Space Brothers Podcast

Back in the early to mid-80s, BMX freestyle was still somewhat of a new thing. Companies were in a race to invent and create components that could turn the average BMX bike into a full-blown freestyle bike. In a short period of time in addition to standing platforms built into frames, forks, and handlebars, a number of components that were more on the side of gimmicks and gadgets were released into the BMX scene for consumption. Almost every company came out with an odd invention or two or at least a variation of something already being done. Flip-up fork standers, frame stands, screw-on pegs, flip-up pegs, frame extenders, bar extenders, Buff guards which protected your foot from the backside of the fork, seats where you clicked a button, and the nose of the seat extended, brake guards, locking brake levers, and the Potts mod, which allowed you to run the front brake cable through the center of the stem bolt, and into your fork. Within a few years, the sport of BMX freestyle went through several extreme changes, including the difficulty of tricks, the quality, and design of the bikes, and the disappearance of almost all of the unimportant and mostly unnecessary gimmicky components. Enter veteran flatland rider Chad Johnston. Chad's always pushed the bounds of reality and progression with his riding. It's hard to believe that someone who rode during the 80s would currently be brakeless and pegless as a flatland rider. That's exactly what Chad has done for the past going on 14 years. Removing your brakes and pegs certainly doesn't make things easier, but Chad enjoys the challenge with his less is more approach and has put out several video parts to further prove his skill level and creativity. We caught up with Chad and talked about how he got into BMX, the first time he saw flatland up close and personal, being featured in the BMX Plus 101 Freestyle Tricks Part 2 video, how the inTRIKat name came about, making some of the most iconic flatland videos of all time, taking off his pegs in 2007, he and his wife Amy starring in a music video, his signature S&M frame, bars, and stem... his relationship with Chris Moeller, approaching age 50, and what he's doing now... So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the man behind the inTRIKat plan... Chad Johnston!

Back in the mid-80s, there was one trick that was considered crazier than all the rest, and that trick was the 900... Mike Dominguez, Brian Blyther, Dave Voelker, and many other talented riders came close but to no avail... and then... in 1989 at a 2 Hip King Of Vert Contest in Canada... a young Mat Hoffman pulled off the unthinkable, which sent shockwaves through the BMX industry. Again it was proof that a once thought to be impossible trick could be accomplished. Up next and closely behind to complete the 2 1/2 rotation aerial were Dennis McCoy and Jay Miron... As flips and flairs became the new trend in the early 90s, spinning 900s became mostly an afterthought for years to come, simply because of the risk of serious injury. BMX freestyle had become almost as big in the UK in the 80s, as it was in the United States... oddly enough, the ramp scene exploded with some amazing talent, and very quickly some of the best vert riders were no longer just from the US. Along came the eventual master of the 900 from Liverpool UK, Simon Tabron. Simon pulled his first-ever 900 at the World Championships back in 1991 in Aalborg Denmark. Unlike the majority of vert riders, Simon was drawn to the trick and seemingly gave it a try, at or near the end of almost every one of his contest runs at X Games, Dew Tours, and other major contests around the globe. Simon was somehow able to make this monumental and dangerous trick which claimed so many injuries, consistent... but not without eventual consequence. In fact, Simon quite possibly has dealt with more pain and injuries from the 900 gone wrong, than any other rider. Even though Simon wasn't the first rider to pull it off, his name is certainly synonymous with the 900. We caught up with Simon and asked him about the early UK BMX scene, his relationship with fellow vert rider Scott Carrol, his first time competing against Jamie Bestwick, the impact Mat Hoffman had on his life, what classic vert trick he still wants to learn, pulling 900s consistently, riding with some of skateboard vert's biggest legends, being one of the top BMX vert competitors for over 20 years, his reason for taking off his pegs and brakes, serious injuries with the 900, and does he see himself competing in BMX vert in the future. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know UK BMX vert legend... master of the 900... Simon Tabron.

When I think of mid 80s BMX and heavy metal, one rider comes to mind and that's Dizz Hicks! His style was symbolic of the era... He rode it all, flatland, quarter pipe, and short ramp aka a wedge ramp. Dizz is one of the most well known and electrifying riders to ever touch a BMX bike. While Dizz created the first ever upside down flatland tricks which were way ahead of their time and could bust a respectable 7-8 feet on the quarter pipe consistently, he became most known for riding the short ramp. During the summers of 1985 through 1987, Dizz traveled with his sponsor CW Bikes and hit up bike shops across the country rocking his heavy metal style, extreme raditude, high speed flatland tricks, and super tweaked kick turn variations. In fact, the CW shows were probably the only BMX shows where the audience piled up behind the short ramp, so they could get a closer look. During his time on summer tour, he'd spend no less than 10 minutes per show riding a ramp, that most others struggled to ride at all. BMX fans loved to watch Dizz and they couldn't get enough! He extended tricks and stretched his body beyond belief and gave photographers plenty of time to snap some of the coolest pictures in BMX history. We caught up with Dizz via Skype and asked him about his early BMX career, the first time he saw freestyle, building his first wedge ramp, riding for the Gork Trick Team, his heavy metal persona, creating upside down flatland tricks, riding and partying on the CW summer tours, vanishing from the sport, dealing with addiction, getting back on his BMX bike in 2009 for an art show, getting inducted into the BMX Hall Of Fame, and what he's doing now. The fact is, there's never been another rider like Dizz in BMX.... and there probably never will be! So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the man, the myth, the BMX legend, King of the short ramp... Dizz Hicks!

Rob Nolli has been one of the biggest names in BMX freestyle for well over 25 years. He's one of the best all-around BMX freestyle riders to ever do it winning flatland, dirt, and park contests as well as finishing in the top ten at several major vert contests. There was a time when Rob was a threat to win any contest he entered regardless of who the other riders were. Rob was a top competitor in comps like the X Games, ESPN X Trials and B3 events, the NBC Sports Gravity Games, and Dew Tour for years, while simultaneously being one of the busiest show riders in the sport. Working for GT Bicycles Rob performed thousands of demos including NBA and NFL halftime shows, fairs, and bike shops in all 50 states AND around the globe. I was lucky enough to announce a ton of shows with Rob throughout the years and he always put forth a solid effort every time he was on his bike, leaving the crowd wanting more. Now in his mid-40s... Rob owns his own BMX show company called the BMX TRICKSTARS and makes a living putting on demos at schools and special events. When it comes to BMX, Rob is one of the busiest people I know but we were lucky enough to catch up with him at the Master Blaster Planet studios and ask him about growing up in Vermont, the first trick he got known for, working at Disney World, riding for GT Bicycles, overcoming his biggest obstacle to put on a show, winning the bronze medal at the 96 X Games, starting his own show team, current tricks he did 20 years ago, and his recent health scare that kept him off his bike for the last 6 months. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know a FL BMX legend we've come to know, as "Super Rob"... Rob Nolli.

