Saturday, November 28, 2009
SICK FLATLAND FROM KEELAN PHILLIPS AND LEE MUSSELWHITE
Nice spot + good riders + some music = Riding all night
FLATLANDIN
FROM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VWxvQNXW0A
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Skate-Park As A Neoliberal Playground
I knew there was a catch to all the skate-parks being built in cities across the U.S.
FLATLANDIN
Skatepark as Neoliberal Playground
Urban Governance, Recreation Space, and the Cultivation of Personal Responsibility
Ocean Howell
University of California, Berkeley
More than 2,000 skateboard parks have been built in the United States over the past decade. Although these parks are a response to community demand, many cities have provided these facilities on certain neoliberal conditions. As a review of parks management literature reveals, cities assume no liability for injuries and expect skateboarders to secure private funding; urban managers also expect skateboarders to display character traits of personal responsibility and entrepreneurial-ism. This is in contrast to Progressive Era playgrounds, where cities completely financed playgrounds and took responsibility for personal safety; urban managers also sought to inculcate values of loyalty, which they viewed as necessary in an increasingly bureaucratized society. The comparison highlights how the skatepark can be viewed as an instance in which neoliberal governance practices have reconfigured the citizen—state relationship from one of entitlement to one of contractualism.
Key Words: skateboard parks • skateboarding • playgrounds • neoliberalism • urban governance • Progressivism • personal responsibility
This version was published on November 1, 2008
Space and Culture, Vol. 11, No. 4, 475-496 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1206331208320488
From Sage Journals Online: http://sac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/4/475
Friday, September 25, 2009
2009 LOLLAPALOOZA SKATEBOARDING DEMO
Here are some pictures of an event I worked with Relate Skateboards, Character Skateboards, and the Chicago Youth Skateboard Project. It was at the 2009 Lallapalooza.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
FLATLANDIN Q&A INTERMISSION
I received a question from a rider who wants to start riding more Flatland. I am more then happy to help someone get into Flatland BMX. It is a fun sport and for many a way of life. Although, there will always be something to learn, you start to develop your own style right from the get go so the journey can go where you want to take it.
Here is the question:
"Hey, I'm a new person out in the Flatlandin world and I have a question about the KHE Equillibrium 2009:
http://www.khebikes.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&tas
k=view&id=160&Itemid=75
Is this a good bike? I know I am a starter in the flatland part but I don't want cheap because I have an expensive taste for bikes. I also have some more questions...
How long have you been Flatlandin? and, do you have any tricks or tips to help me keep the front wheel from whippin to the left or right?
It's like I'll fork spin on my Mirraco and I 180, then I scuff the tire twice and tip over... Does the "0" offset help that because my Mirraco doesn't have a "0" offset fork."
Daniel
39
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, US
Answer: What's up Danial and thanks for your question. I am always too hyped to educate and get someone into riding or skateboarding especially Flatland BMX. I am being biased but in my opinion, it is the best sport in the world. Anyway, as for the first part of your question. Well, I would say that you definitely cannot go wrong with the Equillibrium by KHE. It's designed by Jesse Puente a long time pro, and in my opinion, the frame is sick with the cross top and down tube. To me it looks better the the KGB Psychopower although I dig the crossed tubes on the KGB too... I personally wouldn't mind rockin either frame. The Equillibrium for 09 comes minus the KHE "F-Set" which was their own patented and engineered integrated detangler device(their version of the gyro). Most riders weren't really feeling the head set. I wasn't either but again, new modifications and parts are part of the BMX Freestyle world. Some work, some don't...
For your third question about learning tricks. It's hard for me to know without personally seeing you ride and the mistakes, if any that you are doing. It's takes allot of repetitive practice even when you have the trick dialed, you can still get thrown off of balance. Although I am NOT a pro, I have many Flatland tricks dialed where I can pull them about 76% of the time but yes, I still practice them. It sounds to me that you are naturally falling over which is going to happen. The key is to keep the bars steady and centerered and your foot steady on the peg while having the other hang for balance. Once you feel the balance point, then you can hit the tire again for another pump of the tire. For scuffing tricks, you control the motion and tire roll with your scuffing foot while holding steady the bars, seat, pegs, etc. I will admit that it is very hard to keep steady and you really have to muscle the bike at first. Once you keep doing it, it gets easier and when you achieve perfect balance, it will feel like effortless gliding and flowing. A zero off set fork and/or bars will help but is not mandatory for Flatland BMX.
