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CHAPTER UPDATES

INTRODUCTION NARRATIVE - NEW AND EXISTING CHAPTERS BENEFIT FROM THE ADDITION OF A TWO-PAGE BACKSTORY INTRODUCTION SPREAD FROM THE AUTHOR.

EXPANDED CHAPTERS ...

OUT OF THE ETHER - NEW PHOTOGRAPHY AND INSIGHTS FROM JEFF BOTTEMA ON SUPPLYING HIS ICONIC FORK TO THE EARLY POOL RIDING COMMUNITY. MORE FROM THE COLTON CREW, INCLUDING THE LOSI FAMILY (VARIFLEX AND RANCHO MEDITERANIA), AND MORE INSIGHTS ON THE EXPLOITS OF POOL-RIDING PIONEER; JEFF WATSON, INCLUDING THE BACKSTORY OF THE FIRST SKATEPARK CONTEST TO INCLUDE BMX BIKES.

DAY-ONE IS A BRAND NEW SUB CHAPTER THAT PLOTS THE EXPERIMENTAL POOL-RIDING SCENE IN LOS ANGELES. CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE BYRON FRIDAY, MIKE BUFF, RL OSBORN, AND PERRY KRAMER. OUT OF THE ETHER (A PERSONAL OBSESSION) DOUBLES IN SIZE.

NO CONTEST - NEW NARRATIVE AND IMAGERY FROM CONTRIBUTORS - BOB MORALES, STEVE GIBERSON, DEAN BRADLEY, AND MORE.

A MEETING OF THE TRIBES - NEW CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DINO DELUCA, BRAD FANSHAW, EDDIE ROMAN, AND KEVIN MARTIN. RON WILKERSON RECALLS THE 2HIP "TRIFECTA" WEEKEND - THE 2HIP KING OF VERT (LEMON GROVE) THE 2HIP KING OF DIRT (MISSION TRAILS) AND THE 2HIP MEET THE STREET (LAJOLLA). NEW IMAGERY FROM SPIKE AND STEVE GIBERSON.
ALL NEW CHAPTER - 38 - PAGES - " In a Parallel Universe "

This chapter explores the regional culture and lifestyle of the core riding community in northern California. We gain a deeper understanding of the motivations, activities, key locations, and riding h abits of the early neighborhood crew's - The Curb Dogs, The NorCal Trick Team, The 2hip Trick Team, and the Gork Trick Team. We go back in time with the Golden Gate Park flatland and jam circle community and the weekend sessions that brought in excess of 400 riders to the epicenter of the Norcal movement for some of the most innovative, and intense riding sessions of the era. And we get into the weeds with Hugo Gonzalez on a rare journey into the abyss of the late 1970s and early 80s riding scene. Hugo recalls his sessions at the late 1970s "BMX Paradise" - the Calabazas Park river beds. His obsession with pool-riding, and being an outcast, and then a respected "Equal" by the core skate community at the Winchester, Park Victoria, and Campbell skateparks. An added bonus is a closer look into the celebrated Joe Lopes ramp Jam's in San Leandro, where Curb Dog's founder, Dave Vanderspek helped to facilitate the first professional vert contest's to be held on a half-pipe.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: MAURICE MEYER // RICK ALLISON // RON WILKERSON // RICH AVELLA // HUGO GONZALEZ // RICHARD ANDERSON // DAMON FROST // STEVE GIBERSON // MIKE GOLDEN // KARL ROTHE // gOrk // BOB OSBORN // MARC MCKEE // CHRIS ROTHE
ALL NEW CHAPTER - 20 - PAGES - " Where Do We Go From Here? "

A 20-page chapter dedicated to the legacy and lifestyle of the Dirt Bros. We get into the unknown stories and personal recollections of San Diego's uber-talented and notoriously counter-commercial riding crew, with its 1st generation members.

We talk about the influence of skate culture and a core belief system that bonded the Bros and put the purity of riding and community above fame, and financial gain. We recall the epic dirt and street sessions, working with lifestyle and skate brands, making movies, and the ascendant, but rarely represented, early-80s street riding scene, in San Diego. We pull back the curtain on Vic's motivations to start D.B.I (Dirt Brothers Industries), and how it remains one of the longest standing rider-owned initiatives of the modern era.

The Dirt Bros legacy goes deep and resonates through the culture and identity of the contemporary BMX scene on a daily basis.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: VIC MURPHY // PETE AUGUSTIN // RONNIE FARMER // KARLO WIIK // BRAD BLANCHARD // JIMMY ARRINGTON // EDDIE ROMAN // NICK PHILIP.

