Category Archives: Must Watch edits!

Here is where you can find the best, must watch edits!

Must Watch: Matthias Dandois: The Flat Side Of Things 5

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Where do you start? We all know Matthias Dandois is one of the most consistent contest riders to ever do it on a 20 inch bicycle.
What hit me first with this project, after all Matthias’ daily work duties for his sponsors, it’s refreshing that he keeps the hardcore sessions with moves he’s worked on for hours on a tripod setting to his personal account. This feels like it’s for the hardcore fans, I guess is what I am trying to say.

Last week, I was lucky enough to get a first look before the edit dropped a week later. You get a sense of what is to come, and I always wonder which of these moves will make it to the contest floor, it’s kinda fun trying to guess…

Matthias’ is always on point with music selection, and the Morriña Baiuca track definitely sets the tone for this edit, and I liked how these lines were not drawn out. Everything pretty much is to the point, whereas his contest runs contains longer lines. Good to see that difference for sure.

When you are that consistent, what can you throw when you try something for three hours?
Filmed over the past 8 months in New York, Paris, Geneva and Saint Raphael. As always with Must Watch edits here are some of my personal highlights:

00:51: Shove-it plasticman line, the Plasticman gets done a lot in flatland these days. Nice to see a new touch to a overdone trick. And when something is done a lot that’s hard to do..
** Flat Snitches would say it’s a shove-it no handed switch footed hang 5 however…

1:03: No handed spinning halfpacker to spinning hitch line!

3:05: Backwards no handed spinning hitch, again I like how this was left on it’s own. Straight to the point!

3:37: One handed seat grab two footed backyard pivot one handed switch foot mega spin out.

4:48: Crackpacker Double boomerang bar scoot to steam!

5:36: Rollback body varial to pendulum halfpacker!

Go watch this one, if you aren’t already. What was your favourite line? Let’s discuss this one. Time to go riding…

Must Watch: Dane Beardsley / Daily 2020

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Must Watch edits are normally reserved for this edits riders have worked on for a while, on the flip side. What if, you are so good that you can bang out a whole series of unique lines and do it with style. Dane Beardsley is one of those riders, in this edit although I have seen the clips individually on instagram. It is still so impressive and needs to seen, the footwork particularly stands out in this daily 2020 part.

Hit play and you will see what I am talking about, Dane is incredible.

Classic Monday’s: Stephen Hearn – Create 2006

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It’s been a few weeks since I dropped a Classic Monday’s feature, and when Jody Temple sent in this Stephen Hearn “Create” video part from 2006. It was immediately my thought to save this for a “Classic Monday”, if you missed this one the first time round when it dropped, you are in for a treat.
This part is so good, 14 years on this part still holds strong to this day. Literally everything he does is amazing, if I had to pick a standout its the x-ft half hiker pivot backwards halfpacker to left/right side backwards backpacker to right side backwards halfpacker to backwards crack at 2:09!
Like I said everything in this part hits hard, no filler at all!

Stephen Hearn take a bow, I hear this was all filmed in an hour! Incredible….

Must Watch: James White / Bring the Terror

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Time and time again, James White is bang on the money. And once again, hits the jackpot right here with this amazing “Bring the Terror edit”. Bringing back child hood memories with the UK hip hip group, “Hijack”, not only quality riding that you come to expect from Whiteski, but also really good editing, and camerawork that enhances the riding clips.
James’ riding is “on point” like always, and in this edit he furthers the concepts he displayed in his last full edit “eye of the tiger” in 2019.
If I had to pick a standout clip, it would be the stalled switch foot lawnmower to undertaker out at 00:45, wow!
Let’s discuss this one in the comments section….

Must Watch: Varo Hernandez / Spanish Flatland Talent

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I said it before when Varo Hernandez dropped his Flatmattersonline exclusive, Varo is a rider on the rise.
Varo’s riding continues to go up many levels, so smooth and precise. The whole edit is so well constructed, the Corona Virus graphic mid edit is an awesome touch.
Must Watch edits are of course about the riding for the most part, and some of the highlights are:

00:38: Hang 10 pivot/bodyvarial to x-foot crackpacker flip out without laying the bike down!

1:24: Opposite inside switch-b to updside down mega spin line.

