Rider: Taka Higashino Location: Reche Canyon, CA Photograph: Garth Milan
Rider: Tom Pages Location: Minerve, France Photograph: JF Miguet / Red Bull Content Pool
Rider: Tyler Bereman Location: Glamis Dunes, CA Photograph: Garth Milan
15.DFTU
kasper kumpulainen
18.Film Review headstrong 2
22.Axell Hodges exclusive interview
36.Night of the Jumps 2017 season kicks off
50.Bike Check
alvaro dal farra kawasaki magnet
62.Tom Pages
homeworx bts gallery
76.Beg, Borrow or Steal the latest fmx product
80.Hellbilly Rodeo
a canadian freeriding paradise
Photo: The Medium Creative Group
LOKO FMX Magazine
International Freestyle Motocross Quarterly Magazine May 2017 - Issue No.2
Editor Adam Simpson Art Director Francis Lofthouse Contributors Tom Burns Garth Milan Alvaro Dal farra Davide Dal Mass Cover Shot: Axell Hodges gets wild in the dunes whilst filming for #Doonies3 Photograph by: Ryne Swanberg Photography Contact: info@lokomagazine.com www.lokomagazine.com
Copyright @ Loko Magazine. All rights reserved. All content inside this magazine is copyright @ Loko Magazine and may not be reproduced without express permission from Loko Magazine. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Loko Magazine or it’s employees.
Editorial: Welcome to Loko FMX Magazine! To kick things off for 2017 we have a fully-loaded issue for you, packed with the sickest freestyle and freeride content we could get our hands on from around the world. With the recent creation of the X Games Real Moto event, the continued raw passion of dudes like the #NoNamers, feature films from the Dirt Bike Kidz and major online video projects like the Doonies, we are definitely seeing a freeride resurgence taking place at the moment, and we couldn’t be happier! As everyone in the sport knows, freeriding is essentially where FMX came from and it seems like a lot of riders and fans alike are stoked to see more action going down in the hills and dunes. We’re therefore stoked to be able to award this issues cover shot to one of the steeziest freeriders out there at the moment. You can read our full, exclusive feature with Axell Hodges on page 28. We would also like to take this opportunity to officially welcome Tom Burns to the Loko FMX Mag team. Tom is a guru of all things old-school and underground so keep an eye out for his work in the mag and on our website. I hope you enjoy this issue. Adam Simpson Editor
Photo: Dalby
Kasper Kumpulainen ‘Don’t Forget The Underground’
A new regular feature - Shooting the shit with the raddest underground riders from around the world Words by Tom Burns Photography by Mikko Huusko / Tomi Hakunti / Joona Koivisto
Photo: Joona Koivisto
Photo: Tomi Hakunti
Name? Kasper Kumpulainen Age? 20 Home? Siilinjärvi, Finland Bike? Yamaha YZ 250, 2010
How long have you been riding FMX?
Do you earn enough money riding FMX or do you work also?
What made you want to do FMX?
What was the idea behind jumping on to that building?
I started in 2014, so I’ve been riding for two years now.
When I was a young kid I liked to watch FMX videos and it was the coolest thing I knew. My big dream was to do a Backflip on dirt bike. I’ve been snowboarding my whole life and I have always liked to go big, but snowboarding was not enough. I bought my first real dirt bike, a Suzuki RMZ 250 at the start of 2014 and I started to learn Backflip’s on a dirt mound before I had even hit the ramps. In the end of the summer in 2014 I started to hit FMX ramps and I rode my first show with the Stunt Freaks team. Then I knew that this is what I want to do!
I don’t earn enough money to live by riding. I’m a construction worker.
I wanted to hit some cool spot with my dirt bike and get a good video of it. Then we found that old factory with a perfect spot to jump onto the roof and back down again. At first the idea was to do a Backflip on to the roof, but there wasn’t enough air time to rotate a Flip with my skills. So we had to leave that idea for the next time! We got a good shot from the first jump and the spot was so fun that I had to hit it again with a Heelclicker.
Do you still ride that Honda?
No I don’t. I sold it to get a new bike! I’m gonna buy my old Honda back someday because there is so much sentimental value for it!
Do you have any travel / roadtrip plans for the future?
Not much. Next summer we are gonna ride a couple of shows in Estonia. I have to earn some money from construction work before I can go travelling. I plan to go to Spain to ride some FMX in Lleides park, but I don’t have enough money yet, or a good car for travelling.
What’s FMX like in Finland?
It’s hard to ride FMX in Finland because the summer season is short and in winter there is so much snow and the weather is cold. You can ride FMX here in the winter, but first you have to push the snow away from the track and put spiked tires on.
If you could ride anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would like to go to the dunes in California. Full throttle and big dune jumps!
Photo: Mikko Huusko
fmx cinema LOKO MAGAZINE’S TAKE ON THE LATEST FMX FILMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!
TITLE: Headstrong 2 PRODUCED BY : Jackson Strong & Ben Heidrich AVAILABLE ON: iTunes / USB AVAILABILITY: Out Now We were stoked when the time finally came to sit down and watch Jackson ‘Jacko’ Strong’s new film Headstrong 2. At a time when independent, original FMX films are few and far between, Jacko and his crew are reviving the rider-owned film style with a true masterpiece.
The second installment of Jackson Strong’s ‘Headstrong’ Film series stands out as one of the most unique and creative FMX films to be released for a long time. The film sees Strong and fellow Metal Mulisha team mate Rob Adelberg load up with diggers and dirt bikes and head out into the Australian Outback to have fun and create some art. Jacko’s
long-time earth moving sponsor Komatsu got involved and helped Strong create his dream freeride dirt jumps in the form of some truly insane, Outback FMX parks and dirt lines. This allowed the boys to show the true Aussie FMX lifestyle, and made for some seriously awesome viewing. With big X-Games level tricks being sent over huge, freshly built dirt jumps in front of a stunning Australian backdrop, right from the
start you know this will be one of those films that makes you want to get out and ride as soon as the end credits start to roll. The film then moves on, with the help of Metal Mulisha General Brian Deegan, to tell the behind the scenes story of Jacko’s insanely-gnarly X Games experience. Deegan recalls when Strong was airlifted to and from hospital in-between disciplines.
Jacko had to get neck X-Rays and a full physical following a nasty crash on the Double Drop, (a Double Egg Roll transfer Flip off a Quarter Pipe) and then race back to make it in time to compete in Best Trick a few hours later, where he would send a massive Front Flip. The section gives you a whole new perspective on Jacko’s determination and inherent desire to send it. After X Games it’s back to Australia for some more gnarly outback FMX sessions with Jacko and his mates ahead of the big closing section. To finish the film off in style, the crew put together an epic night shoot. Glow-in-thedark neon bikes, a rad woodland setting and some clever lighting
techniques allowed the boys to capture some next-level shots of Jacko and the crew sending it off the ramps in the middle of the night. With fellow Aussies Tom Robinson and Jake Smith throwing down alongside Strong and Adelberg, Headstrong 2 captures a range of Aussie riding styles and some of the world’s gnarliest tricks, in the form of Tom Robinson’s new Twist Top Body Varial, Adelberg’s big, steezy Flip Combo’s and Jacko’s insane Front Flips off huge dirt doubles.
Ben Heidrich did an awesome job putting this film together. With varied sections, consistently dope shots and a banging soundtrack throughout, Headstrong 2 ticked all the boxes for what makes a sick FMX film and certainly cements Strong’s status as one of the craziest guys in FMX. This film is full badass from start to finish. Go watch it now!
c
a m e in
Words by Adam Simpson Photography by Garth Milan / Ryne Swanberg / Shay Williams
With a refreshingly creative riding style, a truly insane Whip and a pro filmer for a brother, Californian free rider Axell ‘Slay’ Hodges has been taking the internet by storm with his own style of moto videos. Axell has managed to make a big name for himself in a short space of time. Having grown from a relatively unknown amateur racer, to a freeride motocross superstar in just a few short years, Slay currently sits up there with the top motocross riders like Ken Roczen on social media rankings. Over this period Axell has built what can only be described as an army of online followers, with over 340K on Instagram alone. Now competing in prestigious events such as X Games and Monster Cup along with filming video projects with the best of the best, the kid from Encinitas, CA is one of an elite few who has conquered the much desired career path to filming moto video parts. We sat down with the Monster Energy/Seven MX rider to get the 411 on how his career came about, his biggest projects so far, and what the future holds for the young slayer.
Lokomag: What’s up Axell! Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Axell: No Problem, thanks for having me. How old are you? I’m twenty right now. Where are you from? Encinitas, California, USA. How old were you when you first started riding dirt bikes? I got my first dirt bike on my fifth birthday. I broke my femur not long after getting the bike, so my mum didn’t let me ride again until I was in like 5th grade.
Damn. You got a big one out the way early! When did you realise that the standard racing career wasn’t for you? Probably in 2014/2015. I wasn’t really doing that hot and wasn’t really having as much fun on my dirt bike as I should have been. At that stage, I don’t know, I was just kind of over it. Did you dream of being able to take your riding down the filming / video part route, or was that something that just kind of happened? I mean, I never really thought that making videos would be an option to take. I thought that if I wasn’t racing I was done. I grew up making videos. It’s something I’ve always done since I was a little kid. So I started making my videos and people just started liking them. From then it was like, wow, maybe I could have a path doing this. Ever since then I’ve just stuck with it and I’m enjoying it – I love making videos. Which moto riders have inspired you in the past with video parts? Guys like Twitch, Josh Hansen and Tyler Bereman would probably be the top three guys that have inspired me
Slay cranks an insane whip at the Monster Energy Cup
with video parts. I would say they’ve had the biggest influence on me, growing up watching them I’ve always tried to ride like those guys. How about outside of moto? I’ve watched a lot of skateboard films and skateboard sections over the years and I guess I’ve taken inspiration from that too you know, seeing how those guys film and make their videos. I grew up skating and always had a bunch of buddies that skate. I think skate parts are cool so I’ve always felt if I can make mine a bit like that it would be rad. Cool. Congrats on your fan favourite win in 2016 X-Games Real Moto last year. The part was dope!...What was it like filming that edit with Dirt Shark? Yeah filming with Dirt Shark is cool. For me it’s like any other day really, I’m just hanging out with my big brother, so being able to work with him and make videos is super cool. I mean he’s been in the moto game for a while now and he’s definitely helped me out to get me where I am. Filming with Dirt Shark is nothing but good times. I love working with my big brother.
Quickfire: Favourite moto film of all time? Wrathchild – Mike Cinqmars was just going huge in it. Best spot you’ve ever ridden? My House the Slayground – there’s so much stuff you can do here. Broken bones? Around 10 – between 5 and 10 I think haha. Favourite music? Rolling Stones / Wiz Khalifa Shout – outs? My Parents. They’ve helped my out with absolutely everything so I want to say a big thanks to them.
“Filming with Dirt Shark is nothing but good times. I love working with my big brother.”
Your Dirt Shark ‘Slaygound’ edit dropped last year and was pretty damn epic. How long were you working on that one for? We actually put Slayground together in one day. I had a couple of ideas in my head, we shot a bunch of stuff and I just hoped it worked out haha. I was stoked with the end result. There were a couple of things in there that I thought I could have done a little bit better if we had a little bit more time to set up. But for the time we had and the way we shot it I was stoked with it. Do you ever get involved with the production/ editing side of the things, or do you just let your bro deal with that part? When I make a video with my brother, I’ll usually go over there, watch the footage, analyze it, help tweak it a bit, but then he’ll do most of the work. For the instagram clips I just do those ones myself on my iphone. Monster really stepped it up last year at the Monster Cup FMX High Rollers Contest. With a
second place and some gnarly slams, how was your overall Monster Cup 2016 experience? To be honest I was pretty pissed leaving Monster Cup because, I don’t know, it was a windy day and during the Quarter Pipe contest, I felt like I had that thing in the bag, then I got blown out on my last jump which just blew me to flat. Getting second behind Jarryd again made me mad. I just wanted to get up there and show what I can do. Then in Best Whip I threw a big dog in the wind and it didn’t really work out haha, I face planted so overall my Monster Cup experience wasn’t that great, but shit happens. Yeah it looked like a frustrating day for you man. But I have to say, it was rad to see everyone boosting out of that quarter pipe – are we about to see a new wave of Quarter Pipe riding coming through? Yeah probably. I mean I think they’ll have something similar at X games this year, so for sure I think we’ll see a lot more guys pushing it on Quarter Pipes.
“I think skate parts are cool, so I’ve always felt if I can make mine a bit like that it would be rad”
Axell lays it flat in the dunes filming for the Doonies 3.
You were out in Glamis filming with the Monster crew for the new Doonies 3 edit. How does it feel floating off those huge sand dune hits? Yeah jumping in the dunes is sick. I’d probably say it’s one of my, if not my favourite places to ride because you can find the biggest jumps out there. Also it can be a little bit more forgiving when you go down in the sand as opposed to hard-packed dirt. Hitting those jumps is super fun. It really gets your heart going because the first time you hit some of those lips you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s super fun to be able to just pretty much fly on your dirt bike. What’s the sketchiest thing about riding in the dunes? I would say when there’s other guys out there and they’re just coming over the dunes head on is probably the sketchiest part of it in my opinion! But we try and go out there when there’s not too many people so it’s not too bad. What’s the best thing about the dunes? Just being able to send huge stuff that you normally wouldn’t be able to find out in the dunes or on a dirt bike track. Do you have any urge to learn Backflips? Yeah Backflips have been going through my mind a bit lately. A few people have been saying I should do them. I think I’ve got the Backflip but, right now I’m concentrating on winter X Games so I just want to let that go by and then see what we can do afterwards. I’d like to learn the mini-flips too, that would be cool to be able to throw some of them into my videos.
How’s the X Games Snow-Bike prep going? Yeah it’s going good. I’ve been out at the track in the cold the last couple of weeks and I’ve got the bike to where I’m pretty happy with it. I feel good on the bike now and I think that my speed is up there, so I should be able to go out there, get the hole shot and pin it for the boys. Best of luck for it! How long did it take to get the hang of riding the snowbike? Well at first I hated it because I had to relearn everything for the snow, and it definitely took me a couple of days to figure it out. As soon as I started to figure it out and started going faster and faster I began to like it a lot. It’s
pretty fun. I’ve not been able to ride it in the backcountry powder yet, so far I’ve only been out on the track, so that’s definitely something I’d like to explore. Do you think it will progress to jumping snowboard size jumps and crazy tricks out in the backcountry? Yeah for sure. From what they’ve been saying the technology is just going to keep getting better and better, so we’ll see how good they can get these things. In the powder probably without a doubt you’ll be able to send those things to the moon.
Who else is killing it at moto right now? I love riding with Tyler Bereman and Josh Hill at the moment, when we ride together we all just feed off each other so well. Those are two of my favourite guys to ride with so I’ve got to give some props to those guys. They’re not scared either they’ll go big and go for it! What have you got lined up so far for the 2017 season? Winter X Games will be the first big thing for my 2017 season, then after that I’m doing some work for a movie. I’m a stunt double for the lead actor in that. I just got my stunt licence. There might be some stuff in the works for Monster and Nass car, but I don’t really know what the deal with that stuff is, we’re trying to figure it all out at the moment. Then I’ll be riding summer X Games. I’ll be working on some more video parts for Monster, and then I’ll ride Best Whip at Monster Cup and hopefully Quarter Pipe if they run it again. I’m sure they’ll be some other cool things happening as well, haha. Thanks man Thanks
“ Hitting those dune jumps is super fun. It really gets your heart going because the first time you hit some of those lips you don’t know what’s going to happen” Slay
THE BATTLE IS ON AT NOTJ 2017 Words by Adam Simpson Photography by Night of the Jumps
Night of the Jumps 2017 is officially in full swing, complete with new riders, new tricks and a new Live Stream video service. After four epic rounds of FMX action, this is what we’ve been able to take away from the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship series.
The 2017 FIM Freestyle MX World Championship season kicked off at Night of the Jumps in late January in Basel, Switzerland. The following week, the second and third rounds went down in February at Night of the Jumps Berlin, followed by the fourth round in the Tauron Arena, Krakow, Poland. The three-time consecutive World Champion and reigning title-holder, Maikel Melero dominated the World Championship series in 2016 and was able to defend his title with 10 wins from 11 rounds. This very much makes Maikel the man to beat in the 2017 season. So let’s see what we’ve learned from the first few rounds...
The new Aussies are holding their own
2017 has seen a couple of new Australian riders join the full NOTJ series, in the form of Pat Bowden and Ryan Brown. Both these riders have a huge bag of tricks, sweet style and
a good contest mentality. It’s always cool to see new riders join the Night of the Jumps tour, and when they are from Australia they always seem to mix things up and these boys are no exception. When Rob Adelberg rejoins the series, it will bring the total number of Aussies challenging for the World Championship title to three. With some promising podium finishes already, expect to see a lot more from these dudes in the future.
Libor looks hungry for another world championship
Having not long been back on the bike after the winter break and a shoulder surgery, Libor Podmol (along with the majority of the Czech FMX contingent) had been doing some pre-season training over at the Lleides FMX park in Spain, where the weather was a bit fairer than in the Czech Republic. The practice seemed to have paid off as the Czech Ninja was looking solid in Berlin, and perfectly stomped two Body Varials (a Volt and a California Roll) during his run. Libor has taken some serious slams on these two highly
After a brief one round break, Maikel Melero is back on the top of the podium after Krakow.
Veteran Dany Torres isn’t afraid to get down with some new-skool Quarter Pipe tricks .
“I probably put a bit of pressure on Maikel too so it’s good. I feel good and can’t wait for the next round.” Libor Podmol technical, big consequence tricks recently, so to be able to put that out of his mind and land them both on point in the same run was rad to see, and deservedly earned him the top spot on the podium. Following his victory in Berlin, Libor told Night of the Jumps “I wanted to put down a clean run which I did and I won, so I’m super stoked. I probably put a bit of pressure on Maikel too so it’s good, I feel good and can’t wait for the next round.”
New Podium contenders
Two riders that are gaining more experience at Night of the Jumps are the Spaniard Marc Pinyol and the Italian Leo Fini. Pinyol shocked everyone when he brought out his own Body Varial known as the Inside Roll last year, although this trick proved to be his nemesis in Berlin when it ended in a dirt sample. The Lleides FMX team rider turned heads in Berlin again when he unveiled another new trick,
the Surfer take-off to Tsunami Egg Roll off the Quarter Pipe. This trick, as well as being super-technical and looking nuts, cements Pinyol’s role as a creative trick innovator, who poses a serious threat to the podium at Night of the Jumps. Daboot FMX team rider Leonardo Fini has been putting down some serious runs so far this year, and is starting to consistently make it to the Night of the Jumps finals. Under the guidance of Daboot Team manager Alvaro Dal Farra, Leo has improved dramatically over the last few years. With some super-stylish up-right tricks, some big Backflip variations and now a Body Varial in the form of the California Roll, Fini is pushing hard. A few of the KTM rider’s Cali Roll’s last year could be described as a little ‘wild’ and a few nasty crashes on this trick slowed his path to the top. Once he has this trick back on lock-down, he will be ready to battle with the big boys.
Melero is a Machine
Maikel Melero may have lost the second round of Night of the Jumps in Berlin, but he is by no means down or out. Protégé of Spanish FMX legend Dany Torres (who made a cool come-back appearance at NOTJ Berlin) the now three-time World Champion has the consistency of a clock, smooth style and all the right tricks to win another championship in 2017. Unhappy with his second place finish in Berlin, Maikel returned the following round with a perfect run and a firm win. It is rumoured that Melero has some new tricks on lock-down that he has not yet unveiled in competition, so time will tell if the new pressure from Libor forces him to bust them out soon for a Double-Up.
Luc Ackermann is back
Everyone was excited to see the comeback of Luc Ackermann in Krakow to find out what the kid from Germany could deliver after his long recovery. The Red Bull rider broke his Femur six months ago, and made his come-back at the World Championship round in Krakow. Luc returned in style and stomped an insane run of bangers in qualifying landing his Egg Roll, Flair, Surfer Tsunami Flip and California Roll. The young German lifted the roof on the Tauron Arena, ending up in first place at the end of Qualifying and finishing the finals on the podium in third. Luc is one of the loosest riders on the tour and even though he may not have the experience that some of his competitors have, he’s never afraid to twist the throttle and send it, which always makes for some seriously entertaining FMX!
France’s David Rinaldo show’s why he’s one of the most stylish riders out there with this text-book Double Grab Flip.
Libor’s younger brother Filip Podmol was riding like a true contender in Krakow, and threw down some huge tricks with a tonne of style and confidence.
Aussie Pat Bowden has been representing hard so far this season with some massive tricks and some solid results.
Luc Ackermann sending a perfect Surfer Take-off Tsunami Backflip on his come-back run in Krakow.
There’s plenty more to come
Four rounds in and plenty more to go, the 2017 season has still only just begun. Unfortunately French rider David Rinaldo got sick and was unable to compete in Berlin, so joined Steve to co-host the live stream. David is sure to be a serious contender this season and definitely another rider Melero will have to fend off. Two other riders that were absent for the start of the season were Rob Adelberg and Remi Bizouard. Both these guys are major players in the Night of the Jumps field and regulars on the podium. Their return will cause a stir to the points table for sure. After four World Championship competitions in 2017, Maikel Melero is firmly on top with 76 points. Libor Podmol is the closest challenger at 21 points behind Melero after his win in Berlin. In third place is the Aussie Pat Bowden with 54 points.
FIM Freestyle MX World Championship 2017
Ranking (after 4th contest) 01. Maikel Melero 02. Libor Podmol 03. Pat Bowden 04. Dany Torres 05. Petr Pilat 06. Brice Izzo 07. David Rinaldo 08. Leonardo Fini 09. Marc Pinyol 10. Filip Podmol 11. Luc Ackermann 12. Remi Bizouard 13. Kai Haase 14. Ryan Brown
ESP CZE AUS ESP CZE FRA FRA ITA ESP CZE GER FRA GER AUS
Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha KTM KTM Yamaha Yamaha KTM Yamaha Yamaha Husqvarna Kawasaki Suzuki Kawasaki
76 Pts 55 Pts 54 Pts 48 Pts 39 Pts 39 Pts 35 Pts 35 Pts 26 Pts 24 Pts 16 Pts 14 Pts 12 Pts 10 Pts
Alvaro Dal Farra Presents:
Kawasaki Magnet Photography: Cristopher Breda Words: Alvaro Dal Farra
At the end of 2016, Daboot FMX team owner and custom bike builder Alvaro Dal Farra released his much anticipated latest creation: the Kawasaki KX450F Magnet. Alvaro’s bikes blow us away every year with their creativity and original thinking, but this one has to be our favourite so far. Here’s a closer look at the Magnet.
“Every year I try to express how I interpret life, research, innovation and my spirit through what has constantly attracted me. My bike has always been a symbol of the strive for renewal. As a child it was a dream, today it represents how I interpret the future. The Magnet attracts, repels, holds, strengthens. It can be very heavy or light, a magnetic field invisible to the eye but possesses a tremendous force. Our planet is one big magnet.�
Alvaro
“This motorcycle expresses its originality through very careful design, research and the use of innovative and unusual construction techniques. It has clean lines, enhanced by edges and corners. Its structure and aluminium components have been modified with 3D laser engraving, which has radically changed the appearance of the bike.�
Alvaro
“Colour and anodizing give the bike uniformity and at the same time an aggressive shape. Carbon fibre renders the bike lightweight gives it a unique appearance. The graphics are visible when you change your viewing angle, thanks to a series of perforations. Green represents the extensive research, the lines defining the edge between innovation and reality.�
Alvaro
"My Kawasaki Kx 450F Magnet is the fruit of a combination of technology, new ideas and the desire to look beyond "
Components: • Bike: Kawasaki KX 450 F 2017 • Concept: Alvaro Dal Farra • Design: Codoro Studio • Mechanic: Andrea Casagrande (Pigna) • Spray Gun: Michele Battistin • Anodizing: Dedo Racing • Laser Engraving: Piazza Rosa • Exhaust: Officine Zard • Carbon Fiber Parts: Officine Zard • Bolts and Components: Lightech • Seat cover: Blackbird Racing • Brake Disks: Braking • Transmission: Sunstar • Tires: Dunlop MX 71 • Plastics: Rtech • Handgrips: Ariete • Oils: Valvoline • Suspensions: Tm Suspensions – Tiziano Monti • Piston and engine components: Athena/Get
Tom Pagès homeworx
going behind the scenes Photography by JF Muguet / Red Bull Content Pool
HOMEWORX After a year without his regular, busy Red Bull XFighters World Tour schedule, reigning champion Tom Pagès has been hard at work putting together a ground-breaking new video project; HOMEWORX.
