions, girls, partying, and of course, BMX.
- Features -
The Story Of Skavenger: Evolution From A Joke To A Bike Company: Sit down with Edwin DeLaRosa and Vinnie Sammon and find out how a joke on a road trip ten years ago has evolved into a full-on bike company rooted in New York City.
No Vacation Goes Unpunished: MacNeil Ventures From Vegas To Phoenix: Jump on the road with Jaumell Campbell, Andrew Lazaruk, Dillon Lloyd, and Travis Collier and find out what the MacNeil team is all about.
Pool Fever In Fresno: The biggest pool fanatic in the game (Dean Dickinson) takes a trip to Cali in search of hidden backyard gems…
Best Of Both Worlds: The Fox Team Experiences Austin’s South By Southwest Music Festival: Fox riders Sean Sexton, Chase Hawk, Joe Rich, Ruben Alcantara, Russ Barone, and Aaron Ross hit up Austin during a the famous SXSW weekend to mix music and BMX.
Ryan Fudger, bmx.transworld.net, june 2011, behind the cover: While the Osiris crew was riding this small bank-to sub, I pedaled over to a random industrial area and spotted this ’setup.’ I knew it was sketchy, but also knew that if anyone would be into it, it’d be Sean Burns. So I headed back over, described it as best I could, and watched Sean’s eyes light up as he said, ‘I’ve been looking for a setup like that forever.’ Sean ended up going from thin metal roof to thin metal roof a couple of times, and yes, of course he rode off the roof to flat on the other side.
Ryan Fudger, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: This was shot on the Osiris road trip to Phoenix. At this point I had already been to Phoenix several times that year and actually just ended a trip in the Phoenix area the week before with the MacNeil team. Fresh-to-outsider spots were getting slim, so we spent a bit of time just pedaling around promising-looking areas of the greater Phoenix area. The crew stumbled upon a mellow bank-to-sub and were in the process of filming a couple things. It wasn’t really much of a photo spot, so I pedaled around for a while looking for spots when I stumbled upon this beam ride. I knew it was pretty sketch—especially with the corrugated roof—but it was also something that Sean would be into. I shot a couple photos on my phone, went back and described/showed the spot to Burns, and watched his eyes light up as he told me he’d been looking for a spot like that forever. Went over, Sean lined it up, and ended up doing it about four times because he wanted to ride off the roof afterwards. I shot fisheye Tmax 400 black and white 35mm film from a different angle each time Sean went across the thin beam just because the setup really changed depending on the angle. I was actually glad Sean was forced to do it a couple times because I think this was actually third angle I shot. The others were good, too, though. We had just had two previous black and white covers, so our lovely art director Marc Hostetter suggested the idea to add a sepia-ish tone to the photo to break up the redundancy, and then I’m sure we all argued about menial details for an entire day before we shipped it off to get printed….
Mark Hostetter, Art Director, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: This was my first Ride cover and the beginning of the new design campaign. This was shot in black and white film and I love the grainy quality with the sepia-style toning and cyan logo. Being new to BMX, I kept referring to Sean Burns as “Sean Combs.” Fudger quickly put me in my place and the education began.
- Departments -
First Words: Ryan Fudger talks about Sean Burn’s love-hate relationship with roofs and Keith Mulligan welcomes aboard our new art director responsible for all the creative, dope layouts you’ll be seeing each issue from now on.
Start: Chad Kerley starts off the issue with an ironic scenario and a sick photo at a famous spot in Los Angeles.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A - Ryan “Biz” Jordan: Biz came through with answers to a ton of your questions this month about his style, his background, his sponsors, his nickname, and more…
New Products: From frames and forks to nuts and hub converters, we have you covered with a grip of fresh, new products this month.
Soft Goods: The lastest gear from Animal, Sullen, Etnies, Fox, Shadow, and more…
Diversions: No video reviews this month, but we take a look at what’s playing on Jake Seeley’s iPod and interview him about his love for metal before sitting down with Props co-owner Chris Rye to find out about their new “Owned” video that is set to drop this November.
How-To - No-Handers With Dennis Enarson: No-handers are no good if they aren’t done proper, so Dennis Enarson breaks it down and explains how it’s done.
Focus: Clint Reynolds, Bobby Carter, Brian Kachinsky, Hoang Tran, Russ Barone, Drew Bezanson, Heath Pinter, Dakota Roche, Jimmy LeVan, and John “Chunk” Tillman…A hefty collection of photos make their way into the mag.
