FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

I started keeping a daily journal way back in 1987 when I was only 15 years old. Back then I was a just a freshman in high school. Since then, every single freakin' day of my life has been documented in these journals. If it happened in my life, then I wrote it down & documented it. And believe me; I've got some stories to tell! Looking back over the years, here is a journal entry that stands out and also my comments looking back now. 
Hoffman Contest- Daytona FL November 18th, 1995
Actual Journal Entry
We went to the skatepark & rode for a while. Then I did my two qualifying runs & qualified in 7th. I rode better in the finals & got 5th. That's cool. At night, Dave Mirra, Sean Hargraves & I ate & then Sean dropped us off at a club. A zillion BMXers were there. All of us were acting real silly on the dance floor. Then they were trying to kick a BMXer out & I punched the bouncer & he got me in a head lock on his third try. 

Twenty of the best pro riders in skateboard, roller, and bmx (dirt, flat and street) came from 4 corners of the world (Brazil, the USA, Europe and Japan) to make vibrate the Kuwaitien public. And it goes, already direct show on 3 TV Arab: Al Watan, Al Spoke and Kuwait TV, tens of articles in the press and thousands visitors for the first Thursday day. For the amateur contests, more than 150 riders from Kuwait but also from Bahrain, Arabia Saoudite and Dubai moved to take part in FISE KOWEIT.

The Dubai X-games are on its way. Vert prelims just took place and it was semi-local Simon Tabron who came out on top which will give him a place in the final straight away. The event has a different set-up. The 8 riders that are left will be split up in two groups with the winners of each group going to the finals. Place two and three in each group will go for the final battle for a spot in the final which will have a total of four riders. You're still with me?

It sounds more complicated than it actually is. Simon rode very well to nail the first position giving him possibility to sit down tomorow until the finals will start. Steve McCann was after the first position too to make it easier on himself but he got stuck on second place. Jay Eggleston aired high to finish up the top three. 4th went to Koji Kraft, 5th Zack Warden, 6th, Jean-Marie Baertsch, 7th Eduardo Terreros and Jan Valenta got 8th. Dave Brumlow finished on 9th. More tomorrow.

The turnout for the Dawg Aid Jam in San Jose, California was really good. Thanks to everyone who came out to support Nick "Dawg" Valencia. Nick is currently in physio to get his knee repaired and is hoping to be back riding sometime in 08. Thanks to the people who put in all the hard work to make the day happen: Chris McMahon - Organizer, Greg Houde - Chef and Scott Cramer - Treasurer. Also a huge thanks to all the people who donated products for the raffle.

This year was a real busy one at Paul's Boutique BMX shop so it was hard to plan a weekend to go on tour with the team. Very late in the year we can't ride outside so we did an " Indoor tour" in Holland and Germany. Our "FACTORY TEAM" has 4 people:

Pim van den Bos, Dennis Keunen, Riccardo Moes and Michael van der Lee and we had Vladdie de Koning from our "NBR TEAM" to go with us this time, and a mistery guest called BH. 

Last weekend was Andy Shohara's 40th birthday old school BMX reunion. This event was so fun we're going to make it a regular thing! In attendance, and riding: Andy Shohara, Tony Murray, Brian Blyther, Todd Anderson, Chris Potts, Dave Voelker, John Povah, Robert Castillo, Woody Itson, Steve Swope, Brad Blanchard, Junior Torres, Alvin Mullins and a few more I can't remember right now.

At the last two days of the VIBRATIONS URBAINES PESSAC – festival many people visited the brand new skatepark with wooden floor for THE French BMX contest. We counted nearly 200 participants including 55 pro riders. The judges had a tough time during eliminations. All agreed that the Dirt section shaped by Patrick "Patoche" Guimez was perfect. One meter gets added every year and the second set had a 7 meter gap. John Petit, the MC of the contest, summarizes the event by "a level of nutcase!”.

Dillon Hass is a photographer who made it over to the Banksgiving jam in Ben Snowden's backyard early enough to shoot some rad photos. Dillon took pics of James Foster's toboggan, Ben Snowden's tree tap, Lil Jeff's turndown, a rad no-foot cancan from Garrett Reynolds, Mr. Alfredo going upside down and sideways (flair), Steve Woodward's bikeflip, Dylan's tuck no-hander and Arash bum buzzing. See this as a photo gallery of the Banksgiving jam. 

Banksgiving in Santa Ana, CA went down as a backyard shredfeast of all-out BMX mayhem. Local So-Cal pro, Ben Snowden opened up his backyard park to some 500 + riders and countless pro’s, everyone that got a chance to take a run rode away with a smile. Nate “If you build it, they will come” Wesell constructed a set up that featured a 15ft. quarter pipe, banging box jump, and an 8 foot rooftop drop-in, and the riders came out in force.

We have just come back from the jam, organized by nosoccer.com and callemarconi.com on the occasion of the Milan bicycle film festival. More than 40 riders from all over Italy got together at the famous concrete pool in Milan. Though it was very cold, no-one gave up riding! At last even in Italy the riders are more and more enthusiastic to participate to the jams! Enjoy the pics.

NoSoccer/Callemarconi