Author Topic: I, Joe Kickass, hereby suggest retro tricks be integrated into Modern Flatland  (Read 20955 times)

Offline JoeKickass

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No, you're not imagining things -- I just typed that sh*t.


Why?


Because nobody has a f*cking clue what flatlanders are doing other than spinning in circles while weirdly wavering trying to maintain balance. I firmly believe, the tricks/combos of the mid 90s, suspecially the scuffing ones -- provide a perfect supplement to the rolling and wicked fast spinning tricks currently dominating today's era.


Does it have to be a retro injection of pure mid 90s tricks?
It should be, but not necessarily.


Miami hop hops out of nowhere would be cool as f*ckass. So would some backside walkarounds.


Jus sayin' is all.


This of course assumes flatland wants an audience and therefore substantial sponsors/growth opportunities.


If not, that's cool too. Don't get me wrong, the progression is completely insane to me. Unfathomable 20 years ago. But, too complicated/difficult for its own good, which has really just limited Flatland's appeal to  potential riders and spectators.

It's important that we discuss these things for the betterment of not just flatland, but for all of man and woman kind as a whole -- and as a hole, respectively.


Groinpullingly,
JKA

« Last Edit: June 19, 2012, 01:55:50 AM by JoeKickass »
"You can ride brakeless with brakes." -- Scott O

Offline 2flat2furious

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Quote
I firmly believe, the tricks/combos of the mid 90s, suspecially the scuffing ones -- provide a perfect supplement to the rolling and wicked fast spinning tricks currently dominating today's era.

Quote
This of course assumes flatland wants an audience and therefore substantial sponsors/growth opportunities.

As far as I know, the purchase of completes from Flatlandfuel has been steadily growing over the years, which is indicative of people getting into the sport. What the pros are doing has nothing to do with what the ams are doing. There's no reason to go backwards in order to appease a few people that don't take the time to understand or put into perspective riding at the highest levels of flatland.

It's basically like telling Kevin Jones in the mid 90's to stop doing backwards backpackers and x footed rolling tricks because it's just too hard, or telling Chase to stop doing brakeless decades because they're too scary. Doesn't really make any sense.


Offline Mr.Archon

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if i were to agree on one thing(not sure if you mentioned it) , but theres alot of underutilization in flatland...theres lots of midschool tricks that could pass for modern that arent done at all. like pedal lardyards or just plain doing regular hand steam combos v. played out switch hand steam...after ucchie and matthias i havent seen many younger riders do death trucks.rollaids link into stuff. list go's on. I think as far as that's concerned someone will pick up the pieces eventually

Offline tod miller

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Who says that old tricks aren't still being done?  And why not.  Hell...steamrollers aren't retro enough?  Almost 25 years old at this point.


Do what you do...forget what others think.
"A puppet no more!"

Offline ckcheong

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just ride
don't think
bmx is bmx nothing more

Offline SiC

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Just do what you want to do, I throw in few old school tricks to show the young guns here in Japan and they love it. 
BTW, my profile pic is me doing a Miami Hop Hop on a light 36 spoke wheel, I guess they can take more beatings than they used to.
Old school newbie from Japan

Offline jpoliti

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Genral concept : i don't think anyone will ever be succesful with giving other people what they are expecting, because most of the time we are very wrong about what they're exepecting, they don't even know it themsleves.

But i understand joe's point, it makes sense in a show/demo format where people won't tell the difference between tricks and it gives diversity. But at the same time i never really enjoyed seeing riders do too old school trick like surfers and the kind during demos, because in a way it is  giving people a distorted image of what flatland is really like today. May be some people do old school tricks, but they're far from beeing a majority.

The idea of mixing mid school with new school tricks is a good point, a good idea. anyone who is up for that is free to go this way. but expecting  a positive feedback ... i don't know...

Offline kchez

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The combo I want is a backside walk around to perverted boomerang to decade

Offline JoeKickass

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The combo I want is a backside walk around to perverted boomerang to decade
Now you're just being ridiculous.
"You can ride brakeless with brakes." -- Scott O

Offline 2flat2furious

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I'm still confused as to why going backwards when it seems like more and more riders make a living off of shows, and consequently going out and doing impressive display tricks like time machines and turbined steamrollers, is somehow a good thing.

The crowds like it. Or are we talking about putting mid-school tricks in actual contest runs because some old guys wish it was still 1995 or something?

