Although the freecoaster has firmly fakied it’s way into the mainstream (or the closest thing to a ‘mainstream’ that exists in a niche activity like riding), few modern riders make the act of rolling backwards with an expensive hub look quite as smooth as Durham’s Dan Cox did back in the late 2000s.
Combining liquid fakie prowess with the occasional curve-ball move (like the seldom-seen 360 bomb-drop), it might be said that Dan created some of the most memorable video parts of the so-called ‘New Era era’.
But what video parts inspired him? Wonder no more…
“Lockdown has definitely brought up some nostalgic video viewing. We actually had a recent online viewing/shit talking session based around RF4 a couple of weeks ago, so this is by no means a top five, more of a wander down memory lane. Anyway, hopefully a couple of under-appreciated gems in here, and some that were always amazing and everyone knew it.”
Photo by Joe Cox.
RF8 – 4 Seasons Skatepark Session – 42.25 minutes in (couldn’t embed this one for some reason so click here if you want to see it.)
Maybe a bit of a random one to start with, but this feels like an archetypal Props BMX section here and I love it. Props rock soundtrack, laughing at Koji Kraft doing a tailwhip to fully extended bowl-legged x-up, a genuine crowd of rider reactions to people hucking tricks, Dave Friemuth signature roll outs, it’s got it all.
I think this also represents a time where we would fully over-analyse videos, and have lengthy discussion about tiny details. Why did Jay Miron land that 360 superman seat grab underhanded? Why did Joe Tiseo think he couldn’t do a feeble hardway? Just re-watching it again there I think the icing on the cake has got to be the perfectly time-matched description George D gives as Brian Vowell busts out the ‘tailwhip air, to tailtap, to nosepick, to toothpick, to fakie’—he’s genuinely so happy that Brian Vowell did it!
John Mini – Imprudence (18:08 minutes in)
Imprudence was a Paris based all street video from 2001, I have no idea how it came into the house but it was on very heavy rotation for a long time. The whole video is amazing but I’ve chosen John Mini’s section for special praise here.
The riding is amazing: simple, fast, solid, and again we would fetishise every tiny detail of bike set up (look how far forward he runs his seat on the rails etc.) but picking it for this it’s the insane editing that sticks out. I’m not quite enough of an aficionado to know whether this type of text overlays and split screen stuff has a president in skate videos or whatever, but watching it now it really makes this an almost singular video part. “He must do it.”
Ian Schwartz – Gone Fishing
I’ve always loved Ian Schwartz’s riding, he came fully formed, to my eyes at least, straight out of his Props bio, but I’ve chosen his Sunday bikes Gone Fishing web edit from 2009. I just think he’d eased even more into his signature simple style in this—monster trucking over park benches, crank arm to over, only throwing the bars in the choicest of locations.
He was one of the originators to me of that basically skateboarding on a bike style, and I definitely bit his riding hard for years and years. I maybe could do without a couple of the deep, deep v-neck t-shirt era clips, but nobodies perfect.
Ratboy – Shine 3
50 tricks, 24 hours, 6 spots. It’s, it’s, inhuman. To define him kids make up words like ‘illsick’.
Ratkid – Animal House
Could have chosen literally any section he’s put out, as he’s not changing his style or his tricks or even his bike set-up, just insanely perfect spot usage 100% of the time. Seeing him drop off a curb so solidly can be enough to make me want to go out riding. Hearing some shady stories from people with first hand experience of him as well always helps, but I genuinely think he’s my favourite rider of the past 10 years.
CENTRAL LIBRARY 