etnies

etnies Welcomes Jamie Bestwick!

etnies is proud to welcome one of the most influential riders in BMX to the team, the one and only Jamie Bestwick!

Born in Derby, England, Jamie made a name for himself in 1999 when he first moved to the U.S. to pursue his dream of a career in BMX. In less than a year, he nabbed a gold medal in the BMX Vert discipline at the 2000 X Games, winning out over a rider who many considered the best in the world. The following year, Jamie continued his domination of the contest circuit with a win at the 2001 NBC Gravity Games, claiming a gold medal. In 2003, after a hiatus due to injuries, Jamie recaptured the X Games gold, as well as the Global X Games gold, and continued his winning streak.

With unmatched timing and smoothness, Jamie rides a vert ramp as if it were trails, using every inch and wasting no opportunities for more speed or height, hitting back-to-back tricks on every wall and flawlessly executing some of the most innovative, stylish and original tricks in the book. Though Jamie is often labeled as primarily a vert rider, his talents don't end there. Park and dirt, likewise, are no match for him. He's one of the smoothest riders on the planet.

Welcome to the etnies team, Jamie!

Red Bull 3 Degrees Event!

June 13, 2004
Oval Basin
Cardiff, Wales
Apprehensive is how I felt while heading out to the UK for the Red Bull 3 Degrees event. Ive heard a bunch of good things about events that Red Bull has put on, but have never been to one to experience it for myself until now, so I was kinda in the dark. After much hard work and some rescheduling, etnies managed to get some of its bad-ass team out to the Oval Basin in Wales to check out the festivities on the weekend of June 13. Team members present were Rooftop, Dave Freimuth, John Heaton and Garrett Byrnes. Other etnies riders from various spots around the globe included Ben Hennon, Luke Marchant and probably some others, but I canҒt remember right now.

The whole idea behind the 3 Degrees event is that the street course is set-up on a downgrade, kinda like a snowboard halfpipe, but just with street obstacles. The angle of the Oval Basin is three degrees, hence the title of the event. The course was pretty spread out in an amphitheater of sorts, and many riders felt the ramps were too far apart with too much flat in between to really be put to good use. But after everyones runs, it seemed like all those thoughts were thrown out the window, because pretty much everyone killed it.

The finals were pretty wild and there was a good feel going in. Everyone was pumped and, for the most part, judging went according to plans. Coming in 12th was Luke Marchant, an etnies UK rider who was very Garrett Byrnes-ish in his riding style, except with a few more biggish tricks like tailwhips and big 360s. Coming in 11th was etnies UK rider Ben Hennon brandishing his big, burly, balls-to-the-wall style. This guy would put a motor on his bike to go faster if he could. He went big--a little too big at times-- which is why he crashed a bunch. No self-preservation for this guy.

Germany's Senad Grosic has a very strict tech style. He rode with the 3rd place rider in the finals and it showed. Senad claimed 10th. 9th went to AlabamaҒs resident Ford lover and all round BMX phenom, Cory Martinez. Cory is awesome, but this course just wasnt his thing--not enough street-style obstacles to satisfy his pallet. 8th went to the etnies slasher from New Jersey, Garrett Byrnes, who went into the event with a broken wrist. Garrett had fun anyway and it showed, as he threw the biggest, fattest Greg Hill tucks over the 6.5 box jump I have ever seen--a good twelve feet plus--not to mention some fast lines. He finished things off with an awesome fakie transfer across a twelve-foot channel. You could hear the song ғWipe Out playing in the background when Garrett rode.

Baz Keep helped design and build the course, so he kinda had an upper hand. He rode smooth and went big, but a few too many wrecks kept him from placing higher than 7th. Rooftop honestly did quite amazingly, considering he lives in Southern California, where there is next to nothing to ride unless you want to drive three hours to Woodward or sit in traffic and schedule your riding around the Vans park sessions. Mike went into the comp really not feeling much like riding the course because of the above stated reasons, but after his prelim runs, it was evident his mood had changed. Sporting big ol' 720s, a couple of barspins here and there, a dope no-hander held for months, plus some original grind lines and, to finish things off, a feeble to 180 on the huge jersey barrier at full speed to 180 out, pulled clean. Rooftop was stoked and did well enough for 6th.

Next up was a guy not too many people had heard of, but after this event there was no doubt in anyoneԒs minds what a bad-ass Hanno Cools from Belgium is. With looks that matched his name, Hanno pulled some big moves with a decent mix of tech stuff to nail down 5th. 4th went to etnies own John Heaton. He was having fun throughout the day--especially on the box jumps--and, come his runs in the finals, he was a full-on ball of energy, displaying huge no-handers, flips to manual, a big nothing, and he capped his run off with one of the moves of the comp--an alley oop 360 from one box jump to another, pulled silky smooth.

