Ride PA BMX - Issue One

RIDE PA BMX

ISSUE #1

SCOTT EFFTING / ACTION WHEELS CHRIS MARSHALL GALLERY

FLORIDEAH SWAMP FEST

BREYON WOODS INTERVIEW

DAN CONWAY INTERVIEW

THE HOSED JAM

NEXTGEN JAM

BERKS ST. X ALIVE INDUSTRY SORRY FOR PARTYING!

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Issue #1

EDITOR IN CHEIF / FOUNDER: Mike Purcell

Assistant Editor Matt Smith

Art director Matt Smith

Assistant Art Director Mike Purcell

pHOTOGRAPHY

Brendan Mulrooney Nilo Hodge Ryan Navazio Matt Loughead Shilo Staniech Chris Marshall Frank Ashbridge Murphy Lee Moschetta Sean Morr Derrick Riggs Zach Kutos

Advertising

purcey@ridepabmx.com 2RIDEPABMX.COM

ON THE COVER: Conway - Hanger as seen in the new GT video Seriously Fun, Photo: Josh McElwee ON THIS PAGE: Shilo Staniech - Fakie Wallride in Wilmington. This set up is super tough to ride, steep bank and a decent gap between the bank and the wall. When Shilo called this out I wasn’t sure it was going to work but the dude nailed it easy!

Photo: Brendan Mulooney

INTERVIEWS:

pg.14 Dan Conway pg.06 Breyon Woods, Bdub pg.04 Scott Effting // Action Wheels

on the move:

pg.52 Mike Stahl pg.48 Mike Guth pg.38 pg.34 pg.42 pg.54

EVENTS:

Florideah Swampfest NextGen Jam Third Annual Hosed Jam 215 Berks St. X Alive Industry Jam

Photo Galleries:

pg.08 Chris Marshall pg.24 Matt Loughead and Shilo Staniech

Additional Photos: Justin Care Evan Smedley Kevin Vannauker

Adverts:

Grindworks BMX Sorry For Partying Exclusive Viewing The Yea Ledge Dressing

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Photos by: Zack Kutos

Scott Effting / Action Wheels Interview by Purcey

Action Wheels Bike Shop has been a staple in the Bethlehem BMX community for over thirty five years. Larry D’Aemlio opened the shops doors in 1980, serving the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas bicycle needs. Surviving in the aggressive, ever-changing marketplace that is BMX for that duration of time is no small accomplishment.

Earlier this year, Larry sold the shop to one of his employees, Scott Effting, before retiring. Scott is an all round cycling enthusiast with great ambitions of what direction the shop is headed.

Action Wheels has stood the test of time, and this cornerstone in the scene is as vibrant as ever. With Scott behind the counter a new era is being ushered in at Action Wheels.

- Purcey You recently acquired ownership of Action Wheels Bike Shop. How long was the transfer of ownership in the works?

The transfer of ownership took place over the last year. Before that the previous owner, Larry D’Amelio, and I kinda just joked around with the idea of it since I was doing about everything besides pay the bills.

When did you become seriously interested in owning and operating a bicycle shop?

After working at the shop for about a year I realized it. It was the first job I actually enjoyed showing up to so it immediately wanted to make a career out of being in the bicycle industry one way or another.

You were an employee of the shop before you took over ownership. How long did you work at the shop prior to becoming the owner?

I was actually thinking about this last week, I believe it was about 5 years. I was supposed to come in a day or two a week to help out but I ended up having the keys to open after a month.

Do you feel having that inside experience will be paramount to your success?

Oh yeah for sure! I started out as just a dude there for BMX but I ride and love every other kind of bike now too. The BMX side is still the trickiest. You need to stay up with all the trends and changes so you do not order parts that will be slow moving.

Action Wheels just launched a new website. Any plans to eventually move into mail order?

We are going to be doing a mail order site. It is in the works right now actually, but it will be just a couple brands and clothing. Should be cool, so keep your eyes out for it.

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Any thoughts on the effects that mail orders have on local bike shops?

Action Wheels gets support from around the world, we have a ton of guys who come in to ride Catty and Posh who love our shop and always make sure to stop in when they are in town and I love that. My whole thought on mail order sites is that if you need to order online make sure you at least order from a BMX shop, not a warehouse.

Do you feel that bike shops are still a vital part of the BMX scene?

They still play a pretty big factor. For a while the only jams that were going down in our area would be the ECD Guerrilla Warfare Jams. Once I was finally in a position were I could give back I started throwing the Hosed Jams, and the 2dodgy Halloween Jams. Throwing jams is hard, and I feel people do not realize that. Without the shop I would not be throwing jams that’s for sure.

Do you have a desire to expand the catalog of BMX brands the shop currently carries?

Honestly no, since we pretty much carry in stock every brand but like four. It is not exaggeration either, we have people come in all the time and say they have never seen so much BMX product in a shop before.

Action Wheels has hosted a number of events in the past including the annual “Hosed Jam”. Do you plan on hosting more BMX related events moving forward?

