Issue 6: Fall 2006

sophisticated
RIDER
bmx
fmx
tobias albert
LG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: DALLAS, TX
FA L L 2 0 0 6 • I S S U E 6 • W W W. S O P H I S T I C AT E D R I D E R . C O M
skate
SUMMER CONTEST RECAP
&
CHAD KAGY GOES TO THE CIRCUS
S I M O N TA B R O N • J E A N P O S T E C • B U C K E Y E B O B • R E D B U L L’ S B A C K YA R D B U I L D - O F F
S K AT E B O A R D I N G FA U X PA S • F M X S TAT E O F T H E U N I O N • W H AT T H E P R O S T H I N K
6
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INSIDE
08
10
12
14
16
22
24
T O M H A U G E N ’ S M U S I C R EVIEWS
26
32
34
36
W H AT T H E P R O S T H I N K
S K AT E B O A R D I N G FA U X PA S
I N S I D E R AM P R AT ’ S S K AT EPARK
GERMANY’S VERTHAUS JAM
‘ 0 6 C O N T E S T P H O T O S : A LOOK BACK
C H A D K A G Y J O I N S T H E CIRCUS
RE D B U L L’ S B A C K YA R D BUILD-OFF
F M X ’ S S TAT E O F T H E U N I ON
P R O - C R E AT I O N : B O B L E FFLER PROFILE
M I K E M A NC US O ’ S D I S C O UNT NATION
COVER: TOBIAS ALBERT AT THE LG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DALLAS, TX
COVER INSETS: TRAVIS PASTRANA, KEITH MCELHINNEY
PREVIOUS SPREAD: AILO GAUP THIS PAGE: MORGAN WADE
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED SOUNEY
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INTRO
GET ‘ER DONE
T E X T B Y J O H N PA R K E R P H O T O G R A P H B Y J A R E D S O U N E Y I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y B R I A N “ Y E L L A ” G AV I G A N
FIVE BUCKS! FIVE LOUSY BUCKS.
That’s the value of the food voucher Northwest Airlines gave me for getting to
Detroit late, and missing my connection. Late on their flight from State College,
I’d like to add. It was almost like a movie scene walking up to the gate. The
gate agent acknowledge me with a smile, I smiled back. I took out my ticket
and held it out to her. Just when I thought I made it in time, the gateway eased
away from the plane severing all connection from me and my ride to San Diego.
In the movie I ran to the gate yelling, “ Stop!” and pounding on the door until
they dragged me away in cuffs. In real life I laughed. “Figures” I said out loud
to myself. I really didn’t care about missing my connection until I was informed
of my new six-hour layover and saw the price appropriated the inconvenience.
My day was going to be sitting and waiting. Sitting on planes, sitting in cars
and sitting in the airport.
So I’m sitting at Starbucks quietly sulking about my bad luck and travel
schedule when I revisit an important reality: time is short and fleeting and
always of the essence. The seconds are quietly ticking away while
we...wait. I know this isn’t some earth shaking revelation, but it brings about
some earth shaking feelings. It isn’t much of a stretch to look back on the days
and weeks, on the years even, and find waste. Missing the bus, flat tires, rain;
when you have a destination, all the detours feel like a waste of time. I just
wanted to get to the US Championships in California and ride my bike. If you
don’t have a destination, those detours hurt even more when you find one. So
I showed up late, missed practice, forgot to get my friend passes to the contest
and spent all morning fixing my back wheel. There is no compensation for
wasted time.
Woe is me. But you on the other hand have a whole world of opportunity!
In each issue we try to bring you something new or show you a new way to
look at something old. In your hands are the stories of people that have made
mistakes, taken detours and recovered; people that are making things happen.
The world is a busy, fast-paced place. We’ve got to make the most of our time
and take the setbacks in stride. But more important, savor the good times
even if you’re not riding. In this issue we take you inside some parks and the
people that make them work. Or should I say people that work to make them
parks? The pros of X Games, skate and bike, fill us in on the state of things.
What are riders talking about during those commercials anyway? Thanks to
Achim Kujawski we get an international taste of vert riding. Yes, vert is on a
comeback. Mike Mancuso saves us some money. That’s not a waste of time.
FMX. Nate Adams. Music. Tom Haugen. You. Us. Sophisticated. Get up early.
Stay up late. Get ‘er done. Inspiration at your fingertips!
,
A BUSY
S
I
D
L
R
O
“THE W ACED PLACE.”
P
F A S T-
7
MUZAK
8
MUSIC ‘06
TEXT BY TOM HAUGEN PHOTOGRAPH BY TOM SHEEHAN
Tom Haugen’s Musical Year in Review
A S 2 0 0 6 C O M E S T O A N E N D , I would like to take a look back
on some of the music that graced us during the preceding year.
These are some of the most noteworthy discs that came to be
— whether that way due to their sheer greatness, how anticipated
they may have been, or even just because they were so unusual. If
you stumble across any of the following discs, be sure to give them
a listen. You might be pleasantly surprised...
Hands down, my 2 favorite discs of the year were Channels
“Waiting For The Next End Of The World” (Dischord Rec.) and
The Lemonheads Self Titled CD (Vagrant Rec.) With the former,
Jay Robbins, previously of Jawbox and Burning Airlines, can
seemingly do no wrong when it comes to either producing
or making music. It’s exemplified here on the complex and
memorable Channels debut. Evan Dando, with the help of half
of the Descendents, came back with the first Lemonheads record
since 1996. After 10 years not much has changed. Dando is
still making great melodic records, this time with some heavy
Buzzcocks influence. A very welcomed resurrection.
Dischord also released the Joe Lally solo record, ‘There To Here.’
the much talked about debut from Fugazi’s bass player and least
acknowledged member. Not surprisingly, this is a bass heavy
disc, filled with mostly gentle songs á la Lungfish or Fugazi’s
“Instrument.” A valiant effort with hopefully more to come.
While on the topic of solo records from long standing rock outfits,
Thom Yorke of Radiohead put out ‘The Eraser’ (XL Rec.), a short
opus of songs that range from discordant to melodic, rock to art
noise. By all accounts very eclectic and original. The record is
absolutely brilliant — a must have for all Radiohead connoisseurs.
Punk fans should find themselves sated with great efforts from
Alexisonfire “Crisis” (Vagrant Rec.), Fifth Hour Hero “Not Revenge...
Just A Vicious Crush” (No Idea Rec.) and Defiance, Ohio “The Great
Depression” (No Idea Rec.). Alexisonfire play great melodic hardcore
that alternates between singing and screaming, not unlike At The
Drive Inn or Thursday. Fifth Hour Hero are more on the pop side of
things, playing upbeat and catchy punk with a strong female voice.
