The Union Tapes

The first pic I ever saw of some over tweaking something was Todd Anderson, who at that point in time-1985-was riding for Redline. I picked up a magazine in a mock 711 next to Faze 7 BMX centre in Waltham Cross, Todd was cranking a loopback with his feet on the cranks arms, and his front wheel hitting his shin, I'd never seen this before, until that point a look back was anything with bars passed 90 degrees. I think those pics set the standard for many people to follow with all tricks not just the look back. Todd's BMX journey started many years before that though, we go right back to he start, first seeing freestyle at a race meet, riding for SE bikes, the infamous cover of Freestylin' magazine, local scene, building quarters, the legendary Camirrilo ramp and the sessions and riders who rode there. AFA events. As well as the lookback we discuss his iconic 1 foot fatties and being the alley oop master in the early days. Trick techniques and how he evolved his style so early, innovating tricks he isn't really credited for. Taking big slams. Getting on General Bikes, tour life and what General were before and after their bike venture. Right up through the 2 hip KOV and Meet the street events, Vans tours with Eddie Fiola, tracking his life right up to present day where he still dabbles in BMX.

The Union tapes Episode 24 with ex S&M UK rider James Cox, we go back to the start of his BMX journey coming out of Portsmouth in the mid 90s and the routes he took a long the way. We cover BMX influence through out his life and the ever evolving projects he had, from riding to music, to creating his own brands Retribution and then later Antidote. His fascination for S&M bikes and riding for em later on, making videos and becoming a magazine regular, moving around the uk to different scenes, working at 4 down. UFO's, lucid dreams and astral projecting…get it on!

Riders mantioned

Isaac Clark, Morgan from Southsea, Farren Downes, James Newrick, Daniel Benson, Cookie, Marv, Clarkie, Kris Bennett, Shaun Butler, Shane Steels, Tommy C, Geoff Slattery, Corey Martinez, Nathan Williams, Ryan Metro, Chris Moeller, Ricky Tribble, Mark Tanner, Fathead, Steve Bancroft, Paul Bromfield, Ed Docherty, Robin Fenlon, Ben Lewis, Buzzard, Dan Cox, Joe Cox, Josh Bedford, Dave Young, Steven Laidlaw, Tom Saunders

Got a little bonus going on here, and some thing a little different. Coinciding with the release of our zine 5 and Nails in the Coffin on DVD, ex Uk Fit pro Marv (Nicholas Martin) who was a young 16 years of age and a fan of Nails in the Coffin when it came out back in the late 90s, he wanted to know a few things about it, so came in and asked me some behind the scenes questions about the goings on in and around the making and riding in the video.

Shaun Allison is a name that was on my original list of guests back when I first started thinking about doing this podcast, and I'm sure many people out there won't have even heard of? After avoiding the media spot light of the news agent mags and finding a home contributing to the zine scene where he felt more at home with the true underground of BMX, There was rumours of shaun floating around the London scene for a year or so before any of the lesser travelled kids saw him in action, He showed up to the south bank street jam in 88 with Dave Slade, I was there that day and was witness to a totally different riding style and approach to what I was used to, it was all power and aggression with a few moves I'd not even seen before. Shaun got in the public eye of BMX in the late 80s, when BMX was well and truly in its biggest decline. This is a story about riding in and around the north of England with a crew of other like minded underground innovators around the Retford, Sheffield, Nottingham and Worksop areas.

Riders mentioned: Jason Ellis, Sid, David Slade, Cow-Mike Rose, Andy Brown, Jason Hassell, James Hudson, Mick Hudson, Geth Shooter, Chris Hardy, Neil Waddington, Craig Campbell, Pardeep Lail, Ed Docherty, Mad Malc Stappleton, Dave Curry, Tim March, Andy Ruffell, Lee Cewcker, Titch, Shardy, Kev Motishaw, Martin Burnstein, Lee Brown, Anthony Christian, Stu Horner, Mat Hoffman, Dave Dean, Mad Mcmad, Nick Phillip, Pete Augustin, Ron Wilkerson, Will Smyth, Clive Gosling, Zach Shaw, Mike Canning, Simon Tabron, Jim Tomlinson, Dino Squillino, Dave Voelker, Ross Marshall, Dave Beveridge, John Hall

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