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FRIDAY RANDOMS: Dem Feels

It’s FRIDAY RANDOMS time again and this week I thought I’d get all EMO and talk about the way BMX makes us feel. It’s a mixed bag of emotions you’ve got to battle every time you ride your bike, from the fear you have to overcome to learn new things to the feeling you get when you land something new… I’ll not get too soppy or philosophical but we as humans are constantly having to assess, adapt and overcome certain situations in life both on and off the pedals. So here are a few examples I thought of. Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of these in our comments. #HAPPYFRIDAY

#1 – The ‘New Trick’ Feeling.

Video via Jacob Soracin

This one is possibly the best feeling you’ll ever experience. Everyone has to start somewhere, first you learn to bunny hop. Then maybe a 180… That quickly develops and makes you want to learn more and more. The great thing is, with every trick you add to your list you get a cheeky little smile on your face knowing that you are progressing and after hours/days/weeks even months of trying you can do that trick you’ve been wanting to do. The next step is getting it on lock and knowing you can bust it out at any time is the ultimate feeling in my opinion.

#2 – Feeling Free.

Dave Mirra was always enjoying himself on his bike, smiling and had such a positive outlook on BMX. R.I.P man

Every single BMX rider feels this. Stressed out? Under pressure at work? Mrs giving you aggro at home? There’s only one remedy for that. Go out for a pedal! You’ll find that flowing around the local, hitting some jumps or even sessioning your favourite street spot will clear your mind and will ultimately give you the ‘free’ feeling I’m talking about. There’s been many a day when I’ve had shit on my mind and this has been the only cure for it. Riding offers those quiet, peaceful moments that some of us may take for granted. Where we can be in our own head and have the freedom to express ourselves as we wish.

#3 – Pain.

Connor Worthington took a lot of shin abuse during his trip to Malaga. Never wiped the smile off his face though!

Hello darkness my old friend… I had a conversation with a mate about not riding my bike for over a month and he was in the same boat. He even said and I quote, “My shins are starting to look shiny again” – This made me laugh as we all know that pain is part of the parcel. It can be anything from a pedal to the shins, a knee to the stem, hitting yourself in the balls with the seat or even a brutal slam to concrete. Us BMXers are made of tough stuff though, although I don’t bounce like I used to when I was younger (more like crumpling into a heap of bones now) I still enjoy a good ol’ slam to remind me that I’m mortal. A few swear words later, a cigarette and a drink and I’m back at it! We are gluttons for torture.

#4 – New Parts.

Pretty hard to beat this feeling. It’s been awhile since I’ve had anything ‘new’ for my bike, basically everything I have is second hand and been passed through the homies a fair amount of times. You get that though, BMXers in general aren’t the richest of people. I’m not talking sponsored Pro riders, just your typical every day rider who still kills it while rockin’ grips that look like they’ve been savaged by a ferocious dog. When the time comes, and you can afford something new it’s like Christmas all over again. Even better, getting a load of new parts for the holidays makes you so damn happy! Waited all year and they’re finally here, build your ride up and go session the snow because you can’t wait. Yep, been there.

#5 – Amazement.

Zack Gerber frontie over the rail. His mate is slightly stoked for him…

Seeing someone land a banger right before your very own eyes will always be up there with the best feelings you get when out riding. I’ve been the one to push a friend into doing something I know they can do and the sheer joy you get when you see your mate forget the fear and just bang it out is hard to explain. It’s a mixture of proudness, happiness, joy and respect! Still get stoked to see the homies learn new shit and always will be.

#6 – Good Vibes.

Paul Ryan downwhippin’ in front of a heavy crowd at a Mongoose Jam.

Chillin at the local with your mates, sitting down at a street spot to eat your steak bake, having a BBQ at the trails. These are the vibes I’m talking about, good times like these are memories you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Jams/Comps are also another fine example, I’ve been to quite a few jams in my time and it’s always sick to see a bunch of people getting together to do something they love. It usually gets to the point where everyone is feeding off of each other, the atmosphere is buzzing and sometimes you get people attempting things they once thought were impossible. All down to the vibes!

#7 – Unity.

Ever been to a massive full-scale BMX street jam? I’ve been to a few in the UK and even held a couple myself. The Newcastle Street Jam was a prime example where the feeling of unity comes into play. We all met at Exhibition Skatepark and when I turned up there were literally hundreds of riders, it scared the shit out of me if I’m honest as I really didn’t expect those numbers. We all took off to ride some street and the feeling you get when you and another 300 BMX riders are tearing through traffic while banging out little tricks on the way to the next spot is incredible. People literally stop what they are doing as they see a massive swarm of ‘BMX Bandits’ take over the streets. Such a crazy experience, I’d advise anyone who hasn’t been to an event like this to GO! You’ll definitely not regret it.

#8 – Accidental Joy.

accidental smith and a double peg on a ledge #daradecrew #demolition #rideordie #livetoride #ridetolive

A video posted by jack pope (MI) (@jackvpope) on Jan 9, 2016 at 9:02am PST

Accidental smith from Insta by @jackvpope

Short but sweet this one… Ever been messing about trying something and you end up landing something completely different you never meant to do? Yep, we’ve pretty much all been there! Someone usually calls out, “TAKE IT!” afterwards also.

#9 – Awhh New Fwiend.

Ultimate 80’s BMX Friendship Photo. Endo handshake FTW!

Ok so I’m gonna get a bit soppy on this one. Brace yourselves… Speaking from my own experiences I’ve made so many friends in BMX, I grew up riding with my best mates and will always remember the days where I would get my pads on bright and early, grab a bite to eat then call round for the lads to see if they’re up and fancy a pedal (yes this is before the days of mobile phones) – We BMX riders are FAMILY as far as I’m concerned. I’ve got homies from various different locations across the globe and sometimes I sit back and wonder how riding a small bike has got me where I am today and how it’s enabled me to meet so many good people, travel to placed I’d never have gone and have amazing experiences with complete strangers who eventually turn into friends. Life is a funny ol’ journey but it’ll do you right to keep in mind that it’s great to meet new people and make friends when you’re travelling somewhere new.

#10 – Stoked.

I think the video below above best explains what it means to be stoked. LOL – But yeah, this one doesn’t really need much of an explanation. Anything can get you stoked, a BMX DVD section from your favourite rider, a photo in an article, seeing a mate learn something new… Whatever it is, embrace that shit! No better feeling.

Again, thanks for reading and #HAPPYFRIDAY