Hey guys, just a reminder there will be a flatland jam in Lake Charles this weekend. Come on out and sweat in a parking lot with a bunch of BMX riders. Should be a really good time for those of you who don't ride flat- there's rumor of a spine and other skatepark inspired obstacles for those of you without incredible balance/patience.




I was surfing around the internet when I found this little clip from the MassBMX site. The site is based out of Massachusetts (I had to Google that to find out how to spell it) and has some interesting stuff to look at. This clip is from the Brace Jam held at the Hopkington skatepark. There are a lot of things in the clip that got me thinking about the last few years, and here they are in no particular order:

1. I used the song in the clip (Blood Red Summer by Coheed and Cambria) for my part in the Louisiana BMX video Chronicles. It's funny how many riders/editors listen to the same music and find the same songs good for editing.

2. The park in the clip is the Hopkington Skatepark where Louis, Geoff and I stopped for an afternoon session in the summer of 05. While we were there Darryl Tocco and the Bad Timing crew were there. We hit the park for a while and then cooled off at a swimming hole up the road. Louisiana SERIOUSLY needs swimming holes!

3. Justin Brace is in the beginning of the clip. Brace came on the 2nd Savage South tour a few years ago. He met Louis and Geoff on a Faction BMX trip down South (There was a picture in the magazine of Lou sliding a CRAZY long rail and Geoff doing a clicked turndown). Brace didn't really know anyone on the trip but before the end of the journey he was friends with pretty much everyone.

During the trip I found out that Brace was having some health problems- his equilibrium was starting to go a little haywire and he was starting to have some problems with his nerves. We found out a few months later that he actually had Lou Gehrig's disease. Louis, Geoff, Chris Wade and I went up to Mass during the summer of 05 to ride trails (and ride the Hopkington skatepark and swim) and hang out with Brace and some friends. The symptoms of the disease were starting to show a little bit more, but Brace was still in really good spirits. He took us around Lowell, Massachusetts and showed us a good time both on and off our bikes.

I haven't talked to Justin since that trip but I have heard that his health has continued to deteriorate. I have talked to some of his friends though, and they say despite his situation he is still a happy guy. He's facing something that none of us could imagine and is still hanging in there with the same positive attitude. Think about that the next time you get mad at something stupid like traffic or not pulling a trick.

The video is really short, so click HERE to check it out.