Jumping forward a decade or so from our last episode. I first met Owain in the 90's, he was a tiny chatty kid ripping around the boneyard in Chester and the surrounding skateparks of the time. Fast forward many years and this dude has never dropped off. Rode for a bunch of big companies, won contests, flew around the world, scoring multiple magazine covers, video parts, road trips and done all there is to do in the game of BMX. We get in to the start of his BMX journey, trips to Woodward as a kid, growing up around the Chester BMX scene. Changing up riding styles, and the in-depth street riding phase and why, riding all terrain, his involvement with BMX now, the obsession with collecting old BMX media, recent barn edit and the open loop. And even some UKBMX hall of fame talk in here. Riders mentioned Jon Taylor, Alistair Whitton, Jon Hall, Paul Harrison, Chris Hamer, Barney, Tom Baskeyfield, Tom Holmes, Tommy Gore, Zach Shaw, Jerry Galley, Stuart Dawkins, Ian Morris, Caleb Kilby, Baz Keep, Robin Fenlon, Chris Souter, Lard, Northern Jon, Will Jackson, Joe Rich, Taj, Dave Friemuth, Nate Wessell, Farren Downes, Marv, Daniel Benson, Lemsip, Chico Hooke, Martin Murray, Anthony Pill, Brian Foster, Matt Hoffman, Jay Miron, Colin Winkleman, Scott Malyon, Neil Williams, Gary Simmonds, Mark Theaker, Richie Pettman, Tony Flemming, Fids, Gogo, Johnny Mingo, Hollywood, Ron Wilkerson, Dave Littleman, Cameron Birdwell, Garrett Byrnes, George Hornig, Ralph Sinisi, Edwin Delarosa, Jack Bender, Ben Lewis, James Cox

We finally caught up with Nick Philip, and we get deep into it on many topics that he had hands on involvement. This one gives us all a deep dive into much of the mystery for most of us, meeting Jess Dyrenforth, Rom trips back in the early days, starting AA as a mail order from his bedroom, Landing a job at BMX Action bike, working with Dave Curry, and talks about what an influence Curry had on the scene. All about the behind the scenes of BMX Action bike RAD magazine. Early Southbank scene, Mons jam, being a rider rep for the ukbfa, AA becoming a clothing brand, the rise and focus of street riding in the magazine, the style change with in BMX as it evolved away from its constraints. The push for evolving the of character of BMX. Moving to California in the good ole USA to work for Freestylin magazine, Homeboy and Ozone. Getting into the early rave scene in the late 80s, right up to what his up to today.

Riders mentioned: Jess Dyrenforth, Dave Curry, Craig Campbell, Alisdair Mckenzie, Damon Nicholls, Eric Steel, Billy Stupple, Marco Lara, Andy Ruffell, Tim March, Dave Slade, Craig Grasso, Andy Jenkins, Spike Jonze, Maurice 'Drob' Meyer, Dave Nourie, Eddie Roman, Dave Vanderspek

Skateboarders: Bod Boyle, Dobie Campbell, Joe Lopes, Todd Swank

Going right back to the start with this one, the northern start that is in sunny Manchester. Back in the early 80s Andy Preston and Mike Pardon were the superstar trick team of Moorecombe based BMX magazine 'BMX Weekly news paper then BMX Bi weekly magazine', Andy grew up around the Manchester area and both him and Mike Pardon-Pike- were everywhere you looked for a couple of years and early pioneers of UK Freestyle, with barely any contest appearances they were infamous names on the Freestyle scene. We get into the early days here, the very start, the formation of the BMX weekly trick team, demo’s up and down the country, sponsors, his own clothing/protection brand AP, BMX beat, multiple TV appearances, meeting Barry Sheen on the TV show just amazing having a regular slot on the 'Wide awake club' Tv show. meeting David Icke on a kids morning TV show and getting disillusioned with how BMX was being pushed in the mid 80s and later bailing out of the spot light altogether, also doing the off with the ramps on the GT world tour UK leg.

