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Here's a report of last year's jam by Effraim Catlow.

Think about why you ride, and what do you come up with?…. It's taken me a lot of years to figure this out, I guess you have to experience a lot of things in order to have a better idea…. what am I getting at here? The funniest part of riding for me is having an idea (combo/trick or whatever) and then learning it, that point where you get strong feeling that you are a close to your goal and boom you hit it, unexplainable feeling, that you long for more of.

Jams illustrate this feeling also, getting together with other riders who share the same passion, working on tricks with other riders, making friends with riders from across the globe, what can be better really? Last year I had such a great time at the Intrikat jam in Long beach I had to go back, 80 degrees in December, riding everyday, I just had to have that again.

And this trip turned out to be even better….

Everyone already knows what a contribution Intrikat (Chad and Amy Johnston) have made to the progression of creative flatland, and also to bringing on riders who are not the limelight, so the logical progression was for Intrikat to put something on for the riders…

The pro turnout this year read like a contest line up…Jams are the essence of flatland riding, and good to see so many pros riding without the intention of winning prize purse, prizes, whatever, everyone was there for the right reasons which is why the Intrikat jam is so good….

Cali pros, Chad Johnston, Jesse Puente, Pete Brandt, Day Smith, Sean McKinney, Dave Hanson, Canadian backwards halfpacker master Cory Fester is on 2 month riding mission through Cali and Texas, US Ride cover boy Terry Adams, Justin Miller and his wife was close to hiker kickflips!!), Matt Wilhelm, James McGraw all supported the jam, the riding level was insane. Flatland legends, Chris Day (promoting his new Flat Clothing company, he gave out free t shirts and caps to all the pros, which was awesome), and Edgar Plascenia were also representing at the courts…

For most riders the Long beach jam represents the chance to brush off the winter cobwebs and get some riding done, 6- 8 hour riding sessions are unheard of for me in December but a reality when you hit Long beach, the place is blessed with riding spots everywhere, and a ride along the beach floods back memories of who did what on each Intrikat video.

In many ways jams are so much better than contests, more relaxed, the am/novice riders get to mix with the pros, and get motivated in that environment. Everyone jams together, riders go away motivated.

I was especially stoked to see Day Smith busting, like many others I had seen the coverage of him in Ride UK doing the no hand no foot hang five, well that combo is ridiculous, rolling for at least 30 feet in circles, add no footed elbow glides in spastic circles, and a crazy one handed pedal steam in straight line to spinning (not like Desroche before you think that) rides in one handed, Day proved that he’s back, although I think he probably never went away it was inspiring to see. Day ruled the jam.

The jam being in California meant a lot of media were present, Jeffery Garland was covering the event for Cream and doing stuff for Intrikat, Ben Crockett was there for BMX plus, Jeff Zielinski for US Ride, and Kevin McAvoy for Twenty BMX, who said flat gets no coverage….

Contest heavy hitters Justin Miller and Terry Adams, dropped their new gems on the jam, Justin was close to Hitchiker kickflip varial to backpacker, he’s apparently made two so far and Terry was consistent at the “Katrina”, which is a crackpacker jump over the wheel to backpacker, personally I want to see that without bars touching, still awesome though.

Organiser Chad Johnston has the impeccable talent of being able to do almost every nose wheelie variation out there, regular, craved, two footed on back pegs, x foot on back pegs, pegs, turbine, g-turn into, take your pick, Chad’s got that stuff on lock down, I was however most impressed with his rope a roni on pedal which he then straddles, to foot jam walkover out, that’s some real bike control there. Back wheels easy though right??

Pete Brandt and Jesse Puente rolled up late, but killed it with their own creative styles, both were rocking Pete’s signature shirt, Sponsorship equals Slavery, which seemed to sell like hotcakes, Pete was flowing in his own linking machine style, Jesse was freestyling all day as only Jesse can do, did see a crazy junkyard on pedal turbine pivoted to time machine, and was carving those seatpost inside gliding wheelies longer than last time I saw him at Flatground. Matt Wilhelm and Cory Fester came out to Cali like me to escape the winter, and were loving the sunshine, got the chance to ride with both of them loads, Matt had a ton of new links that I would have to see back on video to know what they were, ride straight into x foot upside down wheelie stood out in my mind, what is there to say about Cory Fester, from Edmonton, Canada, try every backwards halfpacker variation there is, chances are Cory can do it, the week I got to ride with Cory, summed up what jams like this are all about, riding hard, getting to know new people you didn’t really know, communicating through this language that is BMX. Stoked!!! Hit this jam up next year, may even be a contest next year.

Support Intrikat, buy the videos don’t copy, spread the art form, keep flatland alive and kicking. Thanks to Chad and Amy for my great holiday, Cory Fester, Matt Wilhelm, awesome trip!

Effraim