After two weeks filming/editing the awards last Sunday I went out for a session right after presenting the Flatmattersonline Year End awards and had a feel good session where everything on the bike felt good.
I had a new idea whilst I was enjoying the session, and as I got nearer to hitting the line I decided to put the phone down and capture it and hopefully get the FM exclusives rolling again.
I have been messing with forward ankle buster variations for a while now, and happy to tick this Fire hydrant turbine to forwards ankle buster rebate off the list. Some good motivation for me now I have some more free time after the awards.
Let’s get these exclusives rolling again, next exclusive drops on Wednesday.
Amazing news finally official today, after going back and forth with the organisers for a few months. Flatland is now a big part of the IBMXFF Worlds this year in the UK, proud to be involved along with James White. Read on for the official press release and book your tickets to Nass, it’s going to go off!
NASS and the iBMXff are really excited to announce that flatland is coming to the Worlds. With the BMX Freestyle World Championships being hosted in the UK for the first time since 1988, it was always essential that flatland was included. The iBMXff flatland world championships will be hosted at NASS on a brand new specially built outdoor stage. Here you can witness an array of the best international flatland BMXers performing tricks that have formed the basis for much of freestyle BMX.
Flatland is the start of it all. From riders rebelling against BMX racing and doing their first ‘curb endos’, to inspiring modern day BMX freestyle legends like Mat Hoffman and Dave Mirra. Without flatland, BMX would not be where it is today. Therefore, with such a strong heritage and influence on BMX it is easy to see why NASS and the iBMXff have worked tirelessly to ensure that we will be able to crown the world flatland champion.
The flatland championships will be run by top UK flatland BMX pro, James White, and Effraim Catlow, former flatland world champion (1994) and founder and editor of flatland BMX site, Flatmatters. We asked Effraim what it means to see the world flatland championships coming to the UK:
The World’s best flatland riders will do battle for the honour to be crowned the “2016 World Champion” this year at Nass. We are proud to bring the World Championships back to the UK for the first time since the 80’s. Who can deliver on the day and handle the pressure that has seen many a great rider crumble in the past? It’s sure to be one of the most amazing events in recent years, and it’s on home turf! Make sure you are there to watch it unfold! Flatmatters!
They say all good things have to come to an end! And that is certainly regretfully the case here. For two years, riding for Junglerider and particularly the honour of being asked to ride for the company by one of my riding heroes, Martti Kuoppa is something I won’t forget in a hurry.
Over the last two years I have been testing my signature “E-frame” with plans for it to go into production, but there sadly hasn’t been enough interest in the frame. We needed to take minimum of 100 orders, nowadays I realise that flatland is a saturated market and that is a tough order to make.
Now I have got to the situation where I have cracked my first prototype which lasted 2 years, there are no more frames to ride, so rather than have no bike at all. It’s time to go get a new bike!
I just want to take this opportunity to thank Martti and Simon at Junglerider, for all they have done for me, and the very fact Martti believed in me in the first place. Going back and forth with Martti producing countless progression clips/edits in 2011, is something that will remain with me forever.
In keeping with the Junglerider/Flatmatters philosophy, hope you enjoy the farewell clip! More to come…
Kurt over at http://www.bmxunion.com has been helping me out the last day or so add a few new lil’ touches to the site. Take note you can track conversations easily with the “Recent Comments” on the right hand side, and also a facebook and twitter like and share feature, and easily like the FM facebook page on the top right hand side, let me know what you think?
Dan Margetts from Worcester UK, is a name I haven’t heard of in years and maybe you haven’t heard of him at all? Matti Hemmings hooked up with him at the old fire station in Bristol, on Monday after the Battle Vibes contest for a session, and Matti kindly fired out this FM exclusive with Dan! What do you think of Dan’s riding?
Throwback clip of me from December 2010, sessioning Studio City, California for two weeks was awesome with Bobby Carter, Bo Wade, Sean Fontenot, John Yull, amongst others. This is a timely reminder for me to start riding back wheel again.. Thanks to Benjamin Querubin for sending this in.
“It’s a full time job that you don’t get paid for basically” Anthony Buglio at FlatWeb TV said recently during a recent Skype conversation with me for an up and coming Interview. It summed up my commitment very simply. Flatmatters started 4 years as a blogspot site to gain a creative outlet that I felt I lost even before the FM page in UK Ride was dropped.
Today, Wednesday November 28th. 4 years on, the sport/artform has changed a lot. Edits were not as commonplace as they are now. By and large “content” it is a lot easier to come by now daily, riders know they have a place to showcase their work, not just FM but many other sites. This week as we hit the 4 year mark, I am consumed with a mixture of emotion. last year was a great year for me riding wise, producing around 30 progressive videos. This year due to injury after injury, currently nursing a back injury, I am bummed I haven’t been able to create what I wanted to. So my apologises to all those that have “Hey Effraim, wheres the 4 year edit?”, my answer in the positive form is good things come to those that wait, for now how about a repost of my 3 year edit?….
2012 has been I think the best year for flatland since I started Flatmatters in 2008, I am in the process of reviewing the year and believe me the selection process is tougher than ever before. Every week it seemed an amazing edit dropped, that made me think wow this is a must watch edit for people!
So whats in store for the 4 year anniversary, well…
As well you will already know, Fat Tony kindly contributed the Behind the Scenes scoop on the 2013 flatland calendar. The Shuichi Osada interview dropped yesterday. Today I am publishing Part 1 of the “The riders perspective on 2012”, Part 1 of the Viki Gomez interview drops Friday, theres also a big John Yull Interview dropping, so plenty to look forward, not to mention, maybe a surprise edit here and there….
So it’s somewhat forced, rather than this being about me, although one of more ideas all along was to have a whole bunch of varied exclusive content drop over the next fortnight or so, as a celebration of 4 years. Rather than just one day.
Last but not least, thank you to all the riders that have supported flatmatters over the last 4 years. The original intention was for FM to be a source of motivation for riders worldwide. And I am proud to say I feel like it has more than done that.
The question really is, whats next?
Leave us a comment and let me know what you think.
Matthew Dyer kindly sent over this blast from the past, me riding at the Easter jam at Southsea Skatepark, March 1997 in my days riding for KHE! Enjoy this first part of OSS. Matthew says he has some James White footage also from this day so look for that shortly.