FLATLANDIN
VIDEO FROM: http://www.youtube.com/user/iflatland
Jesse Puente On A Green 06 KHE Equillibrium
Monday, June 29, 2009
RUBEN SKATED THE HOOD, A Story About A Friend
Regardless, we always supported skateboarding in the neighborhood and we knew that we had to do something to get an area that was ours or secure some property ourselves to make this happen consistently and provide opportunity to other kids in the hood. With the local Church and public youth groups suffering from citywide disinvestment and lack of employment for working class people, little did we know how hard this would be. While growing up in the neighborhood, we had made many attempts throughout our lives to push our entrepreneurial spirit by starting businesses very young as teenagers. I started a t-shirt business called "Style-Zone" and a local neighborhood Skate/BMX crew called "The Pavement Platoon" which was inspired by watching BMX/Skate videos like Curb Dogs, Powell Peralta skateboarding videos, and from listening to what is now known as political Hip-Hop like Public Enemy and BDP. Although we listened to a variety of music, in Chicago, House music was dominant on the streets and dance halls, Hip-Hop and it's culture was a definite influence on how we lived and expressed ourselves. Ruben and two other neighborhood skaters, started to silk screen skateboards and made a business called "Relate Skateboards". The future looked bright but there always seemed to be something stopping our progress that we couldn’t figure out as youth. We also knew that it was hard to get through egos and to convince other people in the area to come together for something more positive and to work for the common goal. I know now that, like our families trying to make a life for themselves, most people had bigger issues to deal with in terms of surviving and keeping homes. Skateboarding, and especially BMX, was definitely seen as luxury which was aimed at more middle class suburban youth.
Ruben, like me, loved music, specifically Hip-Hop and although we had different approaches to the culture and the music, we can always appreciate each other tastes. Hip-Hop gave us pride in who we where and the neighborhood that we lived in. It fueled our creativity in skateboarding, biking, and life in general. It also made us realize that music is global and it taught us how to respect other people and their own personal tastes. We also knew that Hip-Hop and the culture accepted us as we where and although we faced allot of hate from people who thought they had some sort of stake in the culture, we knew we had nothing at all to prove. Anyone that really knew us understood our struggles and accepted us as we where realizing the roots and the cultural ties. He could listen to Al Green while at his crib and I would go home and listen to some thrash metal but when it was time to cruise the Tahoe and flex the chrome rims through the hoods, we where bumpin some Gangstarr or some Mobb Deep looking for some cute girls to talk to. We never had much luck, but it was allot of fun.
This was no truer in dealing with some females that we encountered who are always looking for the next best thing and when they find a “nice guy” they either call him a punk, try to emasculate him, or use him for money because he is so happy to have a woman interested in him. Females where a sort of a prized possession in the hood. If you got a good girl, your on top of the world. I will never vilify women because they have historically been victims and many of them aren't even aware of that. I don’t blame females, especially of color, as a whole because in this society like many others, they are victims of Patriarchy and Hegemony and I realize that more as I get older. I am more aware now and realize that people like Ruben and me, and the many other racialized men in the hood trying to navigate through a sometimes shady society and find their place, should not have to have their characters attacked just because they choose to do the right thing in the hood and other aspects of their life. That said, we where by no means perfect and we knew that we had to work extra hard to compete within a society that views our culture negatively but we, in turn, never vilified others to get ahead. In retrospect, there are some people, and I won't mention any names but they know who they are, that we should never have offered a helping hand to especially those who either knowingly or unknowingly helped in our vilification and in the subsequent gentrification of the hood, but we learned by experience and knew what was really going on. I am personally glad I made the mistakes I did and learned from them. This is how Ruben and I lived our lives. Little did I know that by watching my brother Ruben struggle through the pitfalls of life as a Mexican young man in America, I was going to find my own strength to fight for justice and truth while recognizing my own struggles and revolutionary past. This is the gift Ruben gave me and I will never forget our lucha on this earth. NEVER!
