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Mini Features

Industrail Revolution

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Mini Features IndustraIl revolutIon

Intro and interview Matt Holmes

Industrail revolution riding a custom, hand built frame has always been a dream of mine. to ride a frame that was built on these shores is one that has been even more elusive. In the sea of taiwanese and Chinese built frames peppered with a few us made frames, an australian built frame company is a rare commodity and one that is often written off as economic suicide.

The early 80’s saw Quicksilver becomes a big name in racing with beautiful frames built in Sydney, but since then, aside a handful of one off and small number builders, there’s only been one significant player in the history of Australian built frames. Back in the late 90’s, a frame was built that stepped up to the plate of what was required in that day and age. To put it mildly, brutal street riding. The Industrail name was born and became synonymous with making some of the toughest frames on the planet. Hailing from the west coast coast of Australia, the instantly recognizable intersected frames represented what the hard riding riders of West Oz needed back then and Industrail’s lifetime warranty stood by them. Over the years, all sorts of metal fabrication, road frame building and general life took precedence over BMX frames, but in 2013 Industrail’s founder and master craftsman Elliot Barber has been pulling some beautiful hand built twenty inch frames out that showcase his skills as a metal fabricator and passion for BMX. We caught up with Elliot to get the lowdown on what’s been going on in his Fremantle based factory....

To fill in the youth of today, when did your first frames come together?

And was this under the Industrail name?

The first frame was built in Perth back in 1999 and the Industrail name was born around the same time.

I remember ‘lifetime warranty’ being thrown around with reports of indestructible frames back then. With the long time reputation of WA riders riding harder than anyone on these shores, you obviously didn’t take that lightly?

The bikes were going through hell back then. As the WA riders rode the bikes so hard, it was the ideal testing ground to develop a bike that could handle some heavy abuse. With the input from the local riders, combined with my motivation and ability to be able to put the frames together, we created frames that worked and never seemed to die.

Back then massive diameter, intersected tubes were the norm, as was a heavy as all hell frame. What was the weight on an OG Industrail?

All the respected street frames were heavy in those days. An Industrial weighed in somewhere between 2.8 kilos and up to 3.5 kilos (to put this in perspective, a new school frame weighs around 1.9 kilos). We were building some trails frames and all the race stuff was custom. I was building them to suit what the riders wanted.

Around that time the frames were built relative to the heavy parts that were being manufactured. Today parts are lighter and therefore the frames are built to suit.

How have the new frames evolved from the old days? Materials, weights, your knowledge?

As the parts have now become so much lighter I’ve chosen to use a thinner wall and a smaller diameter tube which creates a lighter bike. Our frames have evolved along with BMX.

The designs have been refined to the right balance of weight versus strength. I’m building the frames with exactly the same material as I always have. It’s a 4130 chromoly made in Germany. I’ve seen it tried and tested and I’m satisfied it is the best material available. As far as design modifications go these days, the new frames now have mid bottom brackets, integrated head sets and smaller drop outs.

Building a frame ain’t rocket science, but theres only a handful of gifted souls who can get it right outside of Taiwanese factories and the odd US builder. How did you learn the art of frame building?

I served my boiler making apprenticeship in heavy fabrication in a town called Gravesend in the UK. There was one particular guy Roy Cuff (RIP) who specialised in Tig welding and all sorts of specialty metals such as stainless steels, titanium, aluminiums and chromolys, the workshop also did a lot of pipe work. I used to practice welding in Roy’s bay on my lunch break fixing up friends broken bike parts and eventually, after seeing how keen I was, he taught me the right way to do it. Building a bike is a bit like a scaled down version of a pipe work/manifold job, although with a bike you are working with much finer tolerances so the work requires a lot more patience and finesse.

It also needs to be strong and look good.

Australian hand built frames are a rare commodity and most will say they don’t exist anymore, aren’t up to par, or are simply too expensive.

What’s your comeback to these pessimists?

To be honest I don’t ever think it’s about making a lot of cash. It’s never been the motivation for me. I’m not interested in sacrificing quality for price in an effort to sell more frames. I’m more interested in going into work in the morning and being stoked on having the opportunity to build someone a bike. At the end of the day I take pride in my work and I am passionate about what I do.

