The best post I ever wrote about Sheep Hills trails

Here's the link:  Classic BMX spots: Sheep Hills

I've tried a whole bunch of blog ideas in the last 15 years.  Starting with a terrible taxi driver blog in 2007, I found my voice in 2008-2010 with FREESTYLIN' Mag Tales, and then FREESTYLE BMX Tales (original version), both of which I deleted because I was a depressed idiot in 2012.  Even when I had one popular blog, sometimes I'd take time off and try other ideas for a while.  Altogether, I've tried at least 50 blog ideas, and half of those, or more, are still on the web somewhere.  

Crazy California 43 was an idea that I thought had a chance of being a money earning blog.  I wrote a bunch of posts, it looked pretty cool, but it wasn't getting near enough views from tourists to make my idea work.  Because of my financial situation, I couldn't get out and travel, and shoot photos or videos of the spots I wanted to cover.  So I just stopped working on it.  Another idea tried.  

It's also one of the blogs I lost control of, when three of my Google accounts got mysteriously shutdown one night, for no apparent reason.  If I could get into the account, I could cut and paste the whole post to this blog.  But I can't.  I've been wanting to link it here for a while, so here it is.  My best take at the history of Sheep Hills in Costa Mesa.

As of the late summer of 2023, I'm doing a lot of my writing on Substack, a platform designed specifically for writers.  Check it out!

Steve Emig: The White Bear's Substack

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #1

Dylan Stark took a pounding trying to roll away from a tailwhip 180 at the Boozer Memorial Jam last weekend.  While he was punishing his body, someone in his posse got this footage. It's the first edit I've seen up from the weekend. 

Roughly 7 years after being paralyzed in a racing accident, Sheep Hills local from the earliest days, and all around character, Boozer Mike Brown died from his continuing health issues in August.  This Halloween Jam was originally planned to be the next Boozer Jam.  Since Mike passed on, it turned into the first annual Boozer Mike Memorial Jam.  In a series of blog posts, here are my photos, some videos from YouTube, and a few words about Mike, and the jam.  This is what BMX is all about in my book.  It was a great day at Sheep Hills.  I think Mike would have been stoked on it.

Drawing I did for Boozer Jam 2016.  But I got it to Mike late, so he ended up with it.  Josh Stricker with some classic one handed table style at Sheep.

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #2

My old buddy from the one Vision skateboard tour I drove the rig for, Chris Gentry, rappin' about Boozer Jam 2014.



Boozer Jam 2013 edit.

1080 at Boozer Jam 2014



Best Trick Jam, Boozer Jam 2016

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #4

 The one close up photo that came out for me, S&M rider Jesse Gregory (@lilibmxwolf on Instagram) with a one footer Hannah (or maybe a griz air on dirt) type thing over Titties.  That's the name of the jump, OK, I'm not trying to be a creepy old dude, this jump has been called Titties for 25 years or so.  It's a BIG jump, the main style jump at Sheep these days.  Jesse was shredding all day long, like always.

 This was the man of the day, and winner of the best trick, even with Dylan Stark and Hucker in the mixer.  Tucker Smith fucking rips on dirt.  There's no other way to say it.  He was tearing up all day long, and pulling huge cliffhangers, and a bunch of other variations.  I saw him nail big 3's, a 360 whip, and several other variations.  I missed the peak of his cliffhangers every try, every time he would peak with his hands way up away from the bars, and only his toes on the bars.  Freakin' insane.  The cool part about this photo was the random luck of the guy with the Tucker Tire T-shirt in the foreground.  I put this on Facebook, and Tucker says he actually buys tires from that shop.  Too funny. 

I grew up in Ohio, and sledding every winter made for some fun times as a kid.  There's nothing quite like bombing down a snowy hill on a big toboggan with your friends.  But this is Southern California, the snow here is way up in the mountains, and the only toboggan you're going to see here is one like this at sheep Hills.  Classic style.

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #5

 Way back in 1992 or 93, Mike Brown, who already had earned the nickname Boozer, built this line of jumps.  That's when Sheep Hills was just getting built up into the basic layout that still exists now, 28 years later.  Since this was Mike's signature line, it got named Boozer.  Boozer Mike's signature jump was a bow legged X-up, so Dogger and Sean and crew held  bow legged X-up contest over the last jump of the Boozer line.  I shot these photos during the practice for that. 