Catfish... aka Zack Yankush... One of the most controversial people in the history of BMX. He's a jack of all trades and a master of many. He's announced major contests like the X Games and Dew Tour, done demos for Nitro Circus, had a tv show called Strangers In Danger, and co-hosted The Come Up podcast... he's been an announcer at nearly every single major BMX event in recent years, and he continues to announce contests around the globe. Zach started riding in 1985 and has a deep history in BMX freestyle. He's super passionate about BMX, and always has something on his mind to talk about when it comes to the behind the scenes aspect of the sport. Over the past several years he's become known more for his opinions off his bike, than on it. Zack isn't afraid to call out anyone or anything if he doesn't agree with something. We caught up with Zack and asked him if he looked at himself as a controversial symbol in BMX, his roots in the Ohio scene, how he got started announcing BMX events, the craziest thing he's ever seen while announcing a major contest, the time he pulled a triple decade in a show, working for DK Bikes, announcing the Bikes Over Baghdad tour, and being a co-host on the tv show, Strangers In Danger. We also covered a few controversial topics which have been on Zach's radar recently and gave him a chance to explain his side. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the biggest voices in BMX... It's Catfish... Zack Yankush

When I think of the X Games and BMX legends, it doesn't take long to get to the name Chad Kagy. Chad was a force in BMX Park, Dirt, Vert, and Big Air and always a threat to win any contest he entered. He was also a rider you looked forward to watching because you never knew if he'd pull something out of his bag of tricks that nobody had ever seen before. Chad grew up in Northern California which had always been a hotbed for BMX talent. Seemingly every generation of Freestyle has seen a high level of riding come out of that part of the United States. From back in the early 80s with one of BMX freestyle's first crazy guys Hugo Gonzalez, to the Curb Dogs with Dave Vanderspek and Maurice Meyer, followed by Mike Kranaich, and flatland legend Pete Brandt. The 90s were no different... In addition to Kagy were Norcal shredders like Ryan Nyquist, Cameron Birdwell, and Joey Garcia who burst onto the scene pushing each other's skills while taking major contests by storm, at a time when the X Games and BMX on tv were exploding! As Chad got older his focus shifted predominately to BMX Vert and Big Air, pushing both events to new levels of craziness, while stocking up on even more X Games medals including a gold in BMX Vert, and 3 gold medals in BMX Big Air. Chad went on to become one of the biggest names in X Games history winning a total of 15 X Games medals. Eventually, a number of serious injuries would take their toll on Chad's body long term... with marriage and eventually having a kid, he decided it was time to call an end to his competition career. We hit up Chad via Skype and got the lowdown on how he started riding BMX, the NorCal scene and some of its history, winning the Bronze medal at X Games for BMX Park back in 99, how he made the decision to ride vert, moving to Woodward to train with the best riders in the world, blasting the 27 foot tall Big Air quarterpipe, his relationship with Kevin Robinson, being a part of Nitro Circus, doing the Bikes Over Baghdad Tour, and the injuries that brought an end to his X Games career. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know a true X Games BMX legend... Chad Kagy.

BMX Flatland contests go back to the early days of BMX. While contests aren't for everyone, they bring a community of like-minded people together for a common interest. VooDoo Jam is the premiere American BMX flatland contest held in New Orleans Louisiana. It brings not only riders from around the United States.... but some of the best riders from all over the world. The main man behind the plan is life long flatlander, Scott O'Brien. Like many old school riders Scott competed in the AFA, also known as the American Freestyle Association. Their national contest circuit was known as the "Masters" which were famous in the mid to late 80s. The Masters comps were a chance to see your favorite factory sponsored riders, compete against them, and maybe even beat them while making a name for yourself... if you were good enough. It's also where you heard new music, saw the latest tricks invented, and could see the most current trends. This was arguably the most exciting time in flatland with over 200 riders competing in some expert classes. Back then there was no internet, very few videos available, and the magazines would take 2-3 months just to post photos and placings.... so attending the live competition was paramount for any fan that loved BMX flatland or was serious about competing. Over the years the sport of BMX flatland has evolved and along with it, contests have also progressed into something similar yet very different. Scott O'Brien brings an intensity and enthusiasm much like back in the day along with a more current contest experience.... with one major difference... by riders... for riders! Scott has traveled around the globe emceeing some of the biggest flatland contests and brought that knowledge to his own event. Securing the proper venue, acquiring the right judges, promoting the event, getting top name riders from all over the world to attend, putting together prize money, and getting people to show up and support it, among other things... go into making VooDoo Jam a success. While Scott is known as the emcee of VooDoo Jam, the reality is he does so much more to make the event happen. 3 time Nora Cup winner, owner of DECO BMX, and judge at this years VooDoo Jam Chad Degroot joined us on the show to get the lowdown from Scott O'Brien himself as we asked what made him want to put on the first ever VooDoo Jam back in 2004, what his inspiration for VooDoo Jam this year was, importance of Terry Adams and his impact on the event, what makes this event a success to him, how the judges get picked, who's the best competition flatland rider of all time, advice for anyone wanting to put on an event, where does VooDoo Jam go from here, and.... will there be another VooDoo Jam in the future? Or have we already seen the last one? So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the man that puts on VooDoo Jam, Scott O'Brien.

I always thought one of the coolest things about BMX freestyle is that you could be different, and still be accepted. You could be yourself and it didn't matter. The term freestyle literally means, do whatever you want, and that’s exactly what Matt Beringer has always done. In the mid-2000s at a time when the X Games was on the come up, growing bigger and bigger each year, and sponsors were more and more concerned with gold medals and tv coverage to create relevancy, amongst the factory superstars was a rider with a completely different mindset. Not only was Matt unique, he's one of the only guys who could have a flatland session, then blast the biggest dirt jumps, find one of the most unique lines in the skatepark, and hit the gnarliest handrail he could find, all in one day. In the recent S&M book release, there was a quote that was used back in the year 2000 when Matt was first asked by Chris Moeller to ride for S&M. QUOTE "S&M Bikes is proud to sponsor Matt Beringer. No rider past or present has done a better job of representing everything this company stands for. Here's to acting like a kook, horses that puke, and hot pants stuffed with sausage. Let's hear it for heavy metal, grinding on the pedal, and rocking a mullet. On a pit bike, in a full pipe, or in an idiotic ad that rhymes... it's all about riding bikes and good times". We caught up with Matt the other day and talked about his numerous appearances on Props and Road Fools during the mid 2000s, competing in X Games dirt, how he became known as the front flip guy, his section in the Little Devil video Criminal Mischief, the first time he saw Dizz Hicks, riding and growing up with Tim Fuzzy Hall, his backyard ramp setups, riding for S&M bikes for almost 20 years, coming up with crazy tricks, his background as a machinist, and Dave Mirra riding his signature S&M Beringer bars. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most fun riders to ever do it on two wheels... Matt Beringer!

The X Games. By many thought of as the Super Bowl for action sports. While I haven't personally agreed with everything the X Games have done over the years, it's done a lot of good for action sports, and BMX in general. The 2020 Olympics are right around the corner, and BMX park is a medal competition for the first time in Olympic history. Not just for the guys though! The upcoming Olympics will also host the first women's BMX Park competition as well. Which leaves the women wondering, how is it possible that the Olympics are including women's BMX Park, before the X Games? A lot of people in the BMX industry are wondering why it hasn't happened yet, and one of the women seeking answers is Nina Buitrago. Nina has been riding BMX for almost 20 years. Since the beginning of her BMX career, Nina has worked tirelessly to get women recognized as legitimate and capable talent in demos and contests around the globe. You may have seen Nina's Instagram post a couple of weeks ago alerting the world that the women would not be doing another demo at this years X Games as they had done in years past, and they were officially boycotting the event. So Nina and the rest of the women felt now was the time they needed to take a stand for what they believe in. We spoke to Nina a few days after her post on Instagram announcing the boycott of this years X Games and discussed the importance of a women's BMX park medal event, what X Games officials told her in response as to why there would be no contest for the women, details of some of the past demos the BMX women put on at X Games, putting in hard work behind the scenes to make other women's events possible, being a part of Team USA, being the voice of a women's BMX movement, her favorite type of riding, suffering a compound fracture at a recent contest in Japan, and what it's like being a woman in a sport, made up of mostly men. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most influential women in BMX Freestyle... Nina Buitrago.

