Hey guys, I just got back from one of the best BMX trips I've ever gone on- Megatour with team Albe's. I was really nervous going into the trip because I had never met anyone on the Albe's team, nor had I traveled through the area we were going through. All I can say is the trip was amazing and my nervousness was wiped away by the first night. Everyone in the Albe's crew is completely awesome, both on their bikes and off. And while I can't talk too much about the riding that went down I can tell you about the people on the trip and the impressions they made on me:

1. Flip: Part-owner of Albe's, married father of one, complete shredder, 100% nice guy. Flip drove the rig for the entire trip and didn't complain once. He also funded a large portion of the trip out of his own pocket which says a lot about the guy. He's been around the BMX industry for a while and after spending over a week with him I totally understand why he is so well liked.

2. Kris Marcum: Miller High Life enthusiast, David Hasslehoff look-a-like, original trick stunter, Creed impersonator. Kris was definitely on a mission for this trip. He was out to have fun and from the looks of it the mission was accomplished. Marcum did wild tricks like 360 ninja drops off of sub boxes. When not on his bike he could be found with a High Life in one hand and a megaphone in the other. Creed songs were usually being sung through the megaphone- probably the low point of the trip.

3. Mike Spinner: Professional BMX rider, internet addict, geniune nice guy, birthday boy. Spinner's 19th birthday was during the trip and he got some pretty sweet birthday presents. When he wasn't on the laptop or the cell phone he could be found doing tricks that are impossible- literally. The kid is on top of his game which usually sparks some sort of envy/ ill will from me but not with this guy. He's so nice you can just smile and say, "Only Spinner".

4. Matt Sparks: Articulate speaker, windshield wiper master, hip-hop enthusiast. I have never seen someone approach BMX like Sparks. If he's already done a trick he doesn't want to film it. If someone has already done it he won't even bother trying a trick. He warms up with about 2 runs then hits whatever he's riding full speed. He probably wrecked the most on the trip, but he also did some of the craziest stuff I've ever seen. Four windshield wipers (whip to whip back) in a row? Yeah, that's Matt Sparks.

5. Dane Wild: Pizza addict, street shredder, myspace feind. I had seen Dane in a few videos before and I knew he was part of the FBM crew so I wasn't sure what to expect. After hanging out with him for ten minutes I knew he was an all around good kid. He smiles all the time and is always down for some fun. He has a really good outlook on life for a guy his age and I think BMX could use a few more kids like Dane.

6. Shanton Wilson: Ape, speed demon, long hair don't care, big time stunt dude. Shanton was one of the loudest guys on the trip- both his mouth and his riding. He could be found hollering out of the bus at nice cars or hot girls. His riding was pretty much the same way; loud and balls out. Shanton always did the biggest stuff out there with a mix of precision and fearlessness. That dude is something else.

7. Daniel Dhers: Venezuelan transplant, nubmer one smack-talker, SUPER-PRO. I'd seen Daniel ride in videos before and I knew he was a contest rider, but I didn't know how he'd handle being on the road with a crew like us. He came through with flying colors and provided non-stop entertainment with his verbal battles with Spinner. When it came down to riding the guys got it done. He did the craziest tricks over and over again... perfectly. He even threw down some lines on street which was a bit of a surprise. His Spanish accent made even the most simple statements seem hilarious.

8. Vinnie Vasquez: Cougar hunter, street sleeper, party-fun-time dude. There isn't too much that I can say about Vinnie except he's wild. He spent the days commanding his bike to do wild moves and his nights were spent tracking down some of the shadiest ladies this side of the Mississippi. The kid had fun at every single stop of the trip and worked his knee repeatedly but didn't stop. When it came down to street I wasn't expecting anything crazy from Vinnie but he proved me wrong. Way wrong.

Well that's all I have for this post. Everyone on the trip was completely awesome and made me feel right at home. I'd like to say thanks to everyone on the trip, but especially Flip. He is a wonderful guy who's doing an awesome job of keeping BMX on the right track. If you want to check out Flip's blog from the trip click here.

Until next time...