OK, so I've been around the "bmx' block. My first bike had a coaster brake, because they didn't have freewheels then... All along the way, I've been clicking pics. And today I'll share some with you. I'll do my best to recollect the years and riders, and I may miss some, but, at least it will give you a glimps into the history of freestyle, as I witnessed it on the east coast.

This pic is from 85. Matt Valentine took the picture, (he was one of my riding friends, who died a few short years later in a car wreck, right before we left for college)

The trick is a cowboy, which is a type of endo variation that has pretty much dissapeared today, but would be a great lip trick on ramps to bring back. It can be done no handed breakless pretty easily.



Back then, freestyle wasn't ever on tv. So when kids saw it, they would flock around.
1986 me riding in Huntington WVA. Actually my favorite part of this picture is my old "boom box" laying on the ground. I loved that radio, and it had some really great stickers plastered all over it.


I grew up in Raleigh NC. And us local guys would head over to Greenville to hang out with the riders there.

Many of them are still involved in the sport. This pic is Don Wigent. Known in the sport as "scooter don".

Why, I don't know. But, he did have those wheels made custom for him, (with sealed bearings) 1988.


Usually you could find me in a parking lot doing tricks, but if I wasn't, I was usually hanging out with Jon Byers (who started Eastern bikes). Here is a pic of him before we redid his ramp. 1986, that guy on the platform is a young canadian who came down for a few months to stay with us, by the name of Jay Miron.


I love bar endo's. And back in 87 leathers were the rage, here I am busting out one in front of Krogers in Raleigh. (this was the cover to my english notebook in school in 87).



Jon B and I got a job "working" at Lechmere in Raleigh. We would assemble bikes, scooters, and grills, as well as string tennis raquets. Often we would cover the window of the door and "test" out the scooters.

scooter cherrypickers in 1988. GM and JB


Freestylin mag came to town in 1990. They took this picture of Jon on the new halfpipe.
The inset picture, Leigh Ramsdale (current eastern team captain) is on the left side of platform, and Brian BlythAIR is on the right (current police officer). I was in the can when this was taken... Nature called.



1989 Greg Requate funky chicken whips in the Kroger lot.




more to come when I have time.

gm

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