As the sport of BMX progressed throughout the mid-90s it became more and more common to see street riders end their video sections with massive gaps and roof drops. Many riders not only made a name for themselves with the final trick or stunt in their video part, they became legends. Fast forward to 2019 and some of the stuff you see street riders doing today is not only mind blowing but also death defying, at least at times. Sean Burns was inspired by riders that came before him who pedaled fast and went big. However what was once considered a rarity in terms of rolling the dice, is now a more common style of riding, at least for a select few. Sean is one of the gnarliest riders ever. I think it's safe to say Sean spends more time on rooftops than he does on the actual ground. His riding is super crazy, and things can go bad, very quickly. The term "high risk scenario" doesn't even begin to explain some of the amazing things Sean can do on his bike! While he's obviously a risk taker, there's also something unique about his approach. There's a lot more to Sean than just being a pedal as fast as you can and hang on kind of rider. There's a technical side to his riding as well. We hit up Sean via Skype, and asked him about his New England roots, how often he rides in pain, how his riding has evolved over the years, hunting for new street spots, riding with brakes, getting arrested, his section in the video Anthem II, his company Bone Deth, being a judge at the X Games, being in a band, and holding down a job all while being a pro BMX rider. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the sickest street riders on the planet... Sean Burns!

We've had the chance to learn not only about some amazing riders over the past year and a half but amazing people as well. Beyond the realm of BMX, many of these riders have had interesting jobs or random hobbies that we've discovered during the interview process. But our next guest takes the cake in terms of an intriguing career. Art Thomason is a 5 time X Games competitor in BMX flatland, sponsored by Hoffman Bikes, and currently works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, also known as NASA. In fact, Art lives in Houston TX where he's worked for NASA for the past 15 years. He's helped train over 50 astronauts for various missions performed at the International Space Station. At age 44 Art is still currently competing in a variety of BMX flatland contests, spending plenty of time pushing the boundaries of his own riding, while maintaining his career at Johnson Space Center, also known as Mission Control. We hit up Art to get the lowdown on his favorite contest moment, riding for Hoffman Bikes for the past 17 years, the first time he met Mat Hoffman, how he applied to work at NASA, his official job title and what he does there, working at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab which is a massive swimming pool with a replica of the space station located inside it, what type of reactions he's received from co-workers that know he rides BMX, his connection to the International Space Station, his average day at work, his favorite NASA project he's worked on, and what skills he's learned on the job. Chip and I have always had a deep interest in space related topics and it's not every day you get to speak to someone that works at NASA. So we made sure to take full advantage of it. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most down to earth people with an out of this world job... Art Thomason!

Dirt jumping goes back to the early roots of bmx, and riders have been doing it on bmx tracks and local hand made jumps since the beginning of time. However it wasn't always respected as it's own thing and it certainly wasn't a stand alone discipline in BMX, much less something you could do to make a living. For anyone who started riding in the 80s or early 90s there's one name that really stands out when you hear the term BMX dirt jumping, and that's Tim Fuzzy Hall. Fuzzy was featured on more than 15 BMX magazine covers in his lifetime. If he wasn't on the cover you can bet he was inside nearly every issue, rather it was a photo at a jumping contest, being a part of the test force putting new bikes to task, or featured in the latest factory ad. Fuzzy was everywhere! Fuzzy changed how bmx dirt riders were not only looked at, but how they could be marketable to a major factory sponsor without being a racer. Fuzzy brought his incredible skill set to any jump he could find including local and national bmx races and eventually events like the King Of Dirt and UGP Flying Circus contests typically held during intermission at national races. He became well known not just for his ability to perform difficult tricks, but his style was unmatched at that time. He could make a one footer look amazing simply by how far he stretched out the trick. As dirt jumping contests became more common in the early to late 90s, Fuzzy eventually left bmx racing for good to focus on being a full time dirt jumper. In fact he went on to appear in 9 X Games dirt comps, numerous Gravity Games and Dew Tours, and solidified himself not only as one of the greatest dirt jumpers of all time, but one of the most well known. Yet the only thing better than Fuzzy's riding skill is his personality. The fact that he's such a legend yet still grounded and humble says a lot about the person he strives to be. We caught up with Fuzzy and asked him about being featured on the very first issue of Ride Magazine, how he got the nickname Fuzzy, receiving his first magazine cover and how it came about, becoming factory sponsored specifically for dirt jumping, his relationship with Spike Jonze, his love for building jumps, going after bigger tricks as he got older, designing and building dirt courses for major events like the Dew Tour and X Games, the time he checked himself into rehab for drinking, dealing with depression, getting inducted into the BMX Hall of Fame, and running his new company called Hall Utah. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know a true BMX dirt jumping legend, Tim Fuzzy Hall.

If you've ridden BMX in the past 35 years, there's a good chance you've either ridden a Haro or know someone who has. The company was founded in 1978 by Bob Haro. Bob started out producing number plates for BMX bikes in his home. While the company was gaining popularity, Bob was also growing the brand new sport of BMX freestyle. The BMX boom was in full swing and the company built a reputation for developing innovative, top-of-the-line freestyle bikes and accessories. In addition to Bob himself, many of the sport's biggest names have ridden for the Haro brand including, Mike Dominguez, Joe Johnson, Rick Moliterno, Brian Blyther, Dennis McCoy, Mat Hoffman, Dave Mirra, Chad DeGroot, Ryan Nyquist, Dennis Enarson, Chad Kerley, and Matthias Dandois. Back in 2011, Haro had come to a crossroads as it was losing steam to remain relevant in the BMX industry. In addition, the company was searching for its next leader to help the brand return to prominence. Who better than the man known as "Scottish John" to take the reigns. After all, he was the most enthusiastic person anyone has ever met when it comes to Haro bikes. John took over the job back in 2012 and put Haro back in the fast lane almost immediately with a variety of throwback signature bikes, the Haro Lineage componentry line, and repop frames and complete bikes like the Master and Sport that brought many mid-80s Haro fans back to BMX. John grew up in Glasgow Scotland, and after an extremely traumatic childhood, he moved to Australia to pursue a BMX career and more recently moved to the United States to run the brand he loves most. A lot has happened along the way and John has lived an interesting and at times difficult life, to say the least. In fact, he has a full-length movie being released based on his life simply called, Ride. Most of the interviews John's done lately are more about his movie and life story than anything else. However this time around we wanted to focus on John's passion not only for BMX but for Haro as well. In addition we talked about how the movie E.T. made a huge impact on his BMX career, his first BMX bike, his own BMX company called Pilgrim, his massive Haro collection and which bike he loves the most, which components were the hardest to find to complete certain bikes, creating and releasing the Haro reissue bikes, what Dave Mirra meant to the brand, why he decided to sell most of his BMX collection, what's next for Haro, and what it takes to be the brand manager for one of the most iconic brands in BMX. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the main man behind the Haro brand... John Buultjens!

The Whopper, also known as the bunnyhop tailwhip, is one of the coolest BMX tricks ever invented, and it's hard to believe it's been around for almost 30 years. The first time Bill Nitschke pulled it off in 1990 in a Burger King parking lot in Greenwood Indiana, he had no idea of the long term impact that trick would make on the sport of BMX. In fact, 5 years after Bill showed this amazing trick to the world, only a couple of people, all flatland riders, were able to pull it off. It wasn't until several years later that street riders started to throw down the Whopper and include it in their bag of tricks on a regular basis. Nowadays it's a common trick, and street riders far outnumber the amount of flatland riders able to pull it off. I've known Bill for over 30 years and in addition to being good friends, we've done a lot of riding, touring, and traveling together. While inventing the Whopper would be enough for most riders, there's a lot more to Bill, than just creating one of the most well-known tricks in BMX. We sat down with Bill at the Master Blaster Planet Studios and talked about his first idol, some of the guys he grew up riding with, becoming an all-around rider, his first BMX components company Pulse Products, riding for Haro, the time he helped start a bike company called Standard, creating Indy Industries, his stint on the GT summer tour, his 22 double decades video project, performing school shows for his company Wonder Wheels, traveling to BMX events around the country, and was he the first person to do a tailwhip on dirt over a set of doubles? So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most important riders in mid school BMX history, it's Bill Nitschke... JA!

