Editor's Blog: Newcastle Trippin'
Wednesday, 04 March 2009 10:30
What's up peeps! Things have been busy as all stink as I gear up towards another deadline, but busy is a good thing, right? After all, that must mean I've got stacks to write about for this instalment of my blog. You'd be right!
First up, though, issue #53 has hit bookstores across Australasia, and the feedback I'm getting so far on this issue is awesome. I personally reckon this latest issue is one of the best to have ever come off the printers, so if you haven't got it yet, you better scream down to your newsagent and grab one, as it's sure to sell fast.
On a similar note, I want to apologise for the delay we've had in getting the new issue up on the website. We've had a few dramas with uploading photos to our servers and it's still not fixed (if you click on the #53 cover next to the slideshow you'll see what I mean - there's a funny black square where the cover should be!). I'm super-bummed about it, but hopefully the FRMX IT geeks can sort it out ASAP and we can get this site updated properly.
Anyways, I had a kick-arse time last weekend. I flew down to Sydney on Thursday night, then drove to Morisset (NSW Central Coast) for a night session I had planned with the Newcastle crew. Those of you with good memories will remember we did a similar shoot last year and featured it in issue #48. If you thought that one looked grouse, last weekend's one shat all over it! The five riders, Michael "Chucki" Norris, Jacko Strong, Luke Cole, Pete Anderson and Jimmy Bartle all rode wickedly through the afternoon, evening and night sessions, while myself, fellow photographer Rob McFarlane and Out Of Bounds videographer Guy Streeter filmed and shot away from cherry-pickers and all sorts of funky angles.
The photos and footage we got were amazing, and with the help of an extra daymaker, our night-time shoot went 10-times better than the 2008 sesh. Check out the pics from the day/night. These pics are kinda the B-Graders - you'll have to wait until issue #54 to see the best shots!
The boys were pretty stuffed after six hours of riding, but they had to back it up the next day again, as I had secured a test on KTM's 2009 150SX two-stroke. Jacko and Pete Anderson were my guinea-pigs for this ride at Chad Towers' sweet compound and SX track, and they both rated the 150SX highly. In fact Jacko was so comfortable and amped on riding the thing he kept telling the boys to keep pushing the FMX ramp back. He started at 50ft and ended up at about 80ft and was whipping the thing way past 90 degrees off the ramp.
Then, to cap it off, he Backflipped the thing several times, then upped the ante by Heelclicker Flipping it! Remember, this was a stock-standard bike, and I would go as far to say it's the first time EVER that a press test-bike has been flipped over 75ft during a bike test! I'd love to show you the pics, but you'll just have to wait until issue #54 to see it for yourselves...
Actually, that was also something pretty funny – I went for a mountain-bike with Steve Sommerfeld yesterday morning. It was his first time riding a pushy since he was about 10 years old, so it was a pretty new experience for him. And let me tell ya: he was flagging hard...before we even got into the bush! I guess there are some different types of bike fit, and even though he's been riding with Matt Schubring almost every day before Schuie headed to New Zealand for the Crusty Tour that starts this weekend, his chicken legs really felt it. To be fair, we was borrowing my old Specialised Hard Rock and the rear derailer is pretty rooted.
Speaking of those two, they're making some serious ground with the local councils to get a bike park up and running in the Boonah area. An article appeared in the Courier Mail a couple days' back about their intentions, and they have the backing of the Qld State opposition, so there's a big possibility bike parks and riding areas could become a key political issue in the upcoming elections. We'll keep you updated with progress here.
Well that's about me for this week. Hope you all have a wicked Australia Day on Monday!
till next time, I'm out...
-Makker
Editor, FRMX
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