born in a barn
Now Playing: J Church: Where the Trains Go
Don't you hate those old dudes at the skatepark with their full-face helmets and chest protectors? 

Ramps are in effect.  One standard four foot quarter and one mini-TRP bank quarter/sub replica.

Luckily Sean Newton and Levi showed up just as I was about to start on the sub part, we collaborated on this design and it's really fun.  I can't tell you  how stoked I am to have stuff to ride at my disposal.  Time is at an all time premium and if I can get 45 minutes in at the end of the night (like tonight), I'm golden.  If I don't get to ride, I get very cranky.   Just ask my wife.

      I've been talking about it for awhile, but two new Deliverance tees are officially in production.  I'm pretty excited to be doing some new goods.  

     Props 67 is out and it's awesome.  Best issue in awhile, I think.  If you haven't donated to the Stephen Murray fund or helped out Jimmy Levan via the Empire fund, try to do so.  Both of these guys are up against some huge expenses (beyond incredible physical challenges).  I'm not going to lie, I just donated to both today, but it's never too late to help out.   I forgot to mention that FOD Jason Burton ponied up big bucks to buy one of the FBM custom frames for the Stephen fund.  That was a cool project and awesome of Jason to step up.  The frame is a work of art, too....   I stole this pic from the Veteran site.  You can really see the frame, but this is Jason.

 

 

  

 

 

tRansistions Ramp Park

I stole this photo from the Veteran site.  They have complete coverage of some recent TRP happenings.  Michigan legend Jason Suchen recently purchased the park and is breathing new life into it. Hatfield tells me the new stuff is fun.  Support the only BMX park around!   I posted a new video yesterday too, if you missed it, scroll down a lil' bit.

 

 

Self Contained
I did a new web video.   Uh, yeah.  It was all filmed within the perimeters of the property of Deliverance HQ.

 

Three dudes, two tents?
Now Playing: Stooges: 1970

One year ago this week, Dan Closser, Chris Hatfield and I took a trip through the midwest, riding parks and camping out every night.  The Fresh Air Cure video (link on the opening page of the site) is the moving picture documentation of the trip, but here is a slideshow link.   There are captions for the photos if you click on them.

      Having just been outside a little awhile ago tonight, where it is absolutely freezing, it's hard to imagine camping out for four nights at this time of year, but we did.  We were real lucky and dodged some rain bullets for sure.  The second day of the trip it rained most of the day, ruling out the Kokomo park.  We kept driving  all the way to Kentucky, then rode at Ollies.  By that time, things had dried up a bit and we found a nice campground even further south.  We had a pretty sketchy encounter there.  Imagine this, Dan goes off to look for wood near the entrance of the place, while Chris and I go down into the woods and find some fallen branches and stuff that we proceed to drag out for our fire.  Just as we're coming out of the woods, this cop car rolls up with Dan in the back seat.  Keep in mind that it is like midnight on a Wednesday.  We thought we were busted, but we just got a minor scolding and some friendly directions to where we could get some free wood.  It was awesome.  The canyon and cave area is in Ohio and it's crazy to think how many times I have driven through that area, not knowing anything about its existence.  It's really amazing.   The trip was such a good time and one I'll never forget. 

 

 

good websites
Now Playing: Descendents: Wendy (on vinyl)

There is an awesome video of the contest at the Flow on The Come Up site.   Along with The Come Up, one of my favorite websites to check out of late is DefGrip.  There are tons of good videos, bike checks and links to tons of hot shit on both of these interwebbers.  The new Flow is so good and don't forget Rays.  Here's a shot of Davey Coop from last March....

 

 

 

DIY
Now Playing: Devo: Gates of steel
I've always been a fan of the DIY approach to life.  Do It Yourself.  For one, it sometimes hard to get help and two, it usually complicates matters.  I'd rather spend longer doing it myself.   My father-in-law built a little ramp for my bro-in-law a few years ago, but he's into heavy metal and girls now, so the ramp wasn't seeing much action.  A sunday afternoon breakdown and monday night build up resulted in this for me:

It's small, but it's fun.  I plan to add more ramps and set them up in more of a half-pipe position, sort of like this...

   Noah and I built the cardboard park for his little motorcycles.   He's into it.  

      I'm always stoked to see Deliverance product on someone I don't know.  One of the new FBM guys, Joel Barnet, is rocking a Del. hat on the site on Monday.  Thanks dude!  If you're like me, you check the FBM site every day (at least once) and already saw it.  

     I've been attempting to get high tech over here, trying to edit web videos and archive old stuff.  I got this analog to digital converter thing that caused an error I've never seen before, which was scary.  This was the scene last night.

I must have done something right, because I'm typing on this same computer right now.   Is it ironic that the nine ball is at the forefront ?