Bio - Brandon Galosi: 24-year-old Ohio to New York transplant and Act Like You Knew crewmember Brandon Galosi gets in some shine time.
Letters: Ryan manages to only make fun of one of our readers this month. Oh wait…make that three. Three out of four ain’t bad, right?
Finish - Mat Hoffman: One of the most important men to ever touch a BMX bike finishes off the issue with some great answers to sentences we left blank.
- Features -
7 Steps Forward - Interviews With Garrett Reynolds, Trey Jones, David Grant, Cory Nastazio, Shawn McIntosh, Christian Rigal, and Nathan Williams: Seven riders, styles, and personalities…and of course, seven wild photos, too.
“Don’t Get Your Head Chopped Off” - Wethepeople’s Southbound And Down Tour In Mexico City: Follow Chester Blacksmith, Andrew Jackson, Max Gaertig, Marcus Grubbs, Sam Lowe, and Maxime Charveron around Mexico City for 10 days…
Foot In Mouth - The Street Dudes Of The Osiris Team, An Ex-Kickboxer, And A Dinner Management In Phoenix, Arizona: Josh Betley, Drew York, Miles Rogoish, Darryl Tocco, and Sean Burns trek around Phoenix in search of good spots, and good times…
bmx.transworld.net, july 2011: On The Cover: Next to one of the countless football (soccer) fields in the country, and smack dab in the middle of a ghetto, you can find some of the biggest dirt jumps Brazil has to offer. Diogo Canina’s massive 360 no-hander at the Carapicuiba jumps compliments the equally massive city of Sao Paulo looming behind him. Photo by Keith Mulligan.
Keith Mulligan, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: This cover photo of Diogo was shot in São Paulo, Brazil, at some dirt jumps in a poorer neighborhood just outside of the tall buildings and maddening traffic of the massive metropolis. We were passed the halfway point on the trip and I still hadn’t really shot much of anything with Diogo, so I probably put a little pressure on him to try to shoot something at this spot, which we all knew he’d destroy. I think at first he wanted to do an opposite 360 variation, but after warming up he wasn’t feeling it, so he decided to throw a regular 360 no-hander. I’m pretty sure this is the first and only one we shot. I was happy with everything about it—exposure, timing, composition, etcetera, and when Diogo took a look at it he was into it. I remember asking if he wanted to shoot anything else since I was set up and the photos looked great with the sunset, buildings in the background, and everything, but he was happy with the 360 no-hander. After I packed up all of my flashes and gear, of course Diogo continued to hit the set and busted out a bunch of other tricks worth shooting. Bastard! [Laughs] Oh well. This photo was actually shot horizontally with a lot more of the scene showing. I hated not running the entire photo, but cropped or not, this photo made for a great cover, and Diogo could not have been more excited about it.
Mark Hostetter, Art Director, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: What a treat it was to work with such an insane shot— Keith murdered it in Brazil. I love that we established the one-color Ride logo to allow for cleaner designs that let the action speak louder. It’s all about celebrating the nuances of action for you to truly appreciate and I dig working with that formula.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor In Chief Keith Mulligan reflects back on 30 years of riding BMX.
Start: Chad Osburn gets to do what he loves every day and scores a spread in the mag. Lucky dude…
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A - Nathan Williams: He’s not the most talkative guy out there, and to say he’s modest would be an understatement, but Nathan somehow managed to answer all questions you guys asked.
Products: Frames, bars, pedals, sprockets, cranks, and more. The latest and greatest parts from the companies you love.
Soft Goods: It’s just about time to start shopping for some new threads to wear to school next year, so look here for some ideas and inspiration from Vans, Etnies, Fit, Shadow, Fox, and more…
Diversions: Chris Doyle looks back at his iconic “Wide Awake Nightmare” video part, and three new videos get reviewed.
Glimpse: This month’s glimpse features a collection of photos of the pain and torment BMX can cause. It’s all part of the game, but damn does it suck…At least chicks dig scars though, right?
Focus: Some of the month’s best photos including Justin Inman, Mike Taylor, Chad Johnston, Austin Coleman, and a handful of others.
Bio - Seth Peterson: If a rider as unique and creative as Jim Cielencki is caught off guard by someone’s ability to find lines that others don’t, then you know you have some true talent on your hands. We’d like to introduce you to Minnesota’s Seth Peterson…
Letters: Hey, check it out…Fudger is actually nice to someone! He even gave them a grip of free products for sending in the “Letter of the Month.” Hell hath frozen over, my friends.
