Johnny Stevens Bike Check

There’s always riders who are super good that disappear for one reason or another. Some move on from BMX, some just try to stay away from cameras and some just have other priorities that take over their life. Some of those riders eventually make their way back to the good life and some don’t. Johnny Stevens is one of those riders who was making waves a few years ago and then just disappeared. Then in May of last year an edit popped up with some footage of him. Since then he has been making his come back to BMX and in the process dropped a few really good edits. I figured since he is riding for Proper now that it would be a good time to take a closer look at his bike and find out where the hell he disappeared off to. Let’s see what he had to say!

Name: Johnny Stevens
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Sunday Trails Squad Fall Trip Q&A

Last fall, before the weather shut down all the lines, the Sunday Trails Squad loaded up in the van for a 12 day road trip. The crew consisting of Scot Draper, Chris Hilbrich, Aaron Day, Bobby DeLaat, Logan Beyhl and photographer / filmer Andrew Brady piled into a van in Chicago and made their way to some of the finest trails and skateparks that Chicago, Cleveland, Pennsylvania, New York and Rhode Island have to offer.
The other day the full edit from the trip consisting of 18 minutes of pure goodness dropped online for everyone to check out. We figured it would be pretty cool to get ahold of Scot, Chris, Aaron and Bobby to find out what some of their favorite parts of the trip were. Check out what they had to say, a bunch of photos and the video after the jump!
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Reminder: 2nd Annual BV Jam

Just a reminder that the 2nd Annual BV Jam that I’m putting on is going down at Bluff Valley’s Over The Top Skatepark THIS SATURDAY (February 4th). I’ve got stacks on stacks on stacks of product from all of the sponsors to give away… Like… I need a truck to get everything there. Everyone is leaving with some goodies! Be there if you are looking for a good time! Doors open at 10 a.m. Session starts then. Noon for the Beginner and Intermediate contest… Pro / Expert class starts at 2 with a bunch of jams throughout the day and I’m sure a product toss will get in there at the end.

Shout out to ALL of the sponsors for the support. Couldn’t do this without you guys.

Name: Subrosa

It’s almost weird to think about how much goes into just the name of a brand. The whole image of the brand is based around that name and its meaning. If you really think about it, the name can sink or float a brand right off the bat, it can start a war with another brand with a similar name, logo or image and a unique name can be the difference between remembering it further down the road or not.
A while back, I got an email with an idea from a reader who asked if I could start doing a series to find out about the meaning behind a bunch of different brands. It took a little while to get the ball rolling, but it’s finally going. So let’s kick this off with Ryan Sher and Subrosa.
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Insight: Fly Bikes Electron Complete

The other day the UPS guy stopped by to drop off a few more boxes for the BV Jam that I’m putting on next weekend. After I got a few of the boxes, I said thanks and the delivery guy said “There’s one more, it’s bigger.” To my surprise, Fly Bikes hooked the event up with one of their new Electron complete bikes that they introduced to their line up for 2012. I got a pretty good look at the bikes during Interbike but definitely not as good of a look as I wanted. Since I needed to build up the bike, I figured it would be a good opportunity to take a closer look at the bike. So let’s do this!
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Updated Videos Page

We’ve been starting to make some of the tweaks that you will be seeing with the site over the course of the next few weeks. They won’t be anything too drastic, just some stuff to help clean up the site a little better and open up some new opportunities.
The first change is that we have dropped a video player into the site. So now, instead of having to shoot you over to the old BNQT page, you can get all of the Original videos that premiered on the site in the past by going to the Videos page. There’s also a link up top in the navigation bar.

Also, for 2012, I’m looking to get a few regular contributors from around the world involved with the site. Whether that’s video contributors, photographers or writers, the site has been growing and I want to give the people who are producing high quality work a place to showcase it and get paid for it. If you are interested in joining the crew, get ahold of me. Please have samples of your videos, photos and / or writing work ready to preview.

The new year is looking to be a good one.

Mat Olson Interview

Mat Olson’s name is one that has been popping up more and more the past couple years. This Deco rider floats a little under the radar but definitely kills it on a bike and lives on the road doing shows. About a week ago, Chris Smith hit me up wondering if I’d be interested in seeing an interview with him. I was more than psyched on it, so here we have the interview that Chris did with him. Check it!

Name: Mat Olson
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Jeff Wescott Bike Check

All photos: Jake Geisel

Jeff Wescott has been on fire lately. After joining the Amity Bike Co. team a little over a year ago, he has been making moves all over the world and is constantly on the move these days. It’s cool to see that if you put in work, you can make things happen for yourself. Jeff has been mega busy as of late handling the U.S team manager roll for Amity while putting in a ton of time in front and behind the camera. I figured it would be a good time to catch up. Check out what he’s rolling on these days with a bunch of extra questions. Sounds like he’s got some warmth in his future…

Name: Jeff Wescott
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Review: Almond Belmont Shoes + Giveaway

A few weeks back, I received a care package from Almond. They had sent over a pair of Ben Hucke’s new signature Belmont model shoe to check out and spend some time riding in. When I opened the box up, I found not just one, but two pairs of the shoes. They said I could keep them to myself, or I could give the extra pair away to a lucky fan of The Union, who happens to wear a size 10.5. So, I have been wearing the shoes for a few weeks now and figured I’d give you some insight on what the shoe is all about, how well they held up and my personal opinion on the shoe. Then you can find out how to win the extra pair. Check it!
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James Meliota Interview

Photo: Jeff Harmon
“ I had to circle that basketball court and then sprint full force to get up the grass bank with enough speed. Old Port area of Portland, Maine”

James Meliota has been a rider that I’ve been a fan of since I saw one of his edits a few years ago. He brings a lot of style to the table and with each edit he has produced, he has definitely caught the attention of more people because of his unique outlook on riding. A few weeks ago I hit him up to find out a little bit more about this guy who calls Maine home. I came to realize that he’s got a pretty interesting story based on his look on different things from BMX to nature, college, work, music and life in general. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to get him some questions to let everyone find out more. So here’s the James Meliota Interview. Check out what he has to say, then leave him some love in the comments…

Name: James Meliota
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