Effraim Catlow: 14 Years of Flatmattersonline!

Hello everyone!

14 years of Flatmattersonline, can you believe it?!!!

I’ve been stacking clips in between injuries for the last three and a half years. This edit for me has been a real case of going against the grain of what everyone else seems to be doing. The norm now seems to be most riders post their clips as soon as they have landed them straight onto the gram. For me, the gram is for leftover clips and photographs.

Videoparts are our album, I had this conversation with a few riders out in Abu Dhabi recently. There’s a lot of riders in the current scene with “no” albums or at least no a recent one. It seems really sad to me, there isn’t a right lot to watch right now “video part” wise unless you go back digging (which there is nothing wrong with).

How many times do you go back and watch a video on Instagram? For me, it’s rare and something I feel strongly about. The video part for me is still the holy grail, contests whilst they are great and have their place. They are forgotten about the week after, video parts can affect people’s lives for the better.

I think about the impact Real-it Tv had on me as a kid, Dorkin in York, Baco, the list goes on. None of these videos were about contests, they were about riding and progressing, good times, joking about, music, it’s all on there. Are Instagram clips really having a lasting impact on you, or just about saying you did a trick first ?

This part for me, continued on my path of not pumping, using my body and bike for momentum and focussing on my technique. The ender in particular is something I have sat on along with the San Francisco clips for three years and one of the best things I have ever done, I wanted to save and document this time rather than just wasting it on the gram.

The passing away of Dave Beveridge had a big effect on me, someone I grew up riding with on the UKBFA circuit, sessions together at the Petersfield club, outrageous drunken phone calls, heckling me at contests, then list goes on. I always appreciated Dave, you could tell he loved BMX. He lived the culture and I miss him at events a lot and just the out of the blue phone calls asking me something about the flatland scene.

I’m getting side tracked here, what I wanted to say is Dave invented a trick Called the ”swashbuckle” and that took me back, I literally remember where I was when I learnt this trick.

So I went out after Dave had passed away and relearnt the trick again and filmed the trick and planned a “ shoutout video” to put it out for you all to see. After such procrastination I decided it was too soon, and not a good thing to do. It’s something I will definitely return to.

I started to think how I could do that trick in the modern era, Whilst i couldn’t come up with anything, I did come up with the idea to do a forwards anklebuster (boomerankle), around the same time James White was also doing the same move. It’s crazy to me how nothing was done with this trick for thirty odd years and we both came up with that without knowing, now it’s a part of every session for me. And that way of thinking came from Dave, some moves haven’t made this edit. The possibilities are endless….

“Somewhere between storming and norming refers to my mindset of having an idea (storming) and putting the work into until it’s time to document the idea (norming). I’ve been going back and forth with this process for the last three years in between filming and injuries.

Its time to celebrate, 14 years of running the site. Like I do with your edits and your contributions, I hope you take something out of this, no matter how small it is. Let me see your album, and let’s get the flatland culture booming again and not lost on a swipe right type of deal that’s currently on.

The instrumental track “Life” by J Dilla, I thought fit my riding well and also I thought was fitting to my dedication and the mood I wanted to set with the edit. Thank you Valance Drakes for putting me onto this track. The track is sadly blocked on youtube, so Vimeo it is..

This part is dedicated to Dave Beveridge, Faisal Sketty a skateboarder who I would share the skatepark with throughout the 90’s, and Peter Hawkins who helped my riding career a lot during the 90’s/2000’s and gave me a job at Southsea Skatepark where I now manage.. Rest in peace……

Thanks everyone for the support over the years.

Effraim Catlow / Flatmattersonline.

55 thoughts on “Effraim Catlow: 14 Years of Flatmattersonline!

  1. You’re the David Attenborough of Flatland. Thank you kindly for the 14 years showcasing everything from top tiers to the underground. This is not an edit this is a story narrated by a very good author, your friends: Dave, Faisel and Pete would be proud you as well am I.

  2. Great edit, Effraim. Really thoughtful use of music, environment, and of course skill. Really enjoyed this one! Thanks for all you do, and congrats on 14-years!

  3. Absolutely brilliant! You are the master of flatland ❤️. So proud of you baby. You inspire so many. You’re amazing to watch! Xxx

    • Thanks Johann. sadly there aren’t many left. Rest in peace to so many that have left us. And all those left standing, and still riding (thats an amazing achievement). Tabron, Bestwick, get Phil back out Johann, Mike O’Connell, Rob Ridge….

  4. Pleasure to watch this Big-E! Man, 14 years a long time for you to have helped to keep the flatland community together and connected through a central hub of activity. Big respect for all you do from one flat-lifer to another. Couldn’t agree more about the value of proper video parts over quick insta clips.

    • Thanks Brandon. Yes its sad for me the way its gone, hopefully people realise the value of video parts over the “like” and need to get things out quickly. It’s about longevity for me, and working towards a finished product that you can look back on. You must have that feeling big time with E clips, I can’t even imagine how you felt with that!

