Over the weekend something happened at the USABMX race in Phoenix, Arizona that some people had been waiting for. The Pro Open class decided collectively to race on flat pedals. For the heck of it. Not everyone came prepared with a good pair of riding shoes and platform pedals but since no points were on the line it was agreed to do it anyway to spice things up. Keep in mind that several riders in the pro class have never raced with flat pedals before, after Mike King and Brian Lopes had introduced them to BMX in the mid-nineties. Was racing better? We checked in with a few of the participants to find out what they thought of the Pro Open Desert Classic flat pedal race.
Nic Long:
Who initiated the change to flat pedals in Phoenix?
Nic Long: I did actually, kind of as a joke 'cause I ate shit in Friday's main. Wanted to make It a little less serious.
Markus is a professional BMX-Rider from Wuppertal, Germany. He nearly died in an assault in 2016. This documentary is about his mental process.
We kicked off the 2017 BMX series with rounds 1 and 2 in Phoenix this weekend. Day 1 held some great racing but day 2 was a mud race! Check out some race footage as well as the aftermath and how bad the bikes were!
Elite Men:
1. Anthony Dean
2. Joris Daudet
3. Dave Van Der Burg
4. Exequiel Torres
5. Jelle Van Gorkom
6. Bodi Turner
7. James Palmer
8. Connor Fields
Elite Women:
1. Brooke Crain
2. Camille Maire
3. Sophia Foresta
4. Lauren Reynolds
Men Elite
1 TWAN VAN GENDT, VELDDRIEL, NETHERLANDS
2 TRENT JONES, CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand
3 JORIS DAUDET, CORONA, CA / France
4 ANTHONY DEAN, CHULA VISTA, CA / Australia
5 SIMON MARQUART, BERN, Switzerland
6 NIC LONG, HARO/PROMAX, LAKESIDE, CA USA
7 GONZALO MOLINA, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
8 CONNOR FIELDS, HENDERSON, NV, USA
Women Elite:
1 BROOKE CRAIN, VISALIA, CA
2 RACHEL MYDOCK, GLENDALE, AZ
3 LAUREN REYNOLDS, ANSWER/RENNEN, AUSTRALIND, WA, Australia
4 ZOE FLEMING, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
5 MARIANA DIAZ, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
6 DANI GEORGE, PALMDALE, CA
7 SABRINA BICE, DFASTSIGNS /POWERLITE / DFR, LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.