It was clear to Ruben and I, may he rest in peace, that our contributions to the community might not be invested back into the area because of the issues we faced as first generation Mexican and Puerto Rican youth trying to succeed in the Urban Centre of Chicago's northwest side. We had always hoped that there would be an area to skate and indeed we made areas out of the environment we grew up in and had allot of fun. We knew that we where often vilified by the outside community and that the area was a little rough but we chose to stay and planned to make a local skateboard business and shop while others would hang out in other neighborhoods or helped others progress economically and socially from outside of the community. Thankfully, Rafael Boria and his family choose to reinvent the "Relate Skateboards" company and build from where it left off which helped bring renewed attention to our community. It brings a sense of pride to local youth most definitely.
However, the Osorio family already had a business, which was being inherited by Ruben Jr. and it would employ some neighborhood friends who needed work in the area including myself. Thanks to Ruben and his family, their local business brought opportunity in our lives, some stability, and hope that we can succeed in the city. With this local support we felt we could, compete with those that have inherited generational wealth, are many times from outside the community, and have lived privileged lives. It makes me very sad and angry at times to think about how our plans where cut short by his untimely and tragic death and at the time, with Helen Curtis and local factory jobs leaving the area, I could not afford to stay. Many other close friends lost jobs, moved out, where displaced, imprisoned, or had succumbed to the many traps and pitfalls that we have dealt with for generations. The economy got worse, and our dreams where temporarily put on hold (some permanently). Since wealth and development wasn't invested in making our working class community develop itself, it began to fall apart. Many of us have become displaced or are threatened with poverty, access to good healthcare, which Ruben desperately wanted, and education or training that will help us survive into the future.
My experience with Ruben gave me the will to fight for the issues we face as Mexican, Puerto Rican, African, and the few working class Anglo/European Americans that have lived in the Humboldt Park area because it was the only place they could afford to live resisting "white flight" or who didn't see a problem living near racialized groups. His memory and advice has opened my eyes to entrepreneurship, community service, and activism in issues like immigration rights and quality healthcare that only the privileged where traditionally able to enjoy. Ruben passed away from complications due to a depleted immune system caused by B-Cell Lymphoma. I still educate others about the importance of having a clear and comprehensive health care plan that will cover all people regardless of class, ethnicity, or economic level. I think that will level the playing field a bit and is good for any economy. If people aren't mentally and physically healthy, they can't work. It's that simple and I know people of all skin tones, cultures, and ethnicities that agree with me. In addition, a person like me doesn’t “buy” into class and racial ideologies that have been imposed on us since the creation of this country. Ruben felt same and would treat everyone, regardless of religion or ethnicity, with respect and honesty given they did the same. That was the unwritten "code of conduct" we promoted in the neighborhood.
A UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
IN HUMBOLDT PARK
Photo Credit: http://www.daylife.com/photo/05pe8vo0qJ4bK
Even without community, state, or city support, through Ruben’s legacy and people like him, I know that I will continue to educate and supply a safe sense of self to all people. It will enable many of us to progress in our own direction without feeling shame about who we are or where we come from. This is the message that Ruben has given to me and many others in our neighborhood. It was truly a sense of family, confidence in who you are, and support when we really needed it. It was real friendship in a world where increasingly; friendship is measured by wealth, privilege, and allocated to those who are assigned more value then others. Ruben knew that the true value of a person came from the strength to be good and honest person in the midst of social evil.
Lucha De Paz Con El Machete,
Jose Bicicletas
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
TRICK SCOPE 1: A "SIMPLE" FIRE-HYDRANT
You would be surprised how far you can go with this trick. It is one of the "building block" tricks in Flatland BMX and a necessary one to perfect. It is actually an older trick that has stood the test of time because it can be linked to so many others. Basically, you can never get too good at doing a Fire-Hydrant because once you have it down, more moves will come naturally. So practice this trick as well as other ones just as hard. Soon all of it will start to come together after all that practice.
Peace,
FLATLANDIN
1. First ride at a medium speed holding the handle bars steady with your right foot on your left rear peg and your left foot on your front left peg. (Note: make sure you get this first part very comfortable or you can fall pretty badly when you start to turn too slow, even falling on your face.)
2. Second, keeping the bars steady turn quickly putting slight pressure on your left foot that is on the left peg. You will pivot 180 degrees. At this stage you can also practice kicking the tire backward and even try a front peg wheelie. You want to be comfortable in this position as well.
