ON THE COVER: The tallest torso in Muncie, Indiana stepped up to the plate in grimy Glasgow, UK and slid this beast first try. David Grant – one and done. Photo by Fred Murray
014 BALLBAG: One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s bike rider.
026 COLLATERAL DAMAGE: John Paul Rogers vs Tom Williams.
028 MEET YOUR MAKER: Find out more about the man behind BSD, and his thoughts on the cookie-cutter companies out there. He might even tell us what BSD stands for…
032 THE STEVEN HAMILTON INTERVIEW: “It’s been a rough year.” We dig deep into the brain of one of the most controversial and talked about bike riders there has ever been…
048 THE DAVID GRANT INTERVIEW: “Being a pro is kind of like being on welfare…” – Big friendly giant, David Grant gets shouted at by a room full of teammates and friends, and explains his hatred for soap, gluten, and feet…
064 THE ROB WISE INTERVIEW: Ever wondered where Rob Wise got his pop from? Turns out he’s been doing some popping of a different kind…
072 FREQUENT FLYERS: Andrew White interrogates Fly Bikes’ Stefan Lantschner, Joseph Frans, Shane Weston, Devon Smillie, and Kevin Porter.
100 CHASE DEHART – Let ‘em talk: We try, and fail, to catch up with the owner of arguably the world’s swaggiest hop whips…
086 PRODUCTIVITY: Shane Weston’s setup.
114 FULL BLEED – MIKE HODER: Puppy love with a master blaster.
122 TOM DUGAN – 1000 WORDS: A 14 year old boy, trapped in a 14 year old’s body?
128 THE SECRET INTERVIEWER: “In the first few months of 2005, I was a king within the BMX world.”
ON THE COVER.
Mike Aitken POSH, October 2008. Find out more in this issue as to why this is Keith Terra’s favourite trails photo that he’s ever shot.
IN THIS ISSUE:
-See who we consider to be The 10 most influential BMX photographers ever.
-Secret spot hunting with Bob Scero and Zac Costa.
-We give you 15 tips to help get your photos published in DIG… or elsewhere.
-Van Homan and co discuss their BMX photography experiences.
-Dolecki, Hoder, Delarosa & more make the most of hurricane Sandy.
-Looking for spots with The LFS Crew.
-DIG’s Rob Dolecki – interview and photo gallery.
-DIG’s Andrew White – interview and photo gallery.
-DIG’s Fred Murray – interview and photo gallery.
-Cutting words from The Secret Rider.
-Pro riders, photographers, and company owners, discuss their Photo Favourites.
Plus, photo experiments, unseen galleries, misguided opinions and more…
FEATURES:
THE TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL BMX PHOTOGRAPHERS OF ALL TIME: We count down the ten photographers who have inspired and amazed us over the past three decades. Be sure to let us know what you think of our choices.
#SANDY SPOTS: Rob Dolecki goes on the prowl for newly rideable creations in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. With Edwin Delarosa, Mike Hoder and Jared Washington.
LOST FOR WORDS: Less words, more photos…
LOOKING FOR SPOTS: “Sometimes when you’re looking for spots, you find yourself looking for something else.” – Dan Diehl and the LFS crew go off the beaten track in the never-ending search for new setups.
WORDS AND PHOTOS – ROB DOLECKI: An interview and unseen photo gallery with DIG’s finest.
WORDS AND PHOTOS – ANDREW WHITE: Well-dressed Nashville based DIG staffer and some more of those perfectly lit images…
WORDS AND PHOTOS – FRED MURRAY: “I just shoot photos. People can think whatever they want.”
MY FAVOURITE PHOTO: Jason Enns, Ian Morris, Butcher, Brian Castillo and Keith Terra share their thoughts on a single photo that has inspired and motivated them throughout the years.
MORE:
BALLBAG: Ryan Worcester hates ‘sports’ but loves BMX and photography. He’d like to tell you why….
COLLABORATE AND LISTEN: “I didn’t know photo contingency still existed.” – Sean Burns. Chris Doyle, Van Homan, Chester Blacksmith, Brian Kachinsky and Burns spill the beans on what it’s really like to collaborate with BMX photographers.
