FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

On Saturday evening, Cory Muth (Axis Media / DK), Ron Bonner (Shadow/UGP), and I were on our way to downtown Cincinnati. We had all had a few beers. I probably should not have been driving. The quickest route downtown is through the roughest neighborhood in the Cincy area. The scenery in the ghetto is always pretty interesting. You’ll notice prostitutes and crack deals if you’re paying attention. I’m rarely surprised by what I see there. Saturday night was an exception. While driving down the major thoroughfare towards the center of the city, we passed a guy on a bike, fully decked out in vintage BMX gear. It was as if the world stopped for him in the mid 80’s. Ron was on his cell phone and didn’t notice the guy. Cory and I just started screaming, in disbelief. I busted a u-turn as quickly as possible, so that we could catch this guy and find out what his story was.

Pictures are coming through of Dave Osato's capture. Contrary to popular belief, Mr Osato's regular residence is not a sprawling mansion in the Canadian mountains but is actually Mr and Mrs Warrals conservatory. A retired couples home in Berkshire, England. Dave thought it was the perfect place to hide, with nobody under the age of 50 living in Berkshire. Surprisingly, this was his downfall. It wasn't long before several pseudo art enthusiasts from Dig magazine came through the small town to visit a museum and a rusty pipe in the middle of a farmers field. Bam, Dave was caught buying ice-pops at the local Spar when they stopped in for semi-permanent black hair dye and AAA batteries.

We hope you're getting familiar with the FATBMX poll and will participate every time we get a new one on. This time we'd like to know how often you're checking out the site. Scroll down and find the poll on the left hand site and click your favorite box. With Simon Tabron winning vert, Michael Sommer winning flat, Morgan Wade winning street, Koji Kraft winning Mini and Kye Forte winning Dirt, it turned out to be a nice variety of new champs. Here's how you rated in our last poll that ran in the week before the IBMXFF Nokia BMX Freestyle Worlds 2005:

ESPN's X Games announces the first wave of athletes who have been invited to compete at X Games 11, to be held in Los Angeles August 4-7, 2005. The event will air live on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. X Games 11 will primarily have a finals-only format consisting of the 10 best action sports athletes per sport discipline. All athletes receiving invitations to compete at X Games are chosen by a sport-specific selection committee. Criteria and timing of invitations varies by sport and discipline, as it is based on the state and event schedules of that particular sport. The only exception is each gold medalist from X Games 10 (2004) receives an automatic invitation to compete.

Here is an alternative for bmx-riders who do not have the time and or money to travel to the worlds in Prague. The Parano*Garage Park Masters, this contest is for riders with no sponsor and first time contest participants, but all others are also welcome for jam around and party afterwards in the legendary Dinis disco. The contest takes place for the second time in the north of Germany in the Playground Skate Hall in Aurich on 04.06. + 05.06.05.

STF has a new interim website, designed with the help of Adi and Kung at 99seconds(.com). This version is up as a temporary replacement for the old site while an all new STF project is worked on. Enjoy some of the bits an bobs on this site. If you want to buy a copy of 'Sequel' this is the place to be.

Evolution Skatepark– official opening day When? > 30th July 2005 (ribbon cutting 12 noon) Where? > Evolution Skate Park (next to Harvies Sports Centre) SALTCOATS ROAD, STEVENSTON, SCOTLAND, KA20 3JR

The 2005 edition of the Nokia FISE sees a few changes. Next to flatland on the available asphalt piece, the vert ramp will be covered in skatelite. There will also be a dirt contest, best trick contest and the whole street course will be brand new. See the diagram to get an idea of what it will look like. Scheduled to appear from the USA/Canada are: Metro winner Josh Harrington and his Premium Products team mates Joe Riley and Ryan Mills. Also Max Vincent is making a return. Allan Cooke is checking in with his Euro relatives for the second time this year and Rob Darden is on the list too. From Australia SE's Ryan Guettler is coming over so together with the European riders it should be a good one. More info on: www.nokiafise.com

The people over in Prague have been working their asses off the last couple of months to get things ready for the Nokia BMX Freestyle Worlds 2005. The event will start off this Thursday June 2nd. We heard the complete Snafu team will be there and that includes Morgan Wade and Tom Haugen. Here's a list of some of the registered riders who will be present in the Czech Republic:

After almost 1000 votes, the results of events that the FATBMX visitors are going to visit this summer looks like this: Freestyle World's, Prague, Czech Republic: 13 % (137) BMX Masters, Cologne, Germany: 30 % (300) Rebel Jam, Berlin, Germany: 12 % (119) FISE, Montpellier, France: 4 % (43) UCI BMX World's, Bercy, France: 5 % (54) Dew Action Sports Tour, USA: 4 % (48) X-Games, LA, USA: 7 % (76) FAT-JAM, Aarle-Rixtel, Netherlands: 7 % (74) Backyard Jam, England: 13 % (132) New Poll: The IBMXFF World's are going to kick off the long summer season this upcoming weekend in Prague. The new poll will show you who some of the favorites are to win the pro classes. Vote now and check the results after the weekend to see how you did.