The Average BMXer Part 25 “When ~normal life~ comes calling.”
1996. This year would put my life on a completely different path. One that would eventually get me to move on and move forward, unfortunately it would not be through more massive involvement in BMX. The year started off pretty good. The sessions that were going down up at the barn were nuts, so many good times,like I said before. Adam Stack had torn down the old half pipe up in the Watchung Mountains at his Mom’s place and put in a jump box to play around on. We had a few sessions going on up there.
To be quite honest it was sort of surreal to be 30 and still riding a BMX bike. I never really gave it a lot of thought when I was 13 years old and just starting this thing about where I would be when I was 30. It seemed so far away. Here I was though, still busting 360’s, flatland and having fun. By now though the reality was that I was at a stage in my life where getting hurt became something that would weigh me down way too much.
I rode, to riff on Chinese proverb, to ride. In my mind, I was always thinking “F**k yea, I’m 30 years old and can still do this, screw all those people who asked me when I would quit riding that little kids bike.” As my life changed to that of a guy who worked a job outside of bikes and came home to ride, I was relieved of a lot of the day to day BMX stress that can come when one’s life revolves completely around what they love to do. Ya see, a lot of these guys who own companies, they can get weighed down, stressed, even aggravated with the thing they love the most, BMX. Running Ramp-Ateria and the shop, the team, it takes a toll on you mentally. Your trying to please everyone, make things happen, set things up, find reliable help and when someone gives you a “this sucks”, or“you’re an a-hole”, it cuts pretty deep. You’re mind begins to ask, “Why am I doing this?” You lose the focus, like I mentioned above, of being involved in BMX just to be involved in what truly inspires you. It becomes in essence, just another job.
Well, that's it. NJ now has FOUR riders in the Free Flow Tour Finals in Salt Lake City... First Cory Berglar took Incline, then Vinny Mannino took Ohio, Nilsson grabs the video edit spot and now...with a wild card spot...Mike Groff.
Apparently the east coast IS the right mofreaking coast. (yay Mike, Brick local!!!)
Justin B. just dropped this editarino on the Efingers blog site . You gotta watch it. The tricks are great, Eric and Dean do the city nasty as usual. What makes this web edit go from, "well that's sorta interesting" to, "HOLY SH** I JUST BLEW SODA (tea for you heath conscious riders) OUT MY NOSE arethe final moments of this video. A little passerby enlightenment for the young BMX lads... Peace be with you my sons....
(Seriously the riding is bonzomaniacal, scope it...hmmm, why is my spell check coming up for bonzomaniacal..?)
Ever since I've been back into the scene here in NJ, I've been checking this site because...well... it is interesting looking as hell. The updates are infrequent but what's on there is pretty different. The vid on the page after the logo jump is pretty nuts. Check it out. http://waste-nj.com/
You are keeping your eye on this blog right? http://wallstreetsb.blogspot.com/ Here's a few more edits and be sure to keep checking this place. Damn man, I mean it's NJ, you should be all up in it.
We had to do a last minute reshuffling of the jam to my BMXNJ HQ's hometown of Brick, NJ. We'll be chilling at The Drum Point Rd Sports Complex which is where Brick Skatepark is. Directions to that
are here: Drum Point Skatepark (The riding area is in the upper right corner of that green B. It's right next to a small skatepark which I have pictures of here: Brick Skatepark . The flat area pictures are here. We'll be out there the night and day before blowing out the rocks and sand that may be there. The area itself though is pretty much free of cracks and just has a slight angle to it. We'll ride till we a re burned out then head over to my place for some BBQ action later in the day. See ya there. (obviously if you aren't a flatlander you can still roll out as there is a park right there for riding....)
Just scooped this off the pages of Facebook, Gary Nilsson's INSANE edit got him one of the 3 spots that were available to qualify to the GFFT Finals in Salt Lake. All expenses paid for the man. After coming back from that 4x4 induced injury earlier in the year, this is a hell of a feat. Let me see if I can find a shot of Gary... ah here we go... (oh and folks...that's THREE guys from NJ in the finals...maybe we should back off and give some other states a chance....nah...)
Coming straight outta Jersey (it's sorta like compton but more hardcore...) here's a web edit with two CNJ big guns, Dean Deh Machine and Eric Marion, putting some woop ass down on the street. Live it. NoSide Clothing
Another killah blog from the men of BMX in New Jersey. This time around it is Jim Mango's, Team Mango. Watch the sample video and then go to http://www.teammangobikes.blogspot.com/
I was not around for this man's reign on the NJ BMX freestyle scene. I am sad to say that the only time I saw him was at the last Jump For Joy at Steve's place in 1997. 9 years ago today, NJ lost a hero. Nothing else need be said.
Louis Orth John McNeil Dave Dechert Bill "Doc" Dougherty James Johnson Tim Cook Bob Mathews John Malone Adam Guild Dirk Lesko Harry Myers Dan Hammell Rich Carolan Hyper Pro-Am Brian Shute JSteady Trevor Swan if I missed you email me!
