Wall ride over my sister Cheri's head. The Blues Brothers Wall in Huntington Beach, California, 1990. How did I get my sister to sit there for this? I did 2 or 3 wall rides first, to show her I could do it. Then I had her sit a couple feet in front of the wall, so if I bailed, I wouldn't crush her quite as bad. She was a single, college girl then, and there was a life guard she thought was cute off to her right, so I had her stare at him so she wouldn't freak. Video still from The Ultimate Weekend. Thanks Cheri, it made for a cool video shot and now a still.
I got into BMX when my family moved into a trailer park outside Boise in 1982. I was a shy, smart, weird, dorky, high school kid in a pretty jacked up family. My BMX bike became the outlet for my anger and frustration, more than anything, at first. After a while, as my skills improved, it became fun. I rode my bike nearly every day, from June 1982, until becoming a taxi driver in 1999. When I lost my license in late 2000, I rode nearly every day, solo missions, just for me, until I started back in the cab in August of 2003. BMX riding, and the BMX industry, in its many facets, has been a huge part of my life.
Things got really crazy from 2001 until the present fo rme, there was a lot of outside pressure on my life, crazy shit happened, and I faded from BMX riding itself, though I started blogging about it in 2008. When I landed here in Richmond, broke and homeless, last August, it was old BMX friend Steve Crandall of FBM, that first helped me out in the ways he was able to. He introduced me to Chad at Powers Bikes here, who has also totally helped me in the ways possible. I want to give huge props and a big Thank You to Steve and Chad for that.
Over the last couple of days, another old BMX friend and I connected via the interwebs. We caught up on what's happened over the years between then and now, and he asked me to start doing some online and social media promotion for his business. As all of you who read this blog regularly know, I'm homeless now, and have been struggling through a rough winter. Several of you have bought drawings or helped me in other ways. I really, REALLY appreciate that.
Now, it appears, I'm going to begin putting my new media skills to work, back in the BMX and larger bike industry. This old friend is working with me to get my life stable, as I work to promote his business. I just started a blog for him today, part of what I'll be doing. I'll be sharing most of my old school BMX stories there, from now on.
This blog will continue, I'll share my Sharpie art, ramble about economics and small business, and yes, there will still be some old school BMX posts as well. But this new blog is all about bike riding, BMX and everything other kind, so follow the link below, check it out, and let me know what you think, as I, finally, have the chance to work my way out of homelessness and back into BMX life...
Old School BMX freestyle, art and creative stuff, the future and economics, and anything else I find interesting...
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