The Flatmattersonline exclusive clips are building nicely, George Manos hit me up this week without even being asked. Super hyped on seeing the clips build, just three weeks in. And already three great clips from Pete Brandt, Sietse van Berkel and now Heresy rider, George Manos.
Its pegruary, and George doesn’t even care, he’s out there doing his thing.
Do you have a clip?
The format is simple, film a clip and holler flatmattersonline at the end, send it in:
Darin Wright just came through with the trailer for the up and coming full edit from the epic 2020 One Love Jam a few weeks back. This one is short and easy on the eye, and flows good! Looking forward to the full version…
Flatland, a decade on. Where is it at? In 2008, when I was starting Flatmattersonline, I hit up a broad scope of riders from across the globe, and asked them a topical question at the time, “To scuff or not?”.
As we went into a new decade, I wondered…. in terms of styles, have we really moved on in progression over the past 10 years? I hit up some of the same riders that were involved in the first main article on the site, and also some fresh riders to get their perspective. How has their personal riding developed over the past ten years, are there still lines and tricks that they feel never get old, and stand the test of time?
How has bike technology affected their riding, riding spots and so on. Welcome to Part 1 where I reach out to the 2019 Flatmattersonline Rider of the Year, Dominik Nekolny, Pete Brandt, one of the most hardcore riders on the planet. And Matthias Dandois, winner of reader choice edit of the year and the most recognisable face in flatland in the world. Part 1 is an interesting read, you might want to grab a cuppa and give this your attention….
A decade on technically what’s different about your riding style? The tricks are obviously different, but has your approach changed?
Dominik Nekolny: Man, I just watched some footage from KOG back in 2010 – and boooooiiii I was killing it 😀 I guess my riding was little bit more technical and “jumpy” which I actually miss a bit…
Pete Brandt: My approach has changed with some tricks and techniques, but the commitment of exerting a trick is a lot still the same. I love the feeling of full commitment on the approach, and throughout the the trick.
Matthias Dandois: I only do things that look good and feel good. I film all the new tricks I learn, and if they don’t look good enough to me I just put them in the trash can. Even if it’s contest winning trick.So I guess I got less technical but more flowy. Works for me!
Describe your riding ten years ago?
Dominik Nekolny: My riding now? I love it! 🙂 I come up with some style and links which nobody did in the contest and I spend a lot of time to make those links dialled as fuck, so what you want more. :D.
Pete Brandt: Lots of spinning and turbine styles.
Matthias Dandois: My riding 10 years ago was more technical, less aesthetic. More trick based. Contest winning tricks.
Two weeks ago we dropped the return of the Flatmattersonline exclusive clips, Pete Brandt was kind enough to step up, and push his level to get the series going again. If you watched the first episode you will have taken note that I invited anyone to join this.
The format is simple, film a progressive clip for you, holler flatmattersonline! Send it in via the Flatmattersonline email.
I put out a few invitations to help get the ball rolling, and Deco, Four Pegs rider Sietse van Berkel was the first to get back, and he just sent in this amazing clip. These clips are all about inspiring all of us in the flatland community to push things one step further than you normally would, and get it the clip on film.
To document share and progress.
Thanks to Sietse van Berkel for stepping up, who’s got the next clip? Could this become a weekly thing, and maybe a year award category? I think so…
The crew over at IGI Flat BMX are hosting a “Pegruary” Instagram contest, deadline is February 8th for the qualifying round, so you are going to have to be quick! Head over to @igiflatbmx on instagram and follow the rules and get yourself in the mix and push your personal riding!
Great to see this Flatland Fugitive video resurface again, the influential flatland crew from Los Angeles helped inspire everyone in the flatland community during the 90’s and their influence can still be felt today. If you haven’t seen this one, well worth a watch with great riding from the likes of Day Smith, Sean Peters, Nate Hanson, Edgar and Ivan Plascenia, Sean McKinney, Leo Dumlao, Andrew Arroyo, Jesse Puente, Richard Zabzdyr (R.I.P), and more…
Deciding whats’ old school and mid school, goes on and on. This weeks Old School Sundays is dedicated to the game changers, the Plywood Hoods! Peep this show in Lancaster, from 1991. Featuring Kevin Jones, Mark Eaton, Chase Gouin, Chris Young & MC Brett Downs. Grab a cuppa and enjoy this one from the archives! Treats!
It’s a good day for edits, get stoked for your Saturday session. Nick Watts just dropped his latest edit, the forward death line at 00:56 is amazing! Thanks for sharing with us all Nick!
Always nice to see Brian Tunney’s smooth as glass riding styles here on Flatmattersonline. A d his descriptions, are really engaging too. So let’s roll with his breakdown on his January 2020 clips edit.
Over to Brian:
“I had zero intentions of keeping this monthly thing going, especially in January when I’m usually buried in work, away for a week and a half in Aspen and adjusting to a new bike. But a few weekends with the sole focus of keeping it mellow produced more than a few clips for me. So what the heck?
I can explain.
New bike motivation: I didn’t exactly get an entire new bike (in fact I still have my black “traditional” bike fully set up), but I did get a deal on a used Heresy frame in December and built it up a bit differently to kinda push myself in a new direction. Did it work? Hell no, I’m still doing the same shit, but it’s lighter, more responsive and a bit of a change up from what I’ve been riding the past few years. Also, looking at the bike, it reminds me of a flatland version of Taj Mihelich’s tan T1 Barcode from years ago, which I’d argue was one of the best looking bikes to grace the mid-school. Also, I broke my own cardinal rule and got slightly bigger bars, then put on Haro 48s with a cassette that collecting dust in my garage. The bars still feel huge, but there’s a slightly higher degree of leverage on front wheel tricks, and the 48s feel really stiff on front wheel tricks. (There’s a difference for me between 36s and 48s. It’s ever so slight, but it’s there.) The long and short of the different bike is, it makes me think and react differently to my riding, which, 30 years in, is a good thing.
Location: I made a pact to myself to not ride the garage near my house this month. If I had the time, I was going to ride the park next to my house and make good with uneven pavement on an unused basketball court. The reason for this, I really just got tired of the noise inside the garage, which is essentially the equivalent of an indoor East Coast skatepark on amateur skate night. Skateboards are loud, kickflip attempts, over and over again, even louder. Am I whining? Hell yes I am. But I’m also really sensitive to outside noises messing with my riding unless Converge is playing a live show specifically for me or the neighborhood dads are playing a friendly game of one-on-one.
So there you go, another month of riding, rambling and whining from me. Thanks to Empire BMX, Leah and Pablo for keeping me rolling into my old age.”
York Uno just came through with the best footage so far from last weekends Chimera Games A-Side contest. Loving the raw practise footage, and some battle footage into the mix to boot. Well worth a watch, when you have a moment.