Teaming up with long-time filming partner Michel Never and FMX film guru Jay Schweitzer (On The Pipe series), the team managed to create a unique, mindblowing edit that had you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. From Double Backflips and Frontflips to Alley-Oop Flairs and Special Flips off a monster dirt double, Pagès laid it down and confirmed that he is still the undisputed boss of progressive FMX right now. The edit was shot at a jaw-dropping, previously unseen private FMX compound in the south of France. With a natural wood vibe and a cool mix of ramps, wallrides, car drops and hip-tree-tap jumps, this video has a tonne of variety and did a great job of showcasing Tom’s creativity, style and ground breaking tricks throughout.
The Alley Oop Flair - definitely a contender for the raddest looking quarter pipe trick of all time.
There’s not too many riders that can throw a true special flip, and even fewer that can do them off a big ass dirt hit.
“In competition, there is the show, the public enthusiasm, the other riders who also show incredible performances, but we are a group that works for the crowd and if I cannot deliver, another rider will and the show goes on.” Pagès told Red Bull.com “It was totally different for HOMEWORX. It was all about me and if I failed doing this line, there was nobody to cover that.”
After announcing his retirement from the series at the end of last year, Pagès has now decided to defend his Red Bull X-Fighters title in 2017. Tom will be bringing these tricks into competition at X-Fighters in Madrid, where he will be looking to win his 5th event in a row at the notorious Spanish bullring. For more info visit : Redbull.com/homeworx
“I wanted to realise this on a perfect spot, where I could realise a set-up with ideal conditions for the tricks and where the surroundings fit my style.� Tom Pages
Tom clearly has this trick on total lock-down. He stuck it perfectly.
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The Birth of Hellbilly Ranch and Freeride Rodeo Words by Flossy Bumz Photography by Mark Phillips Katrina Graveson Photo Whisky Throttle Photo Wild & Free Moto Photo
With legit freeride moto park’s being pretty few and far between in Canada, we check in with a crew of riders and ranchers from Alberta that are looking to make that statement a thing of the past. By not only building a huge freeride park most riders could only dream of shredding, but managing to hold a full-on Red Bull backed freeride event on the property, the Hellbilly Ranch is carving the way for a new generation of Canadian FMX riders and freeriders.
Located just south of Alberta’s capital lies Leduc County, a quiet area known for farming, country living and the oil field. This is where you will find the infamous moto paradise, Hellbilly Ranch, the home of the Freeride Rodeo. The acreage was purchased in 2013 by Mike & Dayna Good, when they moved from the busy city to seek a quieter and more peaceful way of living, or so they thought, until the moto playground came to fruition. Mike always dreamed of riding dirtbikes as a kid but never had the privilege of doing so when growing up. He became a success-
ful business owner in the concrete foundation industry with LADS Foundations, which opened up the door to owning the land where he could give his 12-year-old son Brody the toys he dreamed of having. Tim Mielke, a local rider and close friend of the Good’s, introduced Mike to the Flossy Bumz founders, Morgan and Cody Kaliszuk. These two brothers from British Columbia spent the majority of their lives travelling the country, performing and competing in FMX. Eventually the Kaliszuk brothers made the move to Alberta
for work. Trying to find a place to train proved difficult in this area, so being introduced to the Good family was the beginning of something big. Together with the right connections and the right group of friends ready to put the work in, they began building and reshaping Mike’s land into a full size Freestyle course, Motocross track, and Speed&Style course with huge support from JAK Equipment. The freeride layout was inspired by skateparks, so the compound enables the rider to be as creative as they want when it comes to putting lines together. “The goal was to build a course completely different from anything we have ever ridden, to keep an element of excitement each time you ride� -Morgan Kaliszuk. The Freeride Rodeo is a product of many influences. Mike Good, being a family ori-
