Staff: John Parker, Jared Souney, Paul Zitzer.
Guests: Jimmy Coleman, Gabe Weed, Bart de Jong, ...
John Parker, www.sophride.com, 2005: For years I've wanted to do something to help ease action sports into the mainstream of society. Instead of just knowing how innovative, exciting and rewarding our sports can be I want to show the world. In the past we've had egos and attitudes to contend with; hardcore riders, fat cat companies and on and on. When I was growing up bikes and skateboards weren't cool and the motocross riding you see now was unheard of. Riders were considered rebels, outcasts and even losers, but those perceptions have changed. Its common to see action sports on television, almost expected. Riders are getting huge endorsements and companies are attracting sponsor dollars to put on high paying events. But lets not move too far in the other direction. Action sports are still about high energy-good- times and the down-to-earth people that ride.
The Sophisticated Rider is built by riders so the entire world can catch up and catch on. This is for the riders that buy a bike or board and enjoy it for a month, a year or a lifetime; for the guys and girls that used to ride; that never did and yes, even for the guy behind the desk wanting to sell you all more tires, wheels or hair gel. Here you can find insight into riders and the sports that drive them. Here you can find discussion of current events and happenings that shape the world we ride in. Soon there will be an open forum where sophisticated riders and writers can share thoughts, ideas and opinions. The goal is to open dialogue with the integrity and prosperity of action sports at heart.
Jared Souney, www.jaredsouney.com, may 2009: From 2005-2007 I helped publish seven issues of a magazine called Sophisticated Rider with Pro BMX rider John Parker and Pro Skateboarder/Writer/Commentator Paul Zitzer. The magazine focused on Skate, BMX and FMX (the winter issues had a bit of snow as well)… an Extreme round-up as Zitzer would call it. All seven issues were distributed for free at skateparks around the US (and beyond). About two years ago we decided the amount of work vs. the costs involved were getting to be too much. We didn’t have anyone focused on selling advertising, and none of us wanted to deal with that end, so we put the project on indefinite hiatus.
Issues 1-4 were created in Quark Xpress. Issues 5, 6, and 7 were created in InDesign.
This issue features Jamie Bestwick, Andy MacDonald, Kenny Bartram and the Pro Riders Organization. There are also articles submitted by Gabe Weed (The current state of flatland), John Parker (Dealing with sport related injuries) and Jimmy Coleman (Welcome to the circus... life on the road). Last bit: progression with Chad Kagy and an attempt at a hybrid 540-flairwhip.
Jake Brown at this year's Gravity Games on the cover. Photo by Jared Souney.
Jay Eggleston's X Games X-penses.
Shop spotlight: Sunday skate/BMX.
Summer 2005 event gallery.
Interview with skateboarder Giorgio Zattoni.
Crossover: BMXer Alistair Whitton on FMX.
Interview with BMXer Chris Doyle.
The anatomy of a concussion.
Interview with FMXer Nate Adams.
Talking business with Rick Bratman.
Nearsighted.
Greetings.
Paul de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, december 2005: The first issue was given to me by John Parker in Paris and the second issue by Jared Sourney in England so I guess the third issue will be hand over by Paul Zitzer in ? so the producers are also my distribution channel. Sophisticated Rider is a magazine by the men above with all kinds of different "rider" sports like BMX, MX and Skateboarding. The funny thing is that me being almost 40 likes this magazine cause I like all kinds of riding but the "hardcore" BMX youth will pass the MX and SK8 articles and have to do it with a couple of pages with BMX. This issue of SR has BMX'er Chris Doyle, Skateboarder Giorgio Zattoni, (B)(F)MX'er Ali Whitton, Snowboarder Andy Finch and FMX'er Nate Adams all interviewed with nice color pictures all over magazine. Jay Eggleston's article about his X-Games adventure is the best, he lost $ 1236.82 riding the X-games this year! Who thinks that they are all rich superstars are totally wrong! Nice article about Jim Cielencki's Sunday shop, the Anatomy of a concussion by the pro's and a lesson in greetings all in this SR2 makes it another couple of hours to kill at the airport.
John Parker, www.sophride.com, december 2005: Issue #3 is off to the printers this week. I want to thank Brian Dahl, Kim Barnett and Patrick Kelly for their writings. Featured this issue: "What about the AMS?" by Danny Parks, "The Genoa Experiment--FMX vs. MX" by Rich Swisher, "Inside the Signature Shoe." by Brian Tunney. Zitzer interviews a Wall Street $kater. Plus a little bit of this and that!
Kevin Robinson on the cover.
Vegetarianism in Action Sports by Tom Haugen.
Kevin Robinson interview.
Tampa Am 2006.
Chris Gentry on the PRO Organization.
Toronto Metro Jam.
38 pages total.
Bart de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, may 2006: Wowwow wooow what's up with this cover? We'll see if a portrait of Kevin "I'll be back" Robinson will get the magazine off the racks. He's got a cool 10 page interview in this 40 page mag making his sponsors proud. The remaining BMX pages cover the Metro Jam in Toronto, a No Bikes Allowed article, a Vegetarianism article by Tom Haugen and a story by Brian "Yella" Gavigan talking about being a dad, handle the kids and do some riding. Sophisticated Rider is more than BMX alone so expect to see some FMX ( Air & Style event), The Tampa AM (Skateboarding) and a Chris Gentry interview. If you hate flipping through magazines with too many ads, Soph Rider is for you. More content than ads (for a change).
CFB Oklahoma city.
Cover: Tobias Albert. Insets: Travis Pastrana, Keith McElhinney.
This issue features:
The year in music 2006 by Tom Haugen.
Skateboarding Faux Pas.
Ramp Rats skatepark.
Vert Haus Jam (Oberhausen, Germany).
2006 photographic lookback on the contest season.
Chad Kagy in New Zealand.
Redbull's Backyard Build Off.
What The Pros Think Of The X-Games.
38 pages total.
Bart de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, november 2006: Sophisticated Rider shows you the future of magazines. Next to being printed, they will be out on the web, page by page. The good thing about this development it that it's free and fast. No cost spent on printing or shipping. We're wondering how much longer Magazines can hold on anyway as the internet is definitely taking over. What's inside number 6?
Features in Issue 6 Include:
-FMX: State of the Union
-Red Bull’s Backyard Build-Off
-Skateboarding Faux Pas
-What the Pros think of the X Games w/ Jean Postec, Chad Kagy, Simon Tabron, Anthony Furlong, and more.
-Tom Haugen’s Favorite Music of ‘06
-Verthaus Jam, Oberhausen, Germany
-Ramp Rats Skatepark Pro-Creation: Bob Leffler Profile
-Chad Kagy Goes to the Circus
-Paul Rodriguez Center Spread Poster.
Bart de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, march 2007: The winter 2007 issue of Sophisticated Rider just came out and it has a good mix of BMX, FMX, Skateboarding and snowboarding in it. On the BMX front there's an article on this year's Simpel Session in Estonia by Ronnie Surridge (there he is again!), a 5 minutes interview with Sidewall/Hoffman Bikes' Mark Owen, the Woodward Am Jam, BMX scholarship? bring it! There's an article on the Vert Gathering at Woodward where JMB gets a big shot doing a turndown and Koji Kraft scores the poster with a stylish lean back seatgrab turnbar. More vert in the form of rider bios on Francisco "Coco" Zurita and Zack Warden makes this issue a must see for any vert dawg out there. Soph rider 7 also has an interview with Daniel Dhers and Anthony Napolitan who both made a strong appearance on the contest scene in 2006. This must sound like a full on BMX magazine but there is loads more on FMX, sk8 and snowboarding.