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Year of the DVD

tHe rIse oF australIan dvd’s

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Year of the DVD tHe rIse oF australIan dvd’s

A series of damaging weather events stricken the east coast of Australia, Canada breaks trend and voids its international relations with Iran and Felix Baumgartner jumps his crazy Austrian ass out of space. These events are each notorious for many reasons, however, one ties them together; each occurrence involves the breaking of a trend.

Similarly, within the realms of the BMX fraternity, trends have been broken, none more so then the inane amount of crews and individuals producing full length DVD’s. This article attempts to discover why this is so and explore what acts as the catalyst for such a tendency to emerge. 2013 is surely the year of the DVD. daily visit to 2020 online or TCU will satisfy your desire for web edit content, 10, 12 fold, maybe more. Quite obviously, the ease at which a quality camera and accessories are available coupled with an almost universal access to the internet provides the platform for web edits to gain popularity, at an exponential rate. Adding to this a level of corporatism and greed, not void from the BMX industry, pushing riders to increase a companies marketing density (a totally different path of discussion, which Steve Crandall has recently championed).

Anyway, these factors all fall in favour of web edit creation.

Yet, internationally, and more specifically in focus within this article, Australia has provided the slate for a series of full length DVD’s. Think, Defero, Still Bleeding Black and Blue, BMX Nostalgia, TK, Crispy and in the near horizon, Ambition, Grummets, the follow up to 2007s How Hard Is It (out of Perth) and 2020’s collaborations. To find out what is driving this movement, I spoke to the filmers, editors and producers from the aforementioned titles to help clarify the underlying reasons for the boom in DVD production, from which emerged the following three categories.

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Calvin Kosovich teQuIla sunrIse Perth summers can be gnarly. It’s important to remain hydrated when performing strenuous activity in the heat of the day. For some reason despite the hangovers, a bunch of people had made it to Fremantle to ride on this fine afternoon. The heat was draining and had relegated most to the role of spectators while a gifted few persevered in the heat in an effort to film something amazing for the entertainment of their peers. This only lasted a while before better sense kicked in and we migrated to Clancy’s Fish Pub to rehydrate. Clancy’s is a good spot with good beer and music and it’s right across the street from the famous Fremantle Wool stores ledge. While at the pub we talked about a bunch of different topics. This gave me the chance to pick Calvin’s brain to come up with what I should actually ask him about in an interview I’d organise to write. The conversation floated between why DVD’s rule, throwing jams for the younger riders, skateboarding and Calvin’s love affair with “dad” music. It seemed like a relatively mundane conversation in the wake of the riding that had just gone down less then a half hour prior. The gap to smith he had nailed that earned Calvin the pint he was drinking was well and truly ridiculous. The gap was a full speed, maxing out pedalling gap. He tested out

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the gap hopping it perfectly clean and high three times.

On the fourth pass, he smashed out the gap to smith on the haggard as fuck ledge and rolled away full speed.

First go he smashed it out and I fucked up the photo....

A few weeks later I met up with Graeme in Fremantle for a little roll. We decided to go for a lunch beer at E-Shed markets, 100 metres from the spot we were riding. We were mid pint when Calvin and Jordan arrived. They were both looking/feeling a little worse for wear after the previous night and had just knocked back tequila and Berocca for breakfast. “We were pretty hung over and I’d never had a Berocca before” Calvin informed me when I asked him about the strange combination. They went up to the bar. Jordan got himself a beer while Calvin returned with tequila on the rocks. After we finished our drinks we sussed out a few spots around the nearby Fremantle Harbour. Without hesitation Calvin filmed a double peg to gap on a virgin rail after losing some bark on his hands after the first attempt went pear shaped. I left to catch up with a friend. The next day I heard that Calvin went and feebled a ridiculously large and steep white rail later that afternoon.

As far as I can tell Tequila must be Calvin’s secret elixir.

Like super man with red kryptonite, it makes him go crazy.

Calvin Kosovich teQuIla sunrIse Calvin has this way of smashing everything out within 3 to 4 pops. We rock up to a spot, set up, let him double peg it or whatever and then bang, gets it done. Photo Luke Cridland

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JP

IntervIew

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JP IntervIew

“ B M X i s a l l a b o u t f r e e s t y l e m a n , i t ’s n o t a b o u t t h i s hat i ng becau se you look l i ke someone” prime example of JP is a quick story I have to share from the recent House Of Hammers event. So after owning it all night JP is now pretty high up and finds himself about to ride the sudden death for a spot in the final. More than half the riders there hadn’t even heard of him before this night and he’s making quite a good impression on a lot of people. I slowly go to get up from my seat at the judging area to inform the riders that they have a ‘one hit, no shit’ to get through to the final. As I start to stand up I watch JP ride off and truck-driver the set up to flat, without any sort of warning. Needless to say everyone went bat shit crazy and I just stood there stunned. He runs back up the course with the biggest grin on his face, over the moon about what he just did. I high five him then say “Man, you should have waited like a minute and done that in your run. You would have got into the finals with that.” He replies in a naive tone “Oh I don’t care about that man... I just wanted to do it then.” JP went on to come in second place anyway. Australias best riders are here and out of nowhere, who takes out 2nd place against them all? JP. No stickers raping his bike or clothes, plastered up like a bill board. Just straight from the underground with a spur of the moment entry, because he wanted to ride the course. The best thing about this story though, is he then proceeded to go out afterwards (even though he has stopped drinking). He shouts all his mates a beer with his prize money, says cheers to everyone and hangs around the rest of the night with his friends. The man is extremely grateful for everything he has, which I admire a lot.

stor y a nd Photos by M itch Morison Off the topic of this story, I have fucked up about four really decent photos from this interview (sorry pal). We would go riding, he drives me around everywhere, buys me lunch, I make him wait for me to set up, and fuck it up anyway. He cooks me the most amazing dinner, lets me stay at his house, then, wait for it, at the end of all this, says thanks for everything?

It’s 3 am, JP and I start walking our bikes through the inner west of Sydney City due to the infamous flat tyre. I’m interested in his point of view on why he wanted to come to Australia, what he thinks on the different suburbs around Sydney and the idea of sponsorship.

So what made you want to leave Chile and come to Australia?

The opportunity just came up to come to Australia and growing up I just always wanted to travel and meet other people that ride as well.

OK so what’s the basic rundown?

I grew up in the capital of chile (Santiago), started riding when I was like 13 and I just couldn’t help myself. I would go out everyday after school and just go riding, I did that for like 5 years.

So you knew someone here and that’s why you chose Australia?

No, not at all I didn’t know anyone. I always wanted to go to the states but after 9/11 they made the rules a lot more strict about people coming in. The opportunity to come here was way easier, to study a bit of English and see the country. It was completely different to what I expected it to be as well.

Where was the first place you lived when you arrived here, was it Windsor?

Nah, it was Dulwich Hill like three blocks from the skate park. So when I first got to Australia I got picked up from the airport by this old guy who worked for the English school I was enrolled in. I remembered not being able to understand a word he said but he was kind enough to show me the local skatepark, when I asked him for a place where I could ride my bike, in my broken english.

So who were the first Sydney riders you started to meet?

Benn Pigot, I was kinda shocked after seeing him ride because most of the people I used to ride with had sold out and were doing a lot of tail whips, going upside down and not caring about doing look backs or tables. So seeing Benn for the first was pretty cool.

To me both things were important, I’m not gonna lie I was a tail whip dog for a bit too. (laughs) but I’ve always enjoyed doing tables and turndowns too. Also I was riding Dully one day and this dude was there airing the shit outer of everything doing big tables and shit, which I later found out to be Nathan Tomsic. Tiz was really friendly from the beginning and invited me to ride with him. It was awesome because I got to ride so many parks around Sydney and meet sick dudes like Deadly O’Donell, who’s still my friend. I was still just getting used to riding concrete parks, because before that I haven’t rode much concrete. Just sketchy wooden ramps and stuff. That helped me heaps to, just to flow a bit better or something I guess? I like riding concrete...

