Filming at night is nothing new in BMX, but what isn't really explored is the reasons for doing it. Some places are so hot, the most comfortable time to ride is at night. More densely populated areas are often so bustling that the best time to be productive is when the average bystander has gone to bed. And for many, the only way to make time for BMX is when you punch out for the day and somehow still have the drive to pedal even after the sun has gone down. After becoming a dad, I learned that I was still very motivated to ride, but had to adapt to new responsibilities in order to keep the stoke alive. I began riding at night more often, despite not having a lot of decent spots, a well-lit skatepark or many others to ride with. Although far from perfect, night time sessions allowed me to balance a new phase of my life as well as make time to enjoy what I love to do.
Gradually, the sessions became less isolated and the stoke started to spread to others. Trips over the hill to ride in San Jose or other nearby cities led to some really fun sessions. A special camaraderie was growing from these night missions, with other riders finding ways to balance their work/responsibilities and make time for BMX. Even though night time conditions offer many challenges, the energy was something that we were all largely growing fond of. On nights where the moon shown in full and provided slightly more visibility, a certain kind of magic enveloped the sessions.
2023 went by in an instant. Although the crew and myself were riding pretty frequently all year, it felt like most of the documented action took place from a handful of sessions during the summer.
"Over the hill" is a common phrase in Santa Cruz used to refer to the 20-30 minute drive over the winding and often heavily trafficked Highway 17 into San Jose. For many locals, San Jose might as well be the other side of the world. "Over the hill" is also an expression used to describe someone as passed their prime.
I knew that when my son was born, big life changes were sure to come. I didn’t think I’d end up sitting on two years of footage, only to get around to editing it because I was in the midst of a global pandemic.
A fresh start is always a great feeling. Most of this footage is from now back to last September, but a good portion of Dusty's section is 4 years old. Luckily, he has a timeless style, which will still be rad even 831 years from now. The trail jam is from Halloween last year, so it's not customary for people to dress up like Wayne's World or the Hamburglar and get weird in the woods. This wasn't even supposed to be a long project, but I think it works better that way. Santa Cruz is a great place to be a BMX rider. Thanks for watching!
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.