Parking Lot Attendants, York Jam, 2002
photo (pedal bmx)
By: George A. Ten Eyck
I've talked about this in previous articles, but from my earliest memories, freedom to me, was found while riding my bicycle. From the first few feet I rode my 70's BMX hand-me-down, I always loved the freedom and peace of riding my bike. Before I could drive a car to see the outside world, my small sphere of places within walking distance was instantly expanded to as far as I could pedal. My great adventures, trouble, mischief, and fond memories all involve Chromoly Steel, 20inch rims and lots of skinned knees, elbows, and shins.
I'm George and I am a life-long BMX rider.
BMX bikes always played a role in my life but in the Fall of 1986, BMX Freestyle moved to the forefront of what would define me, my activities, and my entire being for a better part of 20 years. Everything changed in my extracurricular activity world when I saw the 80's cult classic film, Rad. Rad had a really cheesy storyline and even worse acting in retrospect, but if polled, most BMX riders will agree that it was the opening titles and the end credits of the film that drew them to become BMX riders.
Although the majority of the plot-line of Rad involves racing oriented action, the credits section of Rad is 100% Freestyle and was FAR more interesting to me than racing. Freestyle BMX owes its roots and equipment to BMX racing, but really the similarities and personalities of the riders end right there. Don't get me wrong here, I was friends with lots of BMX racers because there were so few BMX guys back then. We had to stick together- despite our differences.
BMX Freestlyers, (or Riders as they are known in the present school of cool) have a bond, a drive, and a fraternity all to themselves. I am proud to say that I belong to that fraternity of; 4130 Chro-Mo, 100psi tires, Gyros, pegs, free-coasters and adrenaline-filled craziness. Ultimate freedom to me was riding my bike down the street, usually on one wheel, sometimes with no hands, sometimes backwards, or upside-down, turning heads and stopping traffic all the while.
I fully realize that deep down (Flatlanders especially) shy away from public displays or showing off. It's a personal pride thing on some levels, but it also has to do with the exhibitionists that many freestyle riders are.
Freestyle to me is a combination of personal challenge, discipline, fitness, and exhibitionism. I have no problem admitting this. I am proud to call myself a rider. Something that gives me personal pride is the modern resurgence of BMX in the media, on TV, and in video games. It is truly a surreal experience to see my adolescent heroes FINALLY earn fame and fortune in a sport that we all love so dearly.
Some of my best memories involve riding along side some of the very characters who you can choose to play 'as' in Playstation games today. ( IE: Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX, etc) Back in the day of an almost dead BMX industry, before any TV coverage and way before ESPN got into the mix- Freestyle competitions were more like a reunion than an Olympic event. Am's and Pro's alike rode on the same ramps and thrashed through the same city streets at 3 o'clock in the morning and rode 'til dawn together as brothers in the 20 inch fraternity. Two riders in particular stand out to me and are legends in the BMX world today.
Rewind to Austin, Texas, Earth Day 1990, and to a BMX mail-order shop that almost single-handedly kept Freestyle on life support through those lean years. I'm talking of course about the now defunct Trend Bike Source. Back then it was located on Jolleyville Road in the heart of Austin in a tiny industrial space. It wasn't much, but the ramp/street section Tina and the gang set up behind Trend was the stuff of legend. It was a tiny store and an even smaller parking lot. Only people who were there can relate to what I'm talking about. It was there that I first met Mat Hoffman, the undisputed, all time, King of Vert. To us, way back in 1990, Hoffman was a god.
The moment I saw that crazy look in Hoffman's eyes up close, I knew that everyone in that tiny Trend parking lot would see something incredible that day. Also present at this particular contest- (Iron Man) were the likes of Dennis McCoy, Vic Murphy, Pete Augustin, Brad Blanchard, and far more than I can remember.
Present also were my crew, the many great riders of Dallas/Fort Worth. Most of which would go on to greater things in Flatland. IE: some of today's finest flatland riders, the owner of London Bikes, and the filmmaker behind the recent flatland epic Elusion. We were all there and all in awe of the things we witnessed done on BMX bikes that we never thought possible.
