The Flame Trails took some beating this winter so it was time for the spot to get some love. The annual Jam was set early this year (24 March) but that would mean the trails would be back up and running early also. Help finally came in on Saturday morning when Frits, Tobias and Philip also grabbed a shovel and lent a helping hand putting up the tents, flags and Frits' Sound system. The sun came out, we had tunes going and started off the day removing "de zut". Trail diggers know exactly what that is. For those who are not in the know, it's the shit that moves down to the bottom of the jumps and needs to be removed. When removed, you're back to the dry good soil. This is a necessity. If you skip on this process, you will have to deal with De Zut for a long time as it never packs. But removing de zut is a big process. Down the bottom of the starting hill close to 10 cm of zut needed to be removed. Once removed it creates a lower track so in case it rains, the water will stay there. Not ideal either but at least it was possible to ride wherever de zut was removed.
When building trails in The Netherlands you also need to have a plan for the water to go to. Trenches, holes, ditches, draining systems, you can't have enough of it. But for the jam the priority was to get around. The dirt was soggy so it was nice to work with. But when the soil drags the energy and speed out of you, riding isn't the best. Turns were re-shaped, jumps were put back in shape and the riders present gave their everything to clear the gaps and do a few laps. With Jari Roggeveen, Sem Kok and Niels van Maren we had a few riders who could actually do some tricks.
If I would have nothing to do all day, no work, no family, I'm sure the Flame Trails would look a whole lot better. The dirt spot that is just around the corner practically has everything; a container to keep the tools, good dirt, electricity for music, a water pump and even a big light for evening sessions. Many of you would die for a spot like that and for good reason. It's heaven for a dirt rider to have a designated spot where you can create what you want with a shovel in your hand. The lines, the gaps, the rollers, the tables and the doubles, you can just build whatever you can dream up. And if you get bored, you just build something extra, go bigger, dig deeper or add an extra berm.
You'd expect local BMX-ers to take over a place like this and keep building but the die-hard dirt riders
'Same Bloody Place' - Cam McCreadie | Intro - DIG TRAILS. The Villa Road fellas know a thing or two about dirt and the UK's Woodyard Trails are evidence of their dedication. Here's the intro section to their yearly mixtape along with Cam McCreadie's part courtesy of Matt Priest. Head over to DIG and enjoy the full 28 minute mix video from a year's worth of roasting. Big and floaty belters all round!
Unhitched - BMX by Porter Pro Media.
Toyota BMX Triple Challenge: Anaheim, Califonia Final results:
1 - Dawid Godziek
2 - Kyle Baldock
3 - Colton Walker
4 - Pat Casey
5 - Logan Martin
6 - Jake Leiva
7 - Kevin Peraza
Been an awesome summer, met some rad friends had lots of laughs. Rode some sick spots over in the UK and France. Thanks to all the locals looking forward to next year already. Here's a few GoPro vids and clips from my phone that I put together in this little 3 min edit. Roll on 2018.
When you have confirmed riders like Leandro Moreira, Nick Bruce, Jonathan Camacho, Pat Casey, Irek Rizaev, Kenneth Tencio and two of the Peraza brothers on the riders list, you better make sure you head down the comp. Dirt this time and it will be held in XICOTEPEC, PUEBLA, MEXICO. With a Pro purse of $ 10,000.= USD in the pot you can expect some craziness on DECEMBER 2ND & 3RD during the XICOTE BMX BMX dirt contest.
Mix in the wild locals and you are entering a party you don't want to miss. A big roll-in will lead to three doubles followed by a quarter that leads to either the left or the right depending on where you want to go. The Xicote Best Trick award is worth $1,000.= bucks so expect even more madness when that goes on.
Watch the promo video here
Riding dirt jumps is one of my favorite things to ride on a bike that I rarely get to do. I finally got the chance to ride the upgraded pump track in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and I was not let down! The track may only have a few jumps but I could ride it all day.
Antwerp City Drops took place in the weekend of 23/24 September and once again the weather cooperated to make the Urban sports festival a success in the middle of the city centre of Antwerp. This year, next to dirt, a flatland contest was added to the program. While kids rode the dirt pump track all weekend long, the Dirt jumps were used for an Open Qualification contest, a Primus High Air comp, Best trick contest and the BMX Dirt Invitational. The Flatland contest was held on a 144 square meter podium which attracted a huge crowd.
The 8 meter high roll-in got the riders up to speed in no-time for the two big jumps. The first dirt jump was angled in a hip with the second one sending you to the moon if you wanted to. On Saturday Tom van den Bogaard (NED) cleared 7,80 meters in the Primus Haacht Beer high air contest winning a keg of beer and €500 for his efforts. Qualification on Saturday sent the best riders to Sunday's finals where Konrad Szabo (HUN) delivered his triple whips and front flips to please not only the crowd but the judges as well for first place. Tom van den Bogaard styled to second place with height while German Simon Moratz grobbed third with barspins to tailwhips and flip variations. Joe Baddeley (GBR) double flipped to 4th while home favourite Kenneth Tancré claimed 5th place.
Best Trick on Dirt went to Joe Baddeley with a bad-ass double flip on the first hipped double jump. He's got that trick on lock. Antwerp got to see plenty of them over the weekend and Joe liked throwing them to please the Belgians.
Lords of dirt were back for their 13th edition. Riders went wild one more time and gave the best show ever to the crowd. Timothe Bringer grab the best trick crown with an insane flip triple whip followed by a cashroll while Anthony Jean Jean made it again by winning the pro comp for the second year in a row.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.