Meeting your BMX idols ( Mat Hoffman )

[BMXBAZ]

Have you ever met your BMX idol

Well picture the scene its Backyard jam 97 It really early the comp hasnt even started and your on the half pipe trying to learn the basic tricks but loving it then along comes Mat Hoffman now you know this guys a legend and you dont want to make a fool of yourself so you just sit on the platform trying to be cool He get on the ramp an seriously kick ass dong massive airs with ease and pulling 360s barspins etc like there nothing. Now ive met and rode with a whole bunch of pro riders in the past (ian morris, fids, dean hearne, keith duly etc ive and never been starstruck anyway after he pulls an amazing run he lands on the platform and says Hi to me and my mate Mark tanner who was as equally as bad as i was. I made a comment  that i was pretty much a begginer and the thought of dropping in on vert was scary so after a few words of guidance from matt I had built up the bottle to give it a go Thankfully i survived and didnt slam on my face  I did however make me appreciate more how much skill and dedication it takes to be a pro rider at his level MAD SKILLS.......

I just wondered if any of you lot had met your bmx idol and what your experience was like ?

[jedi]

bill stupple was one of my main idols as a kid.finally met him last month   

[billstup]

Err........... not in a gay way though 

[superbikedan]

lol billy stupple,                  hope pat aint online

love ya really mate

[Stodgy]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mat at the Masters 2006:





2007 (he signed my bike in my hotel room):










2008:





I'm his official stalker. 

[priv]

jeff spicoli,i met him in the 80's and now 25+ years later he's stalking me




priv

[generallee]

I met matt at the backyard jam in the 90's... we chatted for ahile, then he signed mine and questy's cider bottles. I still have the label!
Also, whe living in devon, Tim Ruck was one of my bmx idols... we're now close friends and organise the Old Fools trips!
and of course.. billy stupple. Even cooler a guy than you could hope for.  

[jedi]

Err........... not in a gay way though 

you said you'd never deny us...............................................

[tricknuts]

 when  our huge new skatepark opened up in May, Ron wilkerson turned up.


Now i see him every week at the park, and while he blasts 8 ft airs, he watches me fart around at coping level.   

Its a priviledge to be in the same park as the legend. What a cool guy.

[christhejob]

i don't have any idols, i just have three pictures of myself on my wall to remind myself of my achievements

















come on DJ, get that one!!

[SaMAlex]

i don't have any idols, i just have three pictures of myself on my wall to remind myself of my achievements

Is that a S.T. quote?

[pickle]

  at Daves Pictures!  you can see the fear in his eyes!  imagine the horror when he realised he was staying in the same hotel!!   


only kidding Dave....must've been a dream come true! 

[TwoBobRob]

I've met quite a few over the years, but I think the most anticipated for me would be Jerry Galley.  For those of you that weren't around in the 90s, he was on another level.  Didn't ride comps particularly, but seemed to travel a lot riding everywhere.  I'd seem him riding at Leigh on Sea and Radlands, but as an absolute pleb myself I was never going to introduce myself to him 

And then one day he turned up with a bunch of people to ride my vert ramp, and I got to meet him.  He was sound as a pound, really nice fella. Rad as fcuk, went higher that day than anyone before him, and sooo smooth 

And then I had to ask him to leave  ,  as one of the other ramp owners (andy peerless) believed he had some sort of needle with Jerry dating back to the old London Spitalfields park, and wouldn't have him in the place...... gutted.....

I'm sure Jerry was wronged that day.  He was cool though, and it's never been an issue since. 

[christhejob]

i don't have any idols, i just have three pictures of myself on my wall to remind myself of my achievements

Is that a S.T. quote?

spotters badge for AL!!

[SaMAlex]

i don't have any idols, i just have three pictures of myself on my wall to remind myself of my achievements

Is that a S.T. quote?

spotters badge for AL!!

I remember reading that and thinking it was strange. Didnt he make a point of how his dreads were showing in one of the pictures?


"Just cos you ride, doesnt mean you're cool"    - Backyard sticker

[JT71]

cool pics. the Hoff rules. (the bmx one not the Knight Rider one)

anyone fancy a whip round to get  Vic Murphy over for a jam and some religous guidance?

[kingkeef]

I met The Bob of Haro  once in Bracknell town center Late at night once before the BMX scene had kicked in.
 He was staying with a guy in Ascot at the time and I spoke to him about it may years later, He said he was a friend of the family.
BH said to me " what type of bike is that"  I was riding a racer with cowhorn bars . He hopped the bandstand in the center of the town ( about  21" ). I didnt know how he had done it I just stood there a- gog.
I could have hopped it in my sleep a year later...
Oh to have a camera on my Mobile phone..... ohh to have had a mobile phone... Bugger me we only got a phone in the house about a year B4 that

[kuwahero]

Met Fiola, Dominguez, Dave Breed and Bob Morales in 85 at livi skatepark. At first no one would believe us they had been. We had the last laugh though when the pics appeared in Action Bike.

[macky]

Met Mat Hoffman a few times BITD.... ( Bmx beat/ Mansfield Kov/ Spittlefields old market )

Met Dennis McCoy... ( Spittlefields ) that was coool!!!

Met Dave Mirra at Southsea!!! ( we got to follow them street riding too!! )

Met Andy Ruffell at Holeshot!!!  he was my idol when i was a wee nipper!!! 

Got to meet loads of UK riders i looked up too.... ( still do! )

Scott Carroll
Lee Reynolds
Mike Canning
ste Laidlaw
Carlo Griggs

there's so many riders i would still love to meet....

Eddie Fiola
Bob Haro
Mike Dominguez
Ron Wilkerson..........

and pretty much everyone who entered Bmx Beat!! 

the list is endless!!!!!

[tricknuts]

 Ron, Dominguez and fiola were all riding a legends jam at soulbowl at Huntington beach this weekend

[Philbert]

met hoffman in 96 at backyard. he had a broken ankle that year so didn't ride, also met taj at the same time.

rick moliterno in 99 at standard hq. he let me borrow his bike to ride at rampage whilst we were there. i bent his chainring doing a 180 to fakie feeble grind. he shouted across the park that he let me borrow it to ride not fall off. i slyed off into the corner to bend it back without him knowing the damage.

all my other favourite riders (joe rich, ruben, freimuth, wessel, rooftop, mirra, bestwick, jimmy levan, robbo, luc-e, jim reinstra, paul osicka, ......the list goes on. i've met on many occasions and have many good times riding and socialising with them all

[jedi]

i met haro,fiola and domingez at rom bitd.
have also met philbert!

[JT71]

I meet my idols each time I ride.

anyone who gives me tips and pointers to learn new stuff are my idols

the list is growing all the time...you know who you are. 

(looking forward to Tues and Thurs this week)

[DJ]

Ron Burgundy
Napoleon Dynamite
Rod Kimble

[jedi]

<cough> corby <cough>