Fans of Rainer Maria will definitely like this. Self-described folkpunkers, Defiance, Ohio, assembled a very energetic collection of
inspired songs with banjos, cellos, violins and harmonicas. Sounds
a little contradictory to most people’s idea of ‘punk music’, but a
wonderful and enlightening record all the same.
Quite possibly the most bizarre record this year was Jeff WalkerWelcome To Carcass Country (Fractured Transmitter Rec.). If you’re
up on your death metal, you know that Jeff was the mouthpiece for
Carcass, probably the most well-known death metal band ever. Here
Jeff decides to trade in his growling for singing and covers a handful
of country legends (e.g. Cash, Williams, Denver). I saw Carcass play
about 15 years ago and I think it made my ears bleed. Listening to
this was a lot more pleasant.
A couple great art/dance/garage rock discs are Librarians “Alright
Easy Candy Stranger” (Postfact Rec.) and The Aquarium Self Titled
(Dischord Rec.) Both discs have a very mature rock sound, glazed
over with synth and dance beats. Ladyfinger (Ne) “Heavy Hands”
(Saddle Creek Rec.) is one of the year’s loudest all out big rock
records, taking on influences from Drive Like Jehu to Motorhead.
On the softer side of things, Alexi Murdoch’s “Time Without
Consequence” (Zero Summer Rec.) is a collection of tranquil ballads
that resonate with a droning and simple folk sound. Scouts Honor
managed to cover several genres quite well with “I Am The Dust”
(No Idea Rec.), a gritty, blues, rock-a-billy, country-esque rock
disc. Similarly, French Toast “Ingleside Terrace” (Dischord Rec.)
incorporates elements of garage, pop, and experimental, with the
end result being one of the years most accomplished records. < SR >
LEFT: THOM YORKE’S
R A D I O H E A D FA N S .
solo
RECORD IS A MUST HAVE FOR
ETIQUETTE
10
WHY NOT?
Skateboarding’s Biggest Faux Pas Explained
TEXT BY BROOKE GEERY PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED SOUNEY
S K AT E B O A R D I N G I S A L O T L I K E D R I N K I N G . They both have the inherent ability
to make you “cooler.” But like drinking Zima or being an out of control drunk, there are things
in skateboarding that can negate the coolness. The following faux pas are mistakes made by
beginners and veterans alike, so whether you’re drinking your first wine cooler or a total alchy,
don’t be that guy.
E A R LY G R A B S
Early grabs are easy to learn, easier to do and worst of all, the old
dudes that lurk at the park will cheer when you do them. So why
should you never do an early grab? Well, it’s kind of like saying I
love you on the third date. It might seem easy but it’s guaranteed
to end the relationship. Early grabs stifle progression. Since you are
basically holding on to the board and jumping, you will never go
any higher than you did during the President’s Fitness test. You’ll
probably always do airs below the coping, which is not cool. Learn
to ollie and actually go above the lip. The old guys will still cheer
and you’ll actually be better than they are.
PUSHING MONGO
When you use the wrong foot to push (that’s your front foot) it’s
really hard to be in control of your skateboard. There are a million
excuses, but the simple fact is it’s hard to take your front foot off,
keep your balance while pushing, and then return your foot to
a position where you can do tricks. It’s kind of like drinking and
driving, because the faux pas can get not only you, but innocent
bystanders hurt. While you’re swerving around the park out of
control, claiming that its okay to push with your front foot because
you saw “insert name of pro here” doing it (by the way, they were
pushing switch), you’re spending more time regaining your balance
than learning anything, and the little lurker kid who you run into
really didn’t deserve it.
U T I L I Z I N G O B S TA C L E S A S B L E A C H E R S
Even though the pyramid in the middle of the park might be too
steep to really skate, it’s still not a good place to sit. Because you
are not only in the way of people who might want to skate it, but
you look like a jackass sitting in the middle of the park. It’s kind
of like passing out in the street. When you’re drunk and tired and
just can’t make it home, the street might seem like a great place
to lie down, but its not. The same goes for the skatepark. Push
your ass over to the edge of the park. The view might not be as
good but you’re a lot less likely to get run over.
TRYING SOMEONE ELSE’S TRICK
Skateboarding is hugely a mental game. And there’s nothing more
frustrating than trying a trick over and over, only to have someone
skate up and start trying it to. It only gets worse when the other
person lands it first. It’s kind of like getting drunk and hooking
up with your friend’s boyfriend. She’s put the time in, played the
game, and then you come along with the aid of a few drinks, and
just go for it. In the morning, no one feels good about that one.
C A R R Y I N G Y O U R S K AT E B O A R D B Y T H E T R U C K S
Granted, it may seem like the most logical way to transport you
skateboard, after all, trucks are the thing that most resemble
a handle, but nothing says, I don’t know what I’m doing like
holding your skateboard by the trucks. If you’re gonna walk up to
the skatepark, you might as well not get written off by everyone
before you even put your board down to skate. It’s kind of like
holding on to a beer mug with your pinky up. The two things just
don’t go. Oh yeah, and try putting it down on the ground and
rolling on it, that works too. < SR >
S K AT E PA R K S
12
RAMP RATS
and its owner, BMX legend Mike Krnaich
R A M P R AT S I S T H E O N LY I N D O O R S K AT E / B I K E PA R K
L E F T I N N O R T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A and is run by local rider
Mike Krnaich. If you have ever seen the guy falling off the China
banks in Props issue 50, the fence cutter in Megatour 5 or the
November ‘06 cover of BMX Plus!, you know who he is. He
also won the 2-Hip Meet the Street comp, long before everyone
started wearing tight pants.
His last name is from Croatia but he is from Petaluma, California.
He fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening a park with Ramp
Rats. The Golden State is infamous for exorbitantly high rental
rates on land, which makes it difficult to open something like a
skatepark. After you find a warehouse or venue that is suitable,
you then have to face reams of paperwork and local city council
bureaucracy. On top of that, you have to find a landlord who
doesn’t mind a few tire marks on the walls.
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY LLOYD RAMSEY
Mike works hard to make the park a family friendly business
by having birthday parties on the weekends, and sessions for
the 14 and under soon-to-be-shredders. His own kids, Kobe
and Michaela, both ride bikes and roll around the park with
the others. He credits the longevity of the park to the fact that
“There are no bad attitudes here.” The rig the Solid bikes team
used from the aforementioned Megatour 5 sits parked behind
Ramp Rats waiting to take riders to any jams or comps. The rest
of the time Mike’s kids use it as a playroom.
