Day 3 of my trip out to San Francisco, and it was basically more of the same of Day 2. In the morning there was a small matter of presenting the 2019 Flatmattersonline Year end awards. After publishing the awards, I took the BART down to the clocktower and arrived for a session at 1:30, Pete showed up right as I got there. But he unfortunately got called to work, so his session yesterday was a bit more chopped up than mine.
Yesterday, Tuesday 14th was my first full day in San Francisco. Once I had my bike built up I made the 40 min journey by BART to the Clocktower to meet Pete for a session. Pete works literally down the road from the CT, so regularly starts work early so he has the afternoon to ride.
I got off at the Embarcadero stop on BART, the Clocktower for all of you that haven’t been there is literally a 2 minute pedal if that to the riding spot. I met Pete at the spot who was already way into his session as I arrived at 1pm. The sun was shining, a little windy but hey it’s January. I was glad to be outside riding in a t-shirt, as I hear news that its blowing a storm at home. It made me feel even more grateful to be out here in SF riding with my child hood hero, some things in life you just cant script.
One of the things that stood out in my mind, was Pete saying no day is the same at the CT. Today we had some busker playing metal all day, as our soundtrack. Well mine, as Pete has headphones. And hardly any skaters the whole time we were riding, maybe 5-6. I met a skater from Berlin who was in town filming for a new part, then heading straight to Barcelona. Yesterday had totally different dudes from Monday, Pete said this is completely normal down there.
We rode for a good 4 hours back and forth sharing the spot, super motivating session. About three hours in Pete started talking about a new hitch he wanted to do. Straight bar steamroller step to the tyre bar flip to pedal steam, I started to relearn teakettle pivot to halfhiker in order to do something new with it, after I landed mine. You could tell Pete was not leaving till he got it, but unlike mine. Pete was throwing a line into the new switch, after about an hour he landed it! Today we both pushing the concepts further, where I for the most part ride on my own it was super cool to share the drive with Pete to get what we wanted and actually watch it get done!
After the session, I wanted to grab a tea at Starbucks across the road. Yes I know, I am so English! We reflected on the session, music, spots in SF, and started talking about Wednesday’s session already. When we headed back to the CT, there had to be over 20 skaters at the spot and again all different people from the day before. I asked Pete, how many skaters would you say live in SF? “Has to be around a 1000 skaters!”… Can you imagine going somewhere and asking the same question about flatland, that would be crazy to say, yeah there’s around 1000 flatlanders. We headed back to the house to meet Pete’s wife, Karissa and the kids. The first full day was a belter, more of the same today!
Yesterday was a long day of travelling to San Francisco from London Heathrow for my second annual trip out here to ride with Pete Brandt and hit up the One Love jam down in Newport Beach, So Cal.
What a response, we got from the first episode of FlatSnitches. Myself and Pete are super stoked and humbled by all the feedback. FS is a labour of love dedicated to being an educational resource on the history of trick inventions for flatlanders spanning across all generations of our artform.
What we realised after the first episode is that these are episodes that can be updated as useful information (“art of facts as Pete calls it) comes forward. This wasn’t something we considered when we started FS.
We had numerous riders, for example reach out with further information about Jesse Puente doing the Plasticman after we published the first article. Articles can be updated much like tricks are, you get a refresh every so often and learn more about tricks you love to do on the daily.
Intro.
Welcome to a new section of Flatmattersonline that has been brewing, not unlike the cuppa right next to me right now as I get ready to drop this first episode. After a lot of talk back and forth with Pete Brandt, “Flat Snitches” is born and dedicated to help educate the flatland community on the history of trick inventions and most importantly showing some love to the architects that came up with each trick along the way, not to mention the evolution of each move with other riders putting their twist on it.
Who came up with what trick and when, is sometimes a grey area, but myself and Pete Brandt after all our years of experience are as best placed as anyone to attempt to do this.
We Kick off Episode 1 with the Plasticman, and talk to the trick creator, Jesse Puente about the tricks history and evolution into another move entirely.
When I think about Jesse Puente, his energy springs to my mind. I always recall when he commented “You bust, I bust” back when we both rode for KHE in the late 90’s, his energy was contagious. Always thinking about new tricks and concepts, he made me want to have new tricks every time I would see meet him at contest across the globe. Jesse’s energy brings me to the plastic man and his desire to create something fresh.
Jesse, rolling the OG Plasticman in Shimersville, PA back in 1994. Photo: Sean Parker.
Every year Pete Brandt and the SF Clocktower locals throw down a jam to celebrate day light savings, TCU were in town to document what went down last weekend. Pete Brandt gets two clips at the start of the edit from the 00:14 mark, and I was stoked to see the relatively unknown Clocktower street shredder, Jacob get a line in this at the 1:14 mark. Good vibes from the Clocktower, this brought memories flooding back from my time there in January.
Text: Effraim.
Photos: Effraim, Juan Lopez, Bobby Carter.
The 9th annual One Love Jam in Newport Beach, California was lived up to all the hype I have heard over the years. We were staying around an hour away in Corona, and I believe it was James McGraw who said “it will be sunny at the beach Effraim”. I remember thinking “yeah yeah, that’s not going to happen”, low and beyond we arrive at picture perfect Newport Beach and the sunshine is booming, girls in bikinis everywhere, hockey players, and a fast smooth newly resurfaced riding spot which is large enough to hold 120 riders pretty comfortably with a California beach backdrop.
Yesterday was the first dry day of my trip to San Francisco. Dylan Worsley from We Bicycles arrived in the morning, and myself, Pete and Dylan headed from Fremont to San Fran by BART. 40 minutes later, we were at Embarcadero and the Clocktower is across the road. The ground was still really wet from and early morning shower, Pete has the Clocktower on lock down and has a let blower, squeechie, and to my suggestion added a towel to the fix to get the riding spot dry.
Good morning everyone!
As many of you will know, Pete Brandt who happens to be my child hero growing up organised a go fund me page to get me out to the One Love jam in Newport Beach, California this weekend. When I was younger, my parents took me to San Francisco on holiday and I always loved the place and everything about it, so much character in this city. So as you can imagine I am still pinching myself that I am actually here. I can’t thank Pete, his wife Karissa, and everyone who donated to help me get here.
I arrived into San Francisco on Monday, after an 11 hour flight and almost three hours in the customs line I was pretty tired, but also pretty excited to get riding and make the most of this dream trip out here.
It is the annual One Love Jam this weekend in Newport Beach, California. Tomorrow I am heading down to LA with Pete Brandt, Dylan Worsley, and James McGraw. Seems like as good a time as any for this sweet bonus edit from last year, crank it up and get hyped. I know I am!
