| ESC |

2009-08-15T06:57:00.001-07:00

External content time, but it's about me so it's legit - @ Random!

This has fully reminded me of why I shoot photos - good memories of fun times out riding with friends, while I'm stuck here unable to ride due to uni commitments and awful weather. Even if it's just a rubbish disposable camera (or even worse, a lomo...), get out and take some photos. It's awesome to have things to look back on.

-ESC-

2009-08-13T18:13:00.001-07:00

Words can't express how much I want to be making this right now. But, like it has been for the past 3 years, university's getting in the way of me having any kind of fun/doing my own thing. Major downer. Anyway, here's some pictures to make it so I've updated this within the last 2 weeks:

Got some other goodness too, but I'm actually holding that back for either ESC or something else. Realised that I've spent a load of photos online already (Although because I'm slack, they'll be going in the zine anyway?), but who cares?

More soon...

...hopefully. In the meantime, more photos. Also, go check out Shithawks. Newcastle RPRZNT.

-ESC-

2009-07-31T18:32:00.001-07:00

Got Flickr?

-ESC-

2009-07-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, 'zine news:

I now have a printer and scanner at my place. This makes life a lot easier.

Today, I also ate a piece of fish that must've come from some fairly hefty cod. It didn't die in vain, although typing stuff like that makes me want to become a vegetarian any more. I guess I'm pretty much at the pescetarian stage now, maybe time to commit...

-ESC-

2009-07-24T14:42:00.001-07:00

You have two minutes to ride home before you get soaked.

Home is 5 minutes away.

Pedal faster...

-ESC-

2009-07-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

Seeing as Newcastle bloggers seem keen on food blogging, here's some riding fuel.

Couscous, tuna, peppers, sweetcorn, pesto. Too. Easy. It's ready within 5 minutes of getting in from riding, and it's pretty much awesome. Even the most kitchen retarded can make it, and it's cheap as hell. Make it happen.

I don't want this blog to be in any way about the poisonous entity that is the BMX industry, but at the same time, I'd just like to point that I would very much like it if BMX grips came with awesome words printed on them. My last grips had "CHAMP" written all along them, my new ones have the pretty fitting moniker of "CHOICE". The Japanese know what's up.

-ESC-

2009-07-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Getting a printer at my place in a week. 'zine production beginning soon.

In the meantime, saw this over on InTheGnar. Read it and not necessarily weep.

-ESC-

2009-07-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

I once heard/read/saw some advice that said you should never go back the way that you came. It works in a pretty good way both literally and metaphorically speaking, but it's the literal sense I'm interested in in this case.

After a drive down the A19 to Prissick today, we ended up at the skateplaza where some well-meaning kids let us use their passes to get in (You aren't reading this, but thanks...). Eventually the session ended and we started heading back. Due to some weird road-work situation that involved closing the entire road, we had to head back via some diversion that could probably best be described as 'round the houses'. We got a chance to sample some of the worst that the North East has to offer, in the form of stereotypical pikey kids, the classic teenage mother of three puffing away on cigarettes while pushing a pram, the sketchy looking dudes with massive dogs on fairly slender looking leads - the usual suspects.

It was when we were driving along this road, looking at the Penshaw Monument that a van-occupant suddenly remembered that in the country park next to us, there was some sort of concrete bowl setup. We didn't really have any idea whereabouts in said country park said bowl would be, but thought we'd strike out and try and find it. And find it we did. Incredibly steep and low grind blocks down flatbanks, a deadly but low rail, and a double bowl setup that provided some entertainment (And what would've been a rad photo, were it not for a pair of torn new jeans and some grazing...). The entertainment for us in this random corner of a field in the middle of nowhere was slightly different to the entertainment being utilised by the teenage boys and girls in the surrounding area. Although in places our form of entertainment is prohibited or illegal, I'm pretty sure Class B's are a no-no wherever you are.

Regardless, this little detour reminded me to explore more and see where things can lead to. Although the session wasn't all that productive, it was still fun, and that's pretty much all that matters.

