The colour of the cover changed with every issue. I sometimes checked on the cover color before Joop (R.I.P.) started photocopying but at times I couldn't be bothered and found out when the 'zines were done. It's still 1988 and Carlo Griggs scores the cover. Jamie Cameron took the photo. Nice one.
The 'zine is starting to look professional with an official editorial page, contents page, and articles.
Interviews in issue 6 come from Tommy Guerrero, Dennis McCoy, Rick Allison and Robert Moeller. There's a photo of Axel Reichertz flatlanding with a fullface. Paul, Menno and I did a Coca Cola commercial and made easy money.
Frank Peeters reports about the Titus Cup, Le Clip provided the free sticker, we went to Bonn for a contest at Mathias Rechenburg's place, we cruised over to Den Haag for a sk8 contest, we visited Tropica in Germany and also discovered the banks at the University of Düsseldorf (1988!).
The Stokebros are starting to make a presence and Olli contributed a nice drawing of Alf.
Just flip through the 'zine page by page and discover something weird. Find the link below to turn the pages.
It was 1988, the year after the Tizer World Championships in England and the IFN had called for the Tizer World Cup. My plan was to get a ride from Robert Moeller after the Trier contest but while over there they told me there was no space for me in their car. I bought a single train ticket to England from Trier, Germany and had 10 pounds left for food. Luckily I got the leftover bag of bread from the contest so I did not starve. My sleeping bag was the bike bag again so I wouldn't have to pay for my bike on the train. 14 hours later I arrived in Manchester. Read the contest report in issue 5 of FAT-'zine.
We have interviews too with street pioneer Dave Slade, Carlo Griggs, Steve Giberson, Chris Potts and Jeff Cotter. They've got some funny things to say.
The 'Zines scene was getting big and we have reviews from Euthanasia (Jamie Cameron), COW (Mike Rose), Crucial Mania, Totally Intense (Effy), The 'Zine (Pat Wirz), Damage (Dave Slade) and Decade 'zine (Thomas Fritscher, Bresie, Thrasher and Geisser).
The free sticker was provided by FAT-'zine. Yes we had stickers back then.
Joachim Mulkens, Speed and Ollie took care of some great art again. Paul writes about his freestyle activities in 1982. We did a contest report on the Kenn/Trier event. Check this. I went by train to Duesseldorf first. We shredded the city there all afternoon and then took a train to Trier.
Starting from issue two we had a little theme going. We had regular sections such as the Believe it, or not!? page where we could make up news and leave it up to the reader if they believed it, or not. We also had the RAD/LAME list which was liked and feared at the same time. The free sticker of issue two came from Lageja skateshop in Eindhoven. A shop that supported us through thick and thin.
The rap concert report this time was from the Just-Ice & DMX concert in Den Bosch. Good times, good times.
More and more English text so by now you should be able to read most of the FAT-'zines (if you don't know how to read Dutch). There's a report from the skate contest in Belgium which was also a good time. Scooters were still hot (in our eyes). Remember, we were living in the year 1988.
There's a German scene report by Robert Moeller and a report from the UK by Dave Beveridge (RIP).
Paul writes about his last contest in Hampton, Virginia and of course there is some grafitti art by Speed this time.
Mini interviews were published with skateboarders Marcel Jansen and Floris Mansvelt-Beck. Flip through the pages and go back in time, 20 years to be exact.
Do you know the world of TSG? TSG helmets & protectors are designed by riders for riders since 1988.
Discover the world of TSG. Where does TSG come from and what is TSG today? More than 30 years ago TSG was born in a german student town called Münster. The first BMX craze had just come to an end and skateboarders were protecting their extremities using made-up pads and weird helmets that weren’t intended for skateboarding. This was the moment when TSG was born.
(1988) Eddie Fiola: King Of The Skateparks. "During the ‘80s, Eddie Fiola rose to fame as a pro and was well known for winning the title of King Of The Skatepark from 1982 through 1986. Fiola’s name became synonymous with his longtime sponsor GT bicycles, and after leaving the brand in 1987, Fiola made due performing live shows for Vans. In the early ‘90s, he happened onto commercial auditions in Hollywood, and eventually followed up with a career as a Hollywood Stuntman. His most notable role as stunt double is possibly still that of Cru Jones, from the ‘80s cult classic BMX movie RAD! Inbetween showing us stuntman footage on his phone Eddie found time at the hotel bar to get truly under the influence for the first time since 1984." - DIG 65, China 'Lightning Bolts' Article
Unreel Productions & Vision Street Wear present: Freestyling Fanatics BMX. Released in 1988 Riders Featured: Brian Blyther Chad Johnson Chris Potts Dave Vanderspek Dave Voelker Dennis MCcoy Dino Deluca Gary Laurent Jeff Cotter Josh White Krys Dauchy Leo Chen Matt Hoffman Nathan Shimizu Pete Augustin R L Osborne Ron Camero Ron Wilkerson Scott Robinson.
Edited by Eddie Roman in 1988. Underground footage from every KOV up to 1988. Real footage of Mike Dominguez, Brian Blyther, Dave Voelker and Ron Wilkerson en route to D.C. Mike Dominguez' 900. Ron Wilkerson's nothing. 1 hour 53 minutes of mayhem.
We are working on a project with Wall 2 Wall freestyle guys on a new history project they are working on. In the next few months they have been gracious enough to hook us up with some unscene footage from some big events in Freestyle history.
This is an awesome look at the behind the scenes of the first street contest. 2-Hip put this together in in Santee Ca. in 1988. You may recognize plenty of riders like Chris Moeller, Eddie Roman, RL Osborn, George Smoot, Craig Grasso, Craig Cambell, Spike Jonze, Ron Wilkerson, Pete Augustin, Dave Vanderspeck, & Dave Voelker.
This was a turning point in BMX and im so excited to be able to share some of this never before seen footage with you!
Old School BMX: Indoor Houthalen 1988
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.