      The weather has been  hit and miss here lately, but yesterday was super nice and I got some time in on my trails.  they are the best they've been yet and it was great to be outside and hitting some jumps.

       The five year anniversary of Deliverance is coming up and there are not one, but two new shirts in the works.   Stay posted....

 

 

 

 

Store credit?

A friend sent me this link.  You can watch the punishing first commericial or zoom ahead to the :53 second mark, where the Piranha Alley commerical starts.  Piranha Alley is the shop that I worked at for six years with Bill from Kzoo.  Those were good times and Bill gave me lots of artistic freedom to do projects like this.  This was produced in 1996, I believe.  The weird/offensive part about seeing this on YouTube is that the dude that posted it (not the person that sent it to me) is claiming total production of the commercial.  I filmed almost all of it, found the clips that were "borrowed", and "directed" the whole thing (not to mention the awful voice-over).  Another guy edited it, so I'm not sure what this dude is thinking.  I don't really care, it's pretty goofy anyway, but I get bummed about people taking credit for things they didn't do.  A couple points of interest.  The dummy that gets run over in the beginning was something I created at my dad's bike shop on a Sunday afternoon.  I set up my camera on a tripod and that is my Ford truck with me driving.  One-man show (kind of like I do everything, I guess).  That truck was awesome.  I did a lot of work on it myself and I really regret selling it.  tangent, sorry.   At the end of the commercial, where the dummy bursts into flames--that was a bad idea.   Again, by myself, out in the woods (behind Kzoo!), with a dummy and a can of gas.  Camera on tri-pod, a half-gallon of gas poured on the dummy.  Trying to light it with a cigeratte (I didn't smoke, not sure why I had cigs).  It took a really long time to light because I didn't want a match or anything obvious appearing in the shot.    When it did light, it basically exploded.  Fire was everywhere and I didn't have anything to put it out with.  I was next to a little creek, but I didn't have any way to get water to the fire.  The uncut video is ridiculous.  It goes on forever with this little bit of smoke from the cig and me trying to nudge it toward the dummy and then "boom", all at once.  After that, I'm running around trying to extinguish the fire, which took awhile.  Ridiculous.

 

       After the commercial aired, we got an angry call from a mother, complaining about the violent scenes.  Bill answered the phone and kind of non-chalantly handed it to me.    I wish I had a recording of that conversation, it was insane.  She was really mad, calling me "irresponsible" and all kinds of things.  I'm sure my side of the argument wasn't much better.  I get pretty defensive sometimes.  We had to deal with lots of angry parents.   One of my favorite clothing brands, Fuct, was something we sold at the store.  We were careful about who sold that stuff to. but a pair of jeans made their way home with a teen-aged kid.  His mom was washing them or something and noticed the small, round logo on the back pocket with the semi-profane brand name.  She was so pissed, like shaking as she talked to me.  I had to give her money back.  

 

 

 

Media Overload
Now Playing: Jimi Hendrix: Can you see me?

Sometimes I lack photos and visuals for this site and that keeps me from posting, but that is not the case this time around....

First up, some more pics from Kzoo by Sean Newton:

CJ Vaughn, Skate Zoo enemy number one.  Actually, he works there.  Back tail on the mini with style.

Longtime local Josh Evans, tatted and ratty, going big over the hip.  The clock is ticking on the outdoor sessions for the year.  I'm bummed.

CJ again, method over Pizza The Hut.  This obstacle looks like the roof of a Pizza Hut restaurant and the name has somehow evolved into a Star Wars reference.  Don't ask.

    I got my Honda running a few weeks ago--I'm not sure why it took so long to get photos of it.

It runs good and sounds awesome with the shorty pipe.   Feels real good with the low bars, skinny tank and thin seat too.  This winter I hope to get it totally dialed in. 

    Yesterday, my buddy Jeff Venekamp came up from Indiana and we headed to Cannonsburg Ski area where the Michigan Mountain Bike Association has built a super cool set up.  I ran a pic of Todd Britton riding it last week and he met us there, along with Jeff Miller and Todd's sidekick Casey.  It was the first day I had felt well in awhile and the fresh air did me right. 

Here's Todd again.   This thing was more crazy than it looks.  The gap out to the landing is pretty far and you couldn't see it until you took off.  

This gap is gnarly.  You start out on a super skinny platform and have to cut a turn, right next to a little tree that is unnervingly close to your bars, then take a quick crank and launch off and down.  The first time was a little sketchy, but the gap was a blast.  Jeff took awhile to hit it, then made up for it by throwing down heavy styles like this plea for peace.  Jeff rules.  As soon as you landed from this gap, you had to hit the brakes to not over-shoot a long table with a short landing.  Todd and Casey both got worked first thing on that jump and the rest of us had a few scary ones as well.  From there, you hit a long step up double, a dropping turn, a sweet jump that dropped down into this berm...

