The Four Pegs BMX Shop is growing it’s team, Sietse Van Berkel has just been added to the team along with Sebastian Grubinger and others. Congratulations Sietse on the hook up!
Category Archives: News
Dez Maarsen & Davis Dudelis – Double D’s
Davis Dudelis made the trip to Holland a few weeks ago to ride with Dez Maarsen for a week, really enjoyed the contrast in styles between the two of these two young shredders. Dez’s xft pivot line at 1:34 flows so well, and Davis’s ender at 2:07 is so powerful!
Bo Wade & Bert Ribul at “The Spot”
Bo Wade & Bert Ribul at "The Spot" from Scott Hagnas on Vimeo.
The Spot in Redondo Beach has so much history in BMX, for many of us this was the spot that was the holy grail in terms of riding spots to visit. Fast forward to 2018, and it looks like a part of the Spot was been resurfaced and is perfect for modern day flatland as apposed to the brick surface previously.
Bo Wade & Bert Ribul meet up with Scott Hagnas meet up on the Monday after the One Love jam for a session, Bert takes care of the front wheel whilst Bo the front wheel. It’s a good day for edits.
Flatland joins the UCI
Everyone is talking about the UCI inclusion into freestyle and where the iBMXff stands currently everywhere on social media you literally cannot escape it. Vital BMX interviewed Bart de Jong the UCI BMX Freestyle Adviser to learn what lead to this decision, what it means for Flatland’s future, and more. Hit the link for more details:
Must Watch – Sebastian Grubinger / Believe in a Wheel
BELIEVE IN A WHEEL from HERESY BMX on Vimeo.
I’m a big fan of Sebastian Grubinger’s riding, who isn’t I hear you say… I am also a big fan of riders taking a concept or style and pushing as far as they can. We start the week off here at Flatmattersonline with a banger with a nice message from the man himself:
“Ever since I started riding winter has always been my most progressive time of the year. Very much looking forward to a big change in my life this year in May, I started to go out in December to work on some tricks I had in mind for a while. This year’s Austrian winter wasn’t too bad and temperatures around 0°C or wet floor couldn’t slow down my motivation. Early February the list of ideas was worked off.
For sure, there are always more ideas, more lists,… this never ends. But there are also more winters … and I’ll be out again, whatever conditions, and believe in a wheel.”
From the opening clip at 00:33, the pivot backwards ice cream round opposite side to backwards backyard up two footed pedal backwards manual to degroot undertaker right across the floor at the legendary Heldenplatz in Vienna. A spot that is deep in the history of flatland with the Michael Sommer videos and of course Sebastian, Alexis Desolneux, Trickstar videos and many others. The first clip to any edit is so important, and in my mind can make or break a video part, this delivers and whets the appetite.
Moving on, there’s some experimental ideas thrown in between what I thought were the bangers. Namely the nothing jump on the backwards backyard at 00:58. Always a treat to see riders not afraid to try something new and be different.
At 1:06, one of the best clips of the edit in my first few watches, I literally screamed “Oh yeah!!!” whilst I watched the final straddle-roni exit. The line is a pivot backwards ice cream round opposite side two footed backwards backyard straddle-roni exit out, which had a nice warm up fro what was to come at 00:49. This is years and years of riding to layer the moves and control like this, I feel we have been blessed this past week with firstly Akira Okamura’s amazing part and now Sebastian’s, yet they so different.
2:08, this line much like the 1:06. I screamed “Wow!” and I am pretty sure you will do too, absolutely beautifully crafted from the opening half lash forward g-roll backwards opposite ice cream backwards backyard to degroot undertaker out! So good, shit that might be my favourite line. This is true highly crafted flatland right here.
The level and energy is building on every clip, the speed and execution of the line at 2:54 is jaw dropping. Backwards facing manual to double backwards backyard walk around degroot undertaker out!
