Just decided to look for any recent BMX flatland freestyle video on Google. This was the more recent one I found, a 14 second video of some dude. In this video he is doing a Firehydrant, to decade, to forkwheelie, to backyard combo. Something I miss doing but I feel like I have no more time for BMX and is deciding to sell my BMX and jut buy a mountain bike. Maybe a hardtail, just to keep my cardio up.

I never get tired of the XGames, BMX, Skateboard, Inline Skates, and Moto-X are my favorites to watch. I like the sport itself since this is one of the sports where competitors love to cheer for their top competitors. They get the natural high for each others’ tough tricks done.

I used to compete in BMX races and does BMX flatland freestyle and ramp riding for fun. The sport has evolved to much when I have started in 1989 but after all those years, I have never seen such graceful flatland freestyle, dabless, flawless, flatland freestyle tricks NOT on a 20″ wheel BMX/Freestyle bike. But on a 26″ Road bike. Although I watched the movie Quicksilver starring Kevin Bacon, the freestyle there on road racing bikes were still done by the hard core flatland BMX freestyles of that day like R.L. Osborne, Martin Aparijo and Eddie Fiola. I am not sure if Dennis McCoy was in Quicksilver but there was definitely someone doing multiple boomerangs which look like Dennis McCoy’s signature moves of that day. Some bike spinning looked like Pat Romano.

But I recently found this video online, that is a flatland freestyle video, but on a racer/touring/road bike. Although there are a few obvious modifications like, there is no freewheel. It was a continuous peddaling gear, so unicycle type of balancing tricks were possible, handlebars were like modified road racing handlebars turned upward and I believe there were no brakes since it was not using a freewheel anyway and thus did not need any brake cable detangler like a gyro, oryg, spinmaster, spintech or rotor. There seemed to be small axle pegs as well. The freestyler is a female (which reminds me of Krys Dauchy).

You got to see this video. Her routine goes like this:

• It starts out with just coasting in circles, then does a gymnastic pose with both hands on the seat and legs extended forward. Totally not a part of BMX flatland freestyle.
• The does a surf and controls it quite well since she gracefully rides it out in a figure 8 path.
• She then does a trick similar to a framestand. But it is a seat stand! Again gliding in a figure 8 path.
• Then a boomerang.
• Does a wheelie next, climbs over the bars and does a unicycle type of moneuver, does some variations then goes into spastic circles.
• Then does a reverse wheelie with 1 footed variations. Reverse wheelie is the normal wheelie position but doing a rollback with it. Maybe we can call it a fakie wheelie?
• Continues doing a rollback, then rollback surf/surf fakie?
• Rolls out into a 180 rock walk and goes into a grip ride and rides in a figure 8 path again.
• Then runs into an in-and-over type of technique going into a backride.
• Then going into a no handed rolling (and peddaling) backyard.
• Transitions into a reverse grip ride.
• After that she does a backward rolling and pedalling backyard. You got to see it to understand it.
• She just decides to stop running backward and balances, then run forward like an ordinary backyard, but pedalling and does it spastically.
• She then goes over the bars in a pedal picker position but does a unicycle thing and does it spastically again.
• Now from here, she just lets the bike fall on its wheels while she is still in front, balances, pedals making the bike run backward, and suddenly goes into a seat grinder position, and does spastic circles. A seat grider but she is not grinding the seat, and is actually balancing on the rear wheel. And she ends her routine there.

Crazy! She does it gracefully, never touched the ground, no sign of wobbling. And looks like ballet with the Vanessa Mae violin background music.

Radical Raredog Circa 1989

Now I feel like immortalizing online my old pictures too! And I will still try to get new pictures, if given the time at the Clairemont Skatepark and might ask John a favor to take the photos.

I just received an email:

Hi Benjie,

I saw your profile in internet and im trying to keep in touch with the berris bmx team I am  also a member of berris trick team back on the days….I just want to know by chance maybe you know address and phone number of berris bmx store in sampaloc.

And also about building the a website how much  it cost to make one…thanks hope to hear from you soon…

Sony Bolus

Wow, talk about blast from the past! lolz. That was like 20 years ago, actually my most active BMX days were 1988 to 1993 I think although interest in BMX racing and freestyle started as early as 1986. Man, I that old already? And I still want to ride ramps if given the time. When is it time to let go? I got 2 Mountain Bikes and 2 BMX’s in the Philippines and 1 BMX here in the US. Or do I have zero mountain bikes? I heard Allan Go brought the mountain bikes to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Which reminds me of my BMX in the Philippines, the one in North Olympus, that I believe I have spent a total of P35,000 (about US $700) and it was kept it in the rain for 2 years, and looks good as trash today. That’s a easy let go. It looks worthless. The freewheel rear sprocket will surely be rusty. But that will not go to the trash right away. Those have original Shimano DX pedals. Every BMXer wants those, compared to some Victor Pedal imitation. The Araya rims for sure will still be great. Maybe I will take it apart and just get what still has value and put something together when the house in the Philippines gets bigger with a nice covered garage.