 

Riders mentioned: Mike Pardon-Pike Alan Woods Andy Irwin Tim Stamp Winston Jones Jess Dyrenforth Eddie Fiola Dave Breed Ron Wilkerson John Lee Mike Chilvers Mike Buff Tim Stamp Andy Ruffell Phil Chatwood

What can anyone say about this guy that hasn’t been said? I'm not even going to try, you know why you're here and this is good deep dive into some of the mystery surrounding Taj. Topics we cover on this one besides the usual stuff, are first sponsor, how he got into jumping, the sponsor line up throughout the years, multiple S&M Holmes frames, moving around the USA, the infamous UGP Face Value part, going from Standard Bykes to Hoffman Bikes to starting T-1 with Joe Rich, where the name Terrible One originated. Some of the ideals behind T-1 Airwalk shoe sponsor, Small bars, Primo signature parts, Backyard jam experiences, Etnies shoes BMX programme and signature shoes. Multiple trick inventions, his approach to riding BMX and how it should feel, injuries, riding for Giant and almost everything else you’d want to know?

Riders mentioned: Ron Kimler, Rick Moliterno, Joe Rich, Mat Hoffman, Chuck D, Brian Foster, Ian Morris, Dennis McCoy, Stuart King, Jay Miron, Dave Mirra, Pete Augustin, Chris Moeller ,Stew Johnson, Chase Hawk, Dylan Smith, Paul Buchanan, Rooftop, Chris Stauffer, James Shepherd, Barry Mcmanus, Brian Colgrove, Pete Augustin, Kip Williamson

Back in the 80's Lee Reynolds was a charismatic guy on the BMX scene, and still is a charismatic guy today. Lee Reynolds was a name that blew up in the mid 80's as BMX was falling down in the UK, despite the some what lengthy distance between Milton Keynes and London, he became one of the locals of meanwhile quarter pipes crew that would feature regularly in BMX Action bike. He’s approach was full throttle fearlessness in a time where the only real reward was self satisfaction. After a year of constant coverage, Lee ended up being sponsored by Hutch, and was a regular at BFA and halfpipe events in the UK. From there he went on a trip to the USA in the summer of 88, and ended up moving to Ron Wilkerson infamous Enchanted ramp in CA. We get into some good in-depth topics here, and as always go from his beginnings in BMX to the people he met along the way, the sponsors he scored, the tours he went on, driving the 2 hip truck around the USA, sessions at the Enchanted ramp, designing a signature bike for Haro, getting back into BMX in the 90's and 2000's, and take it right up to present day. Craig Campbell, Nick Phillip, Jess Dyrenforth, Neil Ruffell, Andy Ruffell, Dave Young, Greg Guilliotte, Dave Slade, Nick Phillipl, James Hudson, Jason Ellis, Scott Macdonald, Mike Canning, Zach Shaw, Nick Howard Elkan, Joe Johnson, Dennis McCoy, Ron Wilkerson, Chad Kagy, Ryan Nyquist, Jay Mirron, Dave Mirra, Andy Brown, Chris Potts, Mat Hoffman, Krys Dauchy, Joe Grutola, Rick Moliterno, Kevin Martin, Eric Steel, Bob Haro, Dennis Langlais, Spike Jonze, Cameron Birdwell, Brian Blyther and more... Skateboarders : Phil Chapman, Wurzel, Steve Steadham