Finish - Alfredo Mancuso: Volume and DC pro Alfredo Mancuso fills in the blanks of a bunch of unfinished sentences to cap off the issue.
- Features -
Obrigado Brazil - Diamondback Samples Dirt & Concrete In South America: Join Diogo Canina, Nate Berkheimer, Matt Closson, and Darin Read as they tour around Diogo’s home country in search of good spots and good times.
Mini Golf Madness - Built To Shred’s Mega Session At An Abandoned Miniature Golf Course: The guys at Fuel TV’s “Built To Shred” show are always cooking up interesting setups, and every once in a while we get to tag along to shoot photos of the madness. This was a fun one, for sure…
The A-Z Of The Colony DVD: Colony had been quietly working on their first DVD for the past two years, and it just dropped a few weeks ago worldwide. Here’s an inside look at what went into filming it along with a few of the bangers that are in the video.
Trippin’ For Kicks - With Vans & Cult Northbound Through California: To help launch their new Vans X Cult shoe, a handful of the riders that rep both brands hit the road in the Vans rig for a trip through Cali.
bmx.transworld.net, august 2011: On The Cover: Always one to find the next overlooked obstacle to ride, Eric Lichtenberger busts an air on a lazy tree only a block from his house. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: Eric doesn’t have a perfect vert ramp to air, so he’ll have to settle for this giant crippled tree supported by a cane at a park down the street from his house. Eric has a knack for riding some of the most random obstacles—which quite often make for cool photos, too. On this particular occasion, there was a family playing Frisbee (if my memory serves me correct) and they were blocking the runway. So we went to look at some other spots and hoped they would be gone when we got back. Half an hour later and they were still there, so we went to lunch. On our third visit they were still there, but by now Eric’s patience had worn thin and he couldn’t wait any longer to ride the tree. He was prepared to pedal directly through the family’s fun, but fortunately for us, they started to pack up just as we were getting our bikes out of the car and the potential feud with the family was avoided. Camera Info: Canon 1DS Mark III, 15mm lens, three strobes.
Mark Hostetter, Art Director, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: This was probably the most challenging to date. I really like the image and Eric Lichtenberger’s creativity, but this image was really “noisy” and tricky to design with. I’m fairly happy with the end result, but wish Eric wore an orange shirt or something.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor In Chief Keith Mulligan reflects on one of this month’s features and marvels at Jeff Haney’s knowledge of (and passion for) the old school and vintage BMX world.
Start: Ruben Alcantara scores a spread while roasting a backyard pool and proving once again that he can stand the test of time.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A - Geoff Slattery. Geoff answers the questions you asked. Topics include going fast and smooth, big gaps, filming, goals, inspiration, and trends.
Products: Frames, forks, bars, cranks, stems, and more…Fresh metal, hot from the paint shop.
Soft Goods: New shirts, jackets, and hats from Fit, Kink, Subrosa, Fox, S&M, Odyssey, and Animal.
Diversions: Sean Sexton lets you know what’s on his iPod, and the Colony and Caliwumpus DVDs get reviewed.
Focus: JJ Palmere, Micky Marshall, Christian Rigal, Reed Stark, Dan Conway, Augie Simoncini, and Darryl Tocco all drop hammers for the sake of the photo.
Bio - Brandon Kitson: Allow us to introduce you to yet another New Jersey shredder who calls The Incline Club home…
Letters: This month Ryan gives some honest answers, some smartass answers, and even gives away a helmet. It was a good month at the mailbox…
Finish - Corey Bohan: Did you know Corey always wanted to be a cartoonist? Well now you do. And you’ll learn even more about him after reading this month’s Finish…
- Features -
Eric Lichtenberger Interview - A Bona Fide BMX Beach Bum: From pizza and candy to surfing and stolen cars, get to know Eric L. in his first major interview. There’s definitely a lot going on behind the unique brakeless/pegless riding you’ve come to know and love.
Limopalooza - A Luxurious Trek Across The Southwest With 2-Hip: A road trip in a limo? Sounds sick, right? Well, let’s just say some things sound better than they actually are, and every road trip is always an adventure.
Hi, My Name Is Jeff Haney - The Biggest Collection In BMX And The Man Behind It All: You’ve heard of guys collecting old school and vintage BMX stuff, but trust us, you’ve never seen anything like this. No, really…it’s absolutely insane.