As for Sony, sorry, I have no contact information of the Berris Trick Team, nor was I active with the group. I was always with Rad World, the people in Lagro, Novaliches, Quezon City, and when that group died, I had several set of BMX buddied in the Teresa Heights, and occassionally went to Villa Sabina in Talipapa to ride the Quarter Pipe.

And I just went to Berris to buy parts and watch the other freestylers. But do you agree that the Berris quarterpipe was kind of extended in front? It was kind of shaped differently. I also had a chance to just ride the launch ramp once in Guadalupe and also jam around with the flatlanders by the parking lot of SM North EDSA. I personally do not know everyone by name, mostly by face and by bike. Except the oldies in Lagro and Talipapa in Novaliches since they were closer to me by location.

When it was the time of the Philippine’s XGames qualifiers for Asian XGames, that was already like my BMX retired period. And I just go to watch the Philippine Radness as it progressed from what it was before. Still we (pinoys) need a lot to work on to really become competitive. Like in the Philippines… at least 1 or 2 can do a backflip, 1 or 2 can do tailwhip airs, 1 or 2 can do 900’s and these 1 or 2 people are not the same people. Unlike in the US, backflips are like basic to all ramp riders today. But more ramps are coming out in the Philippines, and more riders are progressing, so maybe there is a good future for BMX in the Philippines. Let’s see. And to answer your question, nope, sorry I do not have the address or phone number, but I think I have heard they are closed already.

Funny thing is that this was so long time ago, but I still raced in June 2002 and got a not-so-cool 4th place with no prize!

In the Philippines I was a BMXer / Freestyler. I still consider myself one, but my skill depleted through time mainly because of work. I am a bit old, but still a kid at heart still wanting to ride my bike. (Hey Matt Hoffman, Dennis McCoy are pretty old. They are older than me and still rip up on dirt, vert and street)

Since I came here with no bike, I decided to look out for one at the local bike shop. I saw a perfect Redline just for me.

It is way better than my freestyle bike back home in the Philippines. Here some information on my bike that I got from the Redline Website:

FEATURES Set up with Redline’s Trail bars with 6 1/2″ rise, Tektro alloy brakes in the front and rear, along with a SST detangler and one pair of pegs, the Recon is perfect for a early Street machine. Chromoly 170mm cranks and 48hole / 14mm axled Alex wheels, wrapped with Redline’s famous “Freaky-V” tires make this bike equipped for any Recon mission.

FRAME Trail w/chamber head tube gusset, Hi-Ten w/ ovalized stays
FORK 1 1/8″ “Monster” fork, threadless
HEADSET Threadless
BARS 25″ X 6 1/2″ Trail bars
STEM alloy “Proline” threadless
GRIPS flangeless Redline “Freaky-G” soft compound
LEVER Tektro aluminum L&R
BRAKES Tektro aluminum front and rear U-brakes SEAT
Redline “Blvd.” 6.0 saddle w/ 8mm rails & rubber wrap
POST 14″ hi-ten
CLAMP alloy “Proline”
CRANKS Chromoly 1-pc forged, 170mm
PEDALS resin Redline platform
B/B SET looseball
CHAINRING 44t “Solid-S” chainwheel
CHAIN KMC “Z-410”
FREEWHEEL 16t
HUBS 48hole w/ 14mm axles
RIMS Alex aluminum alloy rims, 20X1.75, 48spoke
SPOKES 14 gauge
TIRES Redline “Freaky-V” tires, – 20 X 1.95 front & rear, all black.
EXTRAS SST “Oryg” detangler, 1 pair pegs
COLORS Nickel, Green or Trans Blue

The highlight of this bike, compared to my old Haro Taiwan Reject in the Philippines is I have both front and back U-brakes, very large hub axles, Oryg II Detangler, 48 spoke wheels. I wanted to change the handle bars though and found a cool Hoffman Love Bars but it was an extra $89 and I decided to buy this next time.

I now met Ryan by email, the webmaster of SanDiegoBMX.com and probably hangout with them if given the time.

I do not know what it is about BMX and Freestyle, I can’t out grow it, it gives me this ‘natural high’ (next best thing to sex for me, nyhahaha. Of course my main natural high is being with my wife in bed. nyhahaha Hi babe, I know you always read my stories here.)

Will keep you updated with my BMX / Freestyle life here. I bought my bike from The Cycle Center from Sami. A cool guy, he looks a bit old, but at least he knows what he is selling. Unlike the many bike shops in the Philippines, they do not know what they are selling, they just sell. In the Philippines they do not know what is a BMX bike, a Freestyle bike for flatland, for street, for ramp. They just know they are bicycles and BMX are for kids and Mountain Bikes and Racers are for adults.

*** Story Updates ***

I tried out my bike right after I got it, the stem twisted on my fronthops. Spinning and hopping tricks were hard with the low tire pressure. Handlebar angle was bent back a bit that gave me a hard time on a simple rock walk and bunny hopping. Did the neccessary adjustments already, but I do not like the handle bar, it’s too short, but when I start earning money I’ll get the Hoffman Love Bars. In the meantime since I am an oldschool freestyler, I will start working on my scuffing tricks and rolling tricks since that is where freestyle is today.