When ESPN announced that the Flatland discipline got dropped from the 2004 X-Games schedule we contacted some flatland riders to check on their view on this. For a few reactions, read on:
Yes, February again, time for rain, hail, cold winds and another edition of the now famous Circle Cow International Flatground Contest in Servon, a small village near Paris.
Alex Jumelin invited us to stay with him and so that Friday, after a four hour drive, we arrived at his doorstep, in the middle of Paris where he and his girlfriend and of course his son Nathan lived. Frank Lukas and Andy Zeiss (works for Chico and Red Bull) from Germany arrived later that evening and also stayed with Alex.
Repco Sport, Haro New Zealand distributors, stepped up again as the key BMX sponsor of the annual Vodafone X-Air comp held in Hamilton, New Zealand on the 6th and 7th of Feb. A sick field of international and local riders all ripping on street, vert and dirt. The Haro sponsored comp is the biggest action sports event in the country and the riding didn’t disappoint.
It takes a lot to organize a good contest. After last weekend we don't have to explain that to Michiel Verberg of Soulcycle. The Braun Flatground comp was very well organized but to give you an idea of what is needed to make it work I'll give you a list with a few things that need to be taken care of:
Kuoppa and Gomez Bikes did a release party in Amsterdam last weekend, Marti living in Finland and Viki living in Madrid it was a wise decision to do the release in the middle of that so with Amsterdam filled with Flatground riders it was busy at "the Bitterzoet" bar.
Marti and Viki decided over a year ago to start their own company cause they wanted to be Real Business men! No, they wanted to show the world that they know everything about Flatland and that they "will change that flatlandworld forever", first part is true, Viki and Marti are amongst the best 10 flatlanders in this world but it takes more to change the world than riding bikes and design a frame.
BMX has brought me to the strangest places. When the opportunity came up to go to Estonia for a freestyle contest I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Estonia, isn’t that over there near Russia? That’s right. By vehicle it would have been a 1900km drive through Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to get there. By plane it was less than three hours and a lot safer. But how shady is this place?
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.