Alright, I am a skater from the 70's to the present. Initially I learned to dislike BMX riders mainly because they were privileged little twats in the early to mid-80's. Being a kid in low-mid income there was no way I could afford the Mongoose and Haro bikes out and the guys who had them in my area loved to rub your nose in this fact. So, there was a common dislike between skaters and bmx riders mainly because of the opposite side of the tracks mentality.
In the Late 80's/Early 90's I saw a lot more BMX Freestyle/Ramp people and less track nerds. I also saw a blurring of the money line as I was skating with kids in multi-million dollar homes and watching guys on bikes tear up quarter pipes they had leaning against their trailers. During that time the animosity waned a lot, but we all still couldn't stand BMX track riders because the ones we knew were total assholes. I remember hiding in the woods at a local dirt track they trained at with friends and pegging the snobby bastards with my sling shot.
Early to mid 90's I saw alot more BMX Streetstyle guys coming out of the woodwork and raging ramp guys. Pegs were all over the place and everyone had Detanglers. This created a new problem which brought up new dislike for BMX riders. Steps, ledges, ramps, etc would get horrifically thrashed after a moderate BMX session. PVC Coping would snap a lot, metal coping looked like it had been hammered, chunks out of concrete, etc. So, pretty much it got to where you never allowed bike people around. Hell, we let fruitbooters on our half when we wouldn't let cooler guys with bikes session it.
If you had a bike then you could session my Qtr and Street Ramps, but you did not come near my halfpipe or mini. Your ass also better not be caught near our park. I had to patch so many ramps cause some dumbass bailed and pegged through a transition.
Over the years since thankfully pegs were redesigned countless times from the bigass hair curler ones to the uber old hexagonal solid sticks. Many of them now are smoother, have sleeves, roller designs, etc to help reduce the destructive factor. Nowadays I rarely hear much bad between skaters and bmx guys. Most just mutually dislike fruitbooters [::cough:: ROC ::cough::] and scooter kids these days, but even that is waning since those sports are dead anyways.
I personally have always been a fan of Flatland BMX and still love to watch it. Hell, I had a bike for a bit that I cheated on my skateboard with. As a teen I was sponsored a bit by a local Schwinn Shop on their skate team so I got a Diamondback and learned basic stuff like an Endo, Cherry Picker, Tail Whip, and G-Turns, but my board has and always will be my first love.
Even as a skater some of my prized possessions are a framed photo of Dave Mirra he autographed and an Expendable Youth VHS autographed by Dave Mirra and Ryan Nyquist for me when I worked on the Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX game series. Both are very cool guys.
Most animosity these days I'd say falls into the old school "LOCALS ONLY!" mentality for your favorite spots.
Last edited by replicant; 05-05-2011 at 04:46 AM. Reason: speeling r guud
Bear "replicant" Powell
"I am Shaolin-Style!"
XBL: replicant#2618
Currently Playing: Diablo 2 Resurrected, Elden Ring, Skate 3
Here in Holland, there always is one fucker on a regular bicycle - occupying the pyramid.
A) My two best pieces of swag EVER are my autographed Steve Cabellero and Rick Thorne posters from Warped Tour 1999. Rick was the guy who, despite being in an hours long autograph sesh would actually take a minute, ask your name, use it a couple times asking YOU questions about yourself, and gave me an over-the-table bro-hug when I told him I was there to meet Cab, but he was my favortie BMX guy cause he owned the sketchy style, and I could NEVER do what he does.
B) In Washington State we're blessed with a lot of awesome concrete, so we're pretty open to the non-locals coming to our parks. We have a lot of pride in showing off.
And, for the record, we were all probably assholes at a skatepark once. You gotta talk to the kids without being a dick about it before you can really get too heated with them. I'd say I have a 75% success rate with walking up to the scoottards and nicely filling them in on what run ettiquite is and why they need to earn the bigger guys' respect. Worst comes to worst, confront their parents about the lack of manors. Again, could be where I'm from, but people are pretty apt to change if you extend kindness to them when someone else would just be a dick.