The Ramp Rats layout is under constant change, with its
newest addition being a foam pit. Mike himself designs the
new layouts, and brings his ideas to fruition with the help of
some of the locals. The park itself also serves as a bike and
skate shop. The shop’s stock consists of purely rider owned
and designed products, which is in line with Mike’s whole
approach to running the park: keep it rider owned. Like many
other riders, Mike believes in supporting the sport of BMX and
supporting the industry. < SR >
For more info visit: www.norcalramprats.com
style points count
Remember–it’s not just what you do, but how good you look doing it.
Paul Mitchell…the style in lifestyle sports.
Only in salons www.paulmitchell.com 800.321.JPMS • John Parker photographed by Mitchell.
verthaus
2006
JAM
T E X T B Y A C H I M K U J O W S K I P H O T O G R A P H S B Y K AY C L A U B E R G
OBERHAUSEN GERMANY
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With the crazy contest schedule each year,
and the fact that vert riders and the facilities to ride vert are quiet rare, there are not many real vert sessions happening. The
Verthaus Jam is about bringing ten riders together in a relaxed atmosphere, no stress like at a regular contest, no schedule
— just riding with friends and becoming closer with the people you don’t know as well, yet. The only topics on the
schedule were riding and having fun. Peter Geys (Belgium), Jean-Marie Bärtsch (Switzerland), Tim Eichert (Germany), Sven
Kabosch (Switzerland), Matt Fairbairn (Australia), Shaun Eglington (UK), Alex Etzold (Germany), Benni Kopp (Germany) and
Eduardo Terreros (Spain) made it over for this years jam, and everybody killed it. It was great to see all the motivation and
different riding styles that were on the ramp. The guys worked together on new tricks or helped one another out on tricks
they had a hard time with. The riding was amazing, and a contest couldn’t have brought more or better riding from everyone.
A group dinner and the bowling session on Saturday night rounded things out, and it was definitely a fun weekend.
I’m looking forward to more sessions like that. Thanks for everyone that came out and made it happen. < SR >
T H E S PA N I S H F LY,
Eduardo Terreros
MADE THE TRIP
O V E R F R O M S PA I N F O R T H E J A M .
SUICIDE NO-HANDER.
15
PHOTOGRAPHS AND CAPTIONS BY JARED SOUNEY
>>>>>>>
W H E N T H E F R E E F L O W A M AT E U R T O U R F I N A L S T O O K P L A C E AT T H E D E W
T O U R S T O P I N P O R T L A N D , O R E G O N , N E A R LY E V E R Y B M X P R O I N AT T E N D A N C E
S T O P P E D W H AT T H E Y W E R E D O I N G T O W AT C H F L O R I D A ’ S Mike Spinner.
R U M O R S O F H I S 7 2 0 TA I L W H I P S , A T R I C K T H AT H A D N E V E R B E E N L A N D E D I N
COMPETITION BEFORE, WERE SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE. DURING THE JAM
PORTION OF THE CONTEST MIKE DID NOT DISAPPOINT, AND ON HIS SECOND
AT T E M P T, F I R E D O F F A C L E A N 7 2 0 W H I P — T H E F I R S T O N E E V E R I N
C O M P E T I T I O N — O N H I S W AY T O A W I N .
A F E W S H O R T M O N T H S L AT E R , S P I N N E R S E T A N O T H E R C O U R S E A B L A Z E ,
Q U A L I F Y I N G F I R S T A H E A D O F E V E R Y B I G N A M E P R O I N T H E B U S I N E S S AT T H E
P L A Y S TAT I O N P R O I N O R L A N D O , F L . A N I N J U R Y I N H I S F I R S T F I N A L S R U N
KNOCKED HIM OUT OF THE COMPETITION.
16
The 2006 Contest Seaso n
A PHOTOGRAPHIC
LOOK
BACK
>>>>>>>
S E E M I N G LY O U T O F N O W H E R E , Daniel Dhers B U R S T O N T O T H E
COMPETITION SCENE IN 2006. DANIEL FIRED OFF BIG TRICK AFTER BIG TRICK, ON
E V E R Y R A M P, O N E V E R Y C O U R S E H E T O U C H E D T H R O U G H O U T T H E S E A S O N .
D A N I E L D I D T H E F I R S T F R O N T F L I P O V E R A S P I N E AT T H E B A C O J A M I N L AT E ‘ 0 5 ,
B U T E V E N I N L AT E ‘ 0 6 N O O N E E L S E I S T O U C H I N G T H E T R I C K . D A N I E L N O T O N LY
W O N T H E D E W C U P, B U T A L S O M E D A L E D AT T H E X G A M E S , A N D W O N T H E L G A C T I O N
SPORTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2006.
>>>>>>>
U N F O R T U N AT E LY 2 0 0 6 W A S A S E A S O N R I D D L E D W I T H I N J U R I E S . Jake Brown, W H I L E B L O O D I E D I N
P O R T L A N D , M A N A G E D T O W A L K A W A Y W I T H R U N G B E L L A N D A F E W B U T T E R F LY S T I T C H E S T O C O M P L I M E N T
H I S B L A C K E Y E . D O W N B U T N O T O U T, J A K E W E N T O N T O F I N I S H O U T T H E P R E L I M S I N T R U E “ R O C K Y ” S T Y L E ,
S T I C K I N G T H E 5 4 0 T H AT T O O K H I M D O W N . . . A L L T H E W H I L E C O V E R E D I N B L O O D .
O N T H E O T H E R E N D O F T H E S P E C T R U M W A S Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg. T W I T C H B A S I C A L LY
F E L L O U T O F T H E S K Y AT T H E O P E N I N G S T O P O F T H E D E W T O U R , I N L O U I S V I L L E , K E N T U C K Y. T H E A B O R T E D
B A C K F L I P L E F T H I M W I T H B R O K E N B O N E S I N B O T H L E G S , A N D A B R U P T LY E N D E D H I S S E A S O N .
>>>>>>>
W H E N Travis Pastrana I S O N C O U R S E , Y O U N E V E R R E A L LY K N O W W H AT Y O U ’ R E G O I N G T O G E T, B U T
Y O U ’ R E A L W AY S I N F O R A T R E AT.
E A R LY O N I N T H E S E A S O N P E O P L E W O N D E R E D W H AT E V E N T S , I F A N Y, T R A V I S W A S G O I N G T O S H O W U P AT T H I S
Y E A R . W I T H R A L LY C A R S G E T T I N G M U C H O F H I S F O C U S , H I S F M X S E A S O N W A S A B I G Q U E S T I O N .
U LT I M AT E LY T R A V I S M A D E I T T O S E V E R A L B I G E V E N T S , A N D B R O U G H T W I T H H I M A B A G O F N E W T R I C K S ,
M O S T N O TA B LY H I S D O U B L E B A C K F L I P AT X G A M E S 1 2 .
