2/08/2010

Chicks and BMX

This is an old post on RideBMX.com, but it's worth rehashing. For years I begged every editor at every BMX rag who would listen to add chicks to their editorial mix. Most of those editors and all of the publishers told me I was a lecherous old man, and that their readers didn't like girls. To this I would say, "show me a 15-year-old boy who doesn't like girls and I'll show you a 15-year-old boy who figure skates and designs his own leotards."

Chicks rule, and it's encouraging to see Fat Tony at RideBMX.com acknowledge this fact. I hope it's not too little, too late...


2/05/2010

SNAFU Down Under

Ad #3 in the Australian SNAFU campaign:





Jeremie Infelise's JRI bars are still in stock in Australia, but not available in USA. Coming soon to the USA: new SNAFU 8.6 bars with the trumpet-tapered crossbar. Check your dealer or your favorite mail-order guy for the latest kit.

2/04/2010

On the Media: BikeRumor.com


For lovers of all things cycling, BikeRumor.com does a great job of dropping inside info on the latest products and developments in today's scene. BikeRumor's editorial mix is excellent, and the inquisitive nature of the journalists who generate content on the site is especially impressive. BikeRumor.com editor Mark Sutton recently conducted an interview with Adam22 from TCU that was packed with info from the mind of this confident blogger. It is rewarding for this "old ass industry dude" to watch fresh faces in the BMX scene follow their dreams. As my good friend Chris Moeller approaches his own middle ages, I am in awe of what arugably the most successful rider-turned-industry-mogul in BMX history has accomplished for himself and his brands. Kudos to Mad Dog for blazing a path idealistic entrepreneurs like Grandmaison can follow, and to Sutton for providing a small peek into one facet of BMX on his road/MTB/29er/Fixie/triathlon/commuter/fitness website. Knowing how much he hates everything but BMX, it may surprise some hardcore riders to see Adam22 promote TCU and OSS on such a wide-market website. Kudos, Adam22 for broadening your perspective, and for giving non-20-inch riders a peek into your Monster Energy-fueled world.




SNAFU Pro Bike Check: Jorge Jovel

 

Our man Jorge does damage on street and at contests os this machine. I'd love to tell you what kind of frame he rides, but Jorge didn't share the deets. His SNAFU kit is in full force, however, and includes Mayweather cranks, Poly Pedals, UL Race forks and full Mobeus/AstroGlide brake upgrades.


Jorge represents everything that is right about modern BMX pros: He's dedicated, professional, aggressive and he does a great job of keeping his sponsors filled in on his activities. BMX is moving fast, and when it comes to promotion, riders who want to make a name for themselves in the scene need to make hay while the sun shines. This means generating your own media, spending time on popular blogs and messageboards, and shooting video whenever possible.


In the old days, riders had only to sit around and wait for their bike sponsors to schedule the nest freestyle tour or photo session. Not today. The best new-school riders hit the hot spots with videographers in tow and generate their own press. BMX like everything else is on a 24/7 news cycle these days, and if you wait for your sponsor to shine a light on our riding, very shortly you'll be invisible.

If you want to get free bikes and go coo places, take a tip from Jorge Jovel. DIY is the new style, and this SNAFU flow rider has the plan sussed.

Thanks for looking out, brother.

2/03/2010

Rider Spotlight: Dan Norvell


DGAF Dan is a homecooked pro who grew up in the same SoCal town SNAFU has called home for eight years. Among Temecula rippers, Dan Norvell is peerless. He's also fearless, which has made him our favorite R&D guinea pig since he joined our flow team three years ago. Dan's a SNAFU pro now, and as such he's living the life most BMXers only dream of. This week he's hanging out with Dave Mirra at the Animal House in Greenville. Next week he's jetting off to the Simpel Session. We'll probably see Dan again late February, and when we do he'll need a bunch of new parts. We're happy to give them to him, because we know they'll get ridden like nobody's business. Thanks for being a part of our team, Dan.

2/02/2010

Introducing the New

This month we're dropping nearly a dozen new banners on VitalBMX. Look for this campaign in heavy rotation when you're surfing the innerwebs for venom, videos and rhetoric on the latest shit to hit the BMX fan. Special thanks to Justin Kosman and others for shooting so many great pics of our riders, and to Todd Toth at Vital for doing the dirty work on his side. Running BMX media isn't easy, and Kyle and company at Vital do a great job of spreading the gospel. First ad in the queue: Mike Babbel:

1/29/2010

Coming Soon: SNAFU Pickle Forks

Many SNAFU distributors in select markets already have our new 1 lb., 15 oz. heat-treated and taper-butted Pickle Fork in stock, and those that don't will be getting them very soon. Sub-2-pound BMX forks are all the rage right now, and Fit's Shiv is among the first and most popular of the breed. The Shiv is awesome for trail and tech street, but its dropouts are too thin and too small to accept pegs. The SNAFU Pickle Fork has 3D relief CNC'ed 4130 dropouts that are designed to fit pegs perfectly. The steer tube on the Pickle Fork is one-piece extruded and machined with rifle-butted internal flutes. Finishes include the black ED you see here, or paint to match our Mayweather cranks. SNAFU team riders Mike Babbel, Jeremie Infelise and Dan Norvell have been riding prototype versions of the Pickle Fork for months, and they have proven to be super tough.