The Crust Of Chicago - The Top, Bottom, Ins, And Outs Of The Chicago, Illinois, Scene: We aren’t sure what’s more impressive about this scene report—the riders and the photos they produced, or the fact that Brian Kachinsky managed to squeeze in one of his signature bad jokes.
bmx.transworld.net, october 2011: On The Cover: Riding your bike on a roof always feels sketchy. You’re high off the ground, easier to see, and knowing there’s never any reason why you should be on a roof with a bike makes it pretty nerve-racking—especially at night. However, when said roof has a perfect runway with a gap to an L-rail off the end, even Gary Young can’t pass that up. So out comes the generator, up go the lights, and off the roof goes Gary. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: You never know where you might discover the next amazing setup. In this case, we drove 900 miles (each way) to a small mountain town to find this unique roof gap to L-rail. We first saw the spot early in the morning, but there were too many people around for us to mess with it, and with time running out, our only option was to ride it at night. The spot was in a quiet neighborhood near houses and I was sure that the lights and noise from the generator would catch somebody’s attention and if they saw Gary on the roof with a bike the cops would definitely be called. I guess our efforts to be as stealth as possible paid off, because we got in and out without any consequences and scored a cover shot in the process. Camera Info: Canon 1DS Mark III, 15mm lens, four strobes.
Mark Hostetter, Art Director, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: One of my favorites, this cover basically built itself. Sometimes we designers get the rare gift of an image with color-key (blue rail) opportunities and ample space for blurbs. I met Gary Young when he came in to the Ride offices for a photo shoot in our park and he was super cool, which made it all the better.
- Departments -
First Words: This month Associate Editor Ryan Fudger chimes in with a photo that didn’t make it into his Shadow trip article from Russia.
Start: Unsuspecting train passengers in Italy are oblivious to the flatland riding that’s going on right outside the window.
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell.
Pro Q&A: Tom Dugan. Tommy Jet answers all your questions about Dr. Pepper, riding naked, leaving T-1 for Fit, blasting huge airs, and more.
New Products: Frames, hubs, bars, stems, seats, grips, and more.
Soft Goods: Fresh threads from some of your favorite companies like Animal, Subrosa, Etnies, Kink, and more.
Diversions: Dennis McCoy talks tunes, Jason Enns lists his favorite video parts, and the “Life After Death” DVD gets a review.
Pro Shop - The Port Jefferson Bike Dr.: Long Island, New York, has always had a great BMX scene, and their newest shop is helping to keep it rolling.
Focus: Brian Hunt, Ben Lewis, Marcas Grubbs, Jason Phelan, Pete Brandt, Hucker Clark, Bryan Olivas, and Nathan Williams all get some shine time this month in our Focus section.
Bio: Dan Bob. You know you are packing some heat when guys like Dave Belcher vouch for your skills in the streets.
Letters: The letter of the month received a Kink stem and a proposal that he won’t be able to refuse for a potential cover shot.
Finish: Ruben Alcantara. Ruben Alcantara fills in some blanks for us to cap off the issue. Topics include Malaga, Austin, coffee, tricks, video parts, and more.
- Features -
The Portland Scene: Stumptown’s Finest. Portland, Oregon, is one hell of a scene and has been for years. Resident icons Chester Blacksmith and Shad Johnson help break it down for us with tons of wild photos of the locals.
Soviet Tour: The Shadow Conspiracy Takes A Giant Swig Of Moscow, Russia. It was no easy task getting there, but once the Shadow crew finally got inside the Russian border they had an awesome time, built up a lifetime of memories, and got sh*t done on their bikes.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow: A Handrail Odyssey to Los Alamos, New Mexico. A handful of Odyssey riders jumped in a van for a few days of searching out perfect rail setups in a small, unsuspecting mountain town in the middle of nowhere. The result, of course, was a lot of insane riding.
bmx.transworld.net, november 2011: On The Cover: After a long day of trying to ride and shoot photos during their week in California without much luck, we made a last-ditch attempt to get something done at this spot. After driving for 45 minutes to get to this spot, Sergio Layos didn’t have the luxury for warming up for this tailwhip before the sun went down. But as you can see, all of our efforts paid off in the end. Photo by Jeff Zielinski.