RIDER
sophisticated
PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED SOUNEY
PA U L ROD RIGUEZ
ROAD TRIP
T E X T B Y T I F FA N Y K A G Y P H O T O G R A P H S B Y C H A D K A G Y
chad kagy joins
THE CIRCUS
I N S I D E T H E C I R C U S , N O , S E R I O U S LY, I T R E A L LY I S T H E
the circus .
WHEN I GO TO EVENTS WITH MY HUSBAND , Chad Kagy, it’s usually a “circus,” but when I tagged along
to a week full of demos in New Zealand, Chad was literally in a circus!
During the week of August 23rd through the 27th, Chad along with the following other BMX riders:
Jamie Bestweick, Ryan Guetler, Scotty Cranmer, Rooftop, Tim Woods, and Colin Mackay, all showed up
in Auckland, New Zealand at 6am. They were informed that they had to be at the arena just a couple of
hours later to choreograph their “act” in the “Circque Rocks.”
Basically, the BMXers were the only ones not in costumes. There were tight rope walkers (with no net),
plate spinners of death, and my personal favorite: Harley riding foot-juggling midgets. Not midgets that
juggle. This act consisted of two old men dressed in tight black leather that rode Harley’s onto the stage
and literally juggled two midgets with their feet!
The guys participated in a total of eight fun-filled shows to a crowd that was sold out every night. < SR >
23
RYAN SHECKLER
AT O U R N E W S K AT E P L A Z A
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN SAXTON
24
redbull’s b a c k y a r d
BUILD-OFF
T H E RED BULL BACKYARD BUILDOFF IS A RAMP BUILDING
C O N TEST, and then a riding contest on the ramps that were built.
Three teams, with three people per team, have a total of three days
to build a section of a ramp. After the three days of building there
is a group of riders that are picked and flown in to compete on
the ramps that were built by the three teams. The builders judge
the riding contest and at the end of the contest the riders vote for
which section of the ramp they liked the best. The prize for the
building part of the contest for each team is $6,000 for first, $3,000
for second and $1,500 for third. The prize for the riding part of the
contest is $3,000 for first, $1,500 for second and $750 for third.
In May I got a call from Mr. Nathan Wessel and he asked me if I
would be interested in being involved this year. At first when he
asked me I thought that he was kidding, but once I did realize
that he was serious I told him that I would obviously be more than
psyched to be a part of such a crazy event. I also asked him if it
would be appropriate if I brought some wigs and or funny outfits
along with me. His response was “That is why I picked you, because
I knew that you would bring something ridiculous with you.” Well
after I got the call from Nate, I was very exited even though I still
didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. After a few more
calls from Nathan over the course of the next three or so months I
started to find out what I was getting myself into.
The Backyard Build-off location was chosen through submissions
of pictures and an explanation of local scenes at Failurebikes.com.
After the submission deadline, Matt Bischoff, who came up with the
whole idea of the contest, will go through all of the submissions
and decide who the lucky winner of a brand new skate park will
be. This year’s build off was held in Plainfield, Illinois at Jaimie
Spreitzer’s house, which is about an hour outside of Chicago. Jaimie
already had a 6 foot mini ramp with a spine in his yard, but the
existing ramp was in for a drastic change.
The Riders: Tony Cardona, Steve Crandall, Allan Cooke, Chad
Degroot, Dave Friemuth, Tony Hamlin, Joey Hill, Jeremiah Jones, Brian
Kachinsky, Rick Moliterno, Jason Perz, Kevin Porter, Joe Riley, Quinn
Semling, Jeremiah Smith, Van Homan and Brian Vowell. < SR >
This is an abridged story. For the whole story, log onto
www.sophisticatedrider.com.
NOW ENROLLING FOR ‘07 WWW.CAMPWOODWARD.COM
wha t t h e
PROS THiNK
C O N T E S T S A R E L A R G E LY P U T O N B Y P E O P L E T H AT D O N ’ T R I D E / S K AT E . The purse is decided by people whose salary isn’t
determined by the risk they take. The guys building the ramps often never even drop in on them. We break down some walls and bring a little
light on a couple subjects with :KDWWKH3URV7KLQN
. ¶ People are talking about spicing up vert contests. Some people need to see a change; some
people want to see a change. Is it the tv ratings? Are people changing the channel during vert contests? ¶ Question 1: Do we want or need
obstacles on the vert ramp to keep contests exciting for the riders? For the fans? What do we need? ¶ X Games has been a successful venture.
It started out with ESPN investing time and money into eXtreme sports. They helped take us from small-purse skatepark competitions to arena
events with tens of thousands of dollars in payouts. But the tables turned and it was payback time. Events were cut. Sports were cut. We ended
up with a 10-person invite only contest. While still one of the most talked about, anticipated and recognized contests of the year, it always brings
about some negativity. ¶ Question 2: Besides the riding, what was the best and worst thing about X Games?
> S I M O N TA B R O N
On Vert Obstacles:
I think some variety is good and healthy but
it needs to be vert obstacles. The danger
here is that the vert ramp just gets turned
into a vert park course I think we need more
hips, corners, elbows, varying transition
sizes, channel gaps and general bowl
features. Sub boxes, rails and wall rides are
skatepark features not vert features. I think
the soul bowl events show who can REALLY
ride a vert ramp and show a variety of skills
on a variety of features. ¶ Just make a big
bowl with all of these features and change
it around all the time. It will then equally be
about lines, tricks, smoothness and fluidity,
the way it should be. Keep vert as vert and
park as park!
Good about X Games: The best thing
is if you make the podium — it’s a great
experience to place well in the biggest event
of the year.
H E R E : T H E X Games 12 R A M P W A S A M O N S T E R , C O M P L E T E W I T H E L B O W S ,
E X T E N S I O N S , A N D E V E N A H A N D R A I L . R E A D O N T O S E E W H AT T H E P R O S
T H O U G H T O F I T.
R I G H T : O U R M U S I C G U R U , Tom
I N T H E AT H L E T E L O U N G E .
Haugen,
R E A L LY E N J O Y E D . . . T H E F O O D
FA R R I G H T : A N X G A M E S M E D A L I S T M A N Y T I M E S O V E R , Simon Tabron
I S N E V E R O N E T O S H Y A W A Y F R O M T E L L I N G Y O U W H AT H E L I K E S A N D D I S L I K E S .
Bad about X Games: The worst thing is
what you have to go through. The X Games
is a big, stressful, high-pressure event to
take part in; it’s far removed from a low-key
BMX jam. The reality is that you are taking
part in a large scale TV production and you
are little more than the hired help. This is an
observation from my experience more than
a criticism. It’s just the way it is. Every year
I have to take a deep breath and just get
the job done. It’s a real test of your patience
and professionalism but, if you can deal
with it in a good-humored way, the rewards
are potentially very good and well worth the
effort. ¶ Winning X Games medals opened
a lot of doors for me and opened a lot of
people’s eyes. It was really hard but it was
worth it. So I suppose the worst thing is
that it’s no fun. It should be, but, it’s not!