Back in the spring of 1988 when I was 14 years old, I was lucky enough to attend Woodward Camp in Pennsylvania. One of the pro instructors there, was Joe Johnson. Even though I was a flatland rider, I was well aware of who Joe was. After all he was one of Haro's main vert riders, had won lots of contests, and was featured in the magazines on a routine basis. Joe was a superstar on his bike, yet he was soft spoken, down to earth, and very humble off of it. He could blast airs bigger than almost anyone in the sport, while doing difficult tricks with an effortless yet aggressive style. Joe received the most notoriety during his career when he unveiled a new trick called the tailwhip air. Joe started working on it in the early part of 1988. I never saw him try it while I was at Woodward, but later that same summer, Joe worked on it for several weeks, and later pulled the tailwhip at the AFA Masters contest in Wayne New Jersey. This was the first ever documented tailwhip air. Joe continued to pull the tailwhip in every contest he entered after that as photos and video of this incredible trick began to circulate around the world over the next few months. The following year in 1989 Joe got picked up by GT Bicycles and won the Woodward King Of Vert while showing the world an even more incredible trick, the double tailwhip air, and beating an unstoppable Mat Hoffman in his prime. Another year later Joe had all but disappeared from the contest scene. He decided to leave GT and return to school full-time to study mechanical engineering and faded from the BMX scene completely. In a matter of a few years, he went from his highest peak, to vanishing from the sport. Many of us always wondered, what the hell happened to Joe Johnson? Where did he go? We met up with Joe and got the low down on his humble beginnings, riding for Haro Bikes, pulling a tailwhip air for the first time in a contest, riding sessions with his buddy Dennis McCoy, riding for GT Bicycles, sustaining a knee injury, what caused him to leave the sport for good, what he's doing now, and..... was Joe actually the first rider to do the tailwhip air? So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know a true bmx vert legend... Joe Johnson!

Where were you on Saturday March 30th? If the answer isn't Astatula FL, then you missed out on one of the biggest BMX events of the year called Swampfest! If you're passionate about BMX, this is the place to be! Swampfest has gotten bigger and better each year and this year the event drew over 3,000 riders, fans, and spectators from all over the world. BMX legends, industry icons, big name pros, and Joe Schmoes, from dirt to park, from flatland to street, old school, mid school, and new school. BMX came together for an unforgettable weekend of fun, excitement, partying, and most importantly brotherhood! While it took a massive crew of friends, family, and sponsors to build all of the obstacles, jumps, and ramps... the man with the vision behind Swampfest is none other than Trey Jones. Trey stopped by the Master Blaster Planet studios to talk about everything that went down before, during, and after the mayhem, including when he started designing and building the obstacles for the event, securing an area big enough to handle a large amount of people, building the jumps as well as the idea behind the Chasm jump, the design of the park course, the massive 80 ft rail across the swamp, the double loop, the sideways loop called the Vortex, the limited edition Vans shoes, the wrap party, the fires that raged, the day after carnage, and finally, will there be another Swampfest next year? So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and check out this special edition of Space Brothers. It's the Swampfest Recap with Trey Jones!

When you think of one of the most influential bmx dirt riders over the past 15 years, you have to mention Mark Mulville. Which is crazy when you think about it, because there's no dirt in FL... only sand. His skill level is easy to spot no matter what trails or jumps he rides. He's super smooth, does plenty of stretched out tricks, and has great style to boot, not to mention he's been one of Profile Racing's most featured riders. Mark not only splits up his time on his bike between local trails, riding street, and cement skateparks, he also spends every day he can in the ocean and on his surfboard. When he's not riding or surfing, he's taking photos of Florida wildlife and various rocket launches at Cape Canaveral. We sat down with Mark at the Master Blaster Planet Studios and asked him about riding dirt in Florida, the last time he saw a shark while he was surfing, how he's built jumps out of sand, living in Pittsburgh PA, having one of the best selling bmx stems on the market, getting close to massive gators when he's shooting wildlife photos, being listed as one of the best NASA influencers of 2018, and where he sees himself in the near future. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the smoothest trail riders on the planet.... Mark Mulville!

The term BMX legend gets thrown around a lot these days. But in this case it's an accurate depiction. Chase Gouin is one of the biggest names ever in BMX flatland and in BMX freestyle in general. He's an icon and also a bit on an enigma. Chase has affected so many riders lives and definitely helped fuse the gap to what is considered current and modern flatland. The only thing more interesting than Chase on his bike, is the life he's lived off of it. He's traveled around the world, at times homeless or without much money to sustain anything more than putting a roof over his head. He's overcome incredible obstacles and has used up more lives than a stray cat. Yet his passion towards the sport he loves burns just as much now as it ever did. We spoke to Chase about his early life and getting into BMX, the first time he pulled a decade, meeting Kevin Jones and the Plywood Hoods, moving to York PA, his first Dorkin In York video section, special sessions he had with Kevin Jones, pulling his first quad decade, being the first flatland rider to ever ride brakeless, becoming ambidextrous with certain tricks so he could learn new positions, dealing with severe tendinitis, overcoming near-death situations more than a handful of times, and what he thinks about the current state of modern flatland. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and check out this special interview with the legend himself... Chase Gouin

From a competition standpoint It seems like each year we hear about another amazing rider who comes out of seemingly nowhere to become one of the biggest names in the sport. There's so many incredible riders bursting onto the scene these days. It's hard to keep track of them all. One of those riders is Brian Fox. After qualifying in 1st place at last years X Games dirt competition Brian was able to put together a perfect run and ended up with a bronze medal in the finals. Kind of crazy considering he's spent the majority of his life in Florida where there's mostly sand. Brian's not just a dirt jumper, he also competes in BMX park, and rides a lot of concrete bowls and skateparks. It's safe to say he's a threat to win any contest he enters! Even though you might not recognize Brian's name as well as some of the other competitors, he didn't come out of nowhere. He's been around for a little while. I first met Brian while doing a BMX show with Rob Nolli 5 years ago. It was obvious right away Brian had serious skills and pulled off everything he tried. He had an explosive style yet made everything look easy. Since it was a show I only got to see a small sample of what Brian could really do. A few months later I saw a video of him riding and I was blown away! Brian has that rare combination of skill and power added to today's most popular video game level tricks and he's always working on something new! We sat down with Brian at the Master Blaster Planet Studios and asked him about riding dirt in Florida, his early racing career, the first time he saw freestyle, his secrets to putting together a high scoring run at a major contest, landing his first 1080, riding in Mike Spinner's backyard, learning from his dad who rode bmx in the 80s, riding for his new sponsor Radio Bikes including his new signature frame, and finding out what his dream contest run would be. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the up and coming heavy hitters in BMX comps for years to come... Brian Fox!

