News

FRIDAY RANDOMS: The 10 BMX Commandments

I was listening to a bit of Biggie Smalls in the car today and one of my favourite tracks came on; ’10 Crack Commandments’ – It made me think about how criminals, rappers, gangsters etc all have a ‘code’ they live by to keep things right, ensure they don’t slip up while doing what they do. I guess it’s kind of the same with BMX. I guess we all have a set of ‘rules’ to live by, most of this is common sense and will naturally, but I think it’s very important to educate younger generations and ensure that they are aware of how to behave. You’ll probably agree with most of these, more than likely you’ll have done a few without even knowing it. Hell, we’re BMX riders and usually hate to follow the rules (fuck the system right?) but sometimes they are there for the greater good as you’ll see below…

#1 – Thou Shalt Not Steal From A Fellow Rider.

It’s a golden rule this one. I mean you should never steal from anyone in the first place to be honest. Stealing is bad mmmkay? But stealing from one of your BMX brothers is the worst. I’ve met quite a few thieving little shites in my time, even had my wallet stolen while I was at the local. One lad I know was even a pro rider at one point in his career but he lost pretty much everything after news got around of what he had done. It’s sad to see this happen to talented riders really but as they say, “once a thief, always a thief” Keep your shit in sight at all time.

#2 Thou Shalt Help Out The Homies.

(Jason Phelan being a super-nice guy and giving a kid his bike.)

Every crew has a few riders within it who will always be down to help out the lads, younger riders and anyone at the park/street spot or trails. They are the decent chaps who won’t hesitate to give you a spare tube when you get a flat, lend you their 17mm or even go to the lengths of fixing your bike for you because you’ve got no mechanical knowledge (and would probably end up making your bike run worse) – Personally I’ve always tried to help out the locals, free T shirts, stickers, parts given to younger riders who can’t afford much. Every little helps in this game and could absolutely make someone’s day or make them want to ride more. So go on, do something nice for other riders in your area!

#3 Thou Shalt Never Leave A Man Behind.

Ever been riding a street spot or a park and your mate gets a flat? Or something breaks on his bike rendering him useless to get back home? We’ve all been there. This one is a bit like when you’re out clubbing and your drunk mate gets turned away. You never, and I repeat NEVER leave a rider behind. Stay with ’em, if it’s a flat tyre you can always think of something (just like these lads above!)

#4 Thou Shalt Respect Others.

Respect is a word which can be thrown about too often and loses its meaning after a while. If a kid lands a new trick at the park they’ve been trying for ages, show some love. If parents, or people who don’t ride ask you what you’re doing (generally older people) show a bit of a respect and remember that their view of BMXers are ‘BMX Bandits’ they saw in the 80’s. Destructive renegades on two wheels who cause havoc and such. Remember that you could change their opinion and a bit of conversation and understanding can spark a mutual respect. Sounds a bunch of waffle but I’m right, aren’t I?

#5 Thou Shalt Not Snake.

This one kinda falls under the respect category, but whatever… You all know what being ‘snaked’ means so I’ll not delve into that. Basically, be aware of your surroundings. If someone has dropped in and wants to do a run then you should watch and see what they’re trying to do, where they’re intending on going and most importantly WAIT YOUR TURN. I know you’ll probably be just as eager to land a trick yourself, and dodging masses of scooter kids isn’t fun when you’re focused on your riding but just remember that all they need is a little skatepark etiquette and it doesn’t take much to give them a little lesson in how to behave. It’ll make everyone’s life a whole lot easier! I did it at my local and the young scooter kids don’t snake us any more and we stay out of each other’s way. Worth a crack!

#6 Thou Shalt Teach The Kids.

So while we’re talking about educating the youth of today (which can be tricky at times) it’s important that they show a bit of respect to their elders, scooter kids included. When I was a young lad I looked up to the older riders from the NSF crew, Chris Souter, James Newrick, Benny L and so on… They were literally like celebs in my eyes, most of ’em were local lads but were globally known at the time. Respect is key though, I got to meet Souter one day and he came to ride our town with a few of the NSF crew. Showing a bit of respect went a long way and having the chance to ride with them in later life completely blew my mind as a kid. Just keep this in mind, “You can be the greatest rider in the world, but if you’re a dick nobody will like you.”

#7 Thou Shalt Talk To The Locals.

Mega-important this one. If you like to travel to different cities, towns or villages for a change of scenery you should keep this in mind. Whether it’s a new park, street spot or a set of trails people have put a lot of time and effort into then please make sure you’re not one of these dicks who turns up at their spot, ignores the locals or worse yet gives people a ‘mean mug’ – No one likes arrogance. It’s not cool. Being a cocky twat, to people or comping people out just makes you a bell end at the end of the day and you’ll definitely get less Instagram followers… LOL

8# Thou Shalt Carry Tools/Spares.

Tools are a must when out riding street, parks not so much… There’s usually a set of tools on hand at your local indoor park, but if you’re riding somewhere new and one of the locals asks for a lend of your allen key or chain tool then why not be a gent and let them use it? No harm done and another rider able to do what they love. Winner winner chicken dinner!

9# Thou Shalt Not Fuck Up The Spot.

By ‘Fucking Up’ the spot we mean have a bit of decorum, if skaters use the spot you’re riding then keep that in mind. Our pegs can do a lot of damage to brick and could render a spot unskateable. If the spot is at a DIY wasteland and it’s not set properly then LEAVE IT! Even a bit of wax could help the matter at hand or maybe some plastic pegs. Just be mindful really, if you’re riding a wooden board setup and you knock it down… Pick it back up for the other person after you. Common sense really!

#10 Thou Shalt Respect The Legends.

Dave Mirra & DMC Inducted into the Hall Of Fame – Video via Ride US.

There’s no doubt that within our sport a select few have earned the legendary status. Here’s an example of a few; Dave Mirra, Jay Miron, Mat Hoffman, Bob Haro, Dave Voelker, The Gonz could all be classed as legends and I’ve missed a load out. Honestly, the list goes on. These O.G’s are still up there with my all time favourite riders and maybe a few of the new school riders won’t know these names. Maybe they’ll know of Dave Mirra and Mat Hoffman from their incredibly popular video games from many moons ago, but if you don’t know much about these guys a BMX history lesson is in order. Pretty-much everything you need to know is now readily available on YouTube or can be found with a quick Google search these days, so do a bit of research and find out why these pioneers in BMX are respected, even idolised by your favourite rider.