In the mid to late 80s in the UK the small town of Retford near Sheffield was one the main hubs of BMX riding in the UK. It got known as the Trumpton scene. And featured a long side London's Meanwhile and Chingford as the new hot spots of that era. Jason Ellis was one of the main stays of that scene along with many other infamous names that come up in this talk. We get into the start, his beginnings in BMX, meeting the Hudson brothers in school, local riding crews. Getting to ride the Hudsons legendary Trumpton half pipe and its many incarnations and how that scene was built. We get in depth on some of the other key crew members and creators Sid, Dave Slade, Shaun Allison and the Hudson brothers. We get into contest drama’s, meeting new crews, Action bike/RAD photo shoots, Meeting TLB and Nick Phillip, Holeshot contests, getting on GT, Crawley and Chingford jams, Inventing tricks and new ways of progressing riding. We follow the tale right up to Jason going to the circus with Mike Canning and up to present day to find out he has been riding pretty much the whole way through…this is a fun episode, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Riders mentioned: Nigel Taylor, Shane Hawk, Austin Codlin, Nigel Taylor, Wozo, Jamie Fagen, Mike Dominguez, Eddie Fiola, James Hudson, Mick Hudson, John Hudson, Chris Hudson, Ged McConville, Nick Martin, Jamie Bestwick, Ross Marshall, Alan Sibley, Andy Ruffell, Dave Slade, Shaun Allison, Mitch, Sid, Stuart 'Pepi' Winder, Lee Reynolds, Greg Guillotte, Andy Brown, Scott Carroll, Mark Atkins, Mike Canning, Albert Retey, Bart De jong, Zach Shaw, John Povah, Tony Pudiffer, Nick Phillip, Nick Elkan, Dave Beveridge, Jason Hassell, Craig Campbell, Neil Ruffell, John Yull, Noel, Cowan, SAW, Skateboarders Stu Allison, Andy Wells

Tim March was the other big name in 80's BMX to Andy Ruffell these guys were legitimate super stars for a couple of years in the BMX boom of the 80s, Tim goes back to the very start of UK BMX. He scored endless magazine covers, features and TV appearances. Tim moved rapidly through some of the early BMX race teams, then went on to expand his brand MRD from making handlebars, race plates, stickers and brake guards and with the help of Tran Am moved on to making UK made MRD frames with a huge team and a double decker bus to ferry 'em all around. Tim has lived it. After a hiatus from BMX he came back into it when he scored a job at 4130 publishing, home of Ride UK, and that point many other publications, the story continues on to the factory media buy out and the creation of the Albion magazine….Theres no holding back here, its another long runner, and we still need to know more!

Riders mentioned: Cav Strutt, Mike Chilvers, Andy Lomas, Alice Temple, Craig Campbell, Fraser Campbell, Andy Ruffell, Geth Shooter, Craig Schofield, Mark Watkins, Anthony Revell, Neil Stevens, Craig Strong, Daniel Benson, Steve Bancroft, Will Smyth, Troy McMurray, Joe March, Neil Ruffell, Bob Haro, Pete Middleton, Zach Shaw, Ian Morris, Stuart Dawkins, Mark Noble, Chris Noble, Mark Cornick, Alan Woods, Nicky Mathews, Andy Patterson, Greg Hill, Grotbags, Don Smith, Marco Lara, Chris Young, Billy Stupple, Mat Hoffman, John Mcinnes and skateboarder Sean Goff

This is one that goes back to the creation of BMX, Maurice was there at the start when this BMX thing first started. We get into it all here, the early days pre BMX, the influential golden gate park scene and the day Bob Osbourne came to cover it for Freestylin. The infamous Curb Dogs which was the first BMX crew to get coverage in the mags as a crew. How the whole Curb dogs crew ended up riding for Skyway, How Dave Vanderspek was a total pioneer of BMX and all the antics he got up to. Skyway early tours, early AFA contests and the Curb Dogs euro tour. Early street riding adventures. BMX Action bike photo shoots, meeting the UK pro’s and visiting the remaining UK concrete skateparks. Hugo Gonzales exploits and how progressive he was. Dave Vanderspek putting on the first 2 BMX half pipe contests at Joe Lopes ramp. Working at Skyway in the office, the ins and outs of skyway, their products and how they dwindled out of BMX. Euro tour 86, transitioning out of the pro riding scene and taking it back to where he originally found the fun, riding street. Getting attention from the media again later on in the 80s with sequences in Freestylin and Go! And still riding today.