Yes, not sure if the Hosed Jam will be annual anymore, we will see about that. However, there are a couple other ideas I have in mind so everyone should be seeing more events soon.

The shop also has a BMX team. Who’s currently in the line-up and do you have any aspirations about filming or road trips?

Right now on the team is Cory Merritt, Aeden Fehr, and the youngling Joey Wall. Trips are up in the air right now, but I do plan to film welcome edits, and add another shredder or two, but that is all top secret right now.

Since you’ve become a shop owner have you run into any ownership frustrations?

Yeah for sure there is a bunch of drama with it, but that does not bother me. What bothers me is the lack of pedaling, but I am hoping that gets a little easier with things settling down now.

Has your family been support of your new career path?

Yeah for sure! Without them this would never have been possible. I can not thank them enough.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I would like to thank Larry D’Aemlio, Rob Demasi and Jon Merwarth for getting me the job at Action Wheels, my parents, my brother and everyone who believed in me and supports my shop! Cheers!

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BDUBS Interview by Purcey Photos by: Chris Marshall

Let’s start at the beginning for those that don’t know you. What is your name, age, and where are you from?

My name is Breyon Woods. I am twenty two years old and I’m from Levittown, PA. How did you find BMX and at what age did you start riding?

I will never forget the day. I had my first decent bike and I went to a bridge dirt jump which was a dirt/concrete tabletop in my section. That’s where I met Matt Miller, and Joe & Ryan Niranonta. They asked me my name and I made one up on the spot. I said “DJ” and I told them how good I was, and they said “ok, do the dirt jump”. I did it but not quite the way I explained. I got not even an inch off the ground. From that day forward I began to love BMX, I was about twelve years old.

Tell us a little about the local scene and growing up in Levittown as an aspiring BMX rider.

Being around Levittown was like being at your local skatepark. There are so many riders and people to look up to like JJ Palmere and other riders that I met through Joe and Matt.

Who were some of the riders that you looked up to and helped influence your riding?

I mainly looked up to Edwin. Watching him kill it in the Animal videos was just so amazing to me. I was so young so I couldn’t grasp how he did certain things and I still can’t to this day.

What gets you motivated to go out and ride on a daily basis?

What usually gets me motivated is just thinking about what spot to ride or what new trick I could do that day.

You recently got bumped up to Animal’s AM team and Kink’s Flow Team. How does it feel to be apart of two of the most reputable names in street riding?

It feels great to be on the teams that inspired me as a young kid. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for both teams.

Last year, you took a trip out to the Southwest. How was that experience and do you see yourself traveling more in the future?

It was great. Arizona is so dope and the experience was super official. Robbie Owen made the trip worth while and yes, I will be taking a lot of trips in the near future.

Have you wrapped filming for your section in “Chocolate Truck 2”?

Not quite yet. Matt says I have a full part but I want to get some clips I have been eying up and he also has spots for me in NYC. Are you excited to get the second video out after spending the last few years filming for the follow up?

Yea, I think this will be a great video. This will be my first full part so I’m just hyped on having a part instead of four clips.

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Are you currently working on anything else that you can disclose?

Can’t say. I’m cooking up something. Just be on the lookout in the next couple months.

Last summer, you got to ride NYC with the Pyradice crew and met Nigel. Tell us a little about that experience.

That experience was really dope. I got to hit up the juice bar which was a good night and got to ride classic NYC spots.

Nigel has accomplished a lot through BMX. Do you consider him to be an inspirational figure and what do you think about his approach to bringing BMX into the mainstream?

He is an inspiration. He killed it back in the day for Animal and he still does. His movement is a lot different than what any other BMX rider has ever done. He receives a lot of hate and backlash because he is not flying high or some crazy park rat but fuck it, he still has tricks up his sleeve.

You were apart of The Animal House, which is now filming a follow up video on the West Coast. What was the atmosphere like in the house and while out filming?

It was really chill. A lot of jokes, laughter and just really good vibes riding. We just cruised and if anyone saw a spot worth checking out we peeped it and if anyone had anything for it we chilled and cheered them on.

You also closed out the Chocolate Truck section in the most recent Animal video, “Facts”.

Can you tell us a little about that ender and how it came about?

It was just another day in Philly. Twin was out and he was trying something and I just got a gut feeling I should try to Tire Ride 360 it and somehow I did it. If you can imagine doing it, you can accomplish it.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I would like to thank my mother for always believing in me. Matt Miller, Joe & Ryan Niranonta for showing me how dope the BMX culture really is and Animal Bikes and Kink Bikes for being awesome sponsors.

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chris marshall photo gallery Intro: Purcey | Captions: Marshall

Over the years, Chris Marshall has become one of the most distinguished photographers in BMX. With a portfolio that reflects some of the East Coasts most in depth street riding photography, Chris captures more than just a well timed photo.

The contributions Chris has made to BMX through outlets such as DIG and ESPN, as well as his work with Deadline and most recently, Animal Bikes are undeniable.

We are humbled by the opportunity to present the following gallery of photography, handpicked and captioned by Chris for inclusion in these pages. We hope you enjoy.

