Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Cover: FAT zine #33
2nd place stuntmen flat @ 1996 BS finals, San Diego, september 1996.
There was only one pink Basic bike at the contest. That one bike belonged to Andrew Faris, who rode with his original flow, pulled his darkside strings, and ended up with second place.
1996 BS finals.
3rd place @ X-Games San Diego.
Flatland pro world champion in Holland.
Effraim Catlow, Ride BMX UK october 1997: Riding his new prototype signature Basic frame, Andrew Faris fresh from a third Place finish at the X-Games, ripped to a World Championship winning run, complete with his Walkman that never left his side. Faris hit almost everything with that slow controlled style that we have all come to love, with a mere one slight touch towards the end. Trick lists may be 'boring' to some people but as he won I'll write it anyway as I know some flatlanders will get stoked on it. Here goes: switch foot gerator to switch foot caboose starting easy making sure he pulls it, then the hard shit starts 360 barspin steamboat to backwards hitchiker to backwards switchiker barflips straight to pedals; hang five to straight bar, switch-handed steamroller to opposite side blender back into straight bar switch handed steamroller to candy bar mc circle to crossfoot frontyard to pedals: fire hydrant to cross-foot blender to cross-foot cowboy squeak to cross-foot elephant glide to tomahawk to frontyard to squeaker to tailwhip to backwards switchiker barflipped to hitchiker if you are following all this, 'nuff respect - switch-foot dump truck to two footed no handed forward death truck, regular steamroller to cross foot straight bar steamroller flipped to halfpacker to cross foot elephant glide, to switch foot blender to pedals; backwards switchhiker body varial to halfpacker [sick!]. Faris rules, he touched just three times in three runs BIG respect to him.
Interview in Ride BMX US #31 december 1997.
Brian Tuney, Dig may 2005: During the winter of 1997-1998, Andrew disappeared into the Vancouver underground to work on a steady diet of new tricks for the upcoming contest scene. What would emerge from this diehard dedication was a completely new repertoire of tricks including every trick he had already learned at twice the speed, plus every sort of bunnyhop tailwhip imaginable even fakie whips and half -cab whips. Andrew's riding also expended into street riding around the same time, throwing himself down rails and stairs while still retaining his skills on flatland. And naturally Andrew's partying had became legendary at this point. I can even remember Andrew getting up on stage with a Guns and Roses cover band one night at a comp, playing air guitar throughout their entire set and later snorting a condom up his nose and pulling it out his mouth before passing out drunk under a mattress.
Andrew is leaving Basic to ride for Schwinn.
Flatland pro world champion in Portugal.
Andrew succesfully defended his '97 World title on a pink Schwinn. Full barspin to hang five.
2nd place pro flat @ X-Games
Andrew tried his backpacker to G-turn to switch feet hitchiker three times unsuccesfully.
1st place pro flat @ BS NY
5th place pro flat @ X-Games San Francisco.
Got a letter from the Hoffman crew about getting rid of the flatland discipline at their contest series ?
Cover magazine Soul #9
3rd place pro flat @ CFB round 3 Woodward
Andrew Faris: I just didn't feel a good fit at Schwinn.(...) Volume is not concerned with summer tours and contests, wich is good for a guy like me.
Height: 6 ft 2 in, weight: 165 lbs, hometown: Port Coquitlam, B.C. Canada
