Hell On Wheels, Brad Gethard and Xtreme BMX!!
About 2 months ago I was invited to go see a Motocross Freestyle Show at the North Charleston Coliseum here in South Carolina. Ever since I bought a HDTV (high definition television for the technically challenged), I usually watch stuff like that at home, but since I would be taking my son…I gave it a shot.
FMX (Freestyle Moto Cross) put on the show and it was very cool. The only time I ever performed a flip on a motorcycle was by accident or running from the law (growing up in the Wild Wild West of the 1970’s NYC). What these guys do on a motorcycle is really amazing…flipping, kicking their legs off the bike in mid-air, etc. My son enjoyed it as well.
After the main motocross exhibition it was announced that the BMX Team, “Hell On Wheels”, would be performing next. I hate to admit that I did not think that this would be anything to see after what I just witnessed….huge state of the art motorcycles defying gravity, and now they are going to bring out a couple of kids on bicycles….”anyone want a hot dog”?!? The group’s MC/Rider (Brad Gethard) came out and I could tell he had the gift of gab, like