Just a quick reminder that there are two rad events happening this weekend to make this winter home stretch a bit less depressing. Click here for all the details for BMX Gallery’s Battle of Alberta and here for Toronto’s BMX Jam.
Don’t forget that this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is the 2013 Toronto BMX Jam. Come out to the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto this weekend. With a Pro class ranging from Drew Bezanson, Daniel Sandoval, and Josh Perry to local Ontario talent such as Steve Moxley, Mike Gray, and Brandon Webster it should make for an entertaining event. You can find more event info here, and you can catch us around all weekend with hustling zines, patches, and stickers out of a backpack.
I won’t bore you with who did what, who qualified where, or any of those details. I barely know them myself. All I know is that Drew Bezanson did some of the most unbelievable wallrides and I met Darryl Nau. Check above for Drew’s barspin to wallride to whip out in the best trick contest and click below for a big ninja drop, and Darryl Nau posing for a photo with me and an old Blacken t-shirt. See you all at next year’s contest.
The Toronto International Bike Show has evolved over the years. Like many riders these days, I’ve been going since the La Revolution contest days, seen it transformed to the enormous Metro Jam series, in to the Ricoh Coliseum, and now in to it’s present state as the Toronto BMX Jam. From mega-pros traveling from Europe, Japan, and South America to attend, to Canadian and American riders trekking across the country to get squeezed in to the pro and amateur slots, the event has had it all. I’m not trying to say any specific time period or incarnation of the contest was better than another. They all have had their ups and downs. What does keep me coming back to the show for the first weekend of March every year is the people. After a long winter, the bike show is often the first chance most people have to see each other in a long time, catch up with old friends, make new ones, put faces to names you’ve heard, and for some getting drunk in the stands. I’m not going to try and bore you with a run down of who did what trick, who qualified in what place, or who smashed bottles at the Dance Cave. Those things can likely be found on a number of other sites already (with the exception of the Dance Cave part – those actions go undisclosed). Instead, here’s an offering of photos of some of the people that make attending the Toronto BMX Jam every year what it is.
Tomorow is the first day of Canada’s biggest annual contest in Toronto. Most Ontarians, Quebecers and Easterners will be there wasted, watching some dope riding and having a good time. Prashant and Sean will both be there getting a bunch of pics and footy that should be up shortly after the weekend, so check back. This is the only Canadian contest of it’s kind so props to everyone involved (Mike Heaton and crew) for making it happen. Check here for all the details on the upcoming weekend and don’t forget to hit up Dance Cave.