Category Archives: Exclusives

Repo: Bike Days 2018 / Day 2

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It’s Day 2 of the Bike Days contest, and already yesterday I felt like I have been in Switzerland for a week and it’s only been since late Thursday night. Relaxed lifestyle, old architecture, very clean almost every where you look, and amazing Swiss typography that brings back memories from my university days.

Saturday is all about qualifying, I headed down to the contest to post the Day 1 repo before we got started judging the contest at 3. When I arrived Dominik Nekolny was the only rider on the floor, and as usually completely going off, it’s really hard to try and update the site whilst wanting to watch Dom ride and go through his practice routine all on board the Deep Blitz frame, Frank Lucas was stoked.

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Repo: Bike Days / Day 1

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On Thursday night I flew into Zurich, Switzerland for the annual Bike Days contest. Dan Hennig kindly picked me up from the airport and we kicked it at his new house out in the beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Zurich. Dan picked up Dustyn Alt and Maik Speer on Friday morning before we made the one hour trip to Solothurn.

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Throwback Thursdays – Catching Up with Dan Hennig

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Later on today I am flying out to Zurich, Switzerland for the annual Bike Days in Solothurn. It doesn’t seem like a year ago that I interviewed Dan Hennig outside the flatland arena, but it’s as good a time as any to re-up this. And hopefully this weekend I will get some more catch up interviews done.

Review: The Infinitesimal Secrets of The Flatland Kings Book.

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Text: Cory Stratychuck.

When the news broke there was a flatland book coming out, I instantly knew it was something I must read.
After getting the file, the first thing my eyes hit was the artwork not only in just the pictures but also within the words. It really encapsulates this book and you will soon find out why.

It starts out; “Big things come in infinitely small packages,”

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Repo: Vienna Jam by Sebastian Grubinger

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Text/Photo captions: Sebastian Grubinger.
Photos: Peter Provaznik.
Edit: Tom Sevisual.

VIENNA JAM 2018 from Sebastian Grubinger on Vimeo.

Good people bring good vibes and this is so evident from this years Vienna Jam. BMX and flatland needs more of this level of event. Look at all the smiles and good times from Tom Sevisual’s Vienna Jam edit above and Sebastian’s repo below. Big respect to Sebastian for putting this event on and helping grow flatland at a grassroots level whilst on a big stage.


Dustyn Alt killed it all weekend long. Winning the Best Trick on Sunday and collecting plenty of euros during the cash for tricks jam.

What a weekend, but let’s start from the beginning …

It’s been 8 years ago when voices got louder that it’s time for a Flatland Jam in Vienna. It didn’t take long and an already closed BMX Shop and I organized a small jam. Nothing special, just some fun contests like Hang-5 slalom, some goodies from several BMX companies and time to jam together. The main goal was to bring people together and have a good time. From this time on it happened every year …

Now, 8 years later, I got the chance to organize the Vienna Jam at one of European’s biggest bike festivals. The “Bike Festival Vienna” happened for the 20th year in front of Vienna’s city hall on the „Rathausplatz“. It has over 100 000 visitors on the weekend and shows all kind of bike sports.


Vienna Jam 2018. 35 riders, 14 nations. An amazing weekend for Flatland.


Sietse van Berkel. On and off his bike is amazing. And you should see him teaching flatland to the kids.


Akos Bordas representing Hungary during the cash for tricks and the best trick contest.

Repo:

But now about the weekend …

Friday the Vans Vienna Pre – Jam went down on Vienna’s local spot „Heldenplatz“. Already a lot of riders showed up and spent the evening together riding and hanging out. A very promising start into the weekend.

Saturday all started with Flatland workshops. Viki and me offered everyone who’s interested to ride a BMX bike and try some tricks. To be honest I didn’t expect so many people and I have to say a huge THANK YOU to all the riders who helped out. Workshops were scheduled for 2 hours but it happened to be all morning. Anyway it was a blast to see kids riding and trying their first tricks! The future is bright!


Mates Tucek impressed everyone with his mind blowing x-ft skills.

Around noon more and more riders arrived and started to rock the spot. The „Cash for Trix“ Jam late afternoon turned turned out to be huge: 35 riders from 14 nations. We had 500 Euros in small bills to give away and everyone, from beginner to pro, was killing it while DJ Preddy was spinning his 45s.

Right after the Cash for Tricks Jam all the riders moved from Rathausplatz to Heldenplatz to throw down the biggest jam I’ve ever seen on my home spot! Amazing vibes.
We ended the day at a local pub with around 20 riders – cheers!


Dustyn Alt mid best trick winning line.

Again, after a few hours of workshops on Sunday morning, everyone got ready for the Best Trick Contest. 1,5 minutes for each rider to show the best combo or trick. Price money for top five (700, 400, 200, 100, 100).
19 riders from 11 nations took part and everyone rode amazing! Some landed the combo first try, some in the last second. A huge audience was amazed!
Dustyn Alt took the win. He started the Contest and had to leave right after his 1,5 minutes to drive back 6,5 hours to Germany to go to work. Second place went to George Manos, followed by Gilles van de Sompel. Wolfgang Sauter and France Granic placed 4th and 5th.
Again the day ended on Heldenplatz with a big jam … well and for some of us later in the same pub as the day before 🙂


Showing his talent not only on Belgium TV, but also at the Vienna Jam. Gilles van de Sompel.

I can’t thank all of you enough who came to Vienna and made this event and weekend so special! You all rule!

The Vienna Jam will be back for sure – I don’t know when and I don’t know where but I promise, the main goal, like 8 years ago, will be: bring riders together and have a great time riding BMX!