> TOM HAUGEN
I N T R O A N D Q U E S T I O N S B Y J O H N PA R K E R P H O T O G R A P H S B Y J A R E D S O U N E Y
On Vert Obstacles:
I think the extensions and the channel
are enough. Vert riding is still exciting
with just the standard two wall ramp
—especially with all the new tricks being
done at each contest.
Good about X Games: The best thing is
the catering; the ASEC crew have such a great
variety of health food in the athlete lounge.
Bad about X Games: The worst is the
prize money and way it is distributed.
The drop from first to second place is
$34,000. And 10th place is 6 percent of
what first place is. Considering X Games
is only 10 invited riders and ESPN is
making millions off the event, I feel
the prize money should be higher and
distributed more evenly.
27
what the
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29
Anthony Furlong H A S F I N I S H E D I N T H E T O P T E N AT J U S T A B O U T
E V E R Y M A J O R V E R T E V E N T I N T H E L A S T C O U P L E Y E A R S , B U T S T I L L O N LY
M A N A G E D T O G E T A N X G A M E S I N V I T E A S A N A LT E R N AT E .
> JEAN POSTEC
On Vert Obstacles:
Yeah, I think there should be obstacles on the vert
ramp for sure--extensions, roll-ins, offset trannies,
gaps, corners like at the Y. It makes it exciting and
more fun. People just look at the ramp and go crazy.
Once everyone gets used to it, it helps them get a
different line together. I think everyone skates better,
and it’s way more entertaining than just a flat ramp. ¶
At the X Games they had a lot of different stuff on the
ramp, and it took a little longer to figure out where
you were going in your line, but then it was more
fun, and I’m sure it was more exciting for everyone
to watch. The street stuff on the vert ramp was a
little weird though because it was just too small
compared to the ramp. I thought the rail would be
bigger, or it was going to be going down a big rollin or something. Like, we’d pop out of the bank and
land right at the end of the rail. But there are a lot of
ideas that we can take from it.
Good about X Games: What they do with the
sport, getting it on TV and getting a lot of kids into
it, and showing people what we do. And they always
build bigger and better ramps.
Bad about X Games: I was there with my
girlfriend and it was so hard to get a pass to go
anywhere. They kept changing everything. It was so
hard to get my friends and family close to the vert
ramp to watch the contest. They would send us all
the way across the venue to watch, it was too far
away. I just wanted them to be able to be next to the
vert ramp so I could talk to them.
what the
PROS THiNK
> CHAD KAGY
30
On Vert Obstacles:
A change of scenery is always good for the fans watching on TV, so that it doesn’t look
like the exact same event as last year. I personally think that the level of competition
is growing fast enough that a crazy new ramp isn’t needed. There are some younger
guys showing up on the ramp with a different style, so the comp looks different.
Some of the ramps we compete on (Dew Tour for instance) are fast, well built ramps,
and it’s easier to go high, so more people are blasting. ¶ I’d enjoy riding a different a
layout of vert ramp like a hip or different style channel, but I don’t want to show up
at the biggest event of the year trying to learn how to ride a ramp. I want to show up
dialed. I’d back the idea more if I had a vert ramp to ride with hips or elbows a home.
It’s not like BMXers can show up and knee slide twenty times to test out a big hip...
we either do it or slam.
> M AT H I A S R I N G S T R O M
On Vert Obstacles:
I think it will be fun for the skaters, but as for the fans,
skateboarding is still very exciting compared to most
sports. Take NASCAR for example, they driver around
in a circle and people still love it. And look at the NBA;
all they’re doing is trying to make a basket. I think
skateboarding already has way more to offer. Maybe in a
few years it could be something to think of.
Good about X Games: The best thing about the
X Games is that it’s the biggest contest out there. It’s a
crazy feeling skating in front of millions of people.
Bad about X Games: The worst thing about it is that
it’s a popularity contest. You have some guys falling on all
three runs and they still get all the coverage. I understand
why it’s like that, but it’s still lame.
L E F T T O P : A N E W C O M E R T O T H E U S C O N T E S T S C E N E , Jean
FOUND HIMSELF WITH HIS FIRST X GAMES INVITE THIS YEAR.
Postec
L E F T B O T T O M : X G A M E S V E T E R A N Mathias Ringstrom I S A
FA N O F T H E H U G E A U D I E N C E T H E X G A M E S B R I N G S A L O N G W I T H I T.
T H I S PA G E : Chad Kagy H A S C O M P E T E D I N B M X D I R T, PA R K , M E G A
R A M P, A N D V E R T AT T H E X G A M E S O V E R T H E Y E A R S . N E A R LY E V E R Y O N E
T H O U G H T J A M I E B E S T W I C K W A S U N B E ATA B L E O N T H E V E R T R A M P, U N T I L
K A G Y T O O K H O M E T H E G O L D T H I S Y E A R AT X G A M E S 1 2 .
Good about X Games: I won! That or the addition of BMX onto the Mega Ramp. If
we can get more guys to ride vert this year then we could end up with a real comp on
the mega ramp in 2007, and I’d love that cause I’ve got some really big ideas for that
monster of a ramp.
Bad about X Games: I’ve become more accepting of the usual security problems
and issues with the passes so that’s not as much of a problem anymore. My biggest
complaint this year was the vert ramp. This was X Games 12. You would think that
after 11 years, the 12th would have a perfect ramp. I guess not. We, as bike riders,
didn’t have much say in how the ramp was designed… that’s just the way it always
goes. The ramp was really slow. It was bumpy, and there’s no reason for us to ride on
a ramp like that at the biggest, high-dollar event of the year. ESPN should know that
if the ramp is bad, it will hurt the ratings, because the level of riding is lower than it
could be. ¶ The prize money break down sucks. The difference between 1st place and
2nd place might be less than half a point, that might be a trick or two difference and
yet it’s a $34,000 difference in prize money. We’re supposed to be the top ten BMX
athletes in the world and if you screw up that day and get 10th... it barely pays for the
travel to get to LA for the week. < SR >
state of the
UNION
N AT I ONAL BROADCAST ON CBS. LARGEST PURSE IN FMX.
Event held virtually in the backyard of FMX. Nearly every big trick
from X Games thrown out in front of the huge live audience. So
why did the LG Action Sports Championship of FMX feel so hollow?
Because much like nearly every other major FMX event this year,
nothing has been decided by a field of riders that is missing so
many of the icons of the sport that you’d assume would be filling
out the top 6 or 7 places! That’s why...