Butcher warming up for the session.

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After copping some beer from the Easton local and enjoying the refreshment in the parking lot, Butcher thought it was a good day for a wallride to pocket grind.

Tight banks, 2 inch thorns, and the possibility of clipping the rail at any point, ain’t no problem for Joe Niranonta.

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Ryan threw the bars so nice over this Philly rail, the fire department came to put out the flame.

John Yoh on his way out of the Local Philly chill spot.

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Even though Zack has lived in Ohio for a long time now, he visits his home state of PA every time he can. Before leaving to visit his parents, Zack got this Canadian nose jam in Trenton, NJ.

chris marshall photo gallery

While I’m usually the driver, on this one occasion I got the chance to shoot out the sun roof of the car I was in. For me, this is one my favorite ways to photograph a building.

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DAN co interview

Written by Purcey | Photos / Captions: Josh McElwee

Dan Conway has been a prominent figure in the Pennsylvania BMX scene for over a decade. His affiliation and work over the years with companies like Orchid Footwear, FIT, The Daily Grind, GT Bikes, and his own venture Stink Pit have helped to accentuate the BMX scene in Philadelphia.

In the wake of the release of GT’s newest video “Seriously Fun” and the teams return from Taiwan, we spoke with Dan about an array of topics including the re-birth of GT Bikes, his departure from FIT, the future of Stink Pit, and much more.

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onway

Low-flying airplane noise and two-way traffic couldn’t stop Dan from icing every inch of this rail.

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You recently returned from a trip to Taiwan with some of the GT Bicycles Freestyle BMX team. How was the trip?

Amazing, we really experienced a whole bunch of shit. We did a little of everything which makes for a great trip. The sights, food, people, and spots were the best. The GT team is the best group of guys and they all went in for the DVD out there! The locals were so cool and they hooked it up with all the spots too! The crazy thing was, all the dudes over there are all about East Coast street riding so it made it real easy to feed off each other while we were all out riding spots. Huge shout out to Allen, Monkey, Andy, and Wallride for making it great!

What did you think about the culture in Taiwan and the environment for riding BMX?

I was told that in the entire country there’s about 30-50 dudes who ride, which is nuts for how many people are over there, so the spots were endless. The riders that we saw were all rocking 90 East gear and were all about the street setups vs the stupid “pack 100 tricks in one flat ledge line” type of riding.

All in all the place was great and I really hope to go back one day.

GT has been tirelessly working to revitalize their presence in not only the freestyle BMX marketplace, but also in the street riding scene. What are your thoughts on the direction they are headed in?

It’s great, the team is so rad now.

All the dudes relate and get along so well, and most of all, they kill it!!! The whole crew is made up of complete savages on and off the bikes, and I feel that is a huge part of having a team in BMX, rather than a group of names who only care about themselves and their own personal following.

Also, the new line of goods is so sick! I run a decent amount of GT parts and I haven’t had any problems with my bike! I fuck with what GT’s got going on right now.

It’s so sick that the BMX part is being pushed again and I’m going to do what I can to help continue that along for how ever long I can!

GT premiered their new video ‘Seriously Fun’ during the month of June. You attended the videos premiere at 5050 Skatepark in Staten Island. How was the event and were you excited for the videos release?

I was told that “ in the entire country there’s about 30 - 50 dudes who ride.

”

Zero hesitation here, Dan laced this crook with ease. - J.M.

Hell yeah! The video was so sick! Sometimes when videos have to have cleared music for download reasons it kind of takes away from the riding, but not in this case! I feel like everyone’s section fit really well, and Andrew Brady killed it on putting it all together! The premiere was awesome, people responded really well to it which really made us feel good.

Plenty of people hit me up to say how stoked they were on the video which I really appreciate.

Thanks to everyone for the love!

It seems like a lot of people were caught by surprise when GT announced the release of a new full-length video. How long did you spend filming for the video?

I started filming right when I got on. Instead of rushing into a weak “welcome” edit we talked about the idea of filming a full video. At the time, GT was filming trip videos that were really 16

getting people hyped and so we thought it would be cool if we started to put some clips on ice and the pile started to stack up. We did a few trips with the whole crew and really pushed each other and everyone went in on the trips to get some bangers for their parts. All in all I filmed for my part for about a year and a half.

GT has assembled a team of some of the most influential street riders today. Do you feel the transition onto the team was a natural one for you?

Yea man, all the dudes on the team are good people and great riders. That’s seriously huge for me. I want to be riding with the kind of guys who I can ride during the day with, and then at the end of the day sit down and chill and have real life conversations. No one on the team has egos, or spends half the conversation talking about themselves and what they’ve done.

These guys are the best. We all push each other to get the clips and motivate each other when the time is needed. I could be in the van and travel the globe with these dudes and not get sick of them. Cheers boys!

You recently received a prototype of your signature series frame in collaboration with GT. Tell us a little about the frame.

The frame is a BK Globetrotter, it’s just in my signature color and stickers and will be available in the next run of complete bikes.

