We hit up Dan Lacey this week to ask him about his awesome London Calling cover shot, above. Having a flat rail on the cover is something I never thought would really happen, it’d take something pretty special to have that wow factor, and on the whole it’s difficult to get that with a foot high rail. Lacey broke the mould here, creativity and execution of this photo is perfect. Photography by Robin Pearson

Even though I personally love hitting a flat rail, I’ve always thought they were featured way too much in web edits over recent years. Then, you went and completely blew any notion out of the water with one of the best covers we’ve ever had! What were you thinking with that spot?

Haha I dunno man. I agree with you though there’s something about just hitting a good flat rail that’ll never get old. Well we rolled up to the spot and there weren’t really much going on, so we started mincing around on the flat rail corner trying to get round it. Obviously just getting spat out pretty early so gunning it and leaning in stuck to it so good it felt like a roller coaster haha. Most fun on a peg grind.

I’m guessing you were cranking at it? 
Yea man gradually kept getting faster, over leaned a bunch and ended up falling into the bush. Was so much fun though for real. It was one of those things I could’ve just done all day long ya know seeing how much I could get away with before flopping it into the bush hahaha

Did you whip round that thing with metal or plastic pegs?
Plastic pegs. I’m not ashamed to say it at all. Rode a set of butcher plastics a few years ago now running the new federal ones and literally love it. It’s not for everyone and that’s fair enough. It opens up a few more doors too I guess.

The whole image kind of reminded me of Ruben, the creative thinking and execution. Has he ever been an influence on your riding?
First off that’s one of the sickest compliments ever so thank you hahaha. But yea definitely, growing up Ruben was a massive influence on my riding. Even to this day seeing how creative and individual his riding still is blows my mind. But being able to take a look a something simple and make something of it is one of the greatest aspects of riding a BMX.

When it comes to a chilled, flat rail session, who do you enjoy watching the most? and why?

There’s so many people I could sit off and watch smash a flat rail all day. If I had to slim it down id say Bruno to start off with, I can tell him to try shit I can’t do and he’ll do it it’s pretty fucked to be honest, Benny L has always got some wizard shit that I don’t understand in any way, at the bakery I got to see Nathan do a bunch of NBD’s like it weren’t shit. Ya know the list could go on for days.