2023 Flatmattersonline Year End Award Nominees Announced!

Hello everyone!

It’s time to announce the nominees for the 2023 Flatmattersonline Year End Awards in Reader Choice (You at Home) and Editorial Vote (Me at FM HQ!). Congratulations to everyone who got nominated, and thank you to everyone who took the time to vote.

– Effraim.

READER VOTE:

RIDER OF THE YEAR:
Julien Baran
Yu Katagiri
Jean William Prevost
Yu Shoji
Kio Hayakawa

EDIT OF THE YEAR:
Jean William Prevost: Comes in waves
Dane Beardsley: About Time
James White: White Noise
Sebastian Grubinger: Finale
Viki Gomez: 20 Years on red bull

FEMALE RIDER OF THE YEAR:
Carin Hommura
Aude Cassagne
Jeanne Signeur
Louise Signeur
Leticia Moda

CONTEST RUN OF THE YEAR:
Yu Shoji: Uci Glasgow final
Kio Hayakawa: Chimera Round 3 final
Yu Katagiri: X Games final
Yu Katagiri: Flatark
Jean William Prevost: Huffjam

LINE OF THE YEAR:
Dane Beardsley: Last trick in About Time.
Yu Katagiri: Flatark Best Trick.
Kio Hayakawa: Xft upside pedalling Uci Glasgow semi final.
Yu Shoji: Crack jump to Saturn spin.
Takato Moriya: Backwards pedal junkyard full flip line.

EDITORIAL VOTE:

RIDER OF THE YEAR:
James White
Jean William Prevost
Yu Katagiri
Yu Shoji
Kio Hayakawa

MUST WATCH EDIT OF THE YEAR:
James White: White Noise
Jean William Prevost: Comes in Waves
Sebastian Grubinger: Finale
Takahiro Enoki: Heresy
Dane Beardsley: About Time

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION:
* To be announced next Sunday.

BREAKTHROUGH RIDER OF THE YEAR:
Yu Shoji
Ren Oshima
Jijejije Bmx
Takuji Izumi
Takatora Hishkawa

BRAND OF THE YEAR:
Heresy BMX
Four Pegs BMX
IGI FLAT BMX
Ares Bykes
Nous BMX

*The 2023 Flatmattersonline Year End Award winners will be announced next Sunday (28th January).

Must Watch: Owen Bohn & Benjamin Hudson in the Andes Mountains

Jean William Prevost aka Dub puts together an absolute classic, with two of the best in the game, Owen Bohn & Benjamin Hudson on their home turf’s. His description is perfect so not much need for myself to add anything other than this is worth watching on your tv screens at home. Flatland BMX lifestyle to the fullest!

“Owen Bohn & Benjamin Hudson hold a special bond. Both share a passion for flatland that is hard to find at that level in the mountainous area they inhabit, they live pretty close to eachother except for the towering Andes mountains that separate their cities Santiago and Mendoza. They’ve been taking this 8 hour bus ride that crosses the sight of the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas every time they feel for the motivation of riding with a real one. 15 years later they still motivate each other to keep pushing. This video will show them riding in a short mixed session together but also host a solo part for each on their own spots in Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile.”

TRIP REPORT LINK:
http://www.igibmx.com/los-andinos

Chimera A-Side Final: Yu Katagiri vs Yu Shoji

The Chimera A Side competition in Osaka Japan went off last weekend, the final in particular was absolutely ridiculous. With the 2023 UCI World Champion Yu Shoji going head to head with the winner of X Games & Flatark, Yu Katagiri. You don’t want to miss this, I recorded this off the Chimera A side instagram for all those that missed it. Enjoy!

Yu Katagiri & Carin Hommura take the win at Chimera A-side

The Chimera A-side contest in Japan earlier today did not disappoint, heavy line up and heavy riding on the contest floor!

Yu Katagiri was on fire as always, nailing his 360 bikeflip line in the final battle vs Yu Shoji who took second. And Yu Yamamoto in the third place podium position beating Kio Hayakawa.

In the Women’s Class, Carin Hommura dominated and took a well deserved win, followed by Ao Ogawa and Sona Yoshimura ended up in third place.

What an event, level up. Talk about starting 2024 with a bang!

Must Watch: Matsudo Year End Jam 2023

It’s an annual tradition, right at the end of the year the Matsudo locals throw down a jam at their infamous riding spot. Infamous through the Moto Sasaki videos (who sadly isn’t on this one).

As always there is a great variety of riding styles on offer here, some of the highlights of the edit for me are: Takahiro Ikeda two footed spinning death truck body varial out at 1:12, Wild x-up spinning lawnmower body varial to two footed x-foot backyard line at 4:58 by Ren Oshima, Varo Hernandez front to back wheel line at 7:19, Yu Shoji’s Xft opposite hang 5 to xft halfpacker line is amazing around the 7:56 mark, and Ren gets the banger at 8:27.

The flatland community waits for this edit every year, and I guess we should include this in the year end awards talk as it falls in 2023.
Thank you Jimalog, and all the riders involved in this annual jam!
Don’t sleep on this one!

CHIMERA A-SIDE presents – BMX FLATLAND 1st Round

Chimera A-Side run a dialled set up, check out this awesome edit featuring footage from all classes. Next round is fast approaching this month, I’m mid FM awards mode so am still catching up on some edits that I have missed along the way. Don’t sleep on this one.

Viki Gomez: 20 years sponsored by Red Bull

Congratulations to Viki Gomez, one of the flatland all time greats on celebrating 20 years on Red Bull!

Here’s what Viki had to say:

“Started my journey with Red Bull in 2003 after winning the Red Bull Circle of Balance World Championships. Now, 20 years later and after six World Championships, three NORA Cups, 70 countries and many other great achievements that I am thankful for!
I wanted to give a tribute to the brand that have given me wings and still do!
Thank you Red Bull and everyone who I met along the way. Let’s go for Year 21 !!!
Thank you GGM image & SEVISUAL for this epic surprise.”