Back in January of 1994 I had just flunked out of college and I felt like a complete failure, but I didn't want to return home just yet. I knew of a house with bmx riders that had just come together a couple of months previous and they were looking to take over the upstairs apt but needed a few tenants. So I moved from school directly into what became known as the Fat House. The original cast was an eclectic group of riders, mostly dirt jumpers and street riders which originally included Jody Donnelly, Mike Tag, Jeremy Reiss, Crazy Joe Daugirda, and last but not least, Steve Crandall. Crandall and the boys had just moved from Ithaca NY to move into a local skatepark that ended up going under before it got off the ground. They decided to stick it out and see what the Hoosier land could provide. Over the next couple of years Steve became more focused as a rider and a company owner, while creating some of his early videos which would become instant classics. At the time FBM was just a clothing company with a few t-shirt designs, in which Steve made every one of them by hand on a printing press located on the back porch of our house. The FBM brand continued to grow in recognition as the crew traveled to events including NBL nationals, Hoffman BS comps, local trail jams, and even the first X Games. Some of the guys Steve sponsored were starting to receive notoriety including Mike Tag, which helped the name grow even more quickly. Not only that but some of the best dirt jumps in the entire country ended up being built by Steve, Jeremy, and Mike bringing people from all over the US to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Seemingly overnight the FBM name was everywhere and the Fat House became a bmx tourist destination. We sat down at the Master Blaster Planet studios with Steve and talked about early life and growing up in Ithaca NY, getting on the public access channel, moving to Fort Wayne IN and into the Fat House, videos he released, turning FBM into a bike company, creating popular DIY events like the Ghetto Jam, announcing major bmx comps around the world, his relationship with Mike Tag, current projects with FBM, and creating a new book with Matt Coplon. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most popular bmx riders on and off the bike.... Steve Crandall! To learn more about Steve Crandall follow him on Instagram: @crandallfbm or visit: fbmbmx.com To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

On rare occasion a rider comes along that is so unique they don't fit into BMX the way most other riders do. Back in the 80s that rider was Dave Vanderspek. Dave would combine street and flatland moves before street was really a thing and gained notoriety for bringing a new type of riding to the masses. Among other things Dave would do surfers while holding his skateboard and jump onto the board. He also utilized his street surroundings while performing flatland tricks making for some of the best photos every released in the early bmx magazines. Pushing the bounds of reality even further is Tim Knoll. Tim's riding by many is considered more like BMX Parkour as a way to explain what he does. Tim just calls it BMX freestyle. I can remember some of the first clips Tim shared on the internet where he was doing all kinds of dark side flatland tricks with the bike upside down mixed with handstands and flips. I have to admit when I first saw it I didn't know what to think. As time went on and Tim's skills improved, his edits popped up more regularly and he was able to smooth out his style. Each video showed less and less of traditional flatland and showed more unique and original hybrid flatland/street moves which were more like stunts than anything else. While Tim has never been a contest rider or a well known sponsored pro at least for his flatland riding, he's managed to put out two of the most well known bmx edits of all time totaling around 300 million views. Tim has become well known all over the world for his style of riding and even more so his video edits. We caught up with Tim and talked about his early gymnastics career and how that's helped him with some of his tricks he currently does on his bike, how he got into BMX, when he first started doing tricks using street obstacles, which tricks were the most dangerous in his videos, riding at Lake Owen Camp, doing backflips over box jumps, what goes into a typical day of filming, how the mainstream reacts to what he does, and what it's like to be YouTube famous. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most unique bmx riders on the planet.... Tim Knoll! To learn more about Tim Knoll visit: timknollbmx.com To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

When you think of the term BMX legend and you think of dirt jumping you don't have to wait long to hear the name Rich Bartlett. Rich is BMX to his core, and at age 51 he's enjoying the ride now more than ever. Rich started out racing and jumping BMX in the 1970s and quickly found his passion in life on two wheels. As quickly as his body grew, his name began to circulate within the industry and when BMX took off in the mid-80s, Rich was the perfect guy to become a test pilot for the magazines. He punished complete bikes and components alike with his 200 lb physique. He put everything the editors threw under him to the test and then some! Most sessions only took minutes before the subpar complete bikes would break or fall apart which left Rich to swap parts off his personal bike just to finish the test! Rich admittedly raced because he loved training so much but felt more at home at the trails, vert ramps, skateparks, and even some of the 2 Hip Meet The Street contests. Rich became very well known in the late 80s for being a really good well-rounded rider, but even more so for his humble and down to earth personality. We sat down with Rich and talked about creating the first ever King Of Dirt which also featured the first rhythm section, the support he received from his dad throughout the years, traveling to BMX nationals with money he won at the previous race, entering some of the early Meet The Street comps, starting a frame company called "Block Bikes", opening a bike shop in 2003, and a recent near-death injury that concluded with a positive outcome, not only physically but mentally, at a time he needed it most. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the Butcher, Rich Bartlett! To learn more about Rich Bartlett follow him on Instagram: @richbartlett23 or visit: blockbikes.com To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

When you think of the biggest names in X Games BMX Park history two names stand out above everyone else, Dave Mirra and Scotty Cranmer, both of which won a total of 9 medals in BMX Park. Scotty has won gold, silver, and bronze 3 times. To get to that level you have to push the bounds of reality pretty far, which means taking some serious risks. Back in 2016 risk became reality when Scotty suffered a life-threatening injury while riding street in Las Vegas. The crash left him with several facial fractures, cerebral hemorrhaging, and damage to his C4 and C5 vertebrae, as well as many other health issues. Most notably his doctors diagnosed him as being paralyzed. This is where Scotty's story really begins. While he's most known for doing some of the craziest tricks ever on a BMX bike, had several amazing video parts over the years, a YouTube channel with over over 200 million views, he's most well known these days for pulling off his biggest trick to date, overcoming being told he was paralyzed and would never walk or ride his bike again. We talked to Scotty about life and riding before the injury, some of his X Games runs, being tied with Dave Mirra for most BMX Park medals in X Games history, getting his hugely popular YouTube channel off the ground, the ups and downs of being stuck in the hospital, having a portion of his skull removed, what it felt like standing up for the first time since the injury, and how close to death he truly was. Scotty talked about where's he's currently at with his recovery, how far he thinks he can come back, the challenges he still goes through daily, support from family, friends, and even complete strangers, and becoming a tv announcer for the X Games. One of the most important things about Scotty's journey is the amount of hearts he touched and the people he inspired during his rehab while documenting every step of his critical comeback for his YouTube channel. Scotty truly is a story of perseverance and overcoming the unthinkable. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know a true BMX legend during this very special episode... Scotty Cranmer! To learn more about Scotty Cranmer follow him on YouTube: youtube.com/SCOTTYCRANMER and/or on Instagram: @scottycranmer or visit: scottycranmerbmx.com To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Shortly after the boom of BMX freestyle in the mid 80s, flatland changed seemingly overnight with a barrage of never before seen rolling tricks which changed the sport forever. At a time when balancing and hopping tricks ruled the scene, and most sponsored riders lived in sunny CA, a group of young up and comers known as the Plywood Hoods from York PA were hungry to make a name for themselves. Little did most people know at the time, the Hoods were a well rounded group of riders who did it all. From BMX racing to riding skateparks, dirt jumps, and quarter pipes, they could hold their own. But where they really stood out, was flatland. Mark Eaton was a cornerstone of the group who not only brought original rolling tricks to the masses like the whiplash and steam roller, but he also began recording every move the Plywood Hoods would take over the next 20 years creating 10 different videos known as the "Dorkin In York" video series. Every time they showed up to a contest all eyes were on them with video cameras aimed in their direction hoping to capture the next ground breaking trick. Even the top pros at the time kept their eyes on Mark, Kevin, and the other Plywood Hoods hoping to see something new they could add to their bag of tricks. As the Plywood Hoods increased in popularity through magazine coverage and sponsor recognition, each video release became more popular. Mark continued evolving his riding skills and his talents in the video production world simultaneously. Each time a new Dorkin video was released, not only did the riding get better but the quality improved along with it. Eventually Mark took his own riding down a new path and started incorporating flatland with street riding and pushed bmx in yet another direction. The Dorks from York showed they were some of the most talented and progressive riders in the world! We sat down with Mark at the Master Blaster Planet Studios and discussed the first time he met Kevin Jones, how he almost gave up riding bmx in favor of breakdancing, coming up with original rolling tricks nobody had ever seen before, creating the Dorkin In York video series, changing up his own personal riding style over the years, video and production work including several top notch bmx titles such as Joe Kid On A Stingray the history of BMX, Stompin' Stu, and Mongoose "Know Your Roots" documentaries, and his current projects including a djing career and doing video production for Penn State University. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most progressive bmx riders on two wheels, it's BMX legend, Mark Eaton! To learn more about Mark Eaton follow him on Instagram: @mark00eaton or visit: https://linktr.ee/mark00eaton To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Southern California has produced some of the biggest names in the sport of BMX over the past 40 years. At a time when turning pro in bmx at age 16 was still a somewhat new thing, a fresh face to the contest scene quickly became one of the top riders in the sport! Mike Parenti got his first major sponsorship with GT Bicycles and immediately started competing in some of the biggest contests on the planet. Mike went on several summer tours, did NBA half time shows, and moved up the ranks in both dirt and park placings at contests such as the X Games, Gravity Games, Van's Triple Crown, and Dew Tour. We sat down and talked to Mike about the first time he met Dave Voelker, receiving a phone call from Woody Itson asking him to ride for GT Bicycles, being the focus of an HBO documentary, going on tour with older riders, some of his favorite stories from the road, blasting the mega ramp, and his new job working for Haro bikes. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of Californias most talented BMX riders.... Mike Parenti To learn more about Mike Parenti follow him on Instagram: @mikeparentibmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

When it comes to the mid 80s and BMX freestyle one of the biggest names in the sport is the King Of the Skateparks Eddie Fiola. Eddie was more than a skatepark rider, he killed it in flatland too. He's a 4 x NORA cup winner and 5 x King of the Skateparks winner, and was inducted into the BMX HOF in 2009, and he's currently a film stuntman and appeared in over 80 movies and tv shows, and most famous to many of us for performing the majority of the stunts for Cru Jones in the movie RAD. We talked with Eddie about his start in BMX racing, his early days as a sponsored pro, riding for GT Bicycles, being a stunt double in the movie RAD, other stuntwork he performed on and off the bike in various commercials, tv shows, and movies, injuries along the way, and his involvement with Legend Bike Company! So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the King of the Skateparks, Eddie Fiola! To learn more about Eddie Fiola follow him on Instagram: @eddiefiola and Facebook: facebook.com/eddiefiolainc To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Anyone who's ever met Dave Brumlow in person probably has an interesting story to tell you. Dave loves to have fun at other's expense. Behind the guy that's seemingly always joking is a life long rider who's spent his time riding vert ramps, judging some of the biggest BMX events on the planet, and organizing contests. We talked with Dave about how he got his start in BMX in the UK, entering the very first X Games BMX vert competition, traveling and doing shows with GT Bikes, what it's like judging major contest events including this years X Games, and putting together the FL Skatepark contest series. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of BMX's most renowned pranksters... Dave Brumlow. To learn more about the FLBMX Skatepark Series visit: FL-BMX.com and/or follow them on Instagram: @flbmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Episode 16 - Terry Adams BMX flatland is one of the earliest and most pure disciplines of BMX. Almost every BMX rider has done some type of flatland trick in their driveway, skatepark, or nearby parking lot. All you need is your bike, and a decent spot. When it comes to flatland scene in the United States, one name sticks out more than any other. Terry Adams has risen to the top of the flatland game and has some major corporate sponsors and contest placings to prove it. Terry isn't just a rider, he's an ambassador for the sport he loves. Terry worked his way from amateur up and comer to the two time NORA Cup winner, to X Games gold medalist, and much more. Terry has performed in front of millions of fans worldwide and has traveled the globe doing what he loves. Making a living as a flatland rider is a rarity to say the least. Terry has continued to stay relevant and has figured out a way to keep his career going at age 35. We hit up Terry to get the low down on his start in flatland, his new signature frame with DECO, landing several corporate sponsors, creating original tricks, battling against Mathias Dandois in the finals of competition, performing on the Bikes Over Baghdad Tour, doing video collaborations with other BMX riders, getting into real estate, and preparing for a baby on the way. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the biggest names in BMX flatland, not just in the US but on planet earth... Terry Adams. To learn more about Terry Adams visit: terryadamsbmx.com and follow him on Instagram: @terryadamsbmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

When it comes to American made BMX companies they're hard to come by. One of the most popular component companies in BMX is none other than Profile Racing. Throughout the years many of us have had a set of Profile cranks, hubs, or a stem on our bike. Many top pros run Profile components as well. From X Games gold medalists, to your buddy on the other side of town. Profile is hard to ignore when you've been in the BMX game for any period of time. They've sponsored every type of rider, from dirt and park, to street and flatland, to vert and racing. The man behind the scenes that keeps things rolling smoothly is Matt Coplon. Matt's spent the last 20 years with the company. First as a sponsored rider, and the last 17 years as the team manager. Matt stopped by the Master Blaster Planet studios to talk about his daily routine as team manager, why being a rider is important to his job, what got Profile into BMX after initially being involved in the auto racing industry, some of his favorite components created over the years, keeping up with the team riders demands, running Profile's social media, continuing to push his own riding at age 41, and special relationships he's formed with other riders over the years. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the hardest working team managers in BMX... Matt Coplon To learn more about Matt Coplon follow him on Instagram: @matt_coplon To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

The first time I saw BMX flatland it was 1985 and I was an 11 year old kid growing up in a small town in Indiana. I walked around the corner from my parents shop as I waited for them to get off work, and saw a guy doing flatland tricks on a red Hutch Trickstar. I could tell right away this guy knew what he was doing. So I sat on the curb and watched him work through a series of amazing balancing and hopping tricks. His name was Derek Craig, and I asked him what the best way for me to get into the sport was and he told me to get my hands on some bmx magazines and start figuring out which bike I wanted to get. So before I went home, I asked my parents if they would buy some BMX magazines and luckily they said yes. About an hour later I walked out of the local newstand with 3 different mags and instantly started daydreaming about the bikes, the tricks, and the life of being a BMX freestyler. Back then there were only a handful of videos and even RAD the movie hadn't been released yet. All we had were the photos in the magazines which we studied like our lives depended on it! The magazines were more than just pictures and ads, they were our gateway to a sport we couldn't get enough of! We sat down with Scott Towne who was right in the middle of it all! From 1986 to 1989 Scott worked for several well known magazines including BMX Plus, American Freestyler, Super BMX & Freestyle, and FREESTYLE magazine. Not only was he around during the pinnacle of the sport, but he was there at the beginning of the end of an era. We talked to Scott about growing up in the Midwest, his early interest in BMX racing, his many jobs working at various BMX magazines during the boom of freestyle, what he did after leaving CA and heading back to MI, his vintage BMX collection, his current marketing agency, and still riding his bike daily at age 53. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the Midwest's finest riders and contributors to the sport of BMX... SCOTT TOWNE To learn more about Scott Towne follow him on Instagram: @scotttowne To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Imagine growing up and having a brother who loved riding BMX as much as you! Someone to push you, someone to help you build a ramp, someone to help you fix your bike.... just the idea of always having another person to ride with would be awesome! From the first day picking up a BMX magazine I remember several brothers from back in the day making a name for themselves. There was Brett & Trevor Hernandez, Ron & Sean Wilkerson, Robert & Ruben Castillo, The Alder brothers Joe & Jeremy, Chris & Karl Rothe, and Hugo & Oscar Gonzalez. Later on came the Strieby brothers Brian, Adam, and Nathan, Alan & Brian Foster, Stephen & Martin Murray, and more recently Scotty & Matty Cranmer. Enter Trey and Jabe Jones. They both ride for The Shadow Conspiracy, Subrosa, and Vans shoes but the similarities don't go much beyond that. Now that Trey and Jabe are a little bit older they seem to get along pretty good, most of the time. One thing they definitely share is their passion for BMX. We sat down with Trey and Jabe and found out what makes them tick, what ticks them off, there differences, there similarities, and how their relationship has grown over the years through riding bmx! So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know two of Florida's finest riders, the Jones brothers, Trey and Jabe. To learn more about Trey Jones visit: florideah.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @treyjonesucks To learn more about Jabe Jones follow him on Instagram: @jabejones To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

If you’ve ever been to Cirque Du Soleil’s La Nouba show in Orlando FL over the past 10 years, most likely you’ve seen flatland rider Marcos De Jesus perform his solo act. Never mind his costume or full face make up he had to apply daily, or the fact he was riding mostly in the dark with a spotlight on him to a live orchestra. Perfection was expected. Originally from Sau Paulo Brazil, Marcos moved to the United States to chase the American Dream. For over 10 years he performed 2 shows a day in front of a mostly packed house for one of the most reputable companies to ever put on a live stage performance. Now that the Cirque show he spent thousands of hours perfecting has come to a close, he’s figuring out the next stage of his life at age 44. We sat down with Marcos to discuss his life growing up in Brazil, how he found bmx, winning the Latin X Games gold medal, auditioning for the Cirque show, staying healthy while pushing his riding outside of the shows, the daily grind of being expected to pull every trick every time, and what his plans are for the next phase of his career. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the best bmx show riders to ever do it, Marcos De Jesus. To learn more about Marcos De Jesus visit: sampabmx.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @marcosdejesusbmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

When it comes to BMX, the X Games have had a major influence on almost everything in the sport over the past 20 plus years. It's the Super Bowl for action sports and a place where riders can carve a name out for themselves to either help or further their career. Many current riders were first introduced to BMX by watching the X Games on tv. The very first X Games premiered back in the summer of 1995 bringing what were once considered outsider sports and cast them into the spotlight making them somewhat mainstream. For many riders, companies, and fans it changed BMX forever! 23 years later the X Games is still going strong and this year included 7 different BMX events including BMX Big Air, Vert, Street, Dirt, Park, park best trick, and the Real BMX Street video contest held a month before. Contest riding is at an all time high in terms of difficulty and consistancy, and riders are willing to let the dice roll in an attempt to win the $50,000 check that goes along with first place gold. In some cases, depending on the event, the 10th place run now could have won a contest 6-7 years ago. The limits of possibility are consistantly tested under the craziest of pressure, and a worldwide audience of millions on ESPN and ABC. We invited former X Games competitor Chad DeGroot and X Games medalist Rob Nolli into the studio to discuss a variety of topics revolving around the X Games, both past and present. In addition to both of them competing in multiple X Games, they've also been a judge at high level BMX events such as the Dew Tour and competed against many of the current athletes in this years X Games. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and check out this special edition of Space Brothers, the X Games Shakedown. To learn more about the Rob Nolli visit: bmxtrickstars.com and/or follow them on Instagram: @bmxtrickstars To learn more about Chad DeGroot visit: decobmx.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chaddegroot @decobmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Welcome to a special edition of Space Brothers, the BMX demo show! BMX demos have been around since the beginning of BMX freestyle. Most of us remember the first show we ever saw. It's more than just watching guys do tricks on their bikes. It's a performance that many of us never forget. It's no secret that BMX demos, also known as shows, are important to the growth of the sport. It's a chance for people to watch BMX in person while being able to experience the intricacies of not only the tricks, but the speed, height, and sometimes the reality of crashing. It's also a chance for the casual or hardcore BMX fan to take a closer look at the bikes, ramps, safety gear used, and an opportunity to get an autograph and maybe ask a question to their favorite rider. It's no secret, that many riders have gotten into BMX after watching a live demo! However doing demos and making a living riding your bike in front of an audience isn't for everyone. It takes a lot of talent and you have to be smart about the tricks you do while riding in a show. In most cases if you get injured and can't ride at a high level, you'll be replaced. Many young riders dream about someday performing in front of a live audience and getting paid for riding their bike. The reality is, a very lucky few actually make a living doing BMX demos and most of these riders will tell you, the easiest part of doing a BMX show, is the show itself. What makes it difficult is the planes, trains, and automobiles to get to and from the actual events, the challenging riding areas, changing flat tires after midnight, riding in less than perfect conditions, performing in 100 degree heat, eating at gas stations and fairs when nothing else is around, managing nagging injuries, and a whole lot more. Doing bmx shows is just as much mental as it is physical. Who better to interview about BMX shows than the BMX Trickstars team! So we sat down with Rob Nolli, owner of the BMX Trickstars with over 25 years experience doing demos who's traveled to all 50 states, and Scott Weaver a veteran pro flatland rider with over 15 years experience. We talked about the format for their shows, the types of tricks they do, advice to riders wanting to do shows on a team, and an overall behind the scenes look at what it takes to not only pull off a successful BMX show, but to get the gig the next time around. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get the down low on BMX shows, it's the BMX Trickstars, Rob Nolli and Scott Weaver. To learn more about the BMX Trickstars visit: bmxtrickstars.com and/or follow them on Instagram: @bmxtrickstars To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Episode 9 - Trey Jones If you ask a bmx rider that’s been around for the last ten years who your favorite rider is, time and time again you’ll hear the name Trey Jones. Maybe that’s because Trey always looks like he’s having fun or maybe it’s the rare combination of tech, style, and going big wrapped into one rider, or maybe it’s just because Trey is a badass on a bike. Trey Jones is BMX. Dirt jumps, box jumps, quarter pipes, lake jumps, street spots, and even a flatland trick from time to time even though he might not admit it! Trey rides it all! We caught up with Trey at Master Blaster Planet Studios and talked about growing up in Florida, his dad being a BMX racer, entering his first UGP Roots contest when he was just 9 years old, going to Mission Skatepark daily, living in a tent at the local trails, riding with his brother Jabe, building a skatepark at his house, his infamous barefoot run at a Vans shoes major contest, his signature parts with The Shadow Conspiracy in addition to his new frame and sponsor Subrosa, hosting a major event called Swampfest, and getting married to Scotty Cranmer’s sister Kelsey. Trey has accomplished a lot in his BMX career without being a major contest rider! So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the biggest names in BMX... Trey Jones To learn more about Trey Jones visit: florideah.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @treyjonesucks To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Episode 8 - Aaron Behnke In this episode we sat down with Vegan pro BMX flatlander Aaron Behnke and talked about some interesting topics including growing up in FL with Rob Nolli, riding in the Disney parade, getting sponsored and going on summer tour for GT Bicycles, competing in the X Games, and designing a signature frame and complete flatland bike with DK Bikes. Aaron is a great all around rider and always had a unique style in park and street. He also dedicated over 25 years of his life to being an original and inventive flatland rider which is extremely difficult to do when your performing in shows, going on tours, and entering contests. In addition to Aaron's BMX skills, he was the first person I met that was vegan. He became so passionate about it, he now owns a vegan baking company that has become very successful. I was stoked to reunite with an old friend who spends more time in his vegan kitchen than riding these days. But his passion is still the same, on and off the bike. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the most underated riders in BMX... AARON BEHNKE To learn more about Aaron Behnke visit: VenerableBean.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @venerableb @venerablebeanbakery To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Episode 7 - Jam Circle This time around, we decided to change things up a bit from our typical format. So instead of an interview, we decided to invite three different guests with unique backgrounds in the sport of BMX. Chad DeGroot, John Paul Rogers, and Trey Jones joined us this time around for this discussion based platform, we're calling... Jam Circle. The objective was to throw out a challenging, yet simple list of questions. Some of the things we asked were BMX related while others were just about life in general. The answers we got and the stories that were told, were beyond interesting! So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and check out this special edition of Space Brothers we like to call.... JAM CIRCLE! To learn more about Chad DeGroot visit: decobmx.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chaddegroot @decobmx To learn more about John Paul Rogers follow him on Instagram: @jpr_fla To learn more about Trey Jones visit: florideah.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @treyjonesucks To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Welcome to another episode of Space Brothers! Back in the summer of 1987, my mom drove me to my first GT Bicycles show in Toledo Ohio where I expected to see two of my favorite pros in Martin Aparijio and Josh White. But when I walked into the building, I was bummed to find out Josh had been injured and had to be replaced on the tour. I'll admit, at the time, I was kind of bummed...... In his place was a guy people new relatively nothing about. Enter Dave Voelker, a 19 year old ramp rider from Santee CA. He was riding a Dyno decked out in the newest parts wearing a typical BMX factory uniform with a full face helmet and long blonde hair flowing out the back...... The crowd didn't know his name when the show started, yet it was clear right away he belonged on the team. Like Josh, he rode a ton of flatland and blasted the quarter pipe giving the crowd something to scream about each time he hit the ramp. In addition to his amazing riding, he often gestured to the crowd and even mingled with several riders in the audience which made them root for him that much more! By the end of the show, I left knowing exactly who Dave Voelker was. I was not only impressed by what I saw, but even more stoked on GT! That was Dave's first summer tour of many to come and he quickly went from just another guy on the team to a focal point and featured rider in GT's ads and shows. Dave's career blew up when street riding came into the mix as he became the favorite to win any street comp he entered. He went big on the ramps, and added a technical flatland side few had seen at that time. Dave went on to become one of the biggest names in the history of GT Bicycles and the history of BMX. A few days ago we sat down with the man himself at Rob Nolli's BMX Trickstars headquarters in Orlando FL and talked about his humble beginnings, his sponsorship with GT, entering the X Games in his own hometown, his signature GT bike, some of his favorite summer tour stories, what it's like watching his son Kole ride, and his induction into the BMX hall of fame. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know a true BMX legend.... the LORD, Dave Voelker! To learn more about Dave Voelker visit: davevoelker.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @davevoelker To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

