Mat Hoffman riding vert in a purple tuxedo & an inflatable castle on the flat bottom. Weird...but ok.

Picture this scenario. You find yourself at a party, moving slowly through a nameless crowd, watching the smoke linger like clouds in the dark atmosphere. You find a seat on the one couch centrally located in the humble party abode then promptly shut your mouth and watch the procession. Suddenly, a small chimpanzee sits beside you and asks for your phone number so that he might later challenge you to a Tony Hawk Pro Skater Tournament over cheese pizza and ice cream.

No, you're not dreaming. You're simply bored and making the party fun in your head. I myself have happened upon this scenario numerous times in my party career, including the random chimpanzee conversations. I'm not crazy, just bored by the general party atmosphere, until, that is, New Year' s Eve at the Hoffman Bikes Compound in Oklahoma City.

I spent the better half of New Year's Eve day riding the ramps with Dave Young and fixing my bike. Towards the end of the riding session, I decided to keep up with the sanitary conditions of the late 1990's and wash my hands (they were a gritty brown from chain grease). So I enter the restroom, only to find Mat quickly jumping into his New Year's Eve get-up. I can be justified in calling this the get-up of the century, with the new millennium coming and everything. The get-up consisted of a bright purple tuxedo jacket, black slacks and bow tie. Add Mat's Vader-esque full-face helmet to the equation and you're looking at something you'd normally encounter in Venice Beach. (i.e.- very strange).

So Mat made his way to the vert ramp, along with loyal T1 supporters Joe Rich, Garrett Byrnes and Paul Buchanan. Also along for the ride was DK/Exhibit rider Colin Winkelmann and FBM's Nate Wessel. And joining soon after was Rooftop and Utah Ryan, who is from California. The riding was amazing. Imagine Mat blasting 14 foot airs with all the brakeless fury of a buzzing Y2K bug. Pair this with the moto-x vert style of Joe and Garrett and you've got a hefty vert session on your hands. And of course, I'd be a jerk if I forgot to mention HB's own Rick Thorne jumping in later on, as well as The Gute, Pat Miller and O-Dog.

Meanwhile, down on the smaller ramps, another session was just brewing. Colin, traveling the world with two S.O.B.'s and a launch ramp in his Astrovan, is just plain amazing. Name a trick on any ramp and I'd bet good money that Colin could do it clean. Rooftop and Nate focused their sights on the mini jump box and made a good number of partygoers happy. Rooftop pulled a 360 to sprocket to 180 back in while Nate turned it up with a 360 to manual to 180 in the other side. (So that he came in rolling backwards down the ramp. It was good.) So far, my imagination was far from bored.

Soon after, everyone was tired and made their way up front to the main party for food and music, courtesy of HB Sales Manager Page Hussey's band, 20 Minute Crash. Page's band played a good mix of cover songs and kept the party rocking under the concert lighting and smoke machines, which coincidentally set off the smoke alarm. When I say rocking, I mean it. Almost everyone was dancing, and soon enough, someone had the bright idea to start ripping people's shirts off. Soon, the shirtless bunch consisted of Mat, who still had a bow tie on and looked a tad like a Chippendale's dancer, Utah Ryan, Big Island, Bart De Jong and a host of other HB employees.

Midnight was rapidly approaching now. Dave Young propositioned his new friend Katie for a New Year's kiss, and was granted permission. I'm sure he's still smiling about it. The countdown began. 3-2-1- Happy New Year! The balloons came down, confetti shot everywhere and the lead singer of 20 Minute Crash stripped down to just his guitar for their final set. It was a good time for all. It was such a good time that people left the party pistol-happy and shot their guns into the virgin Y2K night. Don't worry. The pistol happy bunch was apprehended with the help of a man we simply know as the Beef Jerky Guy. Thereafter, the HB Millennium Pistol Happy Beef Jerky Bike Riding Concert Party winded down. Everyone left with the thought of cleaning up the mess on the following day.