Meet The Mega Ramp – Empire Of Dirt

Kye and Leo talk you through the Mega Ramp at the Empire of Dirt course.

Empire Of Dirt Build Up

Empire Of Dirt is quickly approaching, if you were quick enough to get tickets then be excited – this event is going to epic. I’m not exaggerating! If you follow Kye or Leo Forte on twitter or facebook then you’ll know what been going on, if not check out these photos that Ride UK have put together. Click on the photo for more info.

KYE TALKS ABOUT EMPIRE

With Empire of Dirt fast approaching Kye takes time out from a hectic build project to talk about the concept.

More BMX Videos

RIP MIKE “TAG” TAGLIAVENTO, 1974 – 2012 VIA ESPN

I just read this touching article on ESPN and had to share it…

Steve Crandall
Mike ‘Tag’ Tagliavento, resting at home in Ithaca, N.Y. after starting chemotherapy one year ago.

Mike “Tag” Tagliavento, lifelong member of the FBM BMX team, co-creator of seminal BMX videos such as “1201,” co-owner of S-Luck Clothing and all-around amazing bike rider on street, dirt and skateparks, died earlier tonight. He was 37.

For the past year, Tag, as he had been known by friends, family and the BMX community for the past two decades, had been battling Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Following intense chemotherapy and an outpouring of support from the BMX world over the past year that included fundraisers ranging from signature Tag hats to jams at Ninth Street in Austin, Tag ultimately succumbed to the disease in Ithaca, N.Y.

Mike Tag played an integral part in elevating the status of dirt riding, street riding and video production throughout the early ’90s and into the ’00s. Mike was one of the first riders to really focus on the art of searching for spots, and for years, Mike traveled the world with his FBM and a video camera in search of elusive rails. Mike Tag’s riding and filming has been featured in over a decade of FBM videos, as well as countless issues of Props, Road Fools and etnies “Forward.” And Mike was the first rider to receive a signature frame from FBM, the Night Train.

Pushing objective editorial in the name of friendship aside, I first met Mike Tag at one of the first Toronto BMX Jams in the late ’90s. Then referred to as the “Battle of Elsinore,” Tag entered the indoor pro dirt comp against Nate Wessel and Jay Miron in a pair of Dickies pants, an FBM t-shirt and no helmet. He rode amazingly well, until some sort of no-footed half barspin thing came up short, catapulting Tag over the bars as his bike miami-hopper’d into the landing. He shrugged his shoulders and disappeared from the spotlight.

His riding in Toronto was finished, but his hijinks continued. Later on in the day, I vividly remember speaking with Steve Crandall as the sound of broken glass continued to emit from behind a partitioned barrier near the contest area. A few minutes later, Tag and friend Andrew Forgash emerged, half-smirking, after breaking an unopened box of those long, cylindrical fluorescent light bulbs behind a curtain. He wasn’t breaking the light bulbs to create a scene, he was doing it for his own entertainment.

A murky cloud of fluorescent destruction remained behind Tag as he was shuttled away by security, out of the building, still with his trademark half-smirk proudly worn on his face. Over the next decade and a half, I would come to see that meeting as a metaphor for Mike Tag’s way of life, one that carried over into calculated pool playing, burly street riding and anything that lay in Mike Tag’s path. He came, he saw, and his path of destruction was never forgotten. All for the sake of a half-smirk.

Rest in peace old friend.
By Brian Tunney @ ESPN

BLAST FROM THE PAST – FINGER OF FUDGE!

Chico ‘avin it’ back in the 80s.

He’ll do anything for a finger of fudge!

(He’s gonna kill me for this)

TOM DUGAN ETNIES EDIT

Another jaw dropping edit from Tom Dugan and Etnies, enjoy the crazyness…

IPHONE EDIT BIRMINGHAM BMX TRACK

I made this quick edit from a few clips I took from a session we had at Birmingham BMX track recently. It was all filmed and edited on my iPhone.

REDBULL ROAST IT – QUEENSTOWN, NZ

This is the official video from the recent Redbull Roast It jam from Gorge Road Bike Park in Queenstown, New Zealand. We had the pleasure of visiting these trails a couple of years ago, they were impressive then and look even better now.

Red Bull Roast It BMX Dirt Jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand, 2012 from Jagged Melon Productions on Vimeo.

KYE FORTE: INTERVIEW

With RedBull Empire of Dirt back and a Bike shop/Cycle centre set to open soon Kye Forte certainly has a busy year ahead. We’re stoked that he took some out his busy schedule to chat to us about life in The Shire, exciting new projects and living the dream!

So Kye...

How’s Winter been in Devonshire?
Wet and cold. But not to bad really, been riding a lot of MTB motor trials which you can do in any weather and going to the gym a lot. Managed to get away snowboarding in January. I’m currently in NZ for 2 weeks riding a couple RedBull contests so I have managed to keep active. Winter is a good time for me to plan and work on new projects as well…

Is that the Red Bull Roast it trip in Queenstown?
Yeah been here a couple days now. The Gorge Road jumps are really good fun. Really smooth with loads of lines! Only had one day riding so far although the jet lag is wearing off so hopefully do some stunts today. It’s my first time to NZ and Queenstown is amazing!
Toby is coming over from Australia next we are going to shred the jumps and hopefully get up the mountain on some full suss bikes as well…

RED BULL EMPIRE OF DIRT…..ITS BACK

EMPIRE OF DIRT - 19TH - 20TH MAY 2012

LTD STATE LOVES…ALDEN SEATS

Take a look at these beauties…

They really are the seat for the refined gent.

We fully expect to see these darting all over Dalston in the very near future!!

Currently Alden Seats makes custom brogue style hand made seats to order for small shops and individuals. Our saddles are made from top quality leather for incredible durability and longevity.

Check out their Kick Start project here

BICYCLE UNION: CIRCLING SPAIN

Bicycle Union traveling through Spain.

Bicycle Union: Circling Spain from Channel 4Down on Vimeo.