Those riders who are living on the Northern hemisphere are feeling that the winter is coming up. In our new poll we'd like to ask you how you kill some time when it's freezing outside and the snow is coming down. Check as many boxes as you like:
Winter activities:
-Riding indoor parks
-Internet
-Snowboarding
-Being bored
-Reading
-Watching DVD's
-Tuning my ride
-Party
You can find the poll in the left column here at FATBMX.
Vote now! (allowed for people under 18 on this site) 
Just to let everyone know, the word is out, the Chenga 1 Skatepark will definitely be shutting down this winter after being open for 10 years. Most likely at the end of January. I am going to put on one last Chenga contest in the beginning of December, and I plan on it being the biggest thing Chenga has ever seen. 2 days this year. I am working on getting sponsors now and making up a schedule, but I wanted to go ahead and get the word out on the date. It's going to be Saturday December 3rd and Sunday December 4th. Start making your plans now. If you have any questions let me know. 
I want to tell the folks out there in the bmx community about a "Biketober fest" jam and fundraiser that I'm helping out with for my home town extreme park. I was asked by the parks committee to host an event at the park in order to raise funds for stage 2, the addition of more ramps and obstacles for the free to ride outdoor skate park.
On October 22nd the Stroudsburg extreme park riders will have an all day event with best trick contests on the menue for bmxer's, bladers and skateboarders. I am receiving great support from the media such as the WSBG radio station who is helping by spreading the word about the event and also having me on the "air waves" this Monday (10-10-05) morning at 6am until 10am as a guest to speak about the bmx lifestyle and what's in store for the event. I'll be on The Gary in the morning show 935wsbg.com. 
Over here at FATBMX we are pretty international. We care about BMX and we don't care if it doesn't happen in the USA. In fact, we like to show you how "worldwide" BMX Freestyle is. We received this flyer of a contest in Mexico. It was in Spanish but they translated the poster to English so we all can understand what is going to take place in Mexico on October 30th. If you need more information, visit their [url=http://groups.msn.com/bmxland]website[/url] or come back to FATBMX when the contest is over. We've been promised a full report with pictures and all. Can't wait amigos.
If you've got something to contribute even if you live in the neck of the 
There will be a flatland contest in Zagreb, Croatia on Saturday 15.10. so here is some info:
Location: J.J.Strossmayer square, Zagreb, Croatia
Date: 15.10.2005. , Saturday
Time: 10:00 - 20:00 h
Sponsors: Red Bull, Vans, Zion Bikes
Contest area:
The contest will take place on a 540 square meters of perfectly smooth
concrete. There is also small warm-up area and a chill-out place for
riders.
DJ's:
DJ Sam Bushara (Jamaica) and DJ McNugget (Croatia)
Also expect a great party after the contest, all over the Zagreb.... 
Gert Nijenhuis, Edwin Willink and Walter Langelaar decided to start building something to ride because there was not much around where they lived (Hengelo, NL). They started building in the abandoned warehouse of Kongsi. The ramps could only stay for 6 months because the council did not want to extend the rent. The crew found a new expo place and decided to start building everything there, just in a different set-up.
The opening of the Expo will take place on 16 October 2005 with speeches from some prominent art-related people, fashion shows and a lot of music from "Boy Omega" from Sweden. After that date the Expo and thus the skatepark will be open to public until October 26. Opening hours are: Mon-Fri from 16.00h - 20.00h and Sat-Sun from 12.00h - 18.00h. No entrance fee! 
While abroad we received four more e-mails from the Biker in Black. He's been busy as ever shaking hands left and right and presenting his new girlfriend that he met two days before. Here's the Rick Thorne update:
Yo dudes here is a New Von Zipper Sunglasses ad, wanna buy sum glasses?
Much luv,
Thorne
Biker-N-Black
Interbike's Thursday evening is reserved for the RIDE BMX Nora Cup party. The riders of the year are announced there and it's a BMX party that cannot be missed. But first we got invited by McGoo for a dinner with the Snafu owner and the team riders in the Venetian. After eating the biggest steak I've ever seen and downing a few brewski's it was off to the Ice for the Nora Cup. On the way to the taxi's McGoo stopped at a table to see if we were going with cabs, or with the Limosine. McGoo threw some money on the table and before we knew it, our posse was on the way to the Ice club in style (read: in a black Limosine). 
You know that Eastpak's been active in action sports for a long, long time and that they have some of the best riders around, all rockin' the packs and bags... So when Snickers was looking for kick-ass athletes to design limited edition signature T shirts they found the Eastpak Teams a natural choice.
Snickers teamed up with a couple of pro BMX-ers; a.o. Hannu Cools and Travis Collier who each designed a shirt inspired by what gives them the fuel to enjoy their action packed lives...Available in blue, white, grey, black and yellow these shirts look awesome and reflect the personalities of each rider perfectly! 
We're putting on a jam on Wednesday October 26th (school half-term week) at the De La Warr Pavilion on Bexhill seafront - 4 miles from Hastings. The skatepark has been built by Nick Vale and Fids, with help from 40 local kids in a school summer camp, and is free to ride/skate from 2pm onwards. Lids are compulsory.
They'll be a pro-only session at around 3.30 for half an hour (they'll be a lot of pros attending because of the Backyard Jam the weekend before and Seventies being our neighbours - TBA nearer the time), giveaways, signings, bands, grafitti artists and then 2 video premieres projected on to the back of the building in the evening. They'll be a bar for the over 18's followed by a party (ask us for tickets) at the Ice Cube bar opposite our shop - which is a 2 minute walk from the event.
Check out www.Dlwp.com to see the venue - it's the £8million re-opening of a crazy art gallery and is going to be a treat. If you need any more info, contact us at: