Toronto X-Jam madness

9 03 2015

It’s a rite of spring in Toronto.

The first weekend of March, the Toronto International Bicycle Show is held.

Along with it, a rowdy BMX contest that never disappoints. From the rad riding to catching up with old friends, it’s a event not to be missed.

This year was no different.

Qualifying rounds on Saturday were crazy. Drew Bezanson had already set the pace with a run that began with him dropping in from the ceiling.

The Sunday finals were going to be nuts.

In between all that were all things that make the BMX community so great. Hanging with friends, reminiscing about past exploits, poking fun at one another.

On Sunday, I caught up with Joe Cicman of TwoFourFlat fame. He was taking care of business over at the Flat comp going down at the other end of the Bicycle show building. We had a good chat before he had to compete again and I had to run off to catch the park finals. (That’s me, Ed, on the left; Joe on the right.)

Ed and JoeBack at the Park Finals, things were heating up big time. Banger after banger trick…it was pretty crazy.

Then the final heat.

Drew B. shimmies up a pole and uses a makeshift pulley to get his bike up to the ceiling. He tiptoes across a ledge by the windows at the top of the building. The ledge does not look as if it is even as wide as his shoes.

Then the unthinkable happens. As Drew goes to set up, he loses his footing and falls straight to the ground…his fall barely softened by the bottom of a ramp’s transition.

Unbelievably, he springs to his feet. Like a scene from a Rocky movie or some old Evel Knievel footage, he looks to the judges and makes a hand gesture to the judges saying, “One more.”

He climbs up again…sets up and boom!

270 drop-in from pretty much the top of the building.

So good.

Keeps your eyes peeled for the rest of the contest footage, you will not be disappointed.

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Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, New School, shenanigans, Skatepark

Good times at the Toronto BMX Jam

6 03 2013

It’s been a couple days and I’m still riding the high from another great Toronto BMX Jam.

An annual tradition for me (and many other riders), it’s become amongst other things: a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, shop for deals on parts (it’s partnered with the Toronto International Bicycle Show) and….oh yeah…check out some awesome riding.

Despite local favorite, Drew Bezanson, being unable to ride due to injury sustained earlier in the week riding Joyride 150, there was still a whole field of riders just killing it all week long (as you can see from the video).

Joe Cicman of TwoFourFlat fame was also in the house riding in the flatland comp (on his 20″). We had a chance to chat briefly and it sounds like the next installment of the TwoFourFlat series is going to be one worth waiting for! Can’t wait.

And even though weather was freezing over the weekend, the Toronto BMX Jam also means that spring is just around the corner and that always seems to be the icing on the cake. The weather forecast is already calling for warmer temps by the end of the week.

Good times.


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Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, New products, New School, Skatepark, street

There’s a BMX storm brewing

28 02 2013

This winter has been unrelenting in terms of storms, cold temps and all around crappy conditions.

BMXers in the northeast have been hit particularly hard by this nasty weather and are collectively just about ready to say good riddance to old man winter.

Thankfully, this weekend brings two big events that will put a spring in the step of BMXers of just about every stripe in the northeast.

The first is the annual Toronto BMX Jam.  The unofficial kickoff to the contest season and an excuse for BMXers to get a bit of a BMX party going on, the Toronto BMX Jam is a contest that gets people’s stoke factor to go off the charts. Set up as part of the Toronto International Bicycle show (kind of like a mini-Interbike), it features the Toronto BMX Jam, a flatland contest, indoor racing (mostly MTB these days) and a jumping competition.

The riding is unbelievable, the crowd is loud and chances are that you’ll run into riding buddies you haven’t seen for ages.  So much fun. I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday and if you have the chance I hope you will too…this is one of the most fun BMX events of the year.

drew-bezanson-toronto-jam1

Did I mention the riding is unbelievable? Check out this clip from the finals last year.

The second big event is at Ray’s MTB Cleveland.

This coming weekend they will be hosting 3 (really) big names in BMX: Rick Moliterno, Harry Leary and Stu Thomsen.

Rays HOTS_Slide_Thomsen_Leary_Moliterno

That’s almost BMX royalty right there!

If you’re a BMX nerd like me, you know those guys have some stories to tell. Much respect for those dudes.

So if winter has got you down, these events might be the cure for what ails you. Check ’em out if you get a chance.


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Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, New School, Old School, Racing, Skatepark, street, Tomfoolery

Are you ready for this?

5 03 2010

Time to gas up the car, get a bus ticket or hop on a plane because it’s going to be non-stop BMX in Toronto this weekend. The Toronto International Bicycle Show is here and it includes a flatland contest, an old school indoor BMX race and the Toronto BMX Jam.

But is it really worth going?

Just check out this clip from last year’s Toronto BMX Jam to get an indication of what  goes down at this annual event.

Or maybe check out this video of Drew Bezanson that’s being blowing up the internet for the last day or two. If this is what he does for a video clip…imagine what he’s going to throw down in the contest.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “FU-Cam Episode 1: Drew Bezanson“, posted with vodpod

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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School, Racing, street

Old school indoor BMX racing in Toronto

22 02 2010

If you were a BMX kid in the 80s you probably remember the old school style of indoor racing with concrete floors, wooden jumps and smooth stadium tires.

Nowadays if you’re lucky enough to have an indoor track to race at, you’re racing in dirt. Vintage BMX actually featured a thread on this topic recently and it seems that a lot of people remember the old school races and are hankering for them again. It certainly brought back memories for me…my first race was an old school indoor race like that.

But those days are long gone, right?

Maybe not!

Turns out Brent Smith, the guy behind the super fun Orangeville race series, does an annual race at the Toronto International Bicycle show. This year the organizers asked if he could do it again but this time without dirt. So Brent reached into his bag of tricks and decided to go way back and kick it old school!  Flat turns, concrete floors and wooden jumps…this is going to be a total blast from the past. Clips aren’t going to help you here!

If you’re within driving distance of Toronto (March 5-7) you should make a point of making it out anyway ..not only is there wall-to-wall bicycle vendors but there’s a freestyle contest and flatland contest going on as well.

For more details on the race, check out the Facebook group, Toronto Bike Show MTB and BMX race and jump comps.


Legends Tinker Juarez and Jeff Kosmala tearing up an indoor track back in the day.


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Categories : Freestyle, Old School, Racing, Trails/Jumping

BMXers descend on Toronto Bicycle Show

12 03 2009

This weekend, March 13-15, is one of the biggest events on the BMX calendar for Southern Ontario.  It’s the Toronto International bicycle show and there is wall-to-wall BMX stuff to check out or ride in. There’s the Toronto BMX Jam, a flatland comp/demo, racing (cruiser class, anyone?) and BMX videos being premiered Saturday night at the Cadillac Lounge. If you’re within driving distance of Toronto, this is not an event to miss.

I’ll be there, checking out all the action on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re lucky, you may even get one of the new cruiser revolution stickers. They look a lot like this:

crdc


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Racing, shenanigans

Mother nature can stop teasing me now…

11 02 2009

We’ve been seeing some unseasonably warm temps in these parts recently and its making me even more antsy for spring. It’s warm enough for riding but with the snow melting and salt on the roads…it’s a sloppy mess. Still, sneaking a few minutes out of the office got me thinking about hot summer days and fun times at the trails.

tuck-jump

The warm snap will be short lived though…they’re already calling for snow on the weekend. I console myself by remembering that both the  Toronto International Bicycle Show and the Supercross are just one month away…

*Don’t ask me who the guy in the pic is…stumbled across it on the internet somewhere a while back…nice tuck jump though.


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Categories : Tomfoolery, Trails