The funny part was, a several of the younger riders weren't familiar with the term "bow legged," and we had to explain it with them.  "Do and X-up and get your knees way out to the sides."  So here are several of the bow legged X-up styles.

 S&M's Jesse Gregory, the only woman in the contest, was the first to get the idea, and was doing the best ones in practice.  But then a couple of the guys figured the trick out, and edged her out in the contest runs. 

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #7

 Bad photos of the best trick contest at the end of the day.  Riders included Mike "Hucker" Clark, who pulled his first front flip over Titties.  Dylan Stark was also hucking it, an Tucker Smith was shredding all day, and he ended up the best trick winner.  For some reason I don't understand, all my photos of best trick sucked, soft and fuzzy, like when Playboy and Penthouse photographers used ot rub Vaseline on the camera lens for photos back in the 1970's, to get the weird effect.  But these shots were so rad, I had ot share them anyhow.  Upside down, corked out 3.

 Turndown 360.  Kuh-LICK!

 Decade.

 Sideways, seat grab no footer.

One hand, on footed corked out bail thing.

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #8

 Up top, Boozer Mike's favorite trick, an X-up, over the Boozer line that Mike first built in 1992 or so.  Also one of my favorite photos of the day. 

Just above, I backed up, standing between two jump line runways, to get somebody jumping this gap over the pump track line.  Instead, I got this epic shot.  When you come to the trails to ride, this is what you don't want to do.  Dead Sailor to downtube hang.  Hey, we've all done it, but not on a jump this gnarly in most cases.  Below is the next shot.  He got out of it well, and walked without serious pain.  That's always good.  When you survive it, it's kind of cool when there's a photo.  Like that Halloween meme that's been on Facebook this week... Willie Makit?  Betty Wont.

 Back in the day, these lines were called French, Office, and something else.  Now the pump track line goes sideways between the first sets of jumps, and these jumps look way more professional and manicured than way back when.  Old School double A pro, P.O.W., and another of my old roommates, Alan Foster, was flowing through here like it was nothing.  Alan's still got it. 

Most riders weren't, this is still a serious set of lines, and not many others were jumping them.  Alan also donated one of his old Schwinn factory uniforms for the raffle.  Serious BMX history folks.  By the way, Alan had a little brother who was a pretty good rider as well.  Damn, what was his name?  Oh yeah, it's this guy.  He was an Sheep Hills local as well in the early 1990's.

 Freddie Chulo's slightly heavier stunt double was there all day as well.  You know, in case he was needed.  Classic Boozer Brown Ale T-shirt in effect.

 There was a skid contest, judged on distance plus style.  The winning skid was like 60 feet... one handed.  This kid jumped in and gave it his best as the last guy in the skid contest.  Good try for a little dude.  And not one adult was yelling at him to "PEDAL, PEDAL, PEDAL!"

View from the cheap seats.  This is where I sat down when my fat ass got tired (I did walk to Sheep from the bus stop at Brookhurst and PCH).  Just liked the way this looked with the S&M logos lit up in the canopy, and the riders jumping in the background. 

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #9

 This jump, now the main big style jump at Sheep Hills, is called Titties.  So don't get mad at me parents when you read "Titties" or "Tits" in the rest of these posts.  Not sure who this rider is, and I missed the peak of the trick, like I usually do shooting with a phone.  But here's a no footed seat grab over Titties.  Make up your own joke there you dirty minded fool.  Boozer banner on the landing in fill effect.

 BMX dirt jumping is a fringe activity born out of Generation X.  That makes the Booze Mike Memorial Jam an Old School Gen X counter culture event.  And that means big, old guys, on a smokin' hot day, in black T-shirts. 

 Not just a locals only event, there were real, live serious photographers there all day.  So, unlike my blog posts here, there will be really good photos of the event somewhere soon.

 Lifelong dirt jumper, S&M Bikes warehouse manager, and my onetime roommate, Jason "Timmy" Ball.  When he first showed up in Huntington Beach, as an 18-year-old young buck from Colorado, Jason was introduced to BMX industry legend, McGoo.  The story I heard later that night was that McGoo said, "Jason, there's too many fucking Jasons around here, from now on you're code name Timmy."  That was about 1993.  Twenty five plus years later, he's still called Timmy.  But then, I'm still The White Bear.  Timmy got a lot of riding in Saturday, as always.

 I just liked this helmet sticker assemblage.

 Listen up fuckers...

Young, old, little wheels, big wheels... whatever.  Just ride.