Aside from my Hoffman memories are also memories of riding down the streets of Austin, Texas with Dennis McCoy and attempting to keep up. I liken it to a high school golf kid trying to keep up with Tiger Woods. It was amazing to see how talented that dude was and amazing to ride beside him while he did Hang Fives at 40mph down the steepest hills in Downtown Austin. Those are the kinds of things I think of when I remember my time as a Freestlye rider. I loved every second and still hop on my bike at least once a week. I find that most of my tricks are still there and the high that I got way back then from riding is as potent as ever.
Every time I see BMX on TV or see an old BMX pal, I get the urge to get on my bike and THRASH. The person who I am today and the industry which I chose to make my living within is directly related to the great riders who came before me and brought Freestyle to everyone.
Video wise, I'm speaking mainly to the masters behind the Dorkin' In York video series; The Plywood Hoods. Also I can't forget the greatness that is Eddie Roman- The master behind classics like AggroMan and Ride Like a Man.
Those videos defined the direction which my riding went. I'll never forget what motivated me way back then. Industry wise- Mat Hoffman and Hoffman Bikes lead the movement of rider-owned companies and really legitimized our sport on TV and took BMX global. My favorite bike ever is still the Hoffman EP. Wish I could get another one!
It was a group of not-so-average white kids from York, Pennsylvania who changed the world of BMX forever. The Plywood Hoods took what they knew about break dancing and combined it with their love of BMX and poof Dorkin’ In York provided the definition of modern Flatland. With their limited knowledge of technology and filmmaking they set out and invented a new style of BMX riding and a revolution in the way that riders got motivated to learn new tricks and advance their two-wheeled quest.
Thanks to Eaton, Roman, Jones, McCoy, Hoffman, Haro, and all of the great riders that made Freestyle what it is today -on TV, in magazines, and on game consoles everywhere.
Ride On!
George T.
Flatlander, Broadcast Engineer
Yahoo! Inc
BMX Godfathers
by: George A. Ten Eyck
While chilling around the office last weekend I was watching a great documentary about the history of BMX called Joe Kid On a Stingray. As I saw the birth of a sport being told on the TV screen, I remembered my own inspiration to climb onto a BMX bicycle for the first time and set out on my own.
In 1981 I lived in a nice middle class neighborhood outside of Detroit called Berkley. Spread around my block, were mostly older kids. I was considered a late arrival, or the unplanned baby in my family and my sisters were much older than me. There were two girls my age that lived next door, but there weren’t many other kids my age around.
Often, my only male influence, besides my dad, were the older kids on the block. Most of them had dirtbikes or mopeds. They were all pretty cool to me growing up and taught me the basics like hoops, batting, throwing and chicks. A few older kids in my neighborhood still rode BMX bikes and had incredible skill for mere neighborhood hoods.
These dudes were the people I emulated most. The Wheelie King of my street, (Brookline) was a kid named Doug Kramer. What I remember was Doug's mastery of what we called “the catwalk” Basically a ‘catwalk’ is a pedaling wheelie.
The way Doug Kramer’s Mongoose looked as he wheelied down the block was the coolest thing I’d ever seen as a six year old. That one trick and that one punk kid gave me the inspiration to ride BMX from that point on. I later got WAY into BMX flatland and can pull off some tricks to this day that the neighborhood kids never imagined. crazy
BMX is so much more than a fad. BMX bike riding is and has been a way of life for decades. Football and Baseball aren’t the only games in town any more.
Just as many kids ride a bike or thrash a skateboard than play organized sports. BMX is everywhere these days including video games, ESPN, movies, and arena tours.
The sport once clichéd to death by "Extreme" this and X factor that, has lived on and grown strong. I am proud to be a BMX rider. Flatland is my strength and my life’s favorite challenge.
Live to Ride, Ride to Live. Thanks to Mark Eaton and Rob Thayer for bringing Flatland and BMX back to life for me. Joe Kid on a Stingray and Elusion are the perfect representations of our proud sport. Check them out today!
GT
