Unfortunately there's no RedBull Backyard digger planned for The Netherlands in 2009 but the spots they created are going strong. The RedBull diggers have now arrived in Latvia to give the riders over there a way to create their own dirt spot. As always RedBull makes sure that all the work gets documented and with this little report we're going to show you a few pictures from the new spot over there. Dig in! 
Yesterday Philip and I drove over to Dimitris' trails in Asten-Heusden. Dimitri has been a familiar face at all trails jams and we'd heard that he started building a spot himself. After getting some directions off of him at the Hellentrails Jam we were off to Asten on a Monday afternoon. We drove straight there in 30 minutes and met up with Dimitris who showed us the lines including a little oval where Philip could ride. The bigger 8-pack to the end of the place has some big kickers and the last one is a transfer to the right. A 180 turn leads you to the line back which has all kind of jumps. Always nice to ride new spots, especially if you make it through. No starting hill here either so get your bike into gear. Jam session soon. We'll keep you posted. 
In between dying his hair and playing his vast collection of vintage Sega games, Fox/DC/Eastpak rider Colin Loudon designed and built some sick new jumps. Assisted by the staff at the Giba Gorge park his plans went from scribbles on a small piece of paper to the images you see here in just a month. The cool thing about Colin's design is that there are lines everywhere and jumps for all skill levels. I even saw some old dudes in spandex roll over some of them on 
We can't really complain about the number of trails we've got going near the house. Helm Trails, Sugar Hills, Pony Trails, a couple of BMX tracks around but we had not been to the Dommelen trails yet. When you try to find a new spot and don't know where to look, it feels good when you finally get there. Although the jumps were far from rideable when I arrived I saw the lay-out and hope to be able to make it back at some point. Some work has been put in in the meantime 
Hundreds of people descended on Dorchester on Saturday to see the Mayor officially open the new £200,000 state-of-the-art skatepark. Inspired by Industry leaders, designed by skaters and handcrafted out of concrete by Maverick, the most innovative skatepark specialists outside of the US, this is one of the most exciting parks in the UK. Before cutting the ribbon, the Mayor praised the skatepark committee and council for their 12 years of hard work to get to this day. 
Maverick DBM is proud to announce the grand opening of the brand-spanking new Dorchester Skate Park on the Saturday 25th April 09. Inspired by Industry leaders, designed by skaters and handcrafted out of concrete by the most innovative skatepark specialists outside of the US, this is set to be one of the most exciting flow parks in the UK. Starting at 10am with the cutting of the ribbon, the Maverick park will be officially open for a jam-packed entertainments schedule to include professional demos from top skaters, live music, 
Alejandro Caro from Colombia sent in a few pics of a trails spot that is suffering from the shitty weather. Alejandro: "Pris are some trails like 15 minute away from my house, there is a river like 20 mt near the jumps, it has been really crazy weather since the last 2 years, that was a flooded 2 weeks ago, you can see what is left from the jumps." 
Yesterday I loaded up the van with Philip (5), Max (5) and Veerle (2) and headed for the Pony trails in Leende. The idea was to let them ride the little pump track where the trees are so I could try to ride a bit on the tables next to the pump track. Surprise, surprise, 
It may seem strange to have a skatepark declared a monument, but the outdoor skatepark in Het Hulsbeek in Oldenzaal (The Netherlands) is certainly worth being proclaimed a monument. Because of the particular shape Het Hulsbeek is unique. This year the legendary skatepark will be celebrating its 30th birthday. In the late 70's the American ''sidewalk surfing'’ reached the Netherlands. The sport developed into a real craze, which was the reason why a skatepark was built in 1979 in Recreation park Het Hulsbeek. Ton Kurvers signed up for the design and got his inspiration from American skateboard magazines. Without knowing, he designed a course with a length and shape unique in the world. In particular the snakerun (a winded course) make the skatepark legendary. Right after the opening the skatepark was visited by pioneers of skateboarding, who often came from afar to show their skills at the skatepark. Still the skatepark is of great importance to the international skateboarding scene. Every year the skateboard contest ''Oerend Hard'' takes place at the skatepark. 
The North West has had a strong BMX scene for a long, long time. It grows stronger with each session and every new rider that tries their first trick. So to all the older riders and legends thanks for paving the way for the new guys. To the new guys, welcome; You are in for one hell of a ride and lots of good times! One such BMX legend that occasionally goes by the nickname I gave him years ago. "Donut" put together a fun and exciting jam with a little help from his friends. North West Legends such as Nick Halsey, Paul Kintner, G.J., D.R., Robbie Write, and tons of others joined in the festivities... I could write about how amazing it was spending a Sunday with 3 bands, a few artists, a bunch of dancing babes on bikes (Yes really!) 
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.