I’m stoked GT gave me a run of bikes, they’re solid and affordable! Gotta get these kids back on BMX bikes and away from those scooters, haha!

You have some design experience from your time with FIT. How much of this new signature frames design were you responsible for?

Ben Ward is responsible for all the design for the goods at GT, and when I had my line at FIT he was the one showing and explaining it all to me. So now, it’s the same chemistry. We’ve done plenty of bouncing back and forth with ideas and colors and designs. I really love that I’m included every step of the way with product at GT. Aside from your frame, are you currently doing any product testing for Daily Grind or GT? If so, can you tell us a little more about the products and your thoughts on them?

I got some sample GT cranks but I can’t leak too much on them. Just know that they are simple and solid as hell! I also have the new DG plastic with metal core pegs, which I really like. I go back and forth with metal and plastic pegs so these bad boys are treating me nice! I have some new colors of the DG parts, the purp sprocket, and new seat done by Eben Fischer. Check both the GT and DG sites to get a closer look!

You rode for FIT for years. What were some of the reasons behind your departure from the team?

Things were changing... BMX is definitely different than it was. I wanted to have a sense of purpose in being on the FIT pro team. I didn’t want to just sit at home and wait for my check to show up in the mail. So I would constantly ask to go on trips and to have a little help to get me outside the Pennsylvania area and to work on some projects, but it wasn’t in the cards over there. They had to do some cut backs that weren’t in my favor, and the over all direction 17

that the brand was going in was something that I didn’t really see myself being a part of for much longer.

How do you feel about the high demand for content through platforms like Instagram?

I see dudes going in for an Instaclip!! I feel like if a dude is constantly putting crazy moves or wild clips on Insta it’s gonna take away from any kind of longer term project they plan to come out with, because you’ll already know what’s coming in the riders part. But it is what it is, some dudes use that as their motivation and that’s that. If you don’t fuck with it, don’t follow it. I just think it’s the times.... today is all about the here and now and instant gratification of doing something.... if that’s your cup of tea then go for it, but it’s not mine. I still like to put work in and create things that are more tangeable. It’s rad that there are still people out there filming for and making videos, and taking initiative having zines printed.

You’ve had your hand in a lot of DVD releases over the years. Do you feel mediums like DVD’s and print are still vital to BMX despite their decline in production?

Definitely. Every rider’s motivation is different, but I love putting a DVD in and sitting back with the boys bull shitting and watching it on the TV before or after we ride. I still love taking a shit and flipping through the pages of a magazine. These are things that go with BMX to me.

So I’m going to continue to do shit that keeps me stoked and wanting to get out there and shred!

Your section from Stink Pit 5 premiered on the DIG website back in May of 2016. When can we expect to see more sections from the video being released?

Yea I had a big plan of releasing parts online but that kind of fell through. Filming is harder now that everyone is getting older and time is more crucial to everyone, so we have been just chilling and letting the pile get higher and higher and filming when we want. But we are definitely in a good spot for SP5. I am sitting on Nick’s, Fran’s, and Gannwear’s parts already and we are going to have full parts from ET, Jeff Purdy, and Justin Care. I’m real excited for those parts because the main SP dudes have been filming videos for years so it’s easy to sit back and chill and wait for a clip to spark your interest, but the other dudes are killing it and are really sending it because it’s something new and fresh for them. I think this SP video is going to be a good one so I’m taking my time and I’m not going to rush it. Sorry for the delay to anyone out there cursing me for not putting anything online.

You’ve put out five videos and a line of soft goods under the Stink Pit moniker over the years.

Where would you like to take Stink Pit in the future?

Right where it’s at! SP isn’t just the name of the video, it’s the crew. SP is all about having fun with the crew, including OGs and new faces. We ride when we can, go on missions to get shit done, and sometimes just sit at the park all day and bullshit. We don’t need to act like we’re some big brand or anything. If we got the cash we’ll make a shirt and some stickers just to keep us stoked. We never had intentions on making money or getting a huge following. We 18

just do it to keep the scene going and to keep pushing each other to ride and have fun.

You’re also currently working on some new soft goods from Stink Pit. Any idea when we can expect them to become available?

End of August maybe. We just had big Pat Slitz help us out with a new logo and Landman is working on the other. We got the shirts ready, and got fresh stickers coming in the mail. It’s going to be a real small run of shirts so by the time everyone in the crew gets one there is gonna be little left, so if you do buy one we really appreciate it!

How does riding with the Daily Grind and GT crew differ from riding with the locals and the Stink Pit crew?

It’s all the same! I’m good friends with the DG dudes so when we’re all together it’s just like riding with the boys at home. We get up early, get food, ride, film, ride, film, gas station break, ride, film, get food, beers, hang, sleep, repeat, haha. That’s why I fucking love being a part of DG, GT, and SP. What about the atmosphere? Is there more of a push to get shit done and produce clips when you are on the road filming?

Usually if I’m on a GT or DG trip there’s more of a push to get shit done because it’s not every day we all ride together, and most likely it’s a multiple day trip. Sometimes when the SP dudes are out we could just want to chill and ride a manny pad and have some beers.