Offline johnu773

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idk about going "backwards" but i do agree that some tricks are being under utilized (as mr. archon said)


riding is in a great place but a lil variety and different styles would appeal to a non riders audience as well.


i also love the idea of street influenced tricks being used in flat now too (whoppers and bar spins) however, that can get real played out, really fast too.
example...watch kink jet lagged (different areas of riding but primarily the same tricks.
one can only watch so many bar spins, tailwhips and hang 5's  before it becomes boring.


the switch handed steam today is to the fire hydrant to decade 10-15 years ago...

Offline Bri-jon

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when I get a bike I'm going to run full brakes again but my I really want to do is bar endo's. I loves those!
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Sold my bike to emigrate to Canada and still waiting for a Visa to work. Worst mistake EVER!

Offline 2flat2furious

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idk about going "backwards" but i do agree that some tricks are being under utilized (as mr. archon said)


I find it amazing that people who are nowhere near the top level of riding believe that AT the top level of riding certain tricks are under utilized. As if the pros don't know what is best for them.

Here is style cats from 1995, which is smack in the middle of the era that's being discussed.

1995 - Standard Industries - StyleCats Small | Large


Here is the pre-jam voodoo video that was just posted a few days ago.

Voodoo Pre Jam 2012 Extended Edition


And there isn't variety in today's riding compared to back then...? That was all at one jam and Style Cats was filmed over a long period of time. sh*t is just SO much harder and interesting these days. I can't fathom going back to that era.
 

Offline johnu773

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TJ, you can't "fathom" going back to that era, yet it is being done as we speak.  Terry won best "flatland" trick at jomopro with a "street" trick twist created in 1991 by bill nitschke (a whopper) and bunny hop barspin which was done around the same time.

I'm sorry I offered a suggestion without having a pro skill level.  I didn't know that your skill level had anything to do with giving an open idea.  No one said that "we know better than a pro" as you are claiming we did, but again, we lesser skilled individuals are not the "great TJ perry" so I guess you're allowed to misconstrue that for us.
 
why don't you try sitting in the stands amongst the regular crowds watching a comp.  I've heard the murmurs many times by "non riding spectators".
"oh that guy just did the same exact trick"  "they all do the same thing" and then after an hour, they get bored and lose interest in watching.
Nothing was farther from the truth in reality(there were switches in hands, feet and changes in direction), but to the average spectator, they see something like a spinning death truck and it looks the same as a time machine to them.  the spectators eye is not as kean as a riders eye...
 
Sorry for giving a suggestion. I will continue to be close minded and think inside the box until I have your permission and approval to do otherwise...
« Last Edit: June 20, 2012, 09:41:48 PM by JOHNU773 »

Offline 2flat2furious

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I love how older riders like to throw all credit to tricks back to guys who were doing their most primitive versions way back when as if the way they're being done now is no different. Terry won doing whopper to manual downside whopper if I remember correctly, and nobody was doing that in the 90's. Even if they were, it doesn't matter because people are doing things in an entirely different way now than they were back then, and it's much more difficult now.

I never said I was the only one qualified, but if you have some kind of inferiority complex then that's your problem not mine. My point was that there is a constant clamor of people who aren't pro level trying to dictate or suggest what pros SHOULD be doing as if the pros can't make that decision for themselves. If you take insult to that then you're going out of your way to look for it, which is again not my problem.

I have stood in the crowds watching a contest. I was at the X games in 2001 talking to people on the sidelines about what they were seeing and the only thing they can tell is that there's a back wheel trick, a front wheel trick, and spinning is hard. Why does anyone need to pander to that low level of understanding when it comes to the sport?

Take any rider at a contest and give them three minutes, that's about all they're going to do in terms of their contest run practice. They're going to do it over and over no matter what tricks they have ready. Repetition will not go away because you have people doing funky chickens and scuffing backyards, it will just be the same thing over and over so it doesn't matter anyway.

Also kind of tired of how riders should make their riding more entertaining to spectators, while on the other hand you have people bitching that riders are not being progressive enough or creative enough. Everyone has their own opinions of how pros should ride for the "good" of the sport, while "spectator" riders of a bitch and moan that they're doing it wrong.

Newsflash, most pros could not care any less about what people on these forums think they should be doing because most pros (that I've spoken to personally anyway) think armchair flatlanders are a joke.