FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Talking about dawgs, I received a call from Rick Thorne who interviewed me on FATBMX for an upcoming radio show for EXPN Action Sports. We'll get you all the details to listen to the show once it's up. Previous people on the show were TJ Lavin, Ricky Carmichael, Flogging Molly, Danny Parks, Twitch, the BMX Plus! editors and Travis Pastrana. I'll probably sound stupid but that's another reason to check it out.

Last week we ran an old school photo. No right answers came in so we'll let the cat out of the bag. It was Zach Shaw wearing the helmet and his brother doing the kickturn at Romford skatepark in the early eighties. Good stuff.

More good old school stuff is about to be published on FATBMX. Not only are we going to put all the old 'zines online (page by page) but we received an e-mail from one of the first (if not the first) BMX freestyle rider ever. He found a box on the attic with black & white negatives which will hopefully back up the following stuff that he sent:

"Both my bro and I started racing at Palms Park here in West Los Angeles in 1970 where Ron Mackler would put on BMX races. In 1974 I began building an 8' skate ramp in my driveway because the neighborhood began skating. West LA, Venice, Pacific Palisades was an amazing place to grow up. Our parents let us be free and helped us do crazy new things. We were at the Santa Monica Pier, Dog Bowl to ride our bikes and Palisades BMX track."

He continues:

We heard that Bob Haro and Mike Buff and some of the names were coming to try riding skateparks in 1979. We had already been doing it since 1976 so,... These guys had no idea what they were doing. We destoyed them with our style. They were racers and freestyle flatlanders not pool or ramp riders at the time. But next year they came back and really knew what they were doing.

Like I said, interesting stuff that we can back up with photos soon (hopefully).

The FATBMX event calendar saw plenty of additions this week. It's starting to look good. The Mini-FAT-JAM to open up the 2008 outdoor season is scheduled for 29 March. The 20th edition of the FAT-JAM will happen on 23 August. Same riding location, same party location, just a better reason to go all out as it's the 20th year that we're running the event this summer.

-Rooftop off etnies after being on the program for 14 years
-Sidewall distribution picks up Coalition
-New site for System Cycle
-Ben Shenker on OG bikes
-Greg Smee on Profile
-Randy Taylor (Ride 111 cover) on etnies

Steve Swope, Mark Losey and Alan Foster were all born on the same day in the same year. It's their birthday today. Congrats.

We're not too down with MTB's destroying our local trails but if you don't mind having them ride at your spot, contact Oliver Fuhrman (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) as he is collecting all dirt spots in Europe for a future article in Mountain Bike sport magazine (Germany).

I'm handing this over to DJ as he offered to help out with the FAT Friday this week:

"After securing a place on the Haro US Pro Team & boosting his salary late in 2007 Ben Wallace broke his wrist doing a bunnyhop-whip (now that's PRO!). After a lengthy stint in a cast the doctors now say that he will have to have an operation to fix the wrist as the original job they did was.... rubbish I guess? This operation will see them taking bone from Ben's hip & using it in/for his wrist! Nice. Ben also owns a Supercharged Volkswagen VR6 Corrado which is so shit he can't get in through the drivers door!

With Tony Watkinson let go by Haro & now on DK it leaves only 10yr old Jack Watts representing for Haro in the UK. Look out for Jack again at contests this year, he'll be the one with the crazy "soccer dad" shouting at him!

Flatland legend Chris Job says is in love!"

Last week we faced a little problem when the FAT Friday was sent out. It was due to a wrong setting which has been fixed. We're sorry for the fuck up.

Enjoy the weekend, the next FAT Friday will come to you from Tallinn, Estonia.

BdJ

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