Matt Wilhelm revisits his old riding spot where he rode as a kid at Brandt Park in Oak Lawn, Illnois 25 years later. Great idea for an edit, and amazingly enough, Matt was in a Hoffman Bikes t-shirt back in the day already and still is in 2019. Well worth a watch!
In my opinion ………..this is a like a MUST WATCH edit , considering theres TONS of things that Wilhelm did FIRST , like his signature JACK HAMMER/ half hiker turbines , @ 2.21 minutes , time machine spin, LEEEEEAP over the head tube to cross ice cream spin @ 1.19 minutes ….and so many other things that honestly shaped a lot of the new school riding styles that you see TODAY . He came up with a lot of N.B.D. stuff through the years , AND lets be honest …..he was a TOP 3 contender @ ANY contest he attended , while always killing his edits , COUNTLESS video premieres , AND pushing his progression / the sport …..HAAAAAARRD…….. his ENTIRE bmx career , hes STILL pushing / progressing , this cat took spinning moves and ADDED high level TECHNICAL difficult concepts within every link……on BOTH wheels . No one has ever ridden flatland quite like him ………hit the net ,scroll back 16 or MORE years……and I promise ya…..his tricks , combos STILL stand UP …TODAY with the current level of flatland riding . One of the most dope riders to ever do it , bruv ! Add the fact that hes cool as hell , approachable , met and sessioned with him ,back in July of 2006 , @ the second Texas Flatland Round Up contest , pre-jam . I was tripping over meeting , chatting with him ……..cause I was honestly ……STAR STRUCK , haha……he was cool though and lightened the ackwardness of me being SO nervous , talking to him , haha….we both just took turns doing combos on our bikes , laughed a bunch , and talked about just HOW he came up / created his signature JACK HAMMER trick , and the difference of the speed / torque , of the trick ,when he had just learned how to turbine it , bars SMALL . Hes a TRUE professional bmx rider in every sense of the definition , and Im STOKED to have met , ridden bikes with him that night …..OF COURSE he was EASILY in the TOP 3, after finals @ Chris Balles event , the next day……..Chris TOTALLY lost his voice for a WEEK , cause of being AMMMMMMPED ….like everyone in the ENTIRE venue , announcing ,during Matts prelim AND finals run !! I even BOUGHT raw V.H.S. footage , UN-EDITED of Matts runs from bmx LEGEND , Kevin Guiterrez , cause he filmed Wilhelms riding ..ALL day , haha….I STILL got that video footage ……..well……..AFTER watching THIS SLLLLLAAAAAAAMMMMMMED edit of Wilhelm …….think I might session a lil bit on my HOFFMAN 1997 E.P. , half asleep , before work , this morning , Im half asleep……BUT after watching this …Im pretty HYPED / STOKED , TIMES 7 !! Also ……..Mat doing SIDE PACKERS , NO handed BACK PACKERS , in 1994, as a teenager in this edit ……RAD !!!! Im 45 ,and CANT even begin to do those tricks….TODAY , hahha…….Gracias , Wilhelm / Big-E for sharing this remarkable edit …..THIS makes my morning , campeons !!
ALSO………….Matt Wilhelm was the FIRST to do 360 BODY VARIALS…..while rolling fudge packers AND back packers , CIRCA late 2005 !!! Havent see ANYONE nail those moves…..and its 2019 !!! Innovator !! N U F F S A I D ………..
just wait brother. the day will come when he drops that 360varial again in some full on links and our minds will be soup in our skulls for weeks. Wilhelm’s awesome on so many levels.
Excellent foreshadowing with the HB shirt…
Matt is the best. Glad he’s still doing his thing
Thats right my brother Rodney,Must Watch!Still remember the first time i saw Matt in the intro of infinite pieces…im still in amazement everytime i watch new footage of Matt.Awesome edit!
Seems you really enjoyed meeting Matt, Rodney. And he seems like a genuine person to. I to, love seeing Matt ride every time, probably more than anyone. I don’t think l’ve seen anyone spin as fast as him. And a great role model to. Thanks Matt & F’matters.
Loved Matt’s style always, who doesn’t! This video is a great inspiration for the new comers and I will be sharing it with them for sure. Thanks Matt and Flatmattersonline
B.Z. / Tristan ! Yall are preaching to the choir , haha…..Mats 360 BODY varial , during fudge packers / back packers is rad enough on their own ! To see him just SLLLAAAAAMMMM those two variaitons in a front AND back wheel combo would be crazy , type of lines that would WIN M.O.C. 2020 , or ANY contest for that matter , haha ! I still love watching old Flatland Manifesto videos , because Mat nails both of em @ a 2002 Metro Jam contest , back when he was on G.T. , riding a raw show frame, with I think Power Bar stickers ? Shane Neville caught Mat straight away busting the varials , gave him some proper filming and slo -mo editing . Meeting him was really cool . Im glad we were riding in a jam circle , trading combos on our bike , cause I was REALLY having trouble tripping over my words , haha…….us both riding , sort of lightened my nervousness , haha…….after we did about 3 links each , I was a lot more chill , relaxed , and could actually really chat with him about his jack hammer trick , that he was doing , as if they were friggin pinky squeaks or something , haha ! 2006 was a really good year for Mat @ just about EVERY contest across the globe , earning podium finishes @ a lot of em , he was getting some support from Suelo / Fly bike company outta Madrid Spain , so he hit , like ALL the major comps , worldwide , AND debuted his spinning pumping half packer , to blind reach , grab the left side of the bar , to a body varial to fire hydrant / leap exit ……….and he was nailing THAT exit AFTER doing 3 fire pink LEAPS over the seat / back wheel , directly to frame whip , jumping into the half packer , ZERO scuff , just BAM , hitting those pegs , immediately to pumping / spinning / turbining ! THAT was such a rad link , that if ya really pay close attention ……he still use bits and pieces of that combo ,to this present day , and why not ?! Like Terry Adams , Karina move , its timeless , HAAARRRD , and will still hold its own in ANY contest setting . Matt is DOPE on a bike ! My uncle and his wife were here after my momma had her liver transplant , my whole family was here visiting in early May of 2002 , Unc had an extra ticket to a Spurs basketball game , @ the AT@T stadium ……I was gonna just chill @ home , but was like , eh , why not go check it out ……….guess WHO came out FIRST, during the G.T. bmx team halftime show……..banging out , like 9 fire pinks to bar flip to half hiker ?!! Hahaha……..I had NO idea the G.T. team was even in town , haha……My uncle and his wife , of course myself were STOKED watching the whole team BUST OUT on their bike …..but MOST of all………on Mats Taz spin steam , whipped to super tight ,bar small Mc Circle , dropped to spinning hitchhiker !! Yes , mi hermano , Giannis , I TOO STILL get AMMMMPED watching Wilhem ride , always ! AGAIN ………SUPERB edit , this one………..