Boozer Mike Memorial Jam 2019- #10

 I'm an old Has Been industry guy, I'm fat, I don't have and I don't have bike right now.  But I'm a guy who has been wandering by Sheep since before it was even there.  I used to jump the jumps up where the condos are now, before Sheep.  I didn't know Mike near as well as the hardcore jumpers from Sheep.  But I knew him.  My reason for heading down there was to make a small contribution to the cause, in my own way.  My Sharpie are has gotten pretty decent, so I drew this Mike Brown Bow Legged X-up Ale bottle, and I mounted it on a skate deck, the new direction my work is taking.  This is Mike mom Cathy with the deck. 

 While I'm not riding now, I'll get there again, and I spent 20 years of my life riding BMX bikes nearly every day.  People were stoked on the drawing, and I was stoked to help the cause a little in the way I could.  And also, it was just a damn fun day to hang and watch a few old riders, and a whole bunch of the younger ones, bust out and shred.  It was an epic BMX day.  I'm sure Mike was stoked, looking down from his perch, wherever that is. 

I think this one of the bikes that got raffled off later on.  The three raffles for $1 a ticket, $5 a ticket, and $20 a ticket (for Mike's rebuilt bike, and much to my surprise, my art deck).  A lot of people won amazing prizes for a small price of a raffle ticket. 

Dylan Stark channel's footage from the Boozer Memorial Jam Saturday

He came.  He hucked during the best trick jam.  And after about 9 attempts- really close to rolling away attempts- at a huge tailwhip 180, Dylan Stark walked out of Sheep Hills really dirty, kind of bloody, and probably pretty damn sore.  And he had another event to ride in later.  His posse got this great footage of the best trick jam, the last bit of a long, great day of BMX.

The first annual Boozer Mike Memorial Jam was set up to honor Mike "Boozer" Brown, BMX racer, hardcore jumper, Sheep Hills builder from the early 90's, and integral part of the Sheep Hills jumping scene, through its whole existence.  Mike was paralyzed from the waist down in a racing accident several years ago, struggled with health issues since, and died in August.  This jam was set up by friends to have a great day of BMX riding in his honor, and raffle off some amazing prizes to raise money for Mike's mom, Kathy, and help with funeral and other expenses.  It was a great day of what BMX is really all about.  Ride In Peace Mike.  

S&M Bikes "Behind the Shield"- book jam- Sheep Hills- #2

 My favorite shot that I snapped at the jam yesterday.  Archibald 360.  Hell yeah!

 It's Sheep Hills, anything is possible.  Six foot high, off road unicycle.  Apparently he plays guitar while riding this at times, as well.

 Sheep (Hills) dog.  S&M Bikes Behind the Shield book jam spectator.

 Tailwhip.  I'm pretty sure this one didn't end up well. 

 Big air at dusk.

Sunset over Sheep Hills, taken on the walk back into Costa Mesa after the jam.

S&M Bikes "Behind the Shield" book jam- Sheep Hills- #3

 Train through the line.  Sheep Hills 1991?  Sheep Hills 2019?  Hard to tell.  Some things never change.

 People hanging out during the jam.

 X-up above the crowd.

 Young rippers talking between lines.

 Old School, and Beard of the Evening winner, Paul Roberts.

Just like old times.  As fellow residents of the P.O.W. House, Todd Lyons and I hung out a lot back in the early 1990's.  I haven't seen Todd in over 10 years, since I was stuck Back East.  Seconds aftert he handshake, it was like no time had passed.  "Sluggo, get a picture of me."  Todd had been riding for a while, and I forgot to turn on the video his first pass.  He took a breather, and I took snapped this pic on his phone the second time around.  Still rockin' the 1 footed X-up.

S&M Bikes "Behind the Shield" book jam- Sheep Hills- #4

Tucker Smith (see below), I believe, with a big double tailwhip.

 Seriously, I wasn't trying to be snap a creepy pick of some kid's long hair.  I'd been watching this kid rip, and kept missing getting pics of him.  When I saw his Instagram handle on his helmet I snapped a pick so I'd remember this kid's name.  If you get nothing else out of this series of blog posts, remember that @tuckersmith_bmx fucking rips.  Keep an eye on this kid.  I just followed him on Instagram, and he has a super stretched Superman no footer from last night on his feed.

 Whip.

 Big air, big wheels. Sheep Hills 2019.

One foot tire grabber, hell yeah!