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Danny Stevenson lived up to his name on this trip. Full weaponhead status in Bondi deep end. Photo: Tyson JP

The quest for riding concrete bowls never ends.

We took a trip up the coast with not too much of an itinerary, except to ride some parks we hadn't before, as well as get a better session at some that we had. The NSW coast offers up some ridiculously good concrete skateparks, but we had bowls in mind - hopefully some with some deep transition.

We definitely got a good serving of them.

We also got to plan our trip around heading to the Blake Butterfield memorial jam that took place on the Saturday evening at Thornleigh skatepark. We've been helping Brodie Butterfield out with prizes for the jam in his brother's honour since the beginning, so it was great to make attendance this year.

There was an amazing turnout of riders and it was awesome to put faces to names of customers who have supported the store over the years. It's such a buzz to watch riders you don't know absolutely rip their local park to shreds. 

Hayden Burr AKA the Sydney Haydos took home the best rider award, stoked to help with his swag of gear for his efforts. Thanks for the support mate! 

Haydos with the spine tailwhip at Thornleigh! Photo: Tyson JP

Haydos with his well deserved 'best rider' prizes. Photo: Tyson JP

We ended up at Bar Beach bowl in Newcastle for our final day. After 3 full days of riding in the sun, the crew was toasted, but the allure of the bowl was far too much to stay in the shade. We took our final laps and got a really good last session in before packing the van for the trip home.

If there's one recommendation to leave you to ponder on, it's this.

Get out there and ride different spots.

Riding new parks, with different layouts and even feeling different transitions under your wheels is a pretty unique experience. Obviously there's the feeling that comes with mastering your local park, but the feeling of being on alien turf can be exciting and challenging, all at once.

By no means did we conquer parks, but it's a cool feeling to know that there's plenty of places to take you out of your comfort zone, and make you excited to ride, that are waiting everywhere.

It also is nice to experience what works, and what doesn't - so that if the chance arises that you can make something in your own town, you have experience to draw on. 

We pulled the camera out a lot on this trip, hope you enjoy the video and photos and they get you psyched for your own trip somewhere!

- Tyson

Russ going scenic with this epic table at Bar Beach. Photo: Tyson JP

Bobby got that pop! Way up there at Bateau Bay. Photo: Tyson JP

Tyrone Edwards making it look all too effortless at Bondi bowl. Photo: Tyson JP

Sydney legend Dermo twisted down at Thornleigh. Photo: Tyson JP

Weaponhead with the weapon shred lookback at Bar Beach. Photo: Tyson JP

Will Gunn, proper 360 table over the spine at Thornleigh. Photo: Tyson JP

Here it is, don't even try. The best table ever. Benn Pigot at Thornleigh. Photo: Tyson JP

Got this treat for you to brighten up your Monday! We've had some clips from around that is about time we put them out. We are often out with the camera, filming and just catching sessions with the crew. We compiled them and here they are.

Hope you enjoy!

Jack Gruber has been riding for the shop since he was a young 16 year old royal rat. He's 23 now, and despite his phenom abilities on the BMX, he has developed quite the eye for photography. Quite the eye, indeed.

Starting down the route of photos of BMX, Jack's subject matter has expanded to his other passion; music. Jack has found himself a gig shooting photos of gigs. And his photos are nothing short of epic.

Jack's photos even found their way into the finals for the Monster Children photo comp late last year - I wouldn't be surprised if that happens again this year.

It's cool to see someone pursue the things they love while still maintaining their love for BMX (and tearing it pieces).

Jack thought he'd share a couple of photos from his world travels, plus a page from his journal, all handwritten cause he's nifty like that.

Long icepick. Portrait and riding photos by Anthony Bowler.

Midnight Oil.. Photo: Jack Gruber

Living.

Jason Watts and the crew at Stuttgart, Germany. Photo: Rob Dolecki, taken from the Vans BMX Pro Cup website.

You gotta be frothin on this (cause we are!), Back Bone team rider Jason Watts just won the second Vans BMX Pro Cup in Stuttgart, Germany! Watch the official highlights video now below, as well as the moves that got Jason the win aboard his freshly built up Cult Walsh Hawk frame. Add to this the best trick win at the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Five Dock and you've got a heck of a year getting tee'd up..

Stoked for you Jase!

The official highlights video from the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Germany

Jason Watts coming home with the win at the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Germany! Video: Our BMX

Thought we'd celebrate one of the pillars of the Canberra (and Australian) BMX scene, Russell Brindley, as he turns 35 today! Russell has been shredding since day one and the fact the he keeps getting better, even at 35, is exciting to watch and inspiring for all. 

Russell's heavy stoke for building and riding trails is always firing, this video is a few of sessions caught on film and here for you to salivate on. Full blown trail hesh.

Kris Fox is a 10/10 human and the new Demolition Mental Exodus video shows his 10/10 bike riding skills in what I think is the most accurate depiction (AKA mind-blowing) to date.

Sometimes more 'simple' riding can be hard to grasp over an internet video - it just doesn't put you there, looking at the spot, appreciating the difficulty of it all, compared to a video with more trick-centric moves that I (and many of us) can't do and by definition are difficult. 

Mental Exodus does a great job of putting you into that real life perspective of Kris' riding; he really does ride that fast, he really does jump that far. Some of the manual lines in particular are ridiculous and really captures just how much bike control, speed, and precision Kris rides with 'in real life'. 

The old adage runs true with Kris; take away the shared interest of BMX and if you still want to hang out, then you're in good company. Kris is a top bloke and friend and I'm stoked on this vid (as you can tell).

I can't wait to see this Fast & Loose vid!

- Tyson

Kris whipped way past sideways at last year's ACT Jam. Photo: Tyson JP

If you've been to an ACT Jam in the last few years there will be no denying, it is one hell of a time!