Cab is my all time favorite skater and Thorne is a badass. Cab is supposed to be hooking me up with a new autograph since my original Bones Video he signed got stolen/lost in my move some years back. Cab, Vallely and Kilian Martin are the most down to earth skaters I have ever talked to. Nyquist and Escamilla are most down to earth bmx'ers I've ever gotten to meet.
In my old age I've gotten very accepting of people at local parks and areas no matter their ride. Helping a kid a a few weeks back learn how to do his first grind was one of my coolest days in a very long time. When my ass is sitting in a wheelchair I need people to entertain me so I'll help them as much as I can when I see someone trying.
Bear "replicant" Powell
"I am Shaolin-Style!"
XBL: replicant#2618
Currently Playing: Diablo 2 Resurrected, Elden Ring, Skate 3
Being a bit younger, I was all about the Bones Brigade as a little kid. I was like four the first time I saw the Video Show, and at that age, these skaters are right up there with cartoon characters for idoldom. Cab, Hawk, and Mountain have always been my favorites, but I remember not liking Hosoi in the 80's because the big kids in the neighborhood would always talk about him like it was like you liked Tony Hawk or Christian. By the time Middle School hit, and I realized I was the "old school kid" in my school, I dropped that rivalry and realized how sick Hosoi's skating was. Still think the dudes are all great. Doesn't seem Hosoi is all too preachy for someone who found himself some jeebus. Lance and Tony are both doing good things for the industry, and have passed their awesomeness down to the next generation. (I flipped out the first time I saw a Riley Hawk ad.) And Cab still rides EXACTLY like I wish I could.
I've always had weird feelings about Mike V and Rodney Mullen, though. Like, I think they rip, and they seem cool as shit, but they just never were favorites of mine per sey. It's almost like I respect the hell out of 'em but feel guilty for not being a bigger fan of either.
i used to ride some dirt ramps near my neighborhood. It was like an everyday thing for a good while. we had shovels and all. after a couple of my friends moved away it kinda died, though.
I used to be able to (and probably still can after a few tries) feeble grind, 180, and 180 pivot.
you would think with all this, i would have no beef with bmxers....wrong.
they're probably the douchiest people i know. constantly snaking and just not giving a fuck about whether your skating or not. Total disrespect. fuck them.
My Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/EternalREWIND
I did beta test work for Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX Remix. On Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 and BMX XXX (Was Dave Mirra 3 until Shawn Rosen from Acclaim Max Sports screwed us over) I did alpha/beta testing and worked in R&D as a Freelance Design Consultant. Basically, besides playing the games a lot I got to work with the Level Designers in every point of level ideas, concept, layout, creation, and implementation. Getting to be part of the process from writing notes on paper for level ideas, to wireframing the inital base levels, then applying textures, and finally riding it was one of the most amazing things ever for me. My favorite thing in DMFBMX2 is "Replicant's Drop" which is the only Rail-2-Rail Offset Axis grind that a rider can be credited for in the game. The actual game engine couldn't properly cover those variables without making a PS2 just seize up everytime. Todd Robinson one of the LD's figured out a way to fake it, but wouldn't ever show me how he did it. All I know is that he has every corner of that building spot unmerged in wireframe. =)
Bear "replicant" Powell
"I am Shaolin-Style!"
XBL: replicant#2618
Currently Playing: Diablo 2 Resurrected, Elden Ring, Skate 3
Man thats cool replicant.... You lucky sob... I wish DM3 didnt turn into BMXXX
I still play those games..
Heres a vid I made http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSHoP...el_video_title...
When I get a cap card I'll make DM2 vids for sure
Last edited by EternalRewind; 05-26-2011 at 12:01 AM.
My Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/EternalREWIND
Bear "replicant" Powell
"I am Shaolin-Style!"
XBL: replicant#2618
Currently Playing: Diablo 2 Resurrected, Elden Ring, Skate 3
My Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/EternalREWIND