2:27: Hang 5 steam to opposite carved half hiker body varial to xft halfpacker line.

This edit is all about the whole package, props to Varo for the riding and Rafael Blvck for the filming and editing. Hit play on this one right now….

Jean-Francois Boulianne: The Southern Escape / The story behind a Must Watch!

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Intro/Interview: Effraim.
Photography: Matthieu Metivet, Simon Warsan, Jean-Francois Boulianne.

This past winter, Jean-Francois Boulianne made his travels south to Peru and Colombia to avoid the harsh cold Canadian winter.
No one could have anticipated the Covid 19 pandemic that was to follow, and JFB has held onto this edit for a couple of months.
When Jean first hit me up with the edit, I asked what he had been up to during the winter, as I had seen a few posts on social media and was curious what his story was, and he seemed to be away from home for a long time.
After a few conversations back and forth, it became apparent to me that I should showcase this amazing edit a little differently than your normal Must Watch video breakdown.
Without further ado, it’s time to learn a little more about Jean’s travels and enjoy this edit, as the story goes deeper than just tricks, and captures for me what BMX is all about….

Continue reading →

Must Watch: Toon Pakphum goes Full Run Mode!

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Many riders have toyed with the concept of a one combo contest routine, few can do it though. Toon Pakphum shows great calmness and consistency to get this done, the multiple stem-a-rangs body varial to halfpacker 2:15 into the line, is outrageous.

Under MK Format tuition, Toon shows no sign of slowing down even though the contest season is on hold. It’s definitely going to be interesting when the contest season restarts again, we will see a changing of the guard at the top of the sport? Toon is certainly knocking on the door, let’s discuss this one.
Great work Toon!

Must Watch: James McGraw & Pete Brandt / 50th Birthday Edit

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James and Pete: 50 years flatland bmx from James McGraw on Vimeo.

People often ask me, “Effraim, why do you travel across the globe to ride in a car park (Parking lot)? Through my travels competing and visiting jams, etc, Pete and James have become two of my best friends in the flatland community. James and Pete both share the same birthday, April 10th (today), and James hired Jim McKay to put together this amazing 50th birthday edit that really captures not only amazing riding, but also the feeling and emotion behind what goes into flatland and our culture.

When people ask me that same question in the future, I will show this edit, and say these are two of best friends that I would never have met, but for flatland. Jim McKay did a great job putting this together and his professionalism gives this edit a movie like feel.
Not too mention having, Mark Eaton also contributing the soundtrack, I feel honoured to have contributed to this video with some footage of Pete shredding the Clocktower back in January.

Happy birthday James and Pete, thanks for all your do for flatland, and the inspiration over the years. This is truly awesome, go watch this now and soak in the flatland brotherhood experience!!!!

Must Watch: Austin Luberda / Daydream

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Let it be said that I was a fan of Austin Luberda’s riding the first time I met him at Battle in the Rockies around five years ago. There was something about his riding that set him apart from everyone else in the arena, it was instantly recognisable. It’s not something I can ever put my finger on exactly why, it’s one of those situations where you can just recognise it and of course appreciate his talent.

Daydream is Austin’s latest project, and like the title suggests. We all write down our dream moves, but can you get them done? The slick editing and not to mention Austin’s memorising riding that could also put you in a dream state adds to this project a lot. What did I just watch? There was so much going on in this edit, and Austin still despite back wheel becoming more and more trendy, find new ways to make me scream at the laptop. Let’s take a different approach to my normal Must Watch edit description style, this time you tell me what’s great about this edit and why Austin stands out….

Must Watch: Rob Ridge / Strong Arm Tactics

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In life, I always hear people say “be yourself”, “dare to be different”. Rob Ridge was ridiculed for years by the BMX fashion police, and now he’s become I would say a BMX cultural icon. He’s loved across the board. It is interesting how things like this develop over time.

I have known Rob for years, and I am sure I must say the same thing this with every post. You can see his flatland skills shine bright throughout his latest masterpiece. No one cares about about his bike set up, the use of the locking lever, and so on. It’s all about what Rob is doing on the bike, there are so many NBD’s in this I will just leave this one for the comments section. What’s your favourite move?

I will say this though, Rob is probably the most technical lip trick rider on the planet right now! And this comes from his highly skilled flatland background….