SEARCH AND DOCUMENT: Bob Scerbo, Zac Costa and Rob Dolecki go on the hunt for some not-so-normal spots and come up trumps.
PHOTO GEEK: Joey Cobbs gets super nerdy and experiments with some technical photographic white balance trickery…
15 WAYS TO HELP GET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PUBLISHED: “Don’t be a double dipper.” – Follow our words of smart-ass advice and the road to published photos could be a little easier… maybe.
JOBSWORTH: Do you really want to be a BMX photographer? Sean Logan examines whether this is actually a viable career option…
WHAT I’M REALLY THINKING – THE RIDER ON A PHOTO SHOOT: “Photographers have no soul and they just want our blood.” The honest thoughts from another pawn in the evil game of the BMX soul-stealer.
The video issue with Guest Editor Stew Johnson. We’re extremely proud and privileged to announce one of the most influential videographers in the history of BMX, Stew Johnson, as our first ever guest editor. Look for a 12 page article starting on page 54 featuring the people and videos that have made the biggest impact on Stew over the past 23 years.
ON THE COVER.
Grab your crew, a camera, and get to work. Lil Pat Morse, Joel Barnett, and Shane Weston in Nashville. Photo by Andrew White.
FEATURES.
014 BALLBAG: Guest editor, Stew Johnson and his love of the moving image.
020 THREE DECADES OF VIDEO: Peter Adam looks through 30 years of the DIG family video collection. That’s a lot of videos…
022 COMMITMENT – JAMES COX: United’s James Cox talks us through the process of tackling the challenge of an epic full length BMX video, and general life as a video director…
024 BOTH SIDES OF THE LENS – DAKOTA ROCHE: “I’m a BMX rider and I know what it feels like to get something filmed correctly and done justice.”
026 VIDEO EVOLUTION: Mike ‘Rooftop’ Escamilla takes us through eight of his video sections, from 1994 to 2002, and some of the things he learnt along the way…
028 GAME CHANGERS: Joe Simon and Rob Dolecki take a look at two cameras that changed the way we view BMX…
030 10 TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE A GOOD INDEPENDENT DVD RELEASE: “Making a video that people hate is much more of an accomplishment.” Killjoy’s Shawn ‘Elf’ Walters and Jordan Utley run down ten tips on how to make your video suck less…
032 NATHAN WILLIAMS WEB FAVORITES: Web-edit favorites from one of the most watched riders out there…
034 DEFINING MOMENTS IN VIDEO: Shad Johnson probably has a bigger video collection than you…
036 THE RISE AND FALL OF THE VIDEO MAGAZINE: Before the Internet there was a thing called Props. Co-founder, Chris Rye tells us where they were going, and where they ended up…
038-053 BATALLA BCN: Another Barcelona video?! Is there any point? Head over to page 38 to find out…
054-065 THE VIDEOS THAT SHAPED MY LIFE – STEW JOHNSON: Stew Johnson counts down the 10… wait… 12 videos that helped his beard become the shape it is today.
066-073 FILMING IN PROGRESS – DANS COMP: Dan’s Comp team manager, Scott Towne explains the ups and downs of coordinating a full-length video with one of the biggest teams in BMX.
074-075 FILMING IN PROGRESS – SHADOW: Ryan Chadwick only just put Subrosa’s, ‘Get Used To It’ to bed and he’s already on the case creating Shadow’s first full-length video. All they need now is a name…
076-077 FILMING IN PROGRESS – FIT: “We’re waiting for some divine intervention, or for Shitty to say something really profound.”
078-082 FILMING IN PROGRESS – CINEMA: “If this is my last chance I have to make a full-length project, I want it to be a hard copy.” Cinema’s filmer, Will Stroud explains more…
084-091 FILMING IN PROGRESS – MARKIT: “It’s good because I have another chance to film it better, but bad because I also have another chance to ruin it.” – Christian Rigal
096 FILMING IN PROGRESS – ANIMAL: DIG’s Rob Dolecki joins Animal’s Steven Hamilton, Dave Belcher, Tom White, and Jared Washington for a filming trip and some good times in Argentina. Apart from that night in jail…
110-119 GARRETT REYNOLDS – DEADLINE UNSEEN: A sneak preview at what you can expect from Garrett Reynolds and the highly anticipated Deadline video. Don’t worry, it’s coming…
120-126 ONE QUESTION: We asked four of the most influential video makers in BMX why they do what they do. Great words from Navaz (pictured above), Rich Forne, Bob Scerbo and Matty Lambert.