...and then up a little hill, where the run ended.   Taking the whole run was super fun.  Very moto.   The big bikes are a little clunky and awkward in the air, but very stable and hauling ass on them is proper.  Jeff took the photos of Todd and I.  I took the one of Jeff.

     There was also a cross country mountain bike course there and lots of dudes in spandex wandered over to check out the "insane terrain".  A couple of them took their chances on the easiest of the obstacles and it was entertaining/horrifying to watch.  As Todd said "one more attempt away from a broken collarbone".  It was a kick ass sunday for old men on a mountain.  Fresh air cure indeed. 

    Todd brought me this present, framed and everything:

It's so cool to see photos that you don't remember or have never even seen from so long ago.  I'm number 9 in the middle.  This was taken at a national in Coal Canyon, California, in 1988.   I remember doing well in the motos and later choking, as I usually did at nationals.  A really cool thing that Todd brought to my attention is the scary looking long haired dude, sitting on the fence on the left in the pic.  That is Kevin McNeal, one of my early BMX heroes.  He was kind of an outlaw, gnarly dude that did his own thing, but he was cool to me when I asked him a million questions about gate starts and playing Asteroids and what size shoes he wore (yeah, I was that kid).   Shortly after he got the National Number One in 1980, he suffered a head injury and was never the same again.  At one point,  he was living in a box near a track somewhere, but this was taken before times got real bad for him, I think.  

   Halloween takes on a whole new meaning when you have kids and we had a blast.  Noah was into it!  

Later that night, I went up to Modern in Grand Rapids for the Habitat skateboards video premier and a fun skate session.  My long-time friend Jason Bosch was there and it was a treat to watch him skate the bowl.   Jason's lines defy any sort of regulations set forth by the number of wheels beneath him.   I filmed this video with my Canon Elph S200!

   I did ride my trails for a few minutes on Friday and it was good.  Hopefully I'll have another chance this year.  The weather definitely took a turn for the worse today and tomorrow it's supposed to snow! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the best parks....
Now Playing: Mogwai (on vinyl, dude)
   I did an Ohio loop last week and got to ride two of the best parks there are.   The Flow in Columbus and Rays in Cleveland.

Sorry I don't have better pics.  I took my little digi but forgot the charger and memory card.  Pro photographer.   The Flow is having their annual "Dirty East" contest this coming weekend and it should be pretty ridiculous.  Since I was there a few weeks ago, they have built this insane section on top of a series of decks in the middle of the park.  I know that doesn't make much sense and it took me a while to make sense of it when I was there.  Just trust me when I say it is good and some wild stuff is going to go down at that contest.

           Rays just opened back up for the season a week or so ago.  They built a bunch of new stuff, mostly in the mountain-bike areas, but there are some new rollers in one of the rhythm sections and some crazy new ramps in the "training zone" where the resi and foam pits are, including a super high sub-spine kinda deal and a spox.  If you don't know what a spox is, you never got to ride Focus in 05.  That park was fun too.

      I could tell I was getting sick before I got to Rays and I'm sure riding in that big old sorta cold, kinda drafty building didn't help.  I was in rough shape this weekend but I'm coming around now.   Riding my trails lately had me more in jumping mode at Rays and I couldn't get enough laps around the big loop and over the giant RedBull box.  It still took me a couple times to hit that thing at full pop, but it is hella fun.   Yeah, I said Hella.  

     I like riding by myself but it is a little scary when I'm so far from home.  I didn't really know anyone at Rays, except for Vince, who I met  by chance on a little street mission the last time I was in the Cleveland area, more specifically in Oberlin, Ohio.  Vince was hurt the first time I rode with him but he had his tech switched turned up to eleven at Rays.  It's cool seeing random people randomly.  

       Fall is definitely in effect here.  While the west coast was burning, the midwest can be a beautiful place.

Again, sorry for the low-res pics, but you get the idea.  We're coming up on the five year anniversary of Deliverance right about now.  I should do something to celebrate, like come out with some new shirts or something.....

   Here's a pic I found, shot on good old film by my friend Raymond Joseph Wolfgang Schleptweg at Magic Skatepark in Pennsylvannia.  This was also in 2002, right around the time I started dreaming up Deliverance.  Maybe it was on the drive home from Philadelphia that I thought it would be a good idea?  Long drives will do that to a person.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw a picture of you and that was the last I've seen of my heart
Now Playing: The Pretenders
Mike O'Bryan sent me a link to his Flick'R files and there are lots of FOD pics in there.   Peep some art and bikes and shit.