Monday, December 17

BMX Update 12.17.01

By Josh Root
EXPN.com

Where I live, it's raining like crazy. I can't believe how much water is coming out of the sky. It was like a shower walking from my house to my car. I think I'll move to Portland, I hear it rains less there.

Nirve has dropped Mike Laird. Brian Wizmerski is on Schwinn.

Rich Hirsch has really started to come into his own recently. First was his new clothing company (Salvation), then getting hooked up with Odyssey, and now a full sponsorship with Mosh. Not bad for a guy from Blaine, Washington.

GT/Schwinn? Or should I say Mongoose/GT/Schwinn? Who knows what's going on with that company, but it does look like they are building a team again. But it probably won't be as big as in years past. Apparently the GT show team will be about the same as it was, so look for them out on tour as usual.

Huffy gave the boot to the "Wildman" Todd Lyons. Probably shouldn't have cut those dreadlocks. So that leaves, what, one (or is it two) riders on the Huffy team? Their much hyped "re-entry into BMX" from a couple years back didn't last long.

Speaking of Mosh, in "news of the weird", Rich Hirsch told me that the guys there are putting out the call for sponsor-me tapes to all riders under the age of 13. I have a feeling that someone at Mosh is going to have to sit through hours and hours of boring footage. But if you want to send something in (remember to include your name address and phone number), here's the address:

Mosh Bikes Attn. Sponsorship 3587 Old Conejo Rd Newbury Park, Ca 91320

Chase magazine has hired Steffen Goulet to sell ads. Editor Ken Paul will be stoked about this I'm sure, as Steffen has a wealth of contacts in Canada for clothing and shoes, etc. Chase magazine is being distributed to different countries now: 4,000 in the US through Tip Plus and 4,000 in the UK through Seventies. Go Canada!

Alan Foster is no longer Airwalk's team manager. Though he will still ride for them in 2002.

The 2002 BMX-Freestyle Worlds comp will be in Cologne, Germany. July 4th-7th. It should be as good as always. Buy your plane tickets now while they are cheap.

A still sponsorless Dave Osato won the Planet Australia street comp. Sponsors? We don't need no stinking Sponsors!

I have to give out some respect to my friends in Portland, Oregon who run the www.pdxbmx.com website. This is what a local "scene" site should be. They put a lot of effort into it, and not just so they can ride on the coat tails of some national trend. But so they can report (and talk smack) on what's going on in their hometown. Which happens to be one of the best spots for BMX in the country right now.

Portland's much needed indoor skatepark should be opening soon. I keep hearing dates, but then they keep getting pushed back. But I was down there the other week and got to go in and look around, and I can say that the place will go off once it opens. Call the guys at Pharmacy skate shop in Portland for more info.

There will be a Terrible 1/FMB contest at the I.R.R. skatepark in Austin TX. It will be January 20th. You should call 512-515-7600 or e-mail fbmcontests@hotmail.com I think the contest proceeds are to raise money to pay off Steve Crandal's bookie. Apparently he bet a bunch of money on himself to win the X Games vert gold last summer.