Germany has been breeding some pretty serious riders as of late. A lot of guys saw Tobias Wicke coming and he has definitely made his mark with one of the most tech styles out there. But Tobias still throws down the big moves like flipwhips and double whips, claiming 3rd spot on this day. Ball of energyӔ are words that also describe the 2nd place rider from San Diego, Gary Young. Still young but well accomplished, Gary has been leaving a trail of devastation in the contest ranks for the last couple of years. It was no different here in Cardiff, with ultra-fast lines mixed with tech tricks, as well as the big moves. Gary has it all and somehow manages to pack more into a run than anyone I know.

Last but not least, and always a treat to watch ride, legendary is the only way to describe Jay Miron. He does it all and pretty much invented it all. Jay rocked the house with some of the biggest moves all weekend, capping things off with a 360 double tailwhip on the box jump about eight feet up that brought the crowd to their feet. Thanks go out to all the folks at Red Bull, who definitely have their act together when it comes to putting on events. Ill be back next year, for sure. So should you.

Results
1. Jay Miron
2. Gary Young
3. Tobias Wicke
4. John Heaton (etnies)
5. Hanno Cools
6. Mike Escamilla (etnies)
7. Sebastian Keep
8. Garrett Byrnes (etnies)
9. Cory Martinez
10. Senad Grosic
11. Ben Hennon (etnies)
12. Luke Marchant (etnies)

Subdivision BMX Trade Show

A Trade Show for BMX by BMX
Binghamton, New York is not a place youd visit by choice. It has a decent bike scene, but for the most part, if not for that, it would be one of those towns you pass through quickly on a road trip or see the name of on a sign and wonder why you would ever want to go there. IҒd actually be bold enough to call it a hellhole, unless, of course, there was something of significance going on there.

On May 27-29, 2004, FBM Bikes gave many BMX riders, companies and their retailers a significant reason. For the second consecutive year, a gathering went down in the dark dingy depths below the now infamous East Coast Terminal skatepark, right down there next to where the FBM Bike company is based. So, this was the venue for Subdivision, a BMX-only trade show that has been long overdue. Every BMX company knew a trade show was necessary, but up until last year, when FBM Bikes co-owner Steve Crandall took it into his own hands, nothing had ever happened.

The rest of the core BMX industry was sick of paying the outrageous booth space prices at other bike trade shows, with very little to show for it when all was said and done. It probably costs more to attend a weekend bike show in Vegas than some of these companies make in a year. Steves idea was to create an environment that reflected the current state and trends of the market of core BMX parts, shoes and clothes, and also hint at where BMX should be going in the future. One of the main ideas is to save BMX companies money so they can put it back into the sport that we love and get all these cool products out there for retailers and kids to see.

I guess from SteveҒs perspective, this was a scary thing to take on. The first year, he was going in blind, not really knowing what the response would be. But after thirty-plus companies turned out, there must have been an air of reassurance. This year, forty-plus companies signed-up for booth space, the majority of them turned out, and it was a rocking atmosphere: very kicked back and relaxed, yet nice and dirtyjust how BMX should be. Plenty of BMX retailers showed up to check out all the newest product lines from companies like etnies, Terrible 1, S&M, FBM, Little Devil, MacNeil, Primo, Profile, Coalition and many more.

etnies had the Mike Escamilla Rooftop 3 shoe, which is now available in stores, on display. This shoe has turned out to be quite popular with the NASCAR fans. Coincidently, samples of Taj MihelichŒs third etnies shoe were on display. Tentatively called the Roscoe, this shoe created quite a buzz, and was popular with the vegetarian crowd, seeing as how its made from all synthetic materials. The etnies Roscoe should be available in 2005.

With the La Revolution comp going on in the same building and on the same weekend as Subdivision, huge crowds of kids riding the park in preparation for the comp also checked out the show and scrounged for free handouts from all the companies. Some walked away with stuff, some didnҒt. At times, the show maybe seemed a little too relaxed with impromptu projectile fights between booths, pogoing bunny rabbits, bike customizing, loud music and a little nudity here and there, but the good thing was that there were no beefcake security guards to shut things down, yell at kids or kick anyone outjust the way we like it!

All in all, in the grand scheme of things, the show was a success. A following has started, and with a few tweaks here and there, this Subdivision thing will be dialed. Now the only thing that remains is to get the show out of that hellhole they call Binghamton.