The other day we sat down with pro bmx rider and Subrosa brand manager Ryan Sher at Master Blaster Planet Studios and discussed a variety of things including his cross country moves and the first time he saw BMX, his early racing career, riding for Kink, being chosen as one of the original Shadow team riders, his move to Florida, and becoming the manager for Subrosa. Since the company’s inception in 2006 Subrosa has quickly risen to the top of the BMX game when it comes to style and quality. As the company continued its growth along with its expanding “cradle to grave” complete bike line various collaborations came about including those with Nuclear Blast, Radical Rick, Aggro Rag, the Sword, and SLAYER to name a few. In addition to talking to Ryan about some of the new components and products coming out, we talked about his personal life and what it's like always being on the move, his riding career, and what goes on behind the scenes of one of the most popular companies in bmx. So turn up your speakers and come along for the ride.... as we interview the man - behind the brand...... Ryan Sher. To learn more about Ryan Sher visit subrosabrand.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @ryan.woodstock @subrosabrand To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

In the late 1980s one of the largest shifts BMX had ever seen was the street movement. The sport as a whole was dieing, bike companies were cutting back their budgets, and big money pro salaries were vanishing. Many of BMX's biggest named riders dropped out of the sport completely. The days of wearing bmx racing uniforms and being judged for showmanship during contests were all but gone. Which left the door wide open for new cultural icons to emerge and become the face of BMX. Enter Pete Augustin. A former bmx flatlander turned street rider fed up with the bs and politics of old school run contests. As a surfer and skateboarder growing up he watched the sport he loved most, BMX, become run mostly by large companies and outsiders. He wanted more for the sport he loved. He wanted it to be run by the riders, for the riders. Pete is more than a cultural icon for BMX street riding. He's a no frills down to earth personality representing the most popular form of BMX at a time when BMX needed it most! Pete is one of the most passionate people I've ever met and often times misunderstood by his tough exterior. He was an unexpected hero during a pivotal time in BMX. Chip Riggs and myself were able to sit down with Pete recently at Rob Nolli's BMX Trickstars headquarters and discuss his early flatland career, growing up in San Diego CA, being disqualified from flatland contests, attending the 1st ever 2 Hip Meet The Street event, photo shoots with Spike Jonze and Freestylin Magazine, the evolution of street riding, his mid 90s move to Orlando FL, breaking his leg in the spring of 1995 and going through a tough rehab, and getting back on his bike. So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know one of the biggest influences the sport of BMX has ever seen.... Pete Augustin! To learn more about Pete Augustin visit follow him on Instagram: @peteaugustin To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

Today we sat down with special guest Chad DeGroot and talked about a variety of things including his early beginnings and what it was like to work at his parents restaurant located just down the street from the Green Bay Packers stadium, his involvement with BACO Designs and the BACO video series, riding for Schwinn, entering the X Games, his move to Florida, owning two different skateparks, a bike shop called Mr Bs, and his bike company DECO. He's one of the most original BMX riders of all time, not just in flatland, but everything he touches on his bike. He was VOTED #14 MOST INFLUENTIAL RIDER IN THE PAST 20 YEARS by TRANSWORLD'S RIDE BMX MAGAZINE. He won the NORA cup rider of the year,  3 years in a row including 2002, 2003, and 2004. Not only is Chad an amazing rider with some great stories, he's spent over 30 years dedicating his life to the sport of BMX. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the interview with the man himself, Chad DeGroot. To learn more about Chad DeGroot visit: decobmx.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chaddegroot @decobmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

When it comes to the BMX industry it’s hard to find a company that’s been in business for twenty years. In the case of Ron Bonner, he’s owned several successful BMX businesses and has put in over thirty years and counting in making dreams a reality. From Ron’s humble beginnings creating stickers and BMX number plates in the mid 1980s, to running the successful Roots contests in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to sponsoring many of the sports elite pros, to creating some of the industry’s best known components and complete bikes, he’s built three of the sports most successful brands in UGP (Underground Products), The Shadow Conspiracy, and Subrosa. Take a ride with us as we discuss past and present success, the importance of family and friends, and the trials and tribulations of owning a BMX company. With the mind behind it all, Ron Bonner. To learn more about Ron Bonner visit: theshadowconspiracy.com, subrosabrand.com, rantbmx.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @theshadowconspiracy @subrosabrand @rantbmx To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: spacebrotherspodcast.com

In our first episode of the Space Brothers Podcast we sit down and interview our co-host Chip Riggs so you all get to know him a little better. Chip started riding BMX in the early 80s in Chicago. He moved to Orlando FL in 1985 and met Ron Bonner and got involved in the early days of UGP (aka Underground Products). Chip has helped create ads both as a freelance photographer and a graphic designer for a number of brands in the BMX industry. Not only was he involved with UGP but he also contributed to the early days of The Shadow Conspiracy and Subrosa which today are two of the most popular brands in BMX worldwide. He later went on to become the art director for The Shadow Conspiracy, Subrosa, and Rant for 5 years. Back in the late 80s Chip helped out Plywood Hoods member Mike Dailey with the Aggro Rag zine and more recently the Aggro Rag book as well as the Subrosa Aggro Rag DTT frames. He's gotten more and more involved in photography outside of BMX while still helping out with numerous BMX projects as they present themself. Chip currently works as a freelance graphic designer and photographer. So let's get to it! To learn more about Chip Riggs visit: http://chipriggs.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @chipriggs To learn more about Kip Williamson visit: http://masterblasterplanet.com and/or follow him on Instagram: @kipbmx To learn more about the Space Brothers Podcast visit: http://spacebrotherspodcast.com