ented man with a passion for ranch living, not only had a vision for the venue, but also wanted to keep the event alcohol free and professional. Tim Mielke has a background rooted in racing, and wanted to bring the intensity of that to the course. With their Freestyle background, Cody and Morgan Kaliszuk applied their experience to make sure the event had key features and marketing. The rider roster was tight, and the amount of spectators was limited so the focus was truly on the riding. Volunteers put in a lot of time when it came to the planning and execution of the event. The Concert stage, podium, and trophies were created, the riders also volunteered their time and effort by travelling to the event from all over Western Canada. There was food trucks and live music brought in from Edmonton to feed and
THE BOSS: MIKE GOOD
WHEN THE HARD WORK STOPS THE CAPTAIN MORGANS COME OUT
entertain the crowds. Two local Edmonton bands, “Kayne Incognito” and “Elements” performed on the outdoor stage. Everything was geared towards the youth to get them excited to ride and follow their dreams. Specialty Motorsports was also on site along with Lil’ Buckaroo Designs, who provided swag for the kids and spectators.
your bike with one hand, but this didn’t stop anyone from throwing down their biggest tricks. From backflips, big whips, and all the crazy upright tricks being executed off such big jumps, the guys put it on the line and put on a hell of a show. Mark Phillips snagged 1st place by flipping back-to-back on some of the biggest features on the course.
The event began with a Freeride FMX competition. The format was simple; each rider is given two 90 second runs, and the power is in their hands to judge each other on their performance. When mixing wind and 100 foot dirt jumps, it’s not a wise decision to be hanging off of
After that was Speed & Style. When you combine bar banging racing and big tricks, it’s bound to get interesting. The course had a whoop section, off camber doubles, pond jump, and a 75’ ramp jump. The course was tight and technical, but everyone held it together and
MARK PHILLIPS & JAMIE IWASCHUK BATTLE IT OUT IN SPEED & STYLE
MORGAN KALISZUK GOING BIG IN THE FREERIDE CONTEST
KEVIN STAINTHORP THROWS A HUGE ROCK SOLID
the competition thrived. The riders battled head-to-head, and the winner from each moto advanced into the finals. Brett Turcotte ended up with the hard-earned win. With the conclusion of Speed & Style, it was time for all the smack talking about whose whip is the biggest to end. If there is any event that gets the blood flowing and the audience pumped, it’s best whip. Judged by the crowd, and undoubtedly the highlight of the event, 8 riders sessioned for the biggest whip, one after another, for 10 minutes. There were bikes getting turned past 90 degrees, upside down and in every direction. When the buzzer went it was Mason Bozarth taking home the win with his unbelievable inverted whips. “This was on par with X Games best whip!” - Random Spectator
The show was closed with a bang. All the riders came into one jump, performing all their best tricks in a train just to make sure if everyone’s hair wasn’t standing straight up, it was now. After an action packed afternoon it was time to send everyone on their way and lock the gates of Hellbilly. Freeride Rodeo was a huge success and it will most likely become an annual occurrence, which hopefully inspires similar FMX events in Canada. A huge thanks to the Good family for opening their doors. Without the support that was received from friends, family, volunteers and sponsors this never would have been possible!
MARK PHILLIPS CELEBRATES HIS VICTORY - CANADIAN STYLE
2016
Freeride Rodeo R esults FREERIDE FMX CONTEST:
1st MARK PHILLIPS 2nd BRETT TURCOTTE 3rd MORGAN KALISZUK BEST WHIP WINNER:
MASON BOZARTH SPEED & STYLE WINNER:
BRETT TURCOTTE
Rider: Daisuke Suzuki Location: Yakushi, Japan Photograph: Kasukabevision Filmz
Rider: Fred Kyrillos Location: SoCal, USA Photograph: Chris Tedesco
Rider: Davide Rossi Location: Belluno, Italy Photograph: Davide Dal Mas