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Roast it!

Queenstown IswHere It’s at!

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You know you want to be here. Photo Miles Holden/Red Bull Content Pool

Roast it!

Queenstown IswHere It’s at!

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Jack Kelly Interview New spot, old school. Mellow rail with a shitty kink but it seemed to work well for this legit crankarm to 180. Photo Daniel Johnson.

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Have you always lived in Kilsyth?

For the past 8 years, and previous to that I lived in Berwick.

How long have you been riding? You originally skateboarded yeah?

Roughly about 4 years, yeah I used to skate and gave that up for BMX although I still have a skate whenever I can, I love skating a good mini ramp.

What got you interested in BMX over skating then?

I used to ride my bike down to the shops because it was faster than skateboarding down there, and one of my neighbours had an MTB so I started going down to the BMX track near our houses as well. Did a no footer out of the berm one day got psyched on freestyle. And then sold my skateboard to fund a navy blue SE mauler.

Who did you grow up riding with? Do you still roll with the same guys much?

The main dudes I grew up riding with were, Rory Matthews, Jake “Dizzy” Deering and Ryan “Pommy” Brown. I still ride with Rory and Dizzy as often as I can, but not as much as we used too, since we all got jobs haha.

You are a plasterer yeah? But you’re not doing an apprenticeship?

Yeah I started out with the intention to be a laborer, thinking I would be just doing small jobs here and there, but I guess I just started doing all the same work as the tradesman as well, so I’m not an apprentice or a laborer, just a plasterer I guess.

Do you want to do an apprenticeship to get the trade paper?

Probably not, I’m not real keen on getting paid less for 4 years to do the same amount of work, a few guys I work with never did their apprenticeship and they still get paid the same as someone who did, so it’s not worth it.

IntervIew

Usual intro deal, age and where are you from?

20 years old, from Kilsyth South, Melbourne, Australia.

Jack Kelly

I’ve known Jack for three years now and a lot has changed in that time: his attitude towards riding, his conversation skills, his skills on a bike and his anger. If he had one vice, his anger would be it.

The frustration he can get from riding and trying unsuccessfully to pull a certain trick is crazy. This kid gets angry to the point where being around him becomes uncomfortable. Yet, he still comes back for more. It’s almost like an addiction.

That’s how important riding can be to a person’s life. Sure, you can get really pissed off at times with it, but tomorrow is a new day and chances are it will bring more than enough good laughs and fun to make your forget the anger.

Jack kills it on a bike. He clocks clips like there is no tomorrow. He will get up from the roughest crashes to get it done, dealing with the pain later. I hope you enjoy this interview…

Hanging around tradies all day, there must be some random shit that goes down?

There’s always weird shit happening like mum’s hitting on me. Or trying to hook me up with their daughter. One of the better story’s would have to be the day I was standing out the front of a job, with two of the other blokes I work with, and they were talking shit amongst each other and some crack head across the road heard them and came over and started having a go at me for apparently threatening to hit him or some shit, when I hadn’t even said a word at this stage. So naturally I told him to fuck off or I actually will hit him, so he kept mouthing off and walking away at the same time, although at the time I got pretty mad, it’s funny to think about it now.

Why do you get so damn frustrated over the littlest things?

How did I know this question was going to be in here? That’s a good question, I guess I don’t really know, I just have a really, really short fuse. It frustrates me when I crash a trick I do all the time, I hate crashing on little shit. So sometimes I get mad, I wish I didn’t, I just can’t help it, which is more frustrating.

What is the trick that frustrates you the most? Is there any you focus on that you just cannot get dialled?

Manual fucking 180’s. One day I’ll be able to manual 180 regular and oppo, and the next it’s like I’ve never done one in my life and absolutely suck at them. Such an annoying trick.

What about nose wheelies? You always seem to have them down until we try to film a clip?

Yeah it’s one of those tricks, where it’s a fine line between the perfect spot to balance and going over the bars or dropping down again. I guess it’s just unlucky that when the camera comes out I have to try twice as long to get the same nose manual combo or line than it would of taken me before.

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Available Mid march

on DVD and digital download