Jeff Zielinski, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: This last minute cover shot was completely unexpected. Ryan Fudger had just spent a week or so driving the Fly team all over Southern California showing them spots and shooting photos. When his window of free time had come to a close I got tagged in for the final day to follow the crew around as they tried to get a few last minute things shot. We weren’t having much luck anywhere we went and most of the day was getting wasted driving around. Eventually, the decision was made to go to the spot where the cover was shot because Kevin Porter had an idea there. We made it to the spot as the sun was setting, the wind was picking up, and the temperature was dropping. Kevin realized pretty quickly that his idea wasn’t going to work, so then Sergio stated jumping the gap. He jumped it straight a few times and never mentioned doing a trick over it—probably because the runway wasn’t the best and the landing was steep and full of loose rocks. Maybe it was in the back of his head the whole time and he just didn’t want to call it out, but eventually he said he wanted to whip it. It ended up taking him a couple tries to stomp the whip without loosing a pedal because the landing was so bumpy. I felt bad every time he had to walk back up the hill and try it again because it really was one of those things that you just want to get over with first try. I also felt bad because Fudger had this spot on his radar for a long time and he shot with the Fly guys there earlier in the week, and on the one day I happen to substitute for him, we got a cover photo at his spot—sorry dude. Camera Info: Canon 1DS Mark III, 70-200mm lens, five strobes.
Mark Hostetter, Art Director, bmx.transworld.net, december 2011: The “yard sale” of my Ride covers, this one wasn’t as easy to work with. I love the shot, but I don’t like designing with more than 2 groups of blurbs. It was necessary to create three so there was enough breathing room for the take-off, path-of-travel, and landing in the photo. The best cover isn’t always the prettiest design. The merits of the photo always come first and I like that challenge.
- Departments -
First Words: Editor In Chief Keith Mulligan reflects back on one of the biggest nights in BMX all year—the 15th annual NORA Cup party that is featured in this issue, complete with interviews with all the winners.
Start: We take a look at a dope setup at a playground and compare humans to bears. Huh? Yeah, it actually does kind of make sense once you read it…
Up Front: Sponsor Block, Injured List, and Fine Print…the month’s news in a nutshell. This month we also threw in a quick interview with Dave Mirra about his boxing match with pro MX rider Brian Deegan.
Pro Q&A – Jeremiah Smith: Jeremiah Smith took time out while he was down with a broken foot to answer your questions about sponsors, riding brakeless, riding in contests, learning tricks, life goals, tattoos, and of course, being a redhead.
Products: New frames, forks, bars, hubs, grips, stems, seats, sprockets, and more…Fresh parts that you’ll soon be jotting down on your holiday wish list.
Soft Goods: A grip of new apparel from Fox, Fit, S&M, Shadow, Animal, and more.
Diversions: Miles Rogoish and James Cox are two filmers in BMX with very different styles so we got them both to answer the same questions about how they get it done.
Pro Shop – Ramp Rats: Shop owner and iconic NorCal rider Mike Krnaich talks about his bike shop and skatepark that has been a part of the scene for nearly a decade.
Glimpse – 2011 NORA Cup: Two pages of behind-the-scenes shots and party photos from this year’s NORA Cup Awards.
Focus: Some of the month’s best action photos ready for you to stare at them for hours on end. Riders include Josh Harrington, Codie Larsen, and Russ Barone.
Bio – Kelsy Hoog: At just 15 years old this Colorado local is young, talented, and fun to be around…
Letters: Aaron Bostrom helps give some ramp-building advice, another grom asks for shirts and stickers, and Fudger gets his first compliment ever. In his whole life. By anyone. Pigs must be flying somewhere…
Finish – Chad Johnston: One of just a few in the world of his kind, Chad Johnston is a pegless flatland rider, and this month he fills in some blanks to finish off the issue for us.
- Features -
15th Annual Ride BMX NORA Cup Awards: Interviews with all of the winners of the 2011 NORA Cup awards including Dennis Enarson, Garrett Reynolds, Chris Doyle, Moto Sasaki, Marc Willers, and Stew Johnson.
Nonfiction Freestyle – True Life Stories From Five Unsuspecting Pros: Ruben Alcantara, Mike Hoder, Brian Kachinsky, Tom White, and Tony Neyer tell random stories from their lives that were all brought upon them thanks to this little thing we call BMX.
The Californication Of Flybikes: Fly Bikes riders Sergio Layos, Chris Finnigan, Stefan Lantschner, Shane Weston, and Kevin Porter travel off the beaten path of Cali’s blown out spots for some good times on their bikes at some lesser-seen setups.