Catching up with Tom van den Bogaard after pulling the 360 triple downside whip. Videos inside.
Name: Tom van den Bogaard
Age: 18
Hometown: Aarle-Rixtel! The Netherlands
Sponsors: Paul's Boutique, Vans, Fox, 040bmxpark and Braaab
You landed a trick yesterday that you wanted to do for a long time. What trick was it?
Tom: 360 triple downside whip!
Is that the trick that knocked you out at last year's Braaab contest?
Tom: Yes, I tried this trick last year at the Braaab bmx contest as my last trick. It was the first time I ever tried it. Straight from the foam to the jumpbox. I landed a little bit sideways and on my backwheel that's why I crashed.
At 040BMX you can take it from the foam to the resi and to the box. Was it the first time you landed it on wood?
Tom: Yes it was the first time on wood. I landed it twice on the resi.
Name: Michal Smelko
Age: 23
Hometown: Olomouc
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Federal Bikes, Tbb-bike.cz, WeOutHere
The favorite list:
-Spot to ride: Any good ledge or rail tho
-BMX video: Ride Insight
Name: Paul Langlands
Age: 25
Hometown: Cambridge, New Zealand
Sponsors/support: Metal Mulisha, DVS, ONE Industries
Can you explain a little bit about the New Zealand BMX scene?
Paul Langlands: New Zealand has a good fun scene, because NZ is quite a small country, most riders across it know each other so it is always cool and easy to link up with others when travelling
Name: Blake Peters
Age: 21
Hometown: San Diego
Sponsors: Premium Products
How's living in the SD area during the winter?
Blake: You can't beat it! Perfect everyday with maybe a week total of rain, no wonder so many pros visit during this time.
Name: Robin Heiderich
Age: 18
Hometown: Horrem, near Cologne, Germany
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Premium Products trough Traffic, Peoples Store Cologne
The favorite list:
-Spot to ride: Cgn Plaza Kap 686
Name: Leo Balay
Age: 19
Hometown: St Agrève (07), France
Sponsors: BMX AVENUE, Stress
The FAT Favourites list:
-Spot to ride: It doesn't matter, as long as there are people to laugh with!
-BMX video: ABOVE BELOW
Name: Flo Montanari
Age: 23
Hometown: Dijon, France
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Animal/Fit/Frenchys/Alltricks/Data/Starter
The favorite list:
-Spot to ride: Our new ghetto spot that is being buid
-BMX video: Deadline
-Web video: Can’t pick…
-Food: Mom dishes!
-Twitter to follow: Never had any account
-Person on Instagram: alex_donnachie/ rodeopeanut
-Travel destination: California
-Riders to ride with: My friends
-Car: Suzuki wagon-R+!
-Movie: Snatch
-Colour: Blue
-Shoes: Geox
Name: GIRARD Florian
Age: 18 years
Hometown: BORDEAUX and LA ROCHELLE, FRANCE.
Hook-ups/Sponsors: my dad
The favorite list:
-Spot to ride: skate park, street Bordeaux
-BMX video: Deadline
Name: Pierre Tortereau
Age: 22 years old
Hometown: Talmont Saint Hilaire, France
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Kitchen bike
The FAT FAVOURITES list:
-Spot to ride: the bow of sables d'olonne
-BMX video: This one!
-Food: human food
-Person on Instagram: Pierre_Tortereau
-Riders to ride with: Roman Mielle, Stephane Meneau, Clement Raymond and many others
It doesn't happen every day that you pick up the news that a Pro rider wrote a book. John Parker has done it and we decided to check in with him to see what it's all about. What made you decide to write a book?
John Parker: I've always enjoyed writing. It's enlightening to put thoughts and feelings into words; meditative. Kind of like talking to yourself... haha. This book combines all my favorite things: bikes, writing, and being able to motivate people with words.
Have you always been much of a writer?
John Parker: Somewhat. In school I went the extra mile to make my words ring true and have purpose. I like to read and write words that spark feelings or thoughts.
Who is the book catered to?
John: I wrote it with my 11 year old son, Jack in mind. There is an age where senseless humor and carefree nonsense or what I call the joy of life becomes jaded by other people's expectations.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.