And the name Drob originated from when Maurice was a child, his older brothers used to call him the Dribble Drobble.

So we've jumped forward a couple of decades for this episode of the union tapes. But is equally as fascinating as the rest of em. Dan Benson started out riding in Sheffield in the mid 90s aboard an 80s bmx frame. Sheffield always had a strong BMX scene going back to the 80s. In the 90s George French started G sport out of Sheffield which is where Dan first experienced a behind the scenes peak into the BMX industry scoring his school work experience at Gsport, Not long after that Benson found himself in the centre of one of the bigger BMX movements of the times when a guy called Joe Cox and the members of the hate house started making the infamous uk street video Voices. Not long after Voices is released, he moved to London with his riding buddy Marv-Nick Martin. Scored a spot on the UK Fit team, started contributing to Ride UK more frequently as a photographer, we get to learn the ins n outs of his stint into BMX media the Factory media buyout of Ride UK the birth of the Albion magazine and becoming the editor of the seminal magazine by default, all its trials and grief as well as its collapse!

Marv Nick Martin, Liam Earny Earnshaw, Joe Cox, Dan Cox, Rob Hate, Lard, Tim March, George French, Steve Bancroft, Mark Noble, Chris Noble, Eddie Cleveland, Steven Hamilton, Ron Wilkerson, Joe Fox, Rhys Coren, Chad Kagy, Chris Moeller, Robbie Morales, Jon Gorrigan, Nathan Beddows, Josh Bedford, James Newrick, Mike Jersey Taylor, Scott Ditchburn, Owain Clegg, Tom Blyth, Ian Morris, Joe Rich, Chris Stauffer, Will Jackson, Craig Sanderson, Butcher, John Luc-E Englebert, Gonz

Dave Young was a top name pro in the mid 80s. Coming from Gateshead way up north the odds were stacked against the riders from up there, but thanks to the talent of himself, Pepi Winder and Steve Laidlaw, they shone a light on their scene and left a lasting impression as guys to look for at the contests and in the magazines. We get into the early days of the BMX scene in the north, working at a BMX shop at that time. Racing in the north east and meeting local riding crews. Catching Mike Dominguez and Eddie Fiola at the first Kellogs series back in 84 when it stopped in Gateshead. Early BFA days, shop sponsorships. How he developed landing at the top when most others were not at that time, BMX beat, Dave is the only rider that appeared in every BMX beat series. Trekking up to Livingston to ride a concrete skatepark for the first time. Early days learning 540’s, not being on GT when everyone thought he was. Getting on Vincent and riding with Steven Laidlaw and Pepi Winder and the infamous rooftop ramps in Carlisle that were Pepi’s practise ramps, The Tizer worlds, Holeshot contests, getting in the legendary Freestylin' magazine. Getting stranded in Saudi Arabia doing shows, making it out to California and riding Danny Ways ramp and a lot more…. Eddie Fiola Terry Jenkins Andy Irwin Andy Preston Mike Canning Andy Reardon Marc Reardon Derek Oakes Joe Carney Pepi Stuart Winder Macky Stephen Mcintosh Andy Ruffell Neil Ruffell Craig Campbell Neil Ruffell Mike Dominguez Stephen Laidlaw Jaime Bestwick Jerry Galley Dave Slade Gary Prosser Paul Hudson Eric Steel Nick Phillip Mat Hoffman Dennis McCoy Andy Brown Glyn Lewis Billy Stupple Chris Young Mark Atkins Dave Breed Dave Curry Josh White David Frame Duncan Frazer Scott Carrol Brian Wills Des Oakes Joe Carney Neville Potts Simon Kefford Nick Martin Josh White Joe Carney Simon Tabron Andy Lincoln Mick Stevenson James Newrick Ollie Olsen Billy McGregor Chris Souter Jay Kay Jay Parker Mike Mullen