Here’s my round up for the year. It focus’s on the people closest to me in the BMX community, the guys I ride with the most and keep me entertained on a daily basis.

What rider stood out for you in 2012?

I’ve got to say Fathead. I’ve ridden with him the most out of anyone in the last 5 or so years and he just keeps getting better. He got hooked up on S&M via 4Down which is very fitting, as we all know he’s a huge character and to be honest it’s a gamble with him. Remember you need someone to represent your brand, and if you have a guy who likes to be naked most of the time it can be a tough gig. But S&M showed why they’re one of the best in the business, Fathead is BMX and those guys recognise that. BMX is fun, Fathead is fun and if it’s all taken too seriously then you need to go play golf or something. He did his recent 4Down Christmas Special and I kind of had a go at him for wanting to film it in his home town of Harrogate, because I felt he’d pretty much done everything. But I underestimated his skill once again as he three’d into someones front garden via a tree stump. Thats what he’s all about, riding in adversity and turning the most mundane situation into a party. At times it can be too much, but on the whole it’s fun. And I like to be happy.

4Down Christmas Special : At Home With Fathead from Channel 4Down on Vimeo.

What event stood out for you in 2012?

The Adidas trip to Seville with Fooman, Dan Barber, Marv, Teddy, Max Wood, Beddows and Matty Lambert. This was quite a special trip for me, it was the first one in a long while after the birth of my daughter so I really wanted to make it good. Adidas had worked on an advertising campaign which happened to feature Teddy. I was pressed in to service to organise this trip and ensure we got a good edit and subsequent coverage in the mag. Matty and Beddows were on hand to cover the whole thing and we had an all expenses paid trip to an incredible city for a week. I pretty much knew most of the crew but I’d never spent any time with like Fooman or Max. Somehow we totally nailed the chemistry, it was one of the most stress free and productive trips I’ve ever been on. Good laid back vibe and shit getting done all over the place. It was the easiest team manager’s job ever, I pretty much sat back and enjoyed a holiday. That trip did what BMX does best, made friends for life.

adidas in Seville a BMX video by rideukbmx

What moment stood out for you in 2012?

This one sucks, but watching Dan Barber’s femur snap into two pieces. I’ll never forget that sight, what a nightmare. We’d been penciled in to do a Park Warden at Deeside, and because Dan finds it difficult to have a chilled session without doing something insane we decided it’d be a great idea for him to gap over the sub rail, essentially to flat. First go he kind of bailed it but all was good. I was on hand to encourage him to have another go. I don’t particularly blame myself for Dan almost killing himself, but while he was lying in agony I did feel quite shitty. We’ve not really discussed it, but he knows me well enough and I know him like a little brother, so the situation is thus. If you want to go big, then as a group we’ll push that and encourage it. You have the final say, and there’s a zero tolerance policy on ball breaking if it’s sacked off. We’ve worked on this system since he was 15 with generally good results. In this episode though everything you could ever imagine went wrong. It ended up with Dan coming in awkward and his entire body weight pretty much making his femur explode in his leg. Nine or so months down the line and he’s now getting back in to the swing of things. His recovery has been incredible, not just physically but mentally too. He’s got a Ti rod holding his femur together. I’ve known BMXers who, after lesser injuries have decided to quit riding. It can go either way, you just get on with it or it plays on your mind going forward. For Dan he’s just got on with it, which for me is a god send because if he had gone the other way then a re thinking of our ‘banger policy’ would be in order and I’d have to live with the fact that he’s quit, and perhaps pushing people to do crazy shit isn’t such a great idea.