128 WHAT I’M REALLY THINKING – THE KEYBOARD WARRIOR: “You know that video you worked really hard on for 2 years… well, I think it’s shit.”
First we had the photographers and then the video guys, so now it’s time for a look at the designers, artists, creative riders and everyone in between…
ON THE COVER
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was this metal/dirt capsule configuration in Guadalajara, Mexico. In fact, it took Clint Reynolds about five times longer than it would normally have (thanks to less than stellar Mexican welding equipment); ten days to be exact. And it only took Sergio Layos about one second to whip around it (times multiple dozens of loops over the course of a few days). See more from the comp and find out all about the man who came up with this contraption on page 40. Photo by Rob Dolecki. Artwork by Chris Piascik.
FEATURES.
014 BALLBAG: An artsy-fartsy guest editorial from Defgrip’s Nuno Oliveira. The helmet was just lying there…
020 IN THE BEGINNING: We catch up with Internet video sensation and trick innovator Tim Knoll…
022 HEY SIMONE!: I bet you didn’t you know that Simone Barraco was quite the artist?
024 HIDEOUT – THE TRUE ESSENCE OF DIY: Rob Palmer gives us the lowdown on one of the sharpest independent projects out there…
026 CHRIS PIASCIK: Find out more about this issue’s guest cover artist and his thousands of daily drawings.
028 CORRIGAN’S CREATIONS: Ryan Corrigan has built more ramps than even he cares to remember. The T1 setup is the sort of thing he’d much rather be talking about…
030 DREW YORK: What’s in a name?
034 CREATORS – JIM BAUER: He’s come a long way since Long Island visor buzzers…
040 CREATORS – DAVE KING: Nam trail sculptor extraordinaire and one hell of a wild contest in Mexico.
048 CREATORS – DAVE SOWERBY: One of the most overlooked and under appreciated guys in BMX explains how and why he does what he does…
056 THE TATE ROSKELLEY INTERVIEW: “If I wasn’t creative I wouldn’t be a pro bike rider”
070 THE CAMERON WOOD INTERVIEW: “Every single piece of woodwork is original, and that’s how I like to base my riding. Be as original as possible”
082 BSD – IN THE STREETS OF ATHENS: Well, you didn’t expect them to go to Barcelona for the Creative issue did you? Guest artistry by Dave Sowerby too…
096 SELECTED WORKS: Some choice imagery from three of our favourite BMX artists of all time – Bob Haro, Alberto Kroeger and Steve Crandall.
100 1080P – SOSH URBAN MOTION: An iPhone video frenzy on the streets of Paris. Rich Forne, Alex Kennedy, Will Evans, Jason Phelan and more, get involved in Hadrien Picard’s very cool project.
104 LOST FOR WORDS: More photographic gold via the ever creative eye of Rob Dolecki.
110 PROPER SPOTS: The Proper Bikes crew go off the map with Fred Murray in tow.
118 ARTISANS: We asked various product and graphic designers from six BMX companies to tell us what make them tick. Featuring Sean Curran (Merritt), Chris Gordon (Proper), Jay Dyer (Animal), Adam Roye (Cult), and Adi Gilbert (Profile).
128 WHAT I’M REALLY THINKING – THE SECRET SPOT HUNTER: “What the fuck happened to spots?!” Ryan Worcester wants to know.
YOUTH OF TODAY: ‘The Kids Issue’
ON THE COVER
Tyler Fernengel, Detroit. When first spotting this massive fountain sculpture my first thought was how rad a photo would be of a barspin, maybe 10 feet up the slant (12 if we’re getting crazy). When I jokingly threw out dropping in down it, Tyler responded he didn’t think it was possible to get up there until the previous week when he saw a friend post an instagram photo from on top. Five minutes later Tyler was standing on the top, and made his mind up that we’re coming back to get the photo. Kids eh? Photo by Andrew White.