ACT Jam 2019 went down a couple of weeks ago and we are blown away with how it all went down this year. If you were there, you know already!

This is the biggest year so far and we feel that it's already shaping up to be bigger next year..

A big year deserves a big recap, so we're breaking these down into days.

Want a recap of what went down on day one of ACT Jam 2019? As well as some things you didn't know happened?

Keep reading..

This year marks the seventh year since it's reincarnation from the OG ACT Jams that happened from 2001 - 2005 and this year we were able to join forces with BentSpoke Brewery, who came on board as a major sponsor to help to give away a whopping $8k prize money.

This sort of prize money wasn't all BentSpoke's doing though, we had a lot of help from the Australian BMX industry kicking in to help pay BMXers who kicked ass riding.

If you don't know by now to support the brands that support ACT Jam (and hence Australian BMX), then this is a reminder!

The weeks leading up to the jam:

This year we had crew from all over the world spending time in town, enjoying what the Canberra BMX scene has to offer. There was plenty of BMX sessions going down at spots across Canberra by a varied crew of BMX riders. It was cool to have trail riders rolling around the streets - and vice versa.

There was also copious amounts of coffee being sucked down at our humble BMX shop by a bunch of legends.

It was cool to have so many BMX riders in town, there was a real energy in the air and a lot of positive vibes. 

Kris Fox was lighting up Belco bowl on the first day of the jam. Jack Gruber photo.

ACT Jam 2019 stop 1: Belconnen:

There was no doubt going to be some heavy BMX action on day one of the ACT jam. For those who don't know, above Back Bone BMX shop in Belconnen is Lakeside Tattoo parlour, who this year was a sponsor of the jam and stepped up in a big way by freeing their schedule and offering walk in ACT Jam and BMX tattoos to those willing!

Pat Freyne is now a lifer.. Photo: Jack Gruber

The bowl at Belconnen was damn near shut down by the Fast & Loose crew. Jason Watts, Kris Fox, Cody Pollard were blasting and I'm sure I saw Corey Walsh do an air that swung around half of the bowl - I know for certain at one stage he took off 15 feet from the left of the channel and still aired over it.. considering the bowl is round, 12 foot tall, with pool coping, that's as gnarly as it gets.

Corey Walsh voted best rider - Belco bowl for ACT Jam 2019

Guaranteed Corey Walsh swung this table around from far left of frame and will be landing outside of the right frame of this photo. Photo Jack Gruber.

The snake run was destroyed by many, but a stand out was no doubt Boyd Hilder. Boyd has that 'hard stuff done effortlessly' thing going on; he did triple truckdrivers, x-up whips and everything else in the BMX trick list with a smile on his face. Full blown ripper.

Boyd Hilder voted best rider - Belco snake run for ACT Jam 2019 

You'd be psyched to be that nosed in just straight jumping.. Boyd Hilder, cannonball. Photo: Jack Gruber.

 The street course was the last thing to be shut down on the first day of ACT Jam 2019, special mentions to Jack O'Reilly who battled and conquered a nollie tooth hanger the big down ledge, Jacman Hinns who did a bunch of hard moves including an oppo barspin to ice down the rail, and Cal Eggington who rode the bowl like a savage, the snake run, and then busted moves on the street section.

The night and street section belonged to Lewis Mills though, who tore apart the rail both, going both up and down it. Bar-crooks-bar down and up-rail 180 whip were just a couple of bangers from the Fiending shredder from Sydney.

Lewis Mills voted best rider - Belco street for ACT Jam 2019.  

Lewis Mills up the rail and 180 whipping off the end of it! Photo: Jack Gruber

Pat Freyne balanced.. Photo: Jack Gruber

 Belco Post-Jam: 

 It didn't just end at the final trick of the official jam and that's what makes ACT Jam so good; it's three days of real deal BMX mayhem. At one point I was set to leave at around 8.30pm (the official jam finished at 7pm) and as I was driving out, I couldn't help but see a huge mass of ACT Jammers crowded around the deep bowl.

I parked my car and walked up  to find Sean Thompson, Cal Eggington and Brazilian Cauan Madona (who missed the official jam completely) going back-to-back for some of the gnarliest riding of the whole night. I'm fairly certain Madona knows no fear, because he didn't have any issue pumping out a shoulder high double whip among other things that had the crowd going bananas. Madona knows very little English, but I sure hope he understood by the screaming, swearing and jumping up-and-down from the crowd that his presence at the jam was highly appreciated that night.

It was an amazing way to encapsulate just what the ACT Jam is; full blown freestylin' for the love of it.

And we still had Tuggeranong and BentSpoke to go!

Cody Pollard on full blast. Photo: Jack Gruber.

The party kept going and the show went on for two more days..

I'm still jazzed just thinking about it, and there is so much to go through that we'll release part two and part three of the jam separately.. So keep an eye out!

- Tyson

We had some killer footage from that epic trip we did out west last year, so why leave it dormant? This was a fun trip, so many memories.

If you're stoked on good times and rad bowl footage, then look no further and jump into the vid below!

Some of the Cult Crew were lurking in and around Canberra leading up to this year's ACT Jam and the legendary Veesh threw down and made this killer video from their time here. I will say this though; Veesh has got a crazy work ethic. No matter what's going down he is there capturing it for you to enjoy, doing a damn good job at it too!

It was three days of BMX pandemonium here for this year's ACT Jam, there is still a hefty story coming up that I'm writing so we'll keep this one brief and let your eyeballs enjoy the goodness from the Cult Crew.

One last thing for this post - big thanks to the Cult dudes Jason Watts, Veesh, Benn Pigot, Pat Freyne, Preston Okert, Kyle Fletcher and of course this year's KOTA Corey Walsh for making it out and destroying!

- Tyson