Features

INSTA LIFE: Pete Sawyer

Vans Hijack

Next up on the Vans Hijack INSTA LIFE is @sawyerpeter. It’s another collection of images that show a man well travelled and having a lot of fun, both on and off his BMX.

With care packages from the likes of Merritt and Wethepeople, Pete’s setup is built to withstand the barrage of riding he puts it through, and despite his heavy hitting style, his bike is always faultless and running like a dream, although perhaps has a little to do with his healthy obsession in keeping shit tidy, as described in his interview with Endless mag issue 1. This selection of images and the rest you’ll see through his Instagram account, show his humour, his varied and extensive riding skills and that he makes the most out of his BMX life.

Above: Picture-perfect crankarm feeble on a loading dock in LA. Photo: Robin Pearson

#1 – Get In The Van Tour.

Tyre slide from the @wethepeoplebmx #GetInTheVanTour Photo: @Ben_Mcpherson_

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Jul 20, 2015 at 12:42pm PDT

“This photo was taken by Ben Mcpherson, who at the time was the in house WeThePeople filmer. It was during a WTP trip round Germany last year, and this was the Kunstform shop in Stuttgart. We had gone to this rad indoor park that reminded me loads of an old Road Fools type park. In between filming clips with the other team riders, we managed to snap this tyre slide photo that I was super happy with.”

#2 – Sterling Frame Promo.

I’m so hyped my Sterling Series has been out for two years now and I have such good responses from people that have ridden it. Follow the link in my video to she the promo video that just got re uploaded, thanks to @williamevans For shooting the whole thing. The frame, fork and bars (2pc and 4pc) are now available world wide. #sterlingseries @wethepeoplebmx

A video posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Apr 8, 2016 at 4:31am PDT

“A few years previous to this, Will Evans and myself had been working on my WTP Sterling frame promo but due to clashing pre engagements and the lovely British weather, the whole thing took a lot longer than previously thought. We both worked really hard on getting this video done and I can’t thank will enough for the time and effort he’s put into me through our whole friendship. But this Instaclip was put up two years after the release of the video.”

#3 – Queen’s Gaff.

When you get a flat tyre this late in the day, it’s time to get those cut aways. @vansbmx66 @mikekingtv #BMX

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Aug 7, 2015 at 10:59am PDT

“MIKE KING… I’ve got so much time for Mike and this photo was taken outside Buckingham Palace while we filmed the annual ‘Pete Sawyer visits London with Mike King to make a Vans video during summer, while being shown around by Dan Boiski’. Seriously the funniest thing to make, I love the company, I love the spots, I love the weather, I love the outcome and I love the street kronies.”

#4 – Getting Lower.

She’s getting there. #veccy #vectrac

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Dec 10, 2015 at 4:12am PST

“I had taken my car into the workshop, threw it on the ramp and replaced the 20mm drop springs to 60mm drop springs, it’s not a bad look but in all honesty, I feel stupid I didn’t just go straight to coil overs, to make the car look how I’d like it to. There is two things I could do; Number one is drop in 70mm in the rear, 80mm in the front and get 25mm spacers for all for corners. Number two is not to own a Vauxhall, either way, it’d be an improvement.”

#5 – Point Blank.

It’s pop off season! #longhairdontcare #rawtil4 #ootd

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Oct 31, 2014 at 8:23am PDT

“My friend Stuart was back from the RAF for the week, so we wanted to do a bunch of rad stuff while he was around. We went riding, had a few beers, but on this day we drove forty minutes into the city to do go karting, unfortunately everywhere we tried was fully booked and you couldn’t just drop by so we thought of other things we could do, which leads us to this photo of me pointing a paint-ball gun with a hooper the wrong way round.”

#6 – Merritt to the Max.

Shout out to @merrittbmx for hooking it up as usual! Go give them a follow! #bmx

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Jun 7, 2015 at 7:52am PDT

“Merritt BMX are always hooking it up, I couldn’t ask for a better sponsor, run by the best two dudes that are funny as hell. I’m not a fan of coloured tyres usually, but this kind is rad, can’t get enough of them. The package also had coloured Sawyer grips, a stem, some pedals, hub guards and some rad Merritt T-shirts.”

#7 – Badass.

Awesome weekend in Newquay, laughing the whole time and doing bad ass things like this.

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Apr 24, 2016 at 12:45pm PDT

” What can I say? Girls Love A Badass.”

#8 – Red Neck.

Classic red neck weekend with @justincare, shout out to him for hooking it up!

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Aug 3, 2014 at 9:33am PDT

“A few years back, I had a month out on the east coast of America with Merritt, for the final week I was out in Woodward doing the mongoose jam with Paul Ryan. The three photos here were the few days I got to spend with my friend Justin Care. We rode some cool little local parks, shot guns (I’d never shot guns before, so it was even more fun) and raced these insane hyped up dirt go karts that only turn left, they are so fast and so red neck, I don’t know how Justin is so good at racing them but he is.”

#9 – Yee Haa…

Just found this dope old @merrittbmx Ad on my phone. Thanks to @jasonenns for letting ride his horse. #bmx

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on Oct 5, 2015 at 12:55pm PDT

“This was a joke mock up of a full page Merritt Ad that was made, the cranks arm photo was taken while I was out in Austin and the horse is actually Jason Enns’ horse, we stopped by his place when we did a Vans trip to Cali, it goes without saying Jason is the man, and I cant wait to hang out with that dude again!”

#10 – Fun on 2 wheels.

When the weather makes riding BMX outside impossible you can always ride something else. Photo: @fo0man #mtb #mbuk #extreme

A photo posted by Pete Sawyer (@sawyerpeter) on May 6, 2015 at 2:24pm PDT

“While Jason Colledge (Fooman) was down staying at mine to shoot some stuff for my Endless interview, it rained. I currently live in South Wales, so it always rains. We tried to think of a few productive things to do, I said there was a down hill track a few miles away I used to ride and it might be cool to get a few things to shoot there, mix it up a bit. The track was completely over grown and nothing like I remembered it. so I did a manual through a puddle, the day wasn’t a complete waste.”