BMX Team Report 06-07-04

Mike Escamilla spent the week in Southern California hanging with family and taking care of business. He was involved in a small fender bender, but fortunately, no one was hurt. The other person's car got wedged under Mike's truck, which was barely scratched. Mike went up to Woodward camp on Wednesday to help out as a visiting pro, hanging with the kids and doing some teaching. Following the Woodward visit, Mike got a stomach flu that took him out for a day or so. He also worked on some colorways for his new etnies shoe, the Rooftop 3. Mike is getting ready to head out to Cardiff, Wales in the UK for the Red Bull Three Degrees event this coming weekend, June 12-13.
Taj Mihelich's third etnies shoe is looking bad ass! Taj has been back from the East Coast, where he and Terrible One attended the Subdivision BMX trade show at East Coast Terminal with a bunch of other dirty BMXers. Hes been spending a little more time out of the office at home and riding some with his friends.
Ruben Alcantara is wandering the U.S. with the guys from Fly Bikes. They went to Woodward East a couple of weeks ago to get some riding in. Who knows where they are now? Ruben has revised and upgraded his upcoming first etnies shoe, which is back on the fast track to prototypes. Keep your eyes peeled.
Joe Rich has been working a bunch at T1 this past week, since company co-owner and etnies teammate Taj Mihelich took the week off to get some rest. But Joe has had some time do other things, like pulling late-night shifts working on the Terrible One video (not only editing, but also riding for it). Joe has obviously also been riding the ramp out back of T1 with his friends. He crashed pretty good the other day on the vert wall section of the ramp and claims he bounced a few times before coming to rest on the flat bottom, which for some reason or another he found funny. Joe rode his dirt bike on Sunday, which left him pretty sore.
Dave Freimuth had planned on entering a tricycle race that his grandfather put him up for this past Saturday. Seems Gramps thought that because Joe is good on a bike, he can ride just about anything (which he probably can). Since Dave had to attend a wedding the same day, however, he had to miss the race. The wedding was on a riverboat heading around a chain of lakes in Waupaca, Wisconsin. DaveҒs been riding a bunch with good friend and etnies flow rider Brian Kachinski at the Area 51 Skatepark. He also shot a couple of things for an upcoming interview in Dig BMX magazine that should be coming out soon, and sent some photos to Ride UK for a story hes writing about the trip to Japan he and fellow MacNeil riders went on. Also, Dave wanted to mention an amazing skatepark set-up in Warren, Wisconsin on a campground, in which you get to camp, go fishing, BBQ, hit-up a water park and even some miniature golf. Oh, and the whole place is free. Check it out. DaveҒs getting ready to go to the Three Degrees event this coming weekend in Cardiff, Wales UK.
John Heaton got back from some shows he did with fellow etnies / MacNeil team rider Dave Freimuth about a week or so ago. While at home, hes been riding some local parks. Former etnies team rider Dustin Guenther was in town taking care of his repping duties for Ten Pack Distribution, so John had a friendly face to hang and ride with. One of their evenings was spent almost getting into a fight with some people who were mad that John and Dustin were trying to crawl under their car. DonҒt ask. On Saturday, John went to his girl Andreas sister's wedding, where he had fun partying. John is getting ready to head to the Red Bull Three Degrees event this coming weekend in Cardiff, Wales.
Nate Wessel has been building non-stop out at Woodward East, so who knows what kind of crazy contraptions heҒs going to come up with? I guess youll just have to go to camp to find out. Nate has obviously been riding the camp quite a bit and getting ready to head out to Cologne, Germany for the Worlds near the end of June with the rest of the etnies team.
Garrett Byrnes has been home in New Jersey for a while now after attending the Subdivision BMX trade show in Binghamton, New York about a week-and-a-half ago. While there, he went riding at some nearby trails with some of the locals. Garrett will be heading out to the UK this Thursday to attend the Red Bull Three Degrees contest in Cardiff, Wales.
Brian Terada has been home from his Euro We the People trip for a couple of weeks now and has definitely been enjoying his home time. Riding has been going really well, and he has been wrapping up final footage for the We the People video due out any time now. BrianҒs been riding plenty, whether its at Skate Street skatepark or numerous street spots by his house. He and his friends have also found a new pool to session not too far away.
Sandy Carson has been extremely busy taking photos and printing them in his home darkroom for issues of Dig BMX. He rode a bunch last weekend in the 95 degree Austin weather at a new ditch they found a few weeks back. Sandy also did some swimming because of the heat, and hung out with his girl. This Summer is going to be hectic as hell for Sandy, with keeping up with Dig deadlines and heading out to the UK in a few weeks to visit family, attend the Worlds in Cologne, as well as a music festival in Roskilde, Denmark. Later on in the Summer, Sandy will be going to Africa to do demos with a few other etnies riders, including Ruben, Joe and Sergio Layos. Before things get too out of hand, Sandy has to get ready to move, too. The editing of SandyҒs part for the Federal video is in its final stages. Sandy turned twenty-one years old again recently. Happy Birthday, Sandy!
Josh Stricker just got back from a road trip out to the West Coast with some friends. He flew home a little early since hes leaving again very soon to go on Road Fools 13 with B-team rider Mike Tag. Josh mailed his bike home from the trip, so he enjoyed a few good days of rest before it showed up on Friday. Josh rode this past weekend in Philly, shot some photos with Rob Dolecki and has been working on his Ride UK interview that will be in an upcoming issue. Keep your eyes peeled.

Fall 2004 Footwear Online!

School's out and Summer's here...what a perfect time to check out the new Fall 2004 etnies Footwear collection. Simply enter the Footwear section here on the website and scope all the latest etnies models (plus new colorways of your old favorites) available right now at a shop near you.

Woozy Jam!

Hey, dude...

Come get some Cheap Beer & Barbecue at the

Woozy Jam!

Heinsberg, Germany
(One hour drive from Cologne)

For detailed info, go to: www.woozy.de