Nate Adams is literally unchallenged at this point in the season. We
watched him cruise through San Jose, then cruise through the LG event,
and by the time you read this, he will have probably cruised through
the Orlando stop of the Dew Action Sports Tour as well. Undeserving?
Not at all. Just unchallenged. Nate has to always be considered a threat
to win. Even last year when he just didn’t seem to be riding up to par,
and didn’t get any wins, he was still on the minds of Pastrana, Bartram
and Stenberg every time he dropped in. This year Nate brought new
tricks and his old style, and he was arguably the best rider out there in
Louisville. The score reflected that statement, but more importantly, the
other riders knew and acknowledged it. To me that brings a lot more
weight to it than a score by a fairly new judging panel. Twitch took
himself out while answering the challenge of Nate and surprisingly to
TEXT BY RICH SWISHER
DEAL,
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many, a challenge from AIlo
Gaup as well. Bartram took
himself out at X Games
while preparing to answer
the challenge, never even
making the finals. Faisst
took himself out while
answering the challenge.
Nate, and pretty much only
Nate, threw down by being
the only rider to show
consistency in throwing the
360, and subsequently the
smarts to leave that trick
out of his run most unless
absolutely necessary. Gaup
took himself out throwing
a no handed backflip in a
windy stadium, because
he opted not to run his steering stabilizer. Rebeaud took himself out
while clearly pushing his own limits to try and grab another silver
medal. Finally, Pastrana took himself out of the game completely to go
race rally cars. So that pretty much leaves Nate Adams. The humble,
lovable, dry humored all around nice guy, grabbing up all the glory at
seasons end. So does he really deserve the credit for his late season
dominance? Absolutely!
Nate sacked up big going into Louisville and earned that win against
everyone. He pushed everyone, arguably to a breaking point. He is in
cruise control now, but Nate knows all too well that going for glory
every time you get onto the track, can keep you off the track much
longer than any competitive rider would like to be. Besides, he is still
wearing a titanium rod in his femur, (kind of a constant reminder of
what happens when you push too hard). I doubt he really cares to
give it a stress test! He may not have been the best at every event
this year, but he was always right there, and most importantly he
rode just smart enough to be the guy standing alone at the top at
season’s end. So added all up, Nate had the smarts, the skills, the
guts and the maturity it took this year to be the best in FMX, and
hats off to him for it.
Ok, enough about Nate for now. What about the other guys who have
ridden smart and are still out there at the end of the season? What
about Mike Mason? Great rider in all respects, but hasn’t really solidified
himself in the top echelon, and in my opinion, only has himself to
blame. If you look over at www.tedescophoto.com you can find a
“Cribs” style video of Mike’s home, and a lot of that dough comes from
a vigorous schedule of demos overseas. It’s great for the cash, but
Mike, stay home and build on the momentum you had last year! Mike
will be around for a long time, and the sport is a better place with him
in it. But he really has a lot more he can do, and here’s to hoping that
he does it!
What about Bamburg? Top qualifying spot in prelims at the recent LG
event had to make him feel great.
In fact it did. I was there and talked
to him about it. Beau had a terrible
season of nagging injuries last year
that didn’t keep him off the track,
but kept him way below his normal
level of riding. Fox saw fit to let him
go at the end of the season. I know
that really bothered him, and just
added fuel to the fire for this year.
In his first two events, very poor
choice in tire compounds made it
look like Bamburg was trying to get
back into baseball and was showing
the fans how well he could slide into
third base, but after he fixed that, he
has been right back up in the top 5
pretty solidly. A repeated trick cost
Beau a sure second place at the LG
event. Here’s to new beginnings, and
well wishes to him for showing Fox
that they made a mistake when they
let his contract expire.
Another import rider, Robbie
Maddison, has definitely shown his
intent to do harm to the American
dominance of Freestyle Motocross.
Robbie has as much personality
as the entire field of riders, skills
honed while racing Chad Reed
throughout his amateur career,
and a sack big enough to carry his
helmet in. Robbie’s here to stay,
and I look for him to fill in where
the retired Mike Metzger and maybe
even a little bit of Travis Pastrana
left a gap. This guy has Hollywood
written all over him.
Jim McNeil? Now here’s another
Arizona boy that is capitalizing on
the injury situation this year. This is
actually a polar opposite position
for McNeil, who is usually the guy
that has some huge, bad ass tricks,
and looks to be a threat, but then
wads it hard somewhere and sits
out a good portion of the season.
Great to see Jim getting it all
together and making a big splash
out there this year.
Last but certainly not least, let me
introduce you to a kid that has shown
only a small slice of what is to come
in his dawning career: Wiley Fullmer.
Not since Nate Adams have I seen a
kid with this kind of determination and
promise enter the competitive ranks of
FMX. And, never have I seen any FMX
rider with this kid’s raw athleticism. I
don’t really know how he is going to
take the pressure mentally this coming
season, but if he does figure out that
part of the game, every rider in the
sport had better watch out. Wiley is
coming and he has every bit of what it
takes to beat them all.
Though not much of a wrap up on the
LG event, it’s somewhat of a “State
of the Union” for FMX, and for the
aficionados, a bit of a foreshadowing
of what is to come for next year. Twitch
will be back with a vengeance. Gaup
will again look to take the finesse end
of the sport to all new heights and
clock a gold medal win for Europe.
Rebeaud will look to back up his silver
medal in best trick and improve on his
FMX game. Faisst will be back on his
9-year mission to finally get that Gold
medal he has missed ever so slightly
over the years. Bartram will return.
I know the rumors, but you can’t keep
a good cowboy away from a sport
he was so important to building. And
Pastrana retired? HA. You’ll probably
only see him at X Games next year,
but mark my words... You will see him
ride again. < SR >
T E X T B Y B R YA N W R I G H T P H O T O G R A P H S B Y D A N R E Y
The difference this time is that Longcamp has support… and lots of it. His father David, a
skateboarder when he was in his teens, made sure his son started out four years ago with
good equipment, good places to skate and good role models, like Leffler.
PRO-CREATION
how a life-long skateboarder
is ensuring the survival
of the species
O L L I E ’ S S K AT E PA R K O W N E R
Bob Leff ler I S H E L P I N G T O K E E P
F L O R E N C E , K E N T U C K Y O N T H E M A P.
“Once we met Bob, that’s when Alex’s skating really took off. Alex looks up to Bob and values
his guidance and support,” says David Longcamp. “Alex wants to go all the way, as far as
skateboarding will take him. Thanks to Bob, he’s in a position where that can happen.”
Longcamp’s promising career, however, could just as easily never have gotten off the
ground. If Leffler hadn’t taken the leap of faith in 2004 that saved Ollie’s from the
wrecking ball and transformed it into the premier indoor skatepark in the Midwest, if he
had never sunk his savings into launching Buckeye Skateboards, two pivotal components
of Longcamp’s success so far would have never materialized.
David Longcamp speaks for parents all over Cincinnati and surrounding communities, “If it
wasn’t for Bob, Ollies would still more than likely be closed. We are so grateful to him for
taking a huge risk and reopening Ollies.”
What if Leffler had attained his own dream of becoming a pro
skateboarder, what then? Would the story have ended there? There are
skaters all over the nation who are happy not to speculate, because Leffler’s own
experience, ultimately, drove him to become something of a champion for young, talented
skaters looking to take their careers to the next level.
Pro street skater Wil Waldon finally “made it” three years ago. Leading up to that point, he
had trudged away at local contests and demos up and down the East Coast, sacrificing nearly
everything to achieve his dream. Only the generosity of a handful of sponsors kept Waldon
going through the lean times. One of those sponsors was Leffler’s Buckeye Skateboards.
WHO IS BOB LEFFLER? WE ALL KNOW GUYS LIKE HIM. They’re
Leffler, better known as “Buckeye Bob” to folks in the action sports
universe, isn’t a spotlight guy, and he’ll tell you that up front. But
he matters… a lot. Why? Leffler, and a handful of people like him
nationwide, are the pistons in the engine that’s keeping the sport of
skateboarding thriving in the 90 percent of America that doesn’t touch
an ocean.
Skateboarding has been the fire in Leffler’s belly since a
chance thunderstorm in 1975 sent him scurrying for shelter in
a neighborhood drugstore in Pittsburgh. That’s where he saw
Skateboarder Magazine for the first time. “I must’ve spent over an
hour reading it from cover to cover,” Leffler recalls. “I ordered my first
skateboard a few weeks later and have been hooked ever since.”
“I always wanted to be a pro skateboarder. We used to go watch
the Pepsi Pro Skateboard Team do demos on a plexiglass halfpipe
back in the 1970s. I thought they had the coolest job in the world,”
says Leffler.
The dream of being a professional skateboarder came to a screeching
halt in the early 1980s when a young skateboard prodigy from
Southern California burst onto the scene and changed everything.
According to Leffler, “I saw Tony Hawk skate in about 1980, and that
was it. I knew I could never skate like that.”
Still, even now, there’s seldom a day when Leffler doesn’t roll into a
bowl or vert ramp.
“Bob’s amazing. He’s like 40 and has all this other
stuff going on, and he’s still completely ripping it,” says
Eric Willman. Willman is the head skateboard instructor at Ollie’s
Skatepark, the Team Pain-designed park in Florence, Kentucky (a
suburb of Cincinnati) that Leffler and his wife Kristen rescued from
certain demolition two years ago. Willman has known Leffler for a
long time, and he’s had a chance to see an interesting dichotomy
– Leffler the skater who never completely grew up and Leffler the
patriarch who’s seen his youthful skateboard dreams evolve into
something even bigger in recent years.
There’s a sly grin Leffler, the father figure, makes sometimes.
Something about the angle of his mouth and the sparkle in his
eyes suggests he knows a secret the rest of us haven’t figured out
yet. This is the expression that emerges when Leffler watches Alex
Longcamp skate. Perhaps, Leffler sees a little bit of himself in the
driven and ultra-talented Longcamp. There’s no doubt, however, that
Leffler sees something else in the skinny, lanky 13-year-old skater
– the future.
Buckeye Skateboards has sponsored Longcamp’s amateur career
practically since the beginning. Buckeye, by the way, is Leffler’s
other venture, founded in 1999. “Bob and Buckeye were behind
Alex before anyone had ever heard of him or had any clue how
good he was,” recalls Willman. A fixture at Ollie’s most evenings
and weekends, Longcamp won the Cincinnati installment of the
invitational Etnies Hometown Heroes contest in 2006, earning him a
trip to compete in the national finals in Lake Forest, California. And,
just as a wide-eyed Leffler did 30 years ago, he dreams of becoming
a professional skateboarder.
“Bob was always a good guy,” says Waldon. “He helped me out when I needed boards
and he was truly into skating to have fun. There are other companies out there that just
wanted to leech off skateboarding. Bob wanted to help skateboarding.”
That’s the thing about Bob Leffler. It’s clear that everything he’s done to this point
– moving temporarily to SoCal, a work transfer to Cleveland, Ohio and sessions at the
legendary Apple Skatepark with veteran pros Alan “Ollie” Gelfand and Brett Martin,
launching his own skateboard company, buying and reviving a failing skatepark, even the
decision to build a backyard vert ramp for himself and his four children – everything has
been about his genuine personal excitement for the sport and his desire to see it flourish.
And the ramps at Ollies may just be Leffler’s proudest accomplishment so far.
Under Leffler’s ownership, the park has become a must-skate destination for any skater
traveling within 150 miles of Cincinnati. Leffler proudly points out the park’s pro-caliber
vert ramp, a Skate Armor monster with a massive over-vert section at one end, and he’s
happy to talk about the who’s-who list of skaters who have sessioned it since he took
over the park – Sandro Dias, Mike Crum, Buster Halterman, Benji Galloway, Bob Burnquist,
Anthony Furlong, Lance Mountain, Neal Hendrix, Jake Brown and many more. It’s all part of
Leffler’s vision to get new skaters stoked on the sport and keep then engaged long-term.
“When I started skateboarding it wasn’t one of those things that many kids
did,” Leffler reflects. “Now I’m always looking forward to getting new pro demo’s to come
to Ollie’s. New and different contests. Just different ways to keep everyone interested.
Looking back I’m proud I stuck to something I loved to do.”
“I feel like a circus promoter sometimes running a skatepark that is open 363 days a
year, 30 all night skates per year, skateboard lessons every Saturday morning, skate camp
for kids in the summer. Keeping the park clean and trying to keep everybody happy is
like juggling bowling balls sometimes. But I love it and wouldn’t change a thing...well I
wouldn’t change much,” surmises Leffler, with a familiar sparkle in his eye. < SR >
For more info on Ollie’s, visit the park’s web site at www.skateollies.com
“THERE’S A SLY GRIN LEFFLER,
THE FATHER FIGURE,
MAKES SOMETIMES.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE ANGLE
OF HIS MOUTH
AND THE SPARKLE IN HIS EYES
SUGGESTS HE KNOWS A SECRET
THE REST OF US
HAVEN’T FIGURED OUT YET.”
the guys positioned just out of frame when someone takes a killer
photo during a pro skatepark demo. They’re the guys standing right
next to the parents of the kid who will demolish a local contest 30
seconds from right now. People like Leffler are the ones you notice
from the stands, not because you recognize them, but because
you don’t. They’re the ones all the pros seem to know, and who,
somehow, just seem to belong, no matter how big the event.
DISCO
UNT
ALRIGHT, SO EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE A BUCK, RIGHT?
Everyone’s looking for the next great sale or good deal.
Well, I’m sure some people more than others. I have seen
companies advertise “Total Liquidation Sales” and when
asked what it meant they just said it was another way
to advertise and generate sales. They mark the prices
up, then take a great discount “just for you” and appear
to be letting items go dirt cheap. Real discounts are all
around you. You just have to put in some time and search
to determine the good from bad. My grandma used to
always talk about a penny saved is a penny earned. I was
always like, “yeah, whatever.” She would ask if I saw a few
pennies on the floor, would I pick them up? I would say
“no, of course not, they’re just pennies.” Then she’d ask,
“If you saw 100 pennies on the floor (that’s a dollar for
those with no math skills) would you pick them up then?”
Well, sure, I would say. She was just trying to show me
that those pennies add up. So whatever your logic system,
saving money is good.
Let’s start with some travel savers that I have found over
time of discount shopping.
Airline Tickets
I have found that booking online always gets the best fare.
I usually go to the basic low fare sites, Orbitz, Travelocity,
Bestfares.com, Priceline, etc and see what prices they
have. If you are traveling a regular roundtrip flight, check
these sites first, then go to the actual airline page they
have listed for the deals. These websites usually have
fees ranging from $15 to $35 dollars to get you the ticket.
Checking the airline pages directly will save you that. If
you’re traveling multi-city though, these discount web
pages, along with travel agent, can usually get you better
deals, as long as you’re not committed to one particular
airline. Discount airlines like Southwest, and Air Tran
usually require you to go directly to their sites to check
the prices. Always get an air miles number, no matter
what the airline or how infrequently you travel that airline.
Airlines are getting pretty reluctant to let people fly for
free with the normal 20-25,000 air mile tickets, but miles
add up pretty quick. Miles sometime expire within 3 years
from when they were originated. I seem to get magazine
offers all the time for 100 to 1500 miles and by subscribing
occasionally, I get a new expiration date and some cool
new ‘zines.
T H E R E ’ S S I M P LY N O D I S C O U N T T O B E H A D O N T H I S T R I C K . TA I LW H I P F L A I R S A R E D O N E B Y A
S E L E C T F E W, A N D Mike Mancuso J U S T A D D E D H I M S E L F T O T H E A - L I S T.
Hotels
Having worked in a hotel before, the industry is very
biased. Of course, the hotels are into making the most
money possible, but also want to have a full capacity
for the night. Empty rooms are essentially costing them
money for the night. When customers would walk into
our hotel, without a reservation, we would have a leeway
of a rate between $65 and $99, depending on what we
TEXT BY MIKE MANCUSO PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED SOUNEY
le or
few rooms were availab
from them. If only a
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a
ng
oki
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en
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Wh
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es would be higher
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best
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the
nd
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eke
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we
it was a
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line. Check the usual
Once on
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direct
b search for the hotel
nd it cheaper
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a good rate. If you fou
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e
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ally
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and
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want the AAA rate or
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you
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tch
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off
ber,
10%
num
st
lea
nse
at
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your drivers lice
A number, give them
as far in
ms
roo
r
you
ok
If they ask for your AA
Bo
ilable.
n’t haveyour card ava
they have
and tell them you do
ly to give a deal when
like
re
mo
are
y
The
.
they know
if
and
,
few
advance as possible
a
pared to only having
com
le
ilab
ava
ms
roo
tons of
t minute pinch….
you might be in a las
always give
than being angry, and
ing is always better
ng cheap,
bei
t
no
’re
You
.
Remember, sweet talk
ned
ed is some money ear
sav
ney
mo
me
So
a smile.
< SR >
value for your buck.
just getting the best
NATION
37
CONTRIBUTORS:
{a}
RIDER
EDITORIAL CONTACT:
[email protected]
PUBLISHER / BMX EDITOR:
John Parker
ART DIRECTION:
Jared Souney — www.souneymedia.com
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SKATEBOARD EDITOR:
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{b}
{c}
Rider: Dan’s Comp rider Vinnie Sammon Photo: Dolecki
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FMX EDITOR:
Rich Swisher
PHOTO EDITOR/ SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER:
Jared Souney
Brian “Yella” Gavigan {a}
Brian is the owner of Yellow Designs and spends his days choreographing
the operations of the Yellow Designs Stunt Team, being Dad to Chloe and
Ruby (ages 9 and 3 1/2), riding the parks and streets of Denver, and is in the
process of illustrating a Wilderness 1st Aid Guide. His stunt team and t-shirts can
be found at yellowdesigns.com His fine art website is: briangavagan.com.
PHOTOGRAPHER/ GOLD MEDAL:
Chad Kagy
ADVERTISING:
Danny Parks: [email protected]
FOUNDERS:
Brooke Geery {b}
Brooke Geery was once called the female Steve Crandall, and is yet to figure
out if is a compliment or an insult. Though she’s recently taken to writing about
BMX, her background is in extreme sports involving boards, and she prefers to
write on the internet. Afterall, she was educated entirely online and even learned
to type in chat rooms. Brooke lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is intent of
having the nicest yard on the block, although everything she plants dies.
John Parker: [email protected]
Jared Souney: [email protected]
Paul Zitzer: [email protected]
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Tom Haugen, Mike Mancuso, Chad Kagy, Brian “Yella” Gavigan,
Bryan Wright, Brooke Geery. Tiffany Kagy, Lloyd Ramsey, Achim Kujowski
Check out one of Brooke’s many web exploits at www.yobeat.com.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Bryan Wright {c}
Lloyd Ramsey, Kay Clauberg, Dan Rey
Bryan Wright is the Associate Director of Public Relations at Strata-G
Communications in Cincinnati. A lifelong action sports enthusiast, he has mixed
business and pleasure for the past five years, marketing action sports and
events all over the nation. Bryan caught the BMX bug before pegs were even
invented and has been an avid mountain biker and BMX dabbler ever since.
Most importantly he is a father of two sons.
Bryan can be reached at [email protected].
Chad Kagy
You may have seen Chad on TV, as he’s something of a BMXer. In fact, Chad won
a gold medal in vert at the 2006 X Games. Somehow he still finds time to take
photos and contribute to this here magazine, amongst others. For more about
Chad and his BMX / photographic adventures, visit his newly updated personal
web site, www.chadkagy.com.
— the end.
COPY EDITING:
Bonnie Cirillo, Tiffany Kagy
Sophisticated Rider Magazine is published quarterly
(four times a year), by Sophisticated Rider.
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