FEATURES.
024 – 039 / TYLER FERNENGEL – At Home in Detroit: Can you hear the drums Fernengel? DIG’s Andrew White and David Leep head out to the dilapidated city of Detroit to visit one of the raddest kids around.
040 – 051 / ANTHONY PERRIN – Nine Days in Budapest: “I feel different from other people my age…” French barspin whiz kid, Anto Perrin gets some good luck, and bad, in this massive urban expanse. By Fred Murray
052 – 065 / THIS GUY… The Stevie Churchill Interview: “I give my mom mad money.” Stevie Churchill gets a grilling from long-term friend, Jeff Martin. By Rob Dolecki
066 – 075 / THE ALEX DONNACHIE INTERVIEW: We sat down with Scotland’s Alex Donnachie and find out more about his daily life, why the hell he’s sitting in a bath tub of cereal and milk, and how he went to Rebel Jam and missed the whole thing. Additional questions from part-time comedian, Dan Paley…
076 – 093 / UNITED – Reflecting in Ecuador: Nathan Williams, Corey Martinez, Rooftop, and Alex Valentino reminisce on their earlier days.
100-105 / FIRST ENCOUNTERS: Recognise these guys? Teenage photographic encounters with 5 riders who went on to become some of the best in the game…
106 – 109 / LIFE CYCLE: The Halahan family and the power of positive parenting. BMX dads aren’t all bad. By Brian Yeagle.
110 – 127 / TEEN SPIRIT: Mark Burnett, Mikey Tyra, Patrick Cullen, Jack Dorward, and Carlos Lopez. Five more wee dicks.
128 – 129 / WHAT WE’RE REALLY THINKING: The youth of tomorrow. These kids are the realest of the real. Really.
DIG 97 – THE DIG 25 – Our Riders of the year 2013
ON THE COVER
Dennis Enarson / New Mexico. There’s probably only one guy out there who knows what it must feel like to launch over a fence, catch a 180 whip at eight feet, and land flat. Dennis Enarson does the unthinkable and even keeps it smooth in the process. Check his interview on page 22. Photo by Connor Lodes.
FEATURES.
When asked if he actually possesses even an ounce of fear, Dennis Enarson will tell you that it’s not so much a lack of fear, but more so an ability to subdue his concerns and convince himself that something isn’t as scary as he first thought. Admittedly this approach has led to some difficulties for him, not least a two year onslaught of serious injuries. But that capability to ride at such a high level of burliness, combined with the ability to bounce back from even a broken femur solidifies exactly why we are such big fans of this guy. I mean, just look at our cover this issue – it’s not often you see anyone do a 180 whip gap, let alone at that height. His interview this issue will provide you with even more insanity that will already be apparent to the lucky few who have already seen the Markit DVD. His endless motivation and positive attitude clearly shine through via his riding style and his personality; which can both best be described as ‘wide open’.
This issue is all about twenty five guys that we’re most stoked on in BMX today (yep, that’s the criteria and worth keeping in mind). Here at DIG it’s always been about more than just the riding and as far as we’re concerned Dennis Enarson is currently winning BMX on all fronts.
Aside from a full length interview with Dennis you’ll find extended features on several other on our DIG 25 list including Rich Forne, Ben Lewis, Geoff Slattery, and Garrett Reeves. You’ll also find exclusive coverage of the awesome Cinema X Monster DOWN THE MIDDLE trip with Dan Lacey, Nathan Williams and Dakota Roche. And.. there’s more exclusive DIG content with behind the scenes photos from Kriss Kyle’s new Riding Shotgun video project with Drew Bezanson, Simone Barraco, Chase Hawk and yep, that guy again, Dennis Enarson.
BONUS.
As an extra bonus if you are already a subscriber or pickup the magazine in Europe you’ll get a free 32 page DIG exclusive photo-zine from the awesome 2013 DUB / Monster Energy Street Series.
ON THE COVER
Clint Reynolds / Austin TX. You Only Live Once? Clint Reynolds, making the most out of the YOLO hip, and making this Clint’s second DIG cover (#82), the 69th magazine cover shot at East Side and the 143rd DIG cover shot in Austin. Photo by Rob Dolecki.
