September 2005: FAT-JAM 2005. Saturday: Dirt and OJA party

Aug 20, 2010

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 5194 times

2005 FAT JAM report. Damn, those flags are getting old...
The real deal tomorrow August 21, 2010: 13:00hr.
Sugar Hills, Valkendijk, Aarle-Rixtel, Netherlands.

In times where everything needs to be bigger and better (and more expensive) it's good to have events around like the FAT-JAM. There has never been a cover charge for spectators. Riders never had to pay money to ride. You show up, you grab your bike and you start to ride. We do not sell overpriced drinks or food at the FAT-JAM. Riders and spectators can bring their own drinks and barbeque or can go out to the local supermarket or snackbar to fill their bellies. The schedule at the FAT-JAM? practically non existing except for a high air or best trick contest in the middle of the session. It's free to enter this contest as well, or better, you HAVE to compete. An accreditation office for the media? No, not really, but there was a portable toilet there. Saturday saw a whole bunch of riders show up at the Sugar Hills

in Aarle-Rixtel. Kids between 6 and 39 years old (Dave?) pushed their bikes up on the starting hill all day to do the laps. The outside line was the "tabletop" line which was used by anyone who did not have the guts to go big over the doubles.

The riding was non-stop all day long. The only break was the high air contest that started at 4pm. 12 guys were put on a list. 3 attempts each per height. The take-off ramp was 1.40m tall and the winning jump was 34,5 meters high (about that). Michael van der Lee won the FAT-JAM trophy and a bunch of goodies from Eastpak. Leroy Widmann got second and Patrick finished 3rd. Time to celebrate.

After the BBQ-s got fired up and the banners were taken down it was time to get ready for the JAM-FAT party at OJA. OJA has been the FAT-JAM party place over the years and this year it was no different. The theme was Heavy Metal and some guys even dressed up for the occasion. The night started with 2 video showings (S&M and Building the Underground) that were both well received. OJA's beamer did a great job. Things started to get out of hand when the Heavy Metal band started playing. But that's normal at OJA when BMX-ers get in town, and nobody cares.

The 1 Euro bottled Bavaria beer helped fade the pain from earlier crashes and also made sure people were getting loose. JD Nikolai took over after the band and he could use some liquid painkillers too as he rode hard all day (and had a few crashes). Fine tunes till deep in the night including "Oerend Hard" from the band "Normaal".

BdJ