That’s not saying we don’t go IN, SP Sunday seshs sometimes get gnar and I love it all the same!!!

You’ve been traveling more and more over the years. Do you have plans for any upcoming trips and do you enjoy being out on the road?

I still love taking a shit “and flipping through the pages of a magazine. ”

Right now all I know is there is talk about a Cali trip for DG in February which will be the last filming trip for the video. So other than that I’m sure there will be some weekend trips happening throughout the rest of the year.

Where do you think you would be without BMX and what keeps you motivated to get out and ride on a daily basis?

I don’t even know, BMX has been such a big part of me for so long I don’t know what I would do without it. I would like to think I would be into motorcycles and be a Harley hog like my dad. My motivation is surrounding myself with people that are down to ride and have fun.

That is the main way we can keep this BMX dream alive.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Stink Pit, GT, and Daily Grind for keeping me rolling. Kim and Kona for all the love everyday.

My family and friends for the support over all these years, and everyone I have met along the way. Peace/rock on!

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An absolutely flawless East Coast autumn day made this crook to bars look even better than it normally would.- J.M.

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Justin Care Words and Photos: Josh McElwee

Watching Justin Care ride leaves me perpetually shaking my head in disbelief. Upon arrival at a spot, Dan Conway would frequently call out a ridiculous maneuver for Justin, who would, more often than not, proceed to ride away from perfectly. He's the quintessential and exceptionally gifted newschool street rider, with a healthy dose of burliness thrown in for good measure.

Icepicking up a kinked rail is wild enough, doing it while it’s actively raining brings it to another level.

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As soon as we rolled up to this rail, someone blurted out “Justin’s gonna ice it”. They were definitely not wrong about that.

It took some serious work for Justin to toss the bars out of this icepick, but he pulled it flawlessly just as it was getting dark.

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Rail Boys Written by Purcey

For nearly seven years, Matt Loughead and Shilo Staniech have been traveling the states in search of new spots and good times. These friends from Coatesville, PA can usually be found on the open road heading towards their next destination. Their exploits have been well documented through social media and we are proud to include this gallery of shots exploring some of Matt and Shilo’s most recent adventures as taken by Matt, Shilo and Brendan Mulrooney.

We hope you enjoy.

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It’s important to always check all sides of a building. Shilo hammered out this curved rail at a brand new playground.

Photo: Matt Loughead 25

Somehow the area was a ghost-town & Shilo was able to lace this big DP. Photo: Matt Loughead

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Sometimes magic happens when you revisit local spots years later, Matt 60/40 grind.

Photo Shilo Staniech

Crusty bricks and a half crank run-up didn’t stop Matt from getting this feeble to smith.

Photo: Shilo Staniech

Shilo Staniech Crankarm slide down a kinker some where near Baltimore. Shilo put in work for this one Photo: Brendan Mulrooney.

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Shilo went to war with this triple kinker and in the end he came away victorious.

Photo: Matt Loughead

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Snow, sunshine, and cement. Matt unluc-e.

Photo: Shilo Staniech

Whenever I take people to this spot they never like it, but Matt managed to find an awesome little jib.

Photo: Brendan Mulrooney 29

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Evan Smedley - T Bog Photo: Josh McElwee 31

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Kevin Vannauker - Smith,bar Photo: Josh McElwee 33

Next Gen Jam Words & Photos: Murphy Lee Moschetta

Not even a full-face helmet can hide that smile! Oliver Crumpler is pumped!

Over the years, Pittsburgh has been home to a massive gathering of BMXers from all over the world known as Welcome Jam. Mike and Mark Potoczny initially organized this celebration of BMX at their parents’ home where they had been building and riding trails since they were kids. Through the years the number of people in attendance grew from a group of friends to hundreds of attendees including riders, friends, townies, live bands, and plenty of adult beverages. With as good of a time as Welcome Jam is, let’s be honest, once the riding is over the party is 21+.

Fast forward to 2013. The Wheel Mill, Pittsburgh’s first indoor bike park, opens just outside of downtown Pittsburgh. When the Wheel Mill opened the number of young riders began to grow quickly. It was apparent that there needed to be a youth oriented jam.

With some planning from The Wheel Mill, Potoczny brothers, and the Halahan family, the NextGen Jam was created. The NextGen Jam comes with all the fun of Welcome Jam, just built for girls and boys, ages 16 and under. There are contests for longest skid, highest bunny hop, lap challenges, and jams in the jump room and park room. After all of the riding is over, the kids take part in an ice cream social complete with bands outfitted with kids from the School of Rock.

The kids love the NextGen Jam! They get the entire Wheel Mill to ride with other kids their age, from all over the country, all day long, without us “old guys” getting in the way. Kids from Pittsburgh, PA to Portland, OR are riding together. New riders are cruising with experts. There are 2 year olds on Striders and 10-year-olds that shred as hard as some pros out there, and that is no exaggeration. But regardless of age, skill level, background, or where these kids rolled in from, they all show up for the best day of bikes ever.

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It doesn’t matter if it’s BMX or MTB. Betsy Schmeler rips!