      • Yeah, it’s a great feeling man. It reminds me of looking through family photo albums as a kid. You would just sit and look into this window into time and emotion and you could share that with friends and guests. I look back at e-clips now and I’m just so grateful that it exists and is this like moving photo album that captured such an important time in my life and Chase’s and that people around the world can look through that window into that moment in time as an experience and not just a ‘there and gone’ daily scroll kind of thing.

        • I can see that, and it’s there forever too. Easy to find too. Instagram clips in ten years time might be so hard to find, its not like you can search for it easily you know.

  5. Happy birthday Flatmatters!!….Flatland is not the same since 2008!!!Freestyler series also celebrates 8 years from its birth….Keep up that great work Big E!!!

  6. Amazing edit E and great to see you are still busting out! Love how compact everything is! Also wanted to add a RIP to everyone mentioned. The recent news that Peter Hawkins has passed away is very sad and I am so grateful for everything he did for me, sponsoring me from 15 years old as an amateur opened up so much opportunity and he did the same for so many others – lifts to events, accommodation, food and being a constant support to everyone on his teams. One fond memory for me was being given a stack of RL Edge tyres every time I visited Southsea growing up! Sad that we lost touch and RIP Pete.

    • Hello, Effraim. Congrats on your new edit- amazing combos bro, love your personal approach to riding. I feel the same way about edits as “albums”. Also, your constant and hard work as curator of this fine flatland museum is one the most remarkable contributions ever made in our discipline. This endeavor does not go unnoticed and it’s greatly appreciated by the global flatland community. Thanks E!

  7. Hbd flatmatters and thanks for all the time you spend for keeping us update!
    The edit was dope also!
    I love the idea of making a good edit with lot of different ideas and locations!
    C ya E

      • This is a classic video that mid school/old school riders grow up with long time filming !
        So it was very good to see all those of your combos and i would say your arw still having the flow and style!
        Thank you for the nice words! Yes,actually i just got back to riding 3 months ago as i was in pain for 2 years due to a fall at the SI joint and Pelvis!! It took looong time to heal and i am still working on this! So i am looking to ride for 20 more years hard!
        I have tons of videos in my camera and at some point i ll make a looong video with many many riders!!
        Ride on!

        • Thanks for the kind words Sakis. It’s good to hear you are back riding and im sure killing it. Look forward to seeing your edit (album) when your ready.
          Parade and that time on KHE was a good era looking back. It was crazy how many riders were on the team world-wide, 30-40 riders as I recall.
          Imagine that now?!

  8. Such a great edit E!! Thank you for all the years of contribution to Flatland. Really stoked on some of these combos my bro. Can’t wait to see you in NOLA.

  9. Been waiting for this……Riding from ya , always stokes me , Big-E . I’ve been wondering what that move was . Getting to see it rules. ( original Karl step up ,rub the tire back and forth ! ) I dig it ! The ender …….pedal cowboys flips , drop down to half hiker juggler to hiker , pull up to pull through , cross Karl out ….no wonder you’re were excited … The one handed rebate , lacing those leg tweaker , pedal ashtrays …..EVERY line was slammed . Happy 14 , Effraim . Speaking personally…… your riding in the past… like your section in the O.G. Marton ,1997 Parade video ,is still THAT section to me , always. Your riding today, your magazine and video work etc ,……..and of course this site has motivated and stoked me for years ..thank you , TIMES 7 . FLATMATTERS …..

    • Thank you Rodney! Always appreciate your positive comments on the site, not just on my videos, but all riders. I think you motivate riders a lot with your words. Just started working on new ideas after the edit, good session last night!
      Are you going to the Red Bull Circle of Balance this coming weekend? If so, I will see you there!!!

      • You’re so welcome , Big- E …..you busted , bruv ! With so many riders busting too…..it’s easy to comment , give cats their respect / props. Stoked you’re zoning with new ideas ,sessions, and I’m sure rad stuff will come out of it . Nope , campeon ……can’t make it , gotta work , man…..I’ll be keeping up with all your and anyone’s coverage of it after work though ! I know the riding is gonna go full on ham on the progressive / difficulty scale……and I’m really hoping to see cats go for some long lines as well ! Someone , anyone….. use the full amount of time in your runs , PLEEEEASE…..

  10. That ender ! You’re flipping as soon as your rear wheel gets off the ground ! Flipping AGAIN directly after…so fast/ precise . Dropped to Karl , step over half hiker , hiker juggler , x- Karl pull through- pivot…….STILL stoked on this edit and THAT ender. I’d also be very pleased with a story video explaining the learning process and trials to learn THAT ender……banging , E !

  11. Thank you for being in faisals life. He often talked proudly about his scateboarding days…. the best of his life he said. He taught my son to scate at age of 10, gave him a new vocation. He had a tibial plateau fracture at age 47. Doing railings apparently…… didn’t Fais him. Forever remembered….. and loved.

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