It keeps getting better and I love how Sebastian is layering these lines as he builds his skill base, you can almost see what’s coming yet its unvisited territory and the final line at 3:14 kind of left with a feeling of what is to come in the future. All laced to a surprise Motorhead track that I would never have guessed would fit Sebastian’s riding style, flatland is full of surprises and that is one of the many things that keep us all going. Love that Sebastian battled the elements to get this done, zero degrees and look what is going down.
Back to watch this one again!
Terry Adams wins Azteca contest in Mexico City
Congratulations to Terry Adams who took the win at the Azteca contest in Mexico City, followed by Dominik Nekolny in second, and Jean William Prevost in third place. That is a big win for Terry, can’t wait to see some footage from this event.
2018 CFO Flatland Unlimited Contest / Pro Highlights
CFO Flatland's Unlimited Contest – 2018 from JKyllo on Vimeo.
Joseph Kyllo just sent in the first coverage I have seen from the annual Toronto contest, featuring Robert Reilly, Jason Plourde, Rob Shaw, Bo Wade, Cory Fester, JF Boulianne, and Dominik Nekolny. Anyone have run footage get in contact….
The Top 20 Riders in Brazil!
A nice treat today from Brazil, Daniel known to his friends as “Sansão” got in contact with this Top 20 riders from Brazil edit that he helped select along with most of the Brazilian scene. There is so much good riding in this one from the likes of Leo Claro, Mateus Beckmann, Marcos de Jesus (that two footed front death half whip to fire hydrant at
4:19 is so good!), Bruno Zebu, Balu, and many many more shredders from a scene we don’t hear enough about! This is worth your attention!
Must Watch – Akira Okamura / JYU BMX
It’s that time of year where banging edits are few and far between, no one wants to let the cat out the bag too early. Akira Okamura chimes to his own beat, and boy did this edit hit me hard from the get go.
Laced to a flowing Libro track, Akira hits us with a whole bunch of new moves and that signature style we all love. From the opening line at 00:04 hopping rocket style to xft backwards peg wheelie cranked into inside switch-b he had my attention, no long drawn out intro straight to the point.
The two footed dump truck jump two footed ice cream at 00:36 is a perfect switch that I don’t recall seeing like that, execution top notch! I’m glued to this wondering what is up next, and then BOOM a couple of lines later!
My favourite of the edit, 180 backwards two footed bunny hop body twist with a quick x-up one hand to gliding junkyard at 1:16, absolutely beautiful! Let’s discuss the rest on the site there is so much detail to take in, what’s your favourite line? In a week where politics in BMX threatens to split us apart, this is a welcome edit! Thank you Akira! Wow!
“The Infinitesimal Secrets of The Flatland Kings” Book by Eugene Collins
Art, sport, what is flatland? There is a lot of thought that goes into almost everything related that you can possible think of when you get deep into riding, Eugene Collins has taken the time to go deep into his experiences and way of thinking in flatland.
Here’s what the man had to say about his book that’s now available on Amazon, link below:
“This is the book of The Infinitesimal Secrets of The Flatland Kings. Why are we so driven, so motivated to be artists, writers, dancers, musicians or riders? Why are we so irreversibly impelled to create something of beauty? Why are we so determined to ride? How is it even possible to find infinite creativity within the finite perameters of a 20 inch bicyle? The Infinitesimal Secrets of The Flatland Kings is a brief memoir of the life and work of artist/rider/writer Eugene Collins. It is elegantly illustrated, including flatland artwork drawn by the writer himself.
The story’s narrative seeks to draw the reader into life changing pivotal moments in the life of its writer and at the same time the realm of flatland freestyle and its connection to everything. Flatland is more than just fun, more than just a passion. This book, which is part of a project that spans 20 years, delves deep into the true motivational factors of riding BMX flatland freestyle and, in essence, what it means to be an artist and a Flatland King. Colorful vivid accounts are conveyed in a way that inspires all artists to look deeper and to see beyond the things seen. Its purpose is to inspire creative thought, cognitive growth and a true appreciation for what it really means to be an artist and a rider of flatland.”
You can order the book below:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8YK6X7/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_THqOAbAWHSG2C