Viki Gomez at the Vienna Jam for the second year. Here, mid death truck line.

Steven Lapsley “Forget What You Heard” Interview

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Intro/Interview: Effraim.

In this day an age it is really refreshing to be surprised with a brand new video with a heavy stack of riders to boot. This was the case when Steven Lapsley dropped the news “Forget What You heard” dropping tomorrow. Like whoa, where did that come from?? I wanted to catch up with Steven, who kindly sent me a pre release copy to talk about the project and get his thoughts on picking the riders, making the video, getting fresh Miura footage and much more. Without further a due, let’s get right into this!

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The John Yull Flatmattersonline Interview!

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Intro: Effraim.
Interview: Todd Carter.

John Yull won three awards for the 2017 Flatmattersonline Year end awards, editorial and reader choice Most Progressive Rider and Line of the Year editorial for his Master of Creativity 2017. Being at the top, it is interesting to dig beneath and talk about the mindset riders are in to get to that level, this kind of level doesn’t just happen often and only a few make the sacrifice to achieve that level. John Yull is one of the chosen few, via some brainstorming with John and Todd Carter we came up with the following interview. Sit back grab a cuppa and show some love to John! Todd Carter caught up with John Yull during the AFA Texas weekend to talk all things Master of Creativity. Thanks a lot Todd for taking the time to interview John, this is a good one!

00:48: In this day of age of everyone being online constantly, sharing almost everything they do on a daily basis. John made the decision to stay offline.

2:13: Not stacking clips and using a strategy but instead going in hard round to round right up until the deadline.

4:07: Which round of the MOC was John most happy with?

4:46: Which round did you not like as much?

5:56: Personal satisfaction, not being happy with clips.

7:13: Riding early morning in Japan before any riders were at Meriken park so no one would see what he’s trying.

7:52: The impact of the no handed decade on social media. Did he peek in to see what was going on online during this time period?

9:46: Thoughts on judging this year’s Master of Creativity contest?

10:53: The crash section John posted from his MOC entries was brutal, was the worst slam or at least most memorable?

15:04: Focus this year after competing in MOC for the last years? What can we expect this year?

16:06: MOC not being fun, and shouldn’t be fun.

17:20: Any advice for riders on the fence, should I enter MOC or not?

18:15: If you had to pick one trick from the MOC 2017 what would it be?

19:26: Thank you’s

Singha BMX Championships Photogallery by Schogn Lee.

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The exclusive content continues today, it seems to be a friday thing. Not planned I have to say. But that’s how it’s working out!
Congratulations to Pakphum Poosa-art aka Toon as many of you worldwide know him as, who took first place at the Singha BMX Championships in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday February 4th. Chertchai Chanthong took the win in the AM class, check out this awesome photo gallery that Schogn Lee kindly sent in.

Open / Pro Class
1. Pakphum Poosa-art (Toon)
2. Wasan Suesat (Tor)
3. Worawee Sriwichai (Boom)
4. Prasert Chongudomsab (Pop)
5. Chutchalerm Chaiwirotwit

AM Class
1. Chertchai Chanthong
2. Pitsanu Satitnimitchai
3. Chotiwut Phonplasit
4. Sudarut Suwanitch
5. Charuwat Rutnon

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Shinichi Kiba Landscapes 2!

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Today we have a nice exclusive thanks to Stewart Munro! If you haven’t seen Landscapes 2, your in for a treat today! You can now watch Shinichi Kiba’s amazing part right here. From the opening backwards facing whiplashes to fork wheelie around the worlds to backwards crack backwards facing whiplash you know this is going to be serious stuff. Also wherever he and Hidenori filmed, wow that spot just looks so good and my favourite clip is Russia walking around the world fork wheelies effortlessly across this gorgeous marble spot.
If you wish to buy the video or read my review, hit the link below:

Link to buy Landscapes 2 – https://gum.co/VvAwl

Link to buy Landscapes 1 – https://gum.co/anpUz

Link to Flatmattersonline’s Landscapes 2 review – https://www.flatmattersonline.com/review-landscapes-2

Featuring Hidenori Ishizaki , Chad DeGroot, Bert Ribul, Paul Chamberlain, Raphael Chiquet, Shinichi Kiba, Koichi Forkone Higo, Brandon Fenton and Takuzi Izumi.

Throwback Thursdays: The Dominik Nekolny Flatmattersonline Interview

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With the exclusive content change to Flatmattersonline, it hit me this morning why don’t I repost interviews I’ve done and switch things up rather than just post one edit as a Throwback. Dominik Nekolny won the Fight the Winter this past weekend, this TBT is dedicated to Dom! Perhaps you missed this the first time round in 2013.

Intro: Effraim
Interview: Effraim + Reader Questions
Photos: Kelly Baldwin, Magdalena Stankova, Ronny Englemann.

As I walked into the flatland tent at the BMX Worlds, I looked across the area and saw Dominik Nekolny mid xft whiplashes. My eyes were of course firmly drawn, the link continued with 360 bar flip to halfpacker pivot out to xft opposite carved halfhiker xft whiplashes to no handed guillotine. You could have heard a pin drop.

The rise of Dominik Nekolny to the top I would imagine has been a long hard struggle, and a lonely one too. For me this guy has gone the extra mile which takes commitment and sacrifice. I’ve heard many a contest pro say in the modern day, Dom is the guy to beat. As the clock ticked away during his worlds final, you could see he knew he had blown the world title. For many second would be amazing,for Dom it’s not. And I admire that, he’s brutally honest and wears his heart on his sleeve.
I realised I didn’t know much about a rider I admire so much. Hey Dom, why no flatmatters interview? Few days later here we are…

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