Author Archives: Effraim

Must Watch – Brandon Derbowka / 2018

Featured

Posted on by — 8 Comments ↓

It takes a lot to move the Heresy Tour video off the top spot here on Flatmattersonline today. You just know when you hear the name, Brandon Derbowka that this is going to be really good and this does not disappoint.

Right from the off, working a really tight indoor riding spot, 00:05 a straight version of Martti’s xft hitch full body varial. Starting opposite xft Karl to opposite xft hiker to backwards backpacker for a second literally pivot regular side xft hitch, beautiful. Literally everything hits hard in this edit, so this might be a long description. But I wanted to show this video some deserved love, so bare with me.

00:18: Xft opposite halfpacker pivot hitch pivot regular side xft halfpacker, how he flips that hitch to xft from an almost straight angle is amazing!
00:47: Xft whiplash to xft hitch jugglers, crossing his feet regular and opposite on each rotation of the juggler, watch this one again and again. So technical!
1:14: Might be my favourite line of the edit, xft half hiker to halfpacker pivot opposite xft hitch and he comes out straight (that’s the key point), to opposite backwards backpacker switch hands regular backwards backpacker pivot xft half hiker to the Martti Kuoppa xft hitch body varial this time in circles! What a line, difficulty levels off the chart here, wow!
1:47: Xft half hiker pivot to halfpacker bars straight pivot xft hitch xft whiplash switch leg to regular xft halfhiker pivot halfpacker pivot opposite xft hitch! Are you following all this?
And the final move, that I wish to highlight because it’s so damn technical! At 2:15, opposite Karl entry to opposite backwards backpacker hitch to regular side backwards backpacker pivot xft half hiker uncross leg switch to opposite xft half hiker backwards backpacker pivot xft hitch out!

What an edit, I realise today the Heresy edit will get a lot of attention, but do not sleep on this one. Holy shit! Take a bow, Brandon Derbowka this is truly inspiring!

Heresy – South Of France Tour

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

This past September, the Heresy crew chose to embark on a week tour in the south of sunny France where they also filmed their last team video “GROUP ASPHALTANIC RITES”, and took part in jams with the locals in Bordeaux, Toulouse and Montpellier. Good vibes throughout, plus head over to the DIG BMX website for the story and photos.

https://digbmx.com/videos/heresy-south-of-france-tour

Episode 5: How to BMX Flatland / How to Peg Wheelie

Posted on by — Leave comments ↓

It’s been a couple of weeks since our last how to….

How are you all getting on so far? Have you learnt all the how to’s so far, if you have… Well done you’ve been putting the work in!

Today it’s time to teach the peg wheelie.

Steps to learn:

If you learnt the backwards peg wheelie I taught in Episode 4 whatever you foot you stand on the peg with, go with that foot. My prominent foot is left foot, with right foot my balance foot.

Take one push off or pedal, straight line.

-Use your standing peg foot as close to the dropout as possible, this helps with the bikes stability.

– Start with your arms bent, pull up straighten arms.

– Your balance foot will swing back and forth as you work out the balance point.

– Try and keep the front wheel just a few inches off the ground. Don’t pull the front end up too hard, you will flip off the back of the bike.

– Try not to touch any brakes on this trick, I use my thumb on the bar as shown in the video.

– Set yourself a target, one parking space, two parking spaces. Have some fun with it.

Guest rider: Ben Walton.

Let me know how you are getting on in the comments section…

Enjoy flatland and building your skills!

Bri Welch – Rad Girls Interview by Paula Marie

Posted on by — 8 Comments ↓

Intro/Interview: Paula Marie.

Good morning all! We start the week here on Flatmattersonline with one of my biggest current motivations, Bri Welch! If you follow the FM instagram page, you will have seen the photo of Bri balancing with a prosthetic leg! Think about that, flatland is hard enough but throw in a prosthetic leg and I can’t even imagine. I met Bri at the Battle in the Rockies this year, and she is full of life and out there doing it and learning tricks. Paula Marie over at Rad Girls BMX caught up with Bri to tell her story, which goes so much deeper. Next time you are struggling for motivation, think about this girl and what she has gone through. Much respect Bri, over to Paula Marie..

I routinely scour the girls bmx scene, looking for new talent, I’ve been doing it well over a decade, pretty much since I started riding. But I can tell you that these past few years have been some of the greatest yet. Every so often I find someone that really stands out. Recently Bri Welch caught my eye. A girl showing up to ride at the Cornhuckit Jam, at the Midwest Indy Jam, and Battle in the Rockies. Bri has a real interest in riding that you rarely see, and she’s already planning to host a clinic this upcoming spring to inspire others to ride. Even though Bri just started flatlanding last spring it has been a whirlwind for her. Much of her life has been. From new flatland beginnings back to how it all started, Bri answers a few questions I asked her when we sat down for a chat in the proverbial cafe that is the internet.

Continue reading →

Masashi Itani & Sunny Singh – two life goals, one clip

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Masashi Itani & Sunny Singh met up for a session in Japan, and Sunny was able to chalk off two life goals in one day. Read his description and watch the video, the back wheel line from Masashi is off the chart!

“Two. Today I knocked out two life goals ever since I made my first BMX video back in 2000: 1) Ride with and film a Japanese pro rider at a famous spot in Japan and 2) Pull a trick of my own in Japan. Spent a few hours today riding with 2nd generation pro rider Masashi Itani and 13 year old Sakura Kawaguchi, who is just getting into flatland. In a scene dominated by men it was really great seeing her work on new tricks. She is part of the emerging 3rd generation of Japanese riders who are pushing the boundaries in terms of originality and technicality.

It took Masashi several tries to land this combo. The difficulty was the final cross footed pivot before scuffing the ride out. We had a radio playing and for good luck he switched the song to the KRS-One track that I used in the video I produced for him earlier this year from our session in Hawaii. Sometimes the right tune puts you in the headspace you need to be in.”