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Trey Kratz (L) and Nathan Halahan (R) synchronize Can-Cans during the Woods Jump Room Jam.

Chris Doyle takes a minute to hit Jack Kinzler with some professional advice.

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At just 14 years old, Jayden Mucha throws down bigger tricks with more style than most riders twice his age.

jam gen next

If you’re going to be a BMX dad, be this kind of BMX dad.

Jake Rutkowitz leads his pops, Jay Rutkowitz, through the line.

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Swamp Fest Words & Photos by Josh McElwee

In late December of 2016, I found myself visiting family in Florida for the holidays.

During that stay I linked up with Trey Jones, who brought me to Jeff Hunnicutt’s recently acquired ‘Hunifools’ compound; 10 acres of trees, open fields, sugar sand, and a reasonably large sized pond. It was undeniably a Central Floridian BMX playground in the making, as the first few ramps had just been built from pallets and various other scrap pieces of wood. As I set up my strobes to shoot a few photos, Trey mentioned that there would be an event held sometime in March, with trails and more ramps to be built in the meantime. Immediately, I told myself that I would be buying a plane ticket for Florideah Swampfest, and after a two week trip to Southern California in March, I found myself flying back across the country and arriving in Orlando the day before the event.

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Dan Foley, all smiles in between enjoying a bit of Florida clay.

I knew that the turnout was going to be big, but upon arrival I realized that I had underestimated what a huge event this was to become.

Finding a spot to pitch a tent was nearly impossible as most people had arrived much earlier in the day, but we made it happen and the weekend began. The loosely structured jam format kept

the event from feeling like anything resembling a ‘contest’ as we usually know them to be, adding to the DIY spirit of of the weekend. The energy in the air was impossible to ignore as legends like Van Homan, Gary Young, and Colt Fake battled with different obstacles on the course, triumphing in the end every

Noah Monroe coming through with the full rail on the Subrosa challenge.

single time. Riding aside, one of the best things about Swampfest was just walking around and mingling, seeing people you haven’t seen in a few years, and meeting new ones along the way. To sum it up, if you weren’t there, you really fucked up. Just be sure to buy your plane ticket in advance for next year, you’ll be glad you did. Huge thanks to Jeff Hunnicutt, Trey Jones, and all of those who helped make the event possible.

Van Homan putting down a classic maneuver on the pallet spine.

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BMX knows no age. Young gun Nathan Halahan blasts a seat grab with his brother Lucas following behind him.

Colt Fake, thankfully good to go after a hard slam.

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Ages 13-30 being represented on the roll-in, BMX knows no age.

Swamp Fest

Colt Fake. Long live the backrail fufanu.

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hosed jam Photos: Frank Ashbridge & Nilo Hodge Words: Purcey

hosed jam

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We’re not sure who this is so if you know, holler at us and we’ll give him credit. Dope table right? - M.S.

On Sunday, May 21st, Action Wheels Bike Shop hosted their third annual Hosed Jam at the Bethlehem Skateplaza. The jam featured special guest host Montana Ricky and was heavily sponsored by Merritt along with a stacked list of other sponsors including S&M, Ethik, FIT, Primo, Kink, DXVD BRXVD, and many more.

Nilo Hodge and Frank Ashbridge (Shutter Destruction) were on hand to capture the event on our behalf. They managed to turn out the subsequent photos from the jam before the event ended and everyone moved on to the streets of Bethlehem.

Jake Looney / Jarid Solosky - Over Under 43

Brad Wiedlich - Tabletop

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Justin Mitchell - Tabletop

Denzel Medley - Hangover

Montana Ricky - Fakie Air

Bryan Stout - Hang Five

Ryan Muschlitz - Crank arm pop over 45

Nilo Hodge - Toothpick stall

Gang

Jon “Okie” Leffler - No footed Can-Can 46

Dustin Clewell - Toboggan 47

Mike guth interview Written by Purcey

Over the past decade, “Mad” Mike Guth has appeared in some of the East Coasts most influential underground street riding videos including Atown Trash’s “Still Folded” and Butcher’s Random Series. After spending sometime living in the Southwest, Mike has recently returned home to the East Coast. Mike took the time to answer a few questions about his assimilation back into life in Pennsylvania and what he’s been up to since his return.

You’ve been back in Pennsylvania for a few months now. How does it feel to be back on the East Coast?

It feels good. It’s nice to be close to family and people I’ve grown up with, and with having a daughter now it just made more sense to me to come back to PA to raise her around family.

What are some of the biggest differences you’ve experienced between the Arizona and Pennsylvania riding scenes?

Well it’s definitely a different style of riding between East and West. East Coast riding will always be at my roots for me. Scenery though is a big difference too. The West definitely is more beautiful when it comes to that. I’ll always miss Phoenix though in the winter, it’s a playground for most. You never know what you’re gonna run into there or who you might meet. A lot of people take trips there during the winter months. Biggest thing I’ve noticed though is AZ has a shit ton of ditches and pools, and PA got all the cellar doors. Good luck finding a cellar door out there.