-ESC-

2009-07-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

"There are a lot worse things to do than read this, look at the images and decide to ride a bike today."

Steve Bancroft, RideUK #94, May 2006.

Over three years old, but still as relevant today as it was then.

-ESC-

2009-07-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Early morning empty park session* followed by empty sea session.

Who wouldn't?

*Photos not taken at early morning empty park session...

-ESC-

2009-07-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

When you start riding, you're generally still living with your parents and riding itself is an escape mechanism to just go and have fun away from family life with friends. Not many people at that stage consider where riding's going to take them (Except for sponsorship aspirations, perhaps), and as such the route that people take throughout their riding life is fairly winding and often changing.

It's interesting to look back and see how things have changed, and to reflect on where you are and where you've been. Thinking back to mini ramp sessions back home with some friends while I was back in high school, then comparing that to yesterday's ride, which took in an abandoned (and now converted) warehouse in my new home of Newcastle. Moving to a city purely to ride was something I often dreamed of doing when I was younger, so it's weird that it has, essentially, happened. It is a cliche to talk about "Where riding can take you", yet it still amazes me that the act of riding has led to me now living almost 300 miles from home, surrounded by friends I've only just met, having a load of fun while I put off the real world one more day at a time.

Yet more whack cameraphone photos, but the real camera should be coming out to play some time soon...

-ESC-

2009-07-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you just have to do something. Sometimes, that entails packing a laptop, a camera, a basic toolkit, a sleeping bag and some clothes in a bag and moving to Newcastle. Do what you have to.

Today, what we had to do most was shelter from the rain - be it in drinking establishments, sketchy tunnels or in awesome tight flatbank spots underneath the Tyne Bridge. This is the Count in wetter times.

-ESC-

2009-06-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Who cares? Ride street.

-ESC-

2009-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

The 'skate-artist' cliche is a pretty tired one right now, but fortunately that's not the case yet in BMX. Doing his bit to up the numbers is Tom Perry, who's site Awkward Words has some rad drawings/doodles on it. Definitely worth checking out.

I initially wanted to not really post any vids on here unless it was 100% necessary, however, I'll waive that this time. This is Tom Perry in the Give D video, Summer of Rot. Big fan of both his artwork and his riding, which is pretty technical double combo...

-ESC-

2009-06-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

The wheels are in motion:

Not gonna be out for a while yet, but it's taking shape. And yeah, making it in Photoshop CS4 - that's how I do.

One of the catalysts for Esc was seeing awesome work by other photographers - one of which was Ricky Adam. Dig was also a fairly vital platform for me to see his work, and that was again true in the latest issue with Dig's North West profile. There was some overspill from that article put up on Dig's site today, including the following rad pic of Paul Ryan by Ricky Adam.

To view more: Ricky Adam's site and Dig's overspill. You won't regret clicking on either.

-ESC-

2009-06-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

The simple things in life are often the best. While my temporary home in Wales isn't necessarily the best for street, it certainly beats London pretty hands down in terms of hills. Whilst they're not much fun to go up, they're certainly a hell of a lot of fun to bomb down - so that's what I did. You don't have to be doing the newest or greatest thing to have fun on a BMX, a point that many people might do well to remember, and indeed one of the finer points of our bikes.

The route

4 miles of twisting, turning descent ahead...

On-board, at speed

For more hill-bombing inspiration, look no further than the following video, courtesy of Adam Kimmel.

-ESC-

2009-06-16T11:01:00.001-07:00

The new Holeshot is really good. You don't have to just take my word for it (Well, you do...) - everyone I've shown it to has been really into it as well. Go and buy a copy. It's $5, which is pretty much $0.

Unfortunately, this is all going to be non-personal content, but that's the way it has to be some time. This more than makes up for it though - Issue 1 of The Ride Journal is both free and online. Not such a big fan of online magazine setups (Imagine how good some of those articles would look in 'real life'), but it does get the word out there.

Work's going on on the first issue of ESC. No, I'm not going to commit to a date yet, but you'll all be the first to know.