3. Lastly, swing the frame around in a way that the frame is "springing" back at you. If you get the pivot point right, it should come up naturally and here is where the work lies to catch the frame with your right foot. At this point you can stall for a bit in a 'fork stand" position if you want. I hop a bit if I land unbalanced and just place my right foot back on the pedal when I am stable.
In short as I heard a kung fu master tell a lazy student who was complaining that he was paying allot of money just to learn one move. The kung fu master replied, "you pay 80 a month, what do you expect? With that simple move, you can beat anybody! " Then he proceeded to school the student with the patented and perfected move, a trapping hands kung fu elbow. Hell, that is how you learn. The bike will beat you down but it will make a better rider.
Here is a video of the completed trick... I tried to go slow but my legs are short and it throws be off balance. You have to measure this on your own and how it "feels"... Go ride!!!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
JOSE BICICLETAS INTERVIEWS JOHNNY FONSECA
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
New Shirt - Baphomet Diss
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
10 FLATLANDERS
Peace, FL
KEVIN JONES
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/shisharrom
PETE BRANDT
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/OlskoolGeorge
MATT WILHELM
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/mattwilhelm43
DAY SMITH
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/dejouner
PHIL DOLAN
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/burifej
TEVOR MEYER
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/fatboy972
VIKI GOMEZ
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/bulbers257
JESSE PUENTE
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/iflatland
TERRY ADAMS
From: http://www.youtube.com/user/kevinenels
CHASE GOUIN
From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OmPbAuRtRk
Monday, January 26, 2009
GOT THOSE PEGS!!!
Whether giving your homie a ride to his house, having your girlfriend ride with you, or hopping/rolling on them, everyone loves a set of pegs on their bike. Pegs have gone through an evolution from really small to large and then back down to a medium length and circumference. In the past you would screw them on like a nut and bolt but more modern pegs slide on the axle and get tightened with the nut of the rim hub's axle using a socket wrench.
According to the Joe Kid On A stingray documentary, which by the way, if you haven't seen it, I recommend that you do. Anyway, according to the video Pat Romano who ironically has an "Artistic Cycling" background and has been in many movies riding BMX was the first to put these on a bike. Soon after, it spread like wild fire and cats where doing all types of stunts on them. I remember my friend who just came from Mexico, called them "diablos" which means "devils". I guess it comes from the terms "Dare-Devil". In any event he had some really skinny pegs on his bike and I gave him an old set of "GT tube rides". I mean those pegs he had where so skinny, if we where doing tricks with those today, I could imagine how many times we would get stabbed with the bike. Still, it was hardcore knowing that he was riding with those things.
Anyway, after he got the bigger GT pegs he started grinding on benches and trying some flatland. He went back to Mexico and I think he still rides to this day. So, I guess a good set of pegs can literally get you where you want to go. They currently come in steal or aluminum. Steal are more for street and riding ramps and Aluminum is highly recommended for flatland only, unless your feeling suicidally brave which might not be a good thing. There are also some "park" pegs which seem like a good idea considering steal pegs can do some damage to the coping on ramps. Anyway, I listed sort of a chronological evolution of the peg. If you don't have any, get some and learn the many different ways you can wheelie, grind, or hop around with them. Of course, feel free to give your homie a ride to the store....if he is cool that is...
Peace and ride it out no matter what...
JB
Some of those skinny "pencil pegs"
Skyway Freestyle type pegs, many tricks where invented and done with these...
I think ACS, Raleigh , and Legal Action made pegs like these. You can still find them for sale as many "Old School" pegs are still being made.
These where hot for a while because of the look and feel... Smooth pegs from Tioga known as "roll-ons" for obvious reasons... It's hard to find a pair nowadays that aren't used...
These where the standard for a while. GT Steel tube rides where strong and large enough for sure footing. These where pretty much the last of the screw on pegs that where used.
Standard made pegs like these and they where really popular during the later 90's. They literally set a standard for thread less pegs.
Some newer, more modern, steel and aluminum pegs from Odyssey and Primo.
Some super light park pegs with an aluminum core.
Suelo/Fly Flatland Pegs with grip-tape. I personally have a couple of pairs of these and I love them... Perfect for flat, good size and light as F?ck...
Monday, January 5, 2009
BMX STREET RIDING IN RUSSIA
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/user/InfinityStunter