Stuart King discovered BMX at its lowest point in popularity, we pin it down to around 1990. How the carcass of a 80's kids boom held any interest to a young teen back then is quite intriguing.
Celebrating 40 Years of Freestyle Radness is the Bob Haro Lineage Master Freestyler. Only 400 to be made! Bob's first bike that revolutionized the sport of Freestyle BMX - The Haro Master has become one of the most iconic bikes in BMX history today.
The new typewriter is doing its job making it possible to read the text in issue 23 which has Geoff Martin on the cover while doing some flatland riding in front of Hamel's in Mission Beach.
This issue has a lot of USA stuff in it. We visited the first Bicycle Stunt contest in Texas with the GT team, we also made it to the next round in Glendale, Arizona. Sheep Hills looked different in 1991 and we also checked out a Todd Anderson/Eddie Fiola trick show.
Jimbob reports about the East coast of the USA in two stories and we also covered several European events like the King Of Concrete, the Tourcoing France contest from March 1992, and we had a pictorial of the 1991 World's in Denmark.
We were pretty international back then with a Barrow in Furness jam report (UK), Axel Reichertz' roadtrip to Spain, European team championships in Abbeville, France, an international contest in Eindhoven (NL), and a skatehouse report from Essen, Germany.
I wonder how we did it all but somehow it worked out. Mario Schepers, Alan Peterson, Barker Barrett and Effraim Catlow got the interviews. Flip through the pages and check if you got a photo in this issue.
BdJ
Here's a little project that helped me through lockdown. Building and riding an old 86 Diamond Back Strike Zone. It was a great opportunity to re-visit some old tricks as well as learn a few new oldies.
Old school BMX 1980. By Pantswagen
You know what I like about all these FAT-'zines? it gives me a nice timeline of things that happened years ago. I couldn't really remember when we started putting on the extra FAT-JAM to start off the season. Now I know. 22 April 1990. This means we've done a "Mini-FAT-JAM" for 30 years now. It was dubbed Mini-FAT-JAM as it was a smaller version of the actual FAT-JAM. Mario Schepers seriously messed up his ankle by going Sky Hi after being towed by a moped to get some extra speed.
It was nuts and the pictures show it. We still talk about it every time we hang out at OJA and the pics help remember. What else did we have in this issue?
6 airs by Mat Hoffman on that Coca Cola quarterpipe in Bercy and boy did he go high.
Frans Swinkels got an interview, and we made a photo trip around the world starting in the USA and ending in France.
We went to Nantes, France for a contest, and the Pingel-Maier duo took care of the Tropica Contest #2. The poster was a fold out promotional piece to wear a helmet. Zonder Helm, Kop Kapot. Some Germans still remember that one as their favorite Dutch.
Lee Reynolds and Dirtbro Jimmy Arrington have an interview, Matt Pingel took care of some pages,
New rubber never looked and smelled so good! In 1984, Japanese tire giant Panaracer seized an opportunity to develop and deliver what is regarded as one of the most versatile, and aesthetically appealing BMX Freestyle tires of the original 80s era. Factory specified on the 1984/84 Haro Freestyler line up as well as the iconic Redline RL 20 II, this Panaracer FS High-pressure reissue was created from an original tire - branding, and tread pattern - and will take that show bike or daily rider to the absolute max level of authenticity and era-correct goodness! Upgraded to take 85 PSI and these are available and rideable for the summer cruises.
Limited stock AVAILABLE in Black, Blue, and Red with no new inventory expected until Summer 2023.
Bicycle Motocross Action Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit managed by American BMX Company Inc. (ABC), will be the title sponsor of the BMX Society Old School BMX Show and Celebration, arguably the largest such event in the world. The June 4 event, to be held in Carson, California, will feature an old school BMX show with awards for the best bikes in various categories, as well as an evening symposium and presentation with BMX publishing legend Bob
Osborn. “It’s really an honor to have Bicycle Motocross Action, take on the role of title sponsor. Toby has always been supportive of our events and the old school BMX community. He’s unique because he isn’t solely a corporate sponsor’s figure head. He’s an A-list, old school, BMX celebrity—a person who was often featured in the pages and even on the cover of the seminal magazine that inspired our event,” said Steve Brothers, BMX Society’s founder.
“Of course now Toby has this new project that has so much potential as a resource in the BMX community—and this new non-profit organization has taken on the name and mantle Bicycle Motocross Action. It’s a great fit, a perfect storm of circumstances,” he added.
The BMX Society will present Osborn with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Osborn, or Oz, as he is known,
The day after the Mini FATJAM, or better, the Mini FATJAM afterparty at OJA, the day starts too early no matter what time you wake up first. Basically the day is a waste trying to recover from the long day and night that ends with a few drinks (too many). Now that events are back on the calendar it will also lead to multiple events happening at the same time. On the weekend of 2/3 April the Ultimate X took place in South Africa, Swamfest got wild in Florida, UEC racing was going on in Verona, Italy and also the Mini FATJAM took place. Next to that the annual Oldskool gathering put on by Marcel van de Hurk also draws BMX-ers from all corners and so harm van Brussel showed up straight from a BMX race in Nuland (making it BMX event number 6 on the same weekend). Two years of no events because of the pandemic with QR codes, mouth masks, social distancing, vaccinations, and now 6 on one weekend and actually, we like it like that.
Issue 12 had a green color. In the beginning we picked our color but after some issues we did not care. As long as it wasn't the same color as the previous issue it was okay. The cover photo on the green paper came out nice. Issue 12 had the infamous Believe it, or not?! news section, a reader photo section and also an MBL concert report. We used to have some ramps at the end of our street that we set up differently all the time. It was our ghetto skatepark but it worked for us. We also rode our scooters there, see page 9 and 10.
RAD-LAME list, of course! Entered a Talent Show at school and won! One DJ, one rapper and me flatlanding on stage. We got a trophy and a day off. Sweet.
2 Hip King Of Nothing (Rotterdam) report where they stole my camera. Bad news it was. Free Dave Vanderspek Curb Dogs sticker in this issue. RIP Dave. Yes we rode fullpipes back in the day. 19 years ago in Lieshout. Take that.
Tony Hawk did a demo in Eindhoven and we were there. Ryan Moniham interview, Dynamo Open Air '89 report, Bresie interview, Miniramp pics, Pingel art, Open Dutch vert skate championships, and a freestyle contest report from Sedan, France. Another road trip it was and we rode on carpet! That about sums it up.