-ESC-

2009-06-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Sneaky spy-shots courtesy of H-Man's iPhone of the new 'dummy' Esc 'zine. Did someone say offset folding? If you're focussing on images, why not focus on the images...?

Stay tuned for more updates once I'm settled in my new place.

-ESC-

2009-06-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

Esc is now fully media savvy by having a Twitter page. Bearing in mind I find it hard enough to retain interest in my day-to-day life, the updates probably aren't going to be all that.

-ESC-

2009-06-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

The devil makes work for idle hands.

-ESC-

2009-06-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

Aaron Ross says some interesting things, but the section from 8:16 - 9:30 is pretty relevant to this blog.

In unrelated news, Joel Nicholls likes 'safety' sunglasses potentially more than he likes boosting toboggans at Hoglands.

-ESC-

2009-06-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

Holeshot's been mentioned previously - issue 5 is now available for $5, which is almost literally nothing, especially in this economic climate.

In a totally unrelated matter, yes please:

Despite losing almost every photograph and electronic artefact I made for the past 4 years, I still occassionally find the odd one here and there that reminds me of some of the good times (and the bad times) I've had over the years. This was a similar example - this was an attempted shoot to get a mugshot of Lloyd for his Informer piece in Ride. It came at the end of a roadtrip around Wales which didn't particularly go according to whatever loose plan I created. A lot of driving and a lot of rain. Tensions frayed, but it still wasn't that bad. In any case, here's a portrait of Lloyd before he came full factory pro.

And here's a cutting of the man himself from his own Facebook page.

-ESC-

2009-06-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

If you've never bought a copy of Holeshot - which you really should - then check out this summer flipbook that Nick Ferreira put together. Gives a good feel for the photographic aspect of Holeshot, even if the design's different.

Yet again, to maintain the personal/reposted content, here's a photo of Mike Butlin. If you want to see more of my photos of him, head over to his team page on the new P5 website.

-ESC-

2009-05-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Having mentioned inspiration yesterday, it seems fitting that today Dig uploaded another 'classic article' - this time based on Paul Buchanan. This is the second classic article in a row to feature a rider who was fairly influential in the modern BMX scene, and were fairly ahead of the times in their own unique ways; the other person being Garret Byrnes. Both articles are worthy of your time.

Paul Buchanan article.

Garret Byrnes article.

To maintain the personal-generated and reposted content balance, here is a photograph of Tom James at a set of trails somewhere in London.

-ESC-

2009-05-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Inspiration can come from many places. Seeing cool stuff in the world around you, reading an awesome magazine, seeing the time and effort someone has taken to create a hand-made 'zine - and that's not even taking into account simply riding a BMX around.

There's no hidden agenda for Esc. There's no political basis for it. There's no bias. There's no 'right' and there's no 'wrong'. There's no need to please advertisers. There's no money-making scheme. There's no long-term goal. Esc is simply about 'escape'. Using BMX and other avenues to escape from the rules, regulations and confines of modern life. To escape the clutches of laptops, mobile phones and mp3 players. To focus on why so many people get so much out of riding 'kids bikes' around. To show what's possible.

If Esc can make anyone go out for a ride, or go on a trip and meet new people or even just shoot some photos to document what they're doing, then all the effort will be worth it. There's never been a better time to make your mark on the world, so make it happen.

-ESC-

2009-05-27T17:58:00.001-07:00

Exclusive ESC branding - coming to a product near you.

-ESC-

2009-05-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the point:

"Q: For the last few years I have been hearing a lot about periodicals slowly meeting their demise... What steps is Ride taking to make people feel they need the actual hard copy in hand...?

A: I’m not going to say that Ride is selling more than it ever has. But I truly believe that the magazine is better than it’s ever been, and we have the Internet to thank for that. We’ve removed all the bullshit; all the boring, monotonous things that we had to do to be “all encompassing,” and have rethought what goes in the magazine... I’m well aware that we can’t beat online in speed and quantity, so we focus on quality and exclusivity."

-ESC-

2009-05-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

For more information, contact: esczine[at]googlemail[dot]com

-ESC-