Trond Husø is a journalist in real life and loves BMX. Sometimes it takes these people to get something off the ground. Trond's baby is Spokesmen BMX magasin. Covers racing, dirt and freestyle but also features product info (to keep the advertisers happy). In a country where BMX is growing, a local magazine like Spokesmen can help out a bunch. The magazine is free, so pick up an issue next time you're in a bikeshop in Norway.
32 pages, all color. This issue was a hassle getting out. TrueType-fonts had found it's way into the magazine which f*ucked up a lot. I learned a lot from this first issue. It was printed in 1.500 copies.
Eirik Strengehagen on the cover doing an icepick on a spine in Oslo.
Interview: Thomas Westgård (norwegian flatlander extraordinare and streetrider), Coverage: Danish indoor (racing), Trondheim Jam, Porsgrunn Open, Leiv Ove "Levi" Nordmark interview. Feeble Grind how-too. The old-school magazine "We have a picture of a bail" on the last page...
Lots of errors made....
Inside: Interview: BMX-racer Thomas Torsvik, Scene: Bø i Telemark, bike presentations, BMX-jam in Gothenborg, Norwegian Cup, Music Reviews done by a rider and a bail (second and last one we did), Interviews: William Bövik & Lennon, flatlanders in GBG, Cato - a filmmaker from Norway. How-to's: Extreme walking (a joke), speedjumping (racing), and a freestylehowto that I don't remember (don't have the magazine in front of me).
(Drove more than 1200 kms for stories...)
Pages: 48, biggest one I've ever made. Seeing it now, and I wish I did things differently. I (it) was newspaper-"inspired".
Mat Hoffman on the cover doing a no-hander at the worlds in Cologne
Stories: Worlds and europecup in Sandnes (racing - I got someone to write about it and take some shots).
Interview: Torgeir Ustad (Norwegian streetrider)
News, reviews, howtoos and music-reviews in this issue.
32 pages.
Martti Kuoppa flatlanding in Vigerlandsparken, Oslo on the cover,
Stories: Flatland Battle (contest held in a parking-garage in Asker (22km west of Oslo), put on by yours truly...), Norwegian Cup (racing), Fittja Dirt Jam (drove 800 km just for that one), Fredrik Sundby interview.
Pages: 32.
Cover: Niels Thanild tailtapping at Bryggeriet, Malmø (Sweden). Photo: Manu Sanz (Big thanks to you Mr. Sanz).
The first issue with a new logo. Changed from a logo with the font Confidential to EuroStyle. I quit numbering the issues, and instead called them by their logo-color (this one is the green-issue).
Inside: Scenereport GBG, X-mass Jam Denmark, Girls Behind Bars (girls who rides), GT-tour report Europe, Truls Lunde interview. Music: Interview with the Norwegian rockband Gluecifer and other news.
Pages: 36, and the only one that has a glossy cover.
Cover. Christopher Condrup doing a very high wallride in the now closed park in Skien. It's his.
Inside: Norwegian Championship 2001 (put on by yours truly), Fittja & Skogaas dirt jam (Sweden), Thomas "Tarzan" Hansen interview.
Pages: 20 (smallest magazine I've put together).
Jesper "Bubba" Stern does a sprocket stall to 180 in Alvik, Stockohlm (Sweden) (real-street). Photo: Jimmy Röstlund (thanks!). Best frontpage I've put together.
Inside: Scenereport Voldsløkka-crew. Jay Bazner passes away. Howto: Niels Wheels Thanild shows how to do handrail. Interview/presentation: Stian Dygg. Music: Fu Manchu and Far Out Fishing interviews. Concert reviews, news.
Pages: 24
Cover: Torgeir Ustad doing a handrail for some Circa shoes and other apparal.
Inside: UK RoadTrip (norwegians travel in England), The Worlds 2002 (Cologne), Editor Interviews, Mat Hoffman contest (never got the games!!!), A question of time (Stein Henrik Olaussen ideas about time), short stories instead of letters.
Pages: 24.
Lauritz Andersen from Bergen is on the frontpage doing a fufanu on an 1980ish Volvo 240 at the Voldsløkka Open contest.
