Things don't always go as planned... #2

 More from the 2-Hip KOV at Mission Trails, spring 1991 (I think).  Mike "Crazy Red" Carlson, no-footer over Death Jump that didn't end well.  Below, Bill Nitschke with a 25 foot jump to front wheel hang.  Ouch.  Oh yeah, the dirt at Mission Trails was sand over hardpack, basically, it was like bailing on sandpaper.

 Crazy Red again.  He was a one man crash real that day.  The photo above is a second before the photo below.  Even his bike was pissed off at him that day.

 Keith Treanor, first attempt over Death Jump led to hitting the eject button. 

Crazy Red... lamenting gravity.

My main blog now is about building creative scenes, check it out:
 The White Bear's Making a Scene

Things don't always go as planned #1

 I've been getting some stills off video I shot for the DIY book I'm working on.  Here's a few that didn't work out as planned.  Not sure who the top one is.

 Dave Clymer, Dover, Newport Beach, CA, 1993

Chris Moeller, Twin Palms, I think.  1993

 Moeller again, Dover, Newport Beach, 1993

Uploaded this one by accident, Keith Treanor, with the most clicked turndown I've seen him do.  2-Hip Mission Trails KOD.  '91.

My main blog now is about building creative scenes, check it out:
The White Bear's Making a Scene

Over under wall ride in 1990

Ever go through old photos or magazines and find something you totally forgot about?  This is one of those.  Since I started working on the DIY book based on this blog, I finally got around to capturing some stills from the BMX footage of mine that has survived thanks to the internet.  This is a still of Randy Lawrence doing a wall ride over me doing a wall bounce at the Blues Brothers Wall in Huntington Beach, CA.

This is one of many walls north of the HB pier, and this one happened to have both a lip to hit it on the far left side, and the least sand in front of it, which made it possible to hit it.  The wall is also a bit under-vert.  I never measured it, but it's about 80 or 85 degrees, which is just enough to make it easy to go much higher than a true vert wall.  But only Randy, and later Dave Clymer, could get near the top of it.  I honestly forgot just how high Randy Lawrence was going until I stilled this on the video.  Even better, I'm pretty sure this is the first over/under wall ride ever documented.  When I googled that last night, looking for other double wall rides, I couldn't find any.  There was one photo of two guys on a banked wall, maybe 60 degrees steep, but that was it.

When I made that video in 1990, the rider-made video movement wasn't even a movement yet.  Eddie Roman had made a student film, Aggro Riding and Kung Fu Fighting and Aggroman.  I had produced six AFA contest videos in 1987 and edited the 1988 2-Hip season video, now on You Tube as 2-Hip BHIP.  I think Mark Eaton made the first Dorkin' in York, edited on VHS working with 2 VCR's wired together.  Videos made by riders were still a brand new thing, and we were making it up as we went.  All of these videos had a lot of things never seen by riders before in videos.  Not only were we documenting progression in riding itself, but we were documenting the growth and progression of street riding, the changes in ramps, and progressing in video producing itself.  We were literally just making this shit up as we went along, just like we'd done with zines a few years before.

 There were several firsts in The Ultimate Weekend, but the double wall ride is one I totally forgot about.  I'm pretty stoked on that.  If anyone else has pics of a double wall ride back in the day, show me on Facebook.  There must be some other ones out there somewhere.

My main blog these days is about building creative scenes, check it out:
The White Bear's Making a Scene

Rooftop is still ragin'

Watch the new Mike "Rooftop" Escamilla edit from United Bikes on Dig BMX.

I haven't told many stories of the infamous P.O.W. House.  Here's one.  In about '93, we had the King Roach, Mr. Didog himself, ruling the world from his couch in the living room of the P.O.W. House.  Since work was kind of a pain in the ass, but food was necessary, Didog dreamed up a plan.  He'd let the local kids ride our backyard ramp in exchange for a can of food each from their mom's kitchen.  Strict no beets rule.  What could possibly go wrong? 

Didog was eating like a trailer park king for about two weeks, until the damn little brats started fighting each other in our backyard, and mini-vans with angry parents showed up.  So much for the local munchkins.  But there were a couple of slightly older kids that came over to actually ride.  Both of the kids were pretty good back then.  One was Brian Castillo and the other was Mike "Rooftop" Escamilla.  I asked one of the guys in the house where Mike's nickname "Rooftop," came from.  He told me, "That kid's so crazy that one of these days he's gonna kill himself out riding and we're gonna have to tie his bloody, broken, corpse to the rooftop of the car to get him home."  I don't know if that's the real story, but after seeing him ride, even back then, it sure made sense.  Now, about 24 years later, it STILL makes sense.  Another great clip Mike.  Hope you're you're not relying on Obamacare in 2017.

My main blog now is about building creative scenes, check it out:
The White Bear's Making a Scene

Mike Dominguez BLASTING airs in 1988

I've been going through old video clips for research on my book, and I saw this one pop up on the side on You Tube.  Had to watch it.  I was at this contest watching this.  The ramps are both 8 foot high quarters with no vert, I know, I've helped set these ramps up.  This is Mike Dominguez at his peak.  Before Simon Tabron and Jamie Bestwick and Kevin Robinson and Dave Mirra and when Mat Hoffman was just a hot up and coming (though already full factory) amateur, was Mike Dominguez.  The railing on these ramps are exactly four feet high.  His first air is a solid 12, maybe 13 feet out.  His 540 is AT LEAST 8 to 9 feet out if you count by lowest point of the bike, like many did at the time.  If you go by sprocket height, it's 10, maybe 11 feet out.  I think this is the highest 540 I've ever seen done live.  EVER.  This isn't footage I shot, but I'm sure glad somebody shot it.  These are some of the highest airs ever, by anyone, on the AFA era 8 foot quarterpipes.  Austin, Texas AFA Masters 1988.  Enjoy.

My main blog now is about building creative scenes, check it out:
The White Bear's Making a Scene

Recent BMX drawings

 Here's the three I've done over the last few months.  On the left is my take on a classic early photo of then Haro pro Ron Wilkerson.  Top right is my color take on one of my favorite street photos ever, the epic black and white shot of Vic Murphy launching a one foot tabletop off a curb jump.  Bottom right is my color drawing of the best photo I've ever taken, a B & W panning shot of Dave Vanderspek on his GPV (gravity powered vehicle) at the Palm Springs Tramway race and ramp jam in 1987.  I do sell these drawings, and I'll also be giving some away now and then to people who buy my BMX magnus opus:  Freestyle BMX Tales: The Book. 

 Here's a closer look at the Wilkerson drawing.  I usually add words and phrases to my drawings.  In this case, a bunch of things Ron contributed to BMX freestyle.  All three of these drawings are 18" X 24", and all done in my unique "scribble style" with Sharpies on paper.

Vic top, Vander bottom, slightly closer up pic.  You can see more of my work on my art blog: Steve Emig Art.

My main blog now is about building creative scenes, check it out:
The White Bear's Making a Scene