Filmed by Stéphane Desjardins, Matt Coplon, Matthias Dandois, Sevisual, Pierre Blondel
DIVE SLOW, DIVE DEEP... RESURFACE.
CAMERA : A.D., Lotfi Hammadi
Following Alexis Desolneux's Skatepark Of Tampa edit in 2018 — a little story about failing and getting a second chance.
COALESCE
"Into a single river"
Everything happens for a reason. I met Matt Coplon (who filmed clips and edited this) through writing letters and trading tapes/records of our respective obscure hardcore bands around 1995-96. None of us knew we both loved BMX until 1998 when I mentioned coming over to Florida to enter X-Games qualifications in St-Petersburg. When bridges between the DIY HC/punk and BMX scenes took me on bridges over the Tampa Bay. A place I had only heard of through its death metal history. It's no coincidence I'm here, I love both.
In December 2014, I got an email from George (Manos) asking me if I would like to send a few clips to the skateboarding group known as BA.KU. (Barrier Kult) as they offered to feature some clips of H E R E S Y riders in the friends section of their upcoming DVD. Being in contact for some time and having mutual respect for what we both do, some of us filmed a few moves in 2015 and sent the material. I had been willing to experiment with some lighting for some time and thought this was the chance to do something I had not done before with video. It was not about capturing rare tricks but just playing with lighting versus obscurity and spending a few hours one night by myself in a remote 2500 square meters warehouse on top of a hill, switching all lights off except for a halo. In the end, this footage didn't make it into the BA.KU. DVD so here it is. HALO.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.