Shortly after you moved back to PA you took a trip back out to Arizona and did some riding.

Can you tell us a little about that trip?

Yea, that was a crazy month. My last day living in Arizona I packed up as much as I could in my car with my wife and my six month old little girl. It took us five days to drive cross country.

It’s normally quicker but we had to stop every few hours cause it was a lot for my daughter.

When we finally got back to Pennsylvania I unpacked what we had in the car and I flew back to AZ the next day. I landed in Phoenix and drove two hours North to Flagstaff where I was living. The next day I rented a moving truck that took me like ten hours to pack by myself then I drove back to Phoenix the next day to ride. I rode that weekend in Phoenix and had an awesome time with Clay Johnson, Tammy Mcarley, Robbie Owen, RJ Orr and a few other homies. We filmed some clips for Higher Def. I was pretty tired though but it was worth it.

After that weekend I drove cross-country again to Pennsylvania and have been here since. I wanted to make a few stops on the way to ride but with my time frame I had I was just worn the fuck out lol.

The first mixtape from Higher Def Brand “Planet Earth About To Be Recycled” recently dropped online. Do you currently have anything else in the works with Higher Def or otherwise?

Yea. I’m siked on that edit everyone killed it. I don’t have anything going with Higher Def right now. All of my clips in the edit were from the one Sunday in PHX before I drove back to Pennsylvania so I was siked to be a apart of it last minute. Maybe in the future when I go back to visit if Higher Def starts the next edit I’ll be in the right place at the right time again.

Either way I’m thankful to be a part of something like that.

I met up with Dolecki on a trip home last year and got some clips for his new Maintain video, siked on that. James Hess got a few clips for the new Atown Trash video in the works. I wanna push to get more footage for that definitely. Eventually, I wanna make a solo edit not for anything special. I just haven’t done one in years and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a little while now I’ve been talking to Ryan Navazio about doing something so I think we’re gonna try to make it happen. I love his work and am looking forward to chilling with him and seeing what happens.

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Photo: Derrick Riggs 49

You’ve ridden in some classic East Coast videos including Butcher’s “Random” series and the A-town Trash “Still Folded” DVD. Do you have any ambitions about filming more now that you are back in PA?

Yea definitely. Growing up and living my whole life in Pennsylvania, I kinda got sick of living here, but when I moved away I started thinking about how much I missed home and I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to live on both coasts, but being back in PA is great. I love living here and riding here so I’m just gonna go out and go hard and ride PA like I never have before.

Photo: Navaz

Since you’ve been home have you been catching up with a lot of old friends and familar faces?

Yea, absolutely. It feels good hanging out and riding with people I’ve grown up with and meeting new people as well. It’s actually the best part about coming home, seeing people I haven’t seen in years.

The Pennsylvania scene has transformed and grown drastically over the past few years.

Have you found yourself meeting a lot of new faces while you’re out riding?

It’s crazy how it’s grown not just on the East Coast, but the whole world. The small town of Weatherly where I currently live is like fifteen minutes from where I grew up but I remember before I moved away there was only like me and a few other riders. Now there more than ten, which everybody knows that in a small town that’s pretty big. Even surrounding areas, I meet someone new just about every time I go somewhere and that’s great. I love meeting new riders who I can just connect with and feed off of.

Have you been keeping in contact with the people you regularly rode with in AZ?

Yea, absolutely. I keep in touch with Robbie Owen a lot. He’s just an awesome dude all around and I’m glad that I got to meet him while I was out in AZ but there’s a lot of people out West I still stay in contact with it’s pretty cool. We send videos back and forth to see what each other have been riding or spots we’ve found or are currently riding.

Was there anything in particular you had your eye on or were looking forward to riding once you got back to PA?

Yea. I know it’s not in PA but since the Brooklyn Banks re-opened I wanna get there real soon.

It’s been years since I was there and just the vibe of riding and history there is the greatest.

But Pennsylvania-wise, I plan on riding Philly more, Reading, and I wanna make my way to Pittsburgh too.

Is there anything you find yourself missing about the Southwest?

The life still was different so I’ll miss that. The sights were spectacular, things that you don’t have back East like the Grand Canyon, Vegas, Phoenix, Sedona and the winters were a lot warmer even in the colder regions of Arizona. I’ll miss all the people I’ve met and rode with too. Everyone kept it real.

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the dressin will keep you from stressin

3 different blends of scented grind wax.

Shilo Staniech | Photo: Matt Loughead | theyea.com

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mike stahl interview Interview: Purcey / Photos: Sean Morr

Late last summer, Mike Stahl made the move from Pennsylvania to California. In the months that followed, Mike locked down a sponsorship and a job with S&M, dropped a “Welcome Edit”, and was recently the subject of an episode of Nate Richter’s “First Try Friday”. Mike provided some insight into what he’s been up to since his transition into life on the West Coast.

How have you been adjusting to life on the West Coast so far?

I’d say I’ve adjusted pretty well, it actually feels like home already which is something I’d never thought I’d say when I first got here in August. I’m loving the weather but I will say it seems like there are no spots on the weekdays.