FEATURES.
022 – 024 DIG THIS!: Hucker, Casselberry and maybe even some trail world problems.
026 – 049 Clint, Matty & Nutter: Matty Aquizap and James P. Nutter jump onboard for what was originally a Clint Reynolds interview. This is maybe as legit as it gets
050 – 059 Mike Saavedra – Blue Bench: DIG’s Andrew White heads out to sample the most exotic trails in Southern California.
060 – 069 Memories on the Island: Superfly, Keith Terra, Nuno Olivera and Darryl Nau reminisce about the history of the Long Island trail scene.
070 – 077 Eric Hennessey – The endless trail season: Chess, orstrich racing and g-strings. You’ve been warned.
078 – 083 Robbo – Anatomy of a Trail Rider: “I’m down here stacking dirt while someone’s out learning their new next best trick.”
084 – 101 Brian Yeagle’s Soil Republic: Ever fancied a ride through the trails with Yeagle? Well now’s your chance. Hold tight!
102-103 Over 30 and in the Woods: A bunch of dedicated old (to you) dudes talk dirt, bikes and balance. Read and learn…
ON THE COVER
Brad Simms / Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Kai Kuusisto.
FEATURES.
014 BALLBAG – 99 PROBLEMS: Yep, things at DIG are changing in a big way. Will Smyth tells you more…
016 – 033 CHRONICLES OF A JOURNEY THROUGH MIDDLE EARTH: Rod Dolecki and Eric Hennessey head to New Zealand and discover that Flight of The Conchords isn’t even the best thing to come out of there.
034 – 047 THE FOLLOWING: A second full-length United video project is in the works so Fred Murray headed to Malaga and Tenerife on the first two trips with Slattery, Tom Sanders, Alex V and more…
048 – 059 WTP – #TRIPPINNORTH: Raul Ruiz (sugar), Brandon Begin (sugar), Andrew Jackson (sugar, specifically from a can), Mikey Tyra (bottle and popsicle sugar), and Marcas Grubbs (beer). That’s all you need to know. Photos by Andrew White
060 – 067 BRUNO HOFFMANN – HOLY LAND PRO: Everyone’s favourite double denim wearer from Deustchland heads back undaunted to Tel-Aviv to produce the goods for Red Bull. Photos by Fred Murray
068 – 085 JAPANIMAL: “I can’t believe someone ever said Tokyo has no spots. You are either blind or mental. It’s a dream come true. I loved it.” – Benny L. Photos by Rob Dolecki
086 – 101 BSD – HIPPIES IN MOROCCO: You can lead a horse to water but in Morocco you’ll probably find a spot there. Photos by Vince Perraud.
102 – 111 LOST FOR WORDS: Brad Simms and that cover story, Dan Lacey and that ledge that kicked the shit into Rich Forne, Ben Snowden is a deadman, Alex Magallan finally gets it done and Joby Suender draws a crowd in North Philly.
Factory Media have today finalised an agreement to sell DigBMX to brand founder, editor and designer Will Smyth. The deal hands back the brand to the former owner, and includes both the magazine and the website digbmx.com.
Darryl Newton, Managing Director, march 2014: We’re pleased to able to pass DigBMX back to Will where it will flourish under his control. Factory has enjoyed association with such an iconic BMX media brand and the calibre of its team, and will continue to support it albeit as a passionate observer of its future plans. Will’s been a great member of our Company, and one of the nicest guys I’ve had the pleasure to work with – we all wish him success and prosperity.
Will Smyth, march 2014: I want to extend my thanks to Factory for supporting DIGBMX for so long and for always letting us make the magazine that we wanted to make. I couldn’t be happier about regaining 100% ownership of the title. Thanks for the opportunity.
Will Smyth, march 2014: DIGDEPENDENCE DAY! Stoked to announce that we're going back to our independent roots ahead of the release of DIG issue 100. More info to follow over the coming weeks about what exactly we have planned for the future. Thanks to everyone out there who has continued to support us in one way or another over the past 21 years. Stay tuned here for updates. This is ours!