A new brand community
Our 2nd Edition "Brand Community" section focuses on companies and organizations that supported the evolution of the freestyle scene, as well as the top riders, and contests, during the mid-to-late 1980s era.
Vision Streetwear

Vision Streetwear exploded onto the Freestyle scene in 1986, first as a sponsor of the AFA Masters series and then as the sponsor of Ron Wilkerson's 2hip King of Vert half-pipe series. Founded from the Vision Skateboards empire, Vision Streetwear went all-in and brought their unique approach and energy to the scene during an era when the bicycle industry was gasping for air. With contributions from Vision founder; Brad Dorfman, his BMX Team Manager's; Jeff Bottema and Everett Rosecrans, and Vision's chief marketing guru; Brad Fanshaw, the story gets deep into extreme sports culture and the mercuric rise of a 1980s fashion powerhouse. .

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE; BRAD DORFMAN // BRAD FANSHAW // JEFF BOTTEMA // EVERETT ROSECRANS // RON WILKERSON // DON HOFFMAN // ERIC EMERY // DEAN BRADLEY // KEVIN MARTIN.

Odyssey

Charles Tang arrived in the United States in the early 1980s at the advice of his father and to gain useful business experience. The Tang family owned and operated The Bear Corporation, an engineering enterprise that dabbled in new technologies. In 1985, Tang renamed the company "Odyssey" and focused the companies resources into the emerging BMX market. Odyssey prevailed in the mid-1980s, seizing opportunities to get ahead of the curve and they remain one of the leading innovators in the contemporary BMX scene. The company invested into the individual rider and contest sponsorship programs in the late 1980s, and partnered with inventor/Freestyle rider; Brian Scura, Odyssey to deliver his Gyro Detangler, a groundbreaking invention that opened the door to a new era of trick progression.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE; BRIAN SCURA // BOB MORALES // STEVE PEDILLA // CHRIS COTSONAS

Redline

Redline was founded in the mid-1970s and quickly gained a reputation for developing best-in-class products for BMX racing, including the Flight Crank and the highly versatile V handlebar. Numerous early skatepark riders chose Redline race frames and components for their structural integrity, so its hardly surprising that when Redline entered the Freestyle scene with their RL 20 frame and fork in 1984, the company aligned with iconic riders, like RL Osborn and Todd Anderson.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: RL OSBORN // LINN KASTAN // TODD ANDERSON // DAVID CLINTON // BYRON FRIDAY.

HARO DESIGNS

Invited back to share more of their remarkable history, the existing Haro Designs chapter grows and expands to deliver a raft of new content from sponsored athletes of the era.

ALL 2ND EDITION PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS;

BOB OSBORN (FOREWORD) // DEAN BRADLEY // STU THOMSEN // MIKE BUFF // BOB HARO // HUGO GONZALEZ // JOHN SWANGUEN // RON HARO // TED EMMER // MATT RAWDON // JAMES CASSIMUS // D. DAVID MORIN // R.L. OSBORN // MAT HOFFMAN // DANA DUKE // BOB MORALES // WINDY OSBORN // RON WILKERSON // ANDY JENKINS // MARK LEWMAN // SPIKE JONZE // STEVE GIBERSON // BRETT DOWNS // JAY METZLER // CRAIG BARRETTE // JEFF TREMAINE // MIKE DAILY // EDDIE FIOLA // FRED BECKER // RICH SIGUR // MIKE DOMINGUEZ // PAUL NOLAN // STEVE ALBA // BRIAN BLYTHER // MARC MCGLYNN // TONY MURRAY // STEVE PERALTA // CRAIG CAMPBELL // TODD ANDERSON // ROBERT PETERSON // JOHN "DIZZ" HICKS // DENNIS "DMC" MCCOY // SCOTT FREEMAN // EDDIE ROMAN // CEPPIE MAES // PETE AUGUSTIN // JOSH WHITE // TODD HUFFMAN // JOE JOHNSON // DAVE VOELKER // CORY METZLER // CHRIS POTTS // KEVIN MARTIN // LEE REYNOLDS // VIC MURPHY // NICK PHILIP // EVERETT ROSECRANS // PERRY KRAMER // FRED BLOOD // RONNIE FARMER // KARLO WIK // BRAD BLANCHARD // JIMMY ARRINGTON // EDDIE ROMAN // NICK PHILIP // BRAD MCDONALD // RICK ALLISON // RICHARD ANDERSON // DAMON FROST // RICH AVELLA // KARLE ROTHE // MIKE GOLDEN // BRAD DORFMAN // BRAD FANSHAW // BRIAN SCURA // DINO DELUCA // JEFF BOTTEMA // STEVE PADILLA // BYRON FRIDAY // LINN KASTAN // DAVID CLINTON, AND MORE.


Info: w2wfreestylehistory.com