News (in english) (short: UK)
Bikeshop-owner interview (Norwegian text) (short: NO)
Norwegian Championship coverage (NO)
Voldsløkka Open coverage (NO)
Documenting BMX (NO/UK)
Circle of Balance (NO)
Haro UK Tour 2003: Bart de Jong has sent us pictures and text from this years Haro UK-tour.(UK)
KGB-owner Martti Kuoppa interview (UK)
Fittja Jam coverage (SWE)
36 pages, all color. 11 advertisers.
Who is publishing Spokesmen ? I am, and not making a single dime on it. Actually I am loosing money, so I really don't know why I am doing it. But hey! Someone has to... right ?
How are you editing the magazine ? I use Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator for all my graphics work. I do all the editing and layout. Sometimes I get stuff from riders, sometimes I do the stuff myself. Mostly I have an idea for an article/story and I ask people for info and/or do aninterview. I would like more people to be involved in Spokesmen.
What is the number of copies published ? Issues 1 - 2 - 3 - 4: 1.500 copies each, Issues 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9: 3.500 copies each.
How is it distributed ? Mainly by mail. But for this issue I hope that some riders will show up at my home and collect a few magazines to bring out to their scene. When I send the magazines to Sweden, I grab a bunch and drive over to Sweden to send the magazines. It's a bit sheaper... and then I can also buy some m&m's which we don't have in Norway...
How you can keep it free ? It's the only way I guess. And buy starting taking money for it, it'll give me even more work, and probably no more money, so keeping it free and dirty is the best. Then I also can send it out almost when I want.
Who are the advertisers ? Haro (Norbike) has been with the magazine since day one (big thanks to you John!), Fox (Lasse Johnsen) has also put in one advert in each magazine (Thanks to you to, Lasse!), Nintendo (Unsaco) has supported one issue (Big thanks to Unsaco), GT (Beach Mountain) put in a spread in the first two issues and put in two adverts in the latest one (Thanks, Hans Jørgen), Schwinn (Then distributed by Stian Sport) had adverts in the two/three(?) first magazines (Thanks Stian), DC (Cyclone Distribution) has supported the magazine two times (Great looking adverts, and I'd like to see 'em coming, Jørn Marki), Playstation 2 Magazine (Hjemmet/Egmont) is supportive (Jon, thanks for tips and help!), BMXElement (riderowned BMX-shop) is putting in adverts (Thanks Steinar. I knew I could count on you (and your wallet!)), Maxxis (deler as) put in an advert in the latest issue (Thanks!), Free Agent (Nordic Bikes) put in an advert for the first time in this issue (Thank you, Sondre), Circa (Scoop Scandinavia) has been supportive (Thanks Jens) (Circa was also distributed by another company in Norway, and they to placed an advert, and are always very supportive. Thanks to them), WeThePeople (Bikes And Boards (former distributor of KHE bikes)) has been very supportive even though they have been struggeling (Thanks, Sverre!), Trek (Foss Sykler) was in for the first two issues and I'm really happy that they came along. These are the ones that I can come up with from the top of my head, there are a few more and even though it's really tough to get adverts, I thank those who put one in. (I spend hours and hours to get adverts in each magazine)
Trond Husø, january 2005: The magazine Spokesmen will no longer be published. It was a tough decision. But when we don't get the money that we need to publish a magazine, there isn't really any reason to continue doing this magazine. The first Spokesmen was made in 2000 and hit the bikeshops in march. In that year four issues came out. It then dropped to three, then to two, and in 2004 only one magazine came out. I decided to work on magazine templates so that it would be easier to design it when I wanted it to hit the newsstands. But unfortunately no advertisers outside the industry said yes to advertise in Spokesmen. It has been four great years. I've learned a lot from making this magazine. I really want to thank all the advertisers who put money into this project, and to the BMX-riders in Norway (and around the world) who supported it. I now hope that someone else will take over the Spokesmen-name to continue it but I doubt that I will get any offers. I think that a lot of people now know how much work it is to put out a magazine. The website will not be shut down; it's mission is to tell the world out there what happens in Scandinavia. I think it still has it's mission. There might be a new layout, and there might be less updates. Who knows.