What are some of the biggest differences you’ve experienced between the East and West Coast riding scenes?

The biggest differences I’ve noticed are the amount of people that ride. I can easily ride with a different group of people every time I ride. Another thing that I have noticed is is that there is always something going on for example this past weekend on Saturday there were 3 jams happening on the same day and a cruise on Sunday.

Back in December, it was announced that you were picked up by S&M. How did that come to fruition?

The main man behind Cyclical Cycles in Winchester, VA Mark Olson somehow smooth talked the guys over there and managed to get them to pick me up. I don’t know what he said or how he did it but I’m stoked!

You also took a position working for S&M as well. Was that lined up before you made the move out West?

Getting a temporary job at S&M to cover for another co-worker while he was on vacation was the original plan but fell through do to me not actually being there. When I got to California I actually went out and found a random job on Craigslist, had an interview and got the job but when I got back to where I called home (shout out to Ryan Castle for letting me live on his couch for a little) I got a call from S&M’s shipping manager to come in for an interview. I got the job and never showed up to the other job.

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You attended the 2016 Nora Cup Awards and Interbike. How was that experience and was that your first time visiting Las Vegas?

It was my first time in Vegas as an adult. I was there when I was ten and got kicked out of a casino, couldn’t do much. Interbike and Nora Cup were crazy to say the least. I’ve always watched the Interbike videos to see what new parts are coming out and being able to see and meet my favorite pros and watch them get recognition for the hard work they put in was a trip to actually be there and be able to experience it all.

Do you have any plans or ambitions of coming back to Pennsylvania in the future?

I do want to come back to Pennsylvania to visit family and friends but not to live again. It’s just so nice here I can’t leave.

Are you currently working on anything at the moment that you can disclose?

I’m always trying to get clips in general but nothing in particular. “A clip a day keeps the depression away” wise words by Mike Mann.

Before you left Pennsylvania you were experiencing some issues with your shoulder. Has that improved at all?

Yeah. When I left PA my shoulder would go in and out on me once a week but since I moved out here it has gotten better. Every once in awhile it will stretch but won’t dislocate. I’m hoping I don’t have to deal with it again anytime soon. (Knocks on wood) You recently participated and took 11th place in a Vans AM contest. Did you enjoy riding in a contest environment and is it something you look forward to doing more of in the future?

Yeah the Vans AM was pretty chill. The vibes from the other riders was laid back and we were all just trying to have fun and see what would happen. I’ve been to other contests and the vibe was completely different like I was riding with some jocks. I really enjoy the “send it” feeling I get when it’s my turn. That mentality helps me with confidence outside of the contest, basically I’ll be at a spot stressing a trick but then I’ll think “well I just committed at the contest a week ago and I landed it so I got this”. I’m open to the idea of going to more contests but I’m not making it my mission you know.

Is there anything you find yourself missing about the East Coast?

I mostly miss my family and friends. I miss little things that you wouldn’t notice until it’s not there like, I missed the cold during Christmas, it was weird seeing people in t-shirts with Christmas lights on their palm trees. Stuff seems out of place you know.

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Words & Photos by Brendan Mulrooney

On July 2nd 2017, Alive Industry hosted a street jam in Philly starting at the new Berks Street shop. It was a hot and sunny day and over fifty riders came out to ride with the Alive crew consisting of Knick Smith, Brendon Reith and Rehito Murata and Ryutaro Higa, who were in town from Tokyo. After a quick flat rail warm up session in front of the shop, the squad mobbed through North Philly down to Center City then ending at 9th and Brown DIY, hitting some classic spots in between. With temperatures in the high 80’s and a ton of humidity, the jam consisted of equal parts chilling in the shade and heavy shredding. Adem Gunaydin was going in all day with a huge three attempt over a long classic double set, and plenty of bangers in between. Jeff Purdy laid down some heat as always, and Joby Suender killed it at every spot. Blunts were smoked, spots were roasted, and a good time was had by all. Lastly, a huge shout out to Steve Tassone for hosting the jam. Steve has been a enormous positive influence on the Philly BMX scene; since opening the doors at Berks Street, Steve has hosted a plethora of jams, photo shows, and video premiers.

Thank you Steve!

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Hydrant spot #3.

alive industry x berks st. jam

Mobbin’

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Jeff Purdy Tire Sliding through the Domino spot.

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Joby Suender One Footed Tabletop.

Ghetto Banks train.

Adem Gunaydin going for a big ol’ 3.

Adem Gunaydin barrier ride to 180.

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Steve Tassone and crew.

Jeff Purdy Crank up the rail.

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Rehito Murata transfer at the end of the day.

B Reith Ice. 59

Todd Myrick Hanging 10.

Joby Suender Smith to Table.

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Rehito and Ryutaro.

Adem Gunaydin Fakie Wallride to start the day off.

Hydrant spot #1.

Mobbin’

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Mobbin’

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Dedicated in memory of Lorenzo Velazquez 1998 - 2017

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ISSUE #1

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2017 | RIDEPABMX