Industry - Shola BMX


Bruce on the streets of Brighton this morning... Photo: Edd Allen

Bruce Crisman blew minds last year when he released Facad, a clothing/video project. Shortly after, the rider from the video got hooked up and Bruce's partner took control of the company taking it in another direction. Bruce spent the next year traveling, spending lengths of time in both England and Brazil. He's now started his own production company, No Run Up's and is working on his first project, Shola BMX. Bruce is currently in Brighton filming for the Brighton Aint Ready DVD so we gave him a quick call to find out more...

So you're back in England?
 Yeah I'm back here, back in the good old UK. Unfortunately not for 5 months like last time but 2 weeks I believe. Having a good time with the fellas...

How's it going in Brighton, have you filmed much footage?
So far yeah, I've managed to pull of one trick per day for the camera and thats good for me, 'cause I'm a pain in the butt at times with filming so thanks Edd Allen for your patience with me.

What is Shola?
Shola is a video project I've begun doing. I've actually started a video production company along with that called No Run Ups and Shola will be my first project. The team so far consists of myself, Davey Watson, Chester Blacksmith, Darin Read and Jack Maddock who was featured in the Facad video. Yeah thats it man, We're all from the North West and we're just trying to basically get together as much as possible, make a video and do what we do best, you know, have a good time on our bikes...




It does sound alot like Facad, what's the difference?
Probably the each of the five letters are different I guess? [laughs] Minus Hoder and Seth but I'm still trying to talk them into it.

Who's doing the filming and editing, is that all you?
Yeah myself, of course whoever's filming me. Usually it's Davey, Vince Croft gets up in their as well and Jack Maddock has a camera so we're using his for the fisheye lens. So for the most part it's them and myself and whoever wants to contribute, you know? I'm not too picky really...

Is Davey going to find it hard to film another section so soon after Insight?
That kid doesn't stop man, he's already on it, he's already talking about his next. He's doing a Ride UK interview I guess, right. I'm gonna be filming that while Tal Roberts is shooting it and I think like seven or eight of the things he has lined up are just all bangers man. So I don't see how he's not gonna come out with a potentially better section than that.

Have you got a finish date or is it whenever it takes you?
No, just wherever. I'm so up in the air right now. All of April I'll be traveling around here for a couple of weeks, you know. Then I goto Brazil at the end of this month for one of the films. And then shoot, you know, come back home and film whenever I can.

Why Brazil?
Apparently ESPN got a hold of one of the copies of the documentaries I've done, Mat Hoffman felt inspired since Alessandro, the guy in the documentary rides so much like him. Looks up to Mat and like Mat felt inspired to send a copy down to ESPN Brazil and they want to debut the video apparently down there for the Latin X-Games this year at the end of April. So yeah, they're sending me down there to do that and I'm really psyched you know because it's basically my first project. Sort of outside BMX you know, BMX affiliated but more lifestyle, so, It's a big plus for me.

I heard about this documentary, what's the story?
I spent 4 months in Brazil last year and one of the cities I was in, Portalegre, was a town where they have, erm, Favelas, they're sort of Ghettos I guess. They're the most dangerous parts of the world. It's called the Favela in Brazil and this guy I met there had actually grown up in one, he still lives in one Favela at the moment and he's amazing, I mean phenomenal bike rider. So I began filming him for my video and then along with that after learning about his lifestyle and everything I felt compelled to shoot a little bit more. You know, go into his house, his home and I don't know. Show the world another side of a BMXer I guess...



Check out Shola BMX here.

And check out the production company here - No Run Ups

Send this article to a friend