Features

METAL PEGS: London BMX Jam #4

Words by Cain Martin
Photos Credited
Video by Metal Pegs

BMX is an inherently social activity. This distinguishes it from other one-man sports like running, and other creative outlets like painting or design. Without sharing spots, trick tips, bike maintenance knowledge, videos, trips abroad and some of the best friendships of our lives, the culture would die. Even the act of producing an amazing video relies on the relationship between the filmer and the rider, and attributes of each are visible in the end product – the lovechild of their collaboration (I’ll let you figure out where that leaves the “solo” act of vlogging!).

In order to foster these relationships, which often exist between borders and online, we all get together from time to time at a BMX jam. And boy, Metal Pegs really know how to throw one! From beer-can holders welded to handlebars, a head-to-toe Mr.Happy themed outfit (including yellow pegs), street corner gambling, and a huge speaker with shoulder straps blasting tunes all day long, this was a jam I won’t forget in a hurry!

I am not against competitive jams, I love seeing eye-wateringly progressive and dangerous tricks as much as the next guy, however it was refreshing to see an event focused primarily on other things. The Metal Pegs jam had no judges, no megaphone and no prizes. It ran over two full days and moved at a leisurely pace between some amazing spots in west and east London. Dan and his associates had taken the time to scout out the routes and shared their findings with the 100 or so people that turned out. The collection of jibs, transition spots, ledges and rails catered to the needs of the many rather than the few, and this was reflected by the number of people who were all riding at once. This was not for the most part, 100 people watching 4 people ride. It was a session, with beer flowing and plenty of laughter.

I noticed a few riders from south London with ‘shop?’ tattoos and hats. This was also a phrase which was intermittently shouted throughout the day. When I asked what ‘shop?’ meant, expecting it to be the name of a crew or video, I got this reply, “When we ride street we spend so much time asking who wants to go to the shop to buy more beer instead of riding, that it just kind of evolved from there”. Whilst I can’t condone alcoholism, this really tickled me, and exemplified the general attitude in this scene that it’s not about the quality of your riding, but the quality of the relationships you form with your contemporaries.

“This was not 100 people watching 4 people ride. It was a session, with beer flowing and plenty of laughter.”

London is vast, inhabited by a population of over 8 million people, so Scotland could fill it one and half times over with room to spare. You’d think that this would make the city the epicentre of UK BMX, but the scene there is comparatively small, often changing, and spread out between the many boroughs. As an outsider to the area, it was interesting to see the influence this setting has had on the riders who live there.

On the second day of the jam, taking cover from the rain, we retreated to an undercover bridge spot by the canal in Hackney Wick. The Metal Pegs crew had turned this patch of land into a DIY haven, with two flatrails, a tight bank to wall, a flat ledge and a joyously kicky and unique concrete transition obstacle. Here they has also stashed a supply of pallets and wood, and had come fully prepared with a drill and screws. The guys quickly threw together a makeshift quarter to wall at the back of their DIY spot and continued the session despite the rain. It took me right back to the early days of riding when my friends and I would build sketchy ramps from scrap wood and session them relentlessly. We are quite lucky in Glasgow to have a thriving and very concentrated scene, and I think sometimes we take it for granted. For me, it was eye-opening to see the collective efforts of people who are determined to have something to ride, in a place where you would expect it to be easy.

Finally, to end this two day marathon of BMX, Metal Pegs gifted us with an outdoor screening of their new video, Open Call. Where better to premiere a collection of raw street riding, than in the streets themselves. The format of the video echoes the ethos present throughout the weekend, and the diverse, patchwork nature of the scene in London itself. Open Call is a collective amalgamation of clips from over 20 crews from around the world. It is totally unique in its assorted nature, featuring everything from Canadian connections like Business BMX and World Deece, UK crews like Unknown Parasites, Murky and Metal Pegs, Ride on Athens, right over to the other side of the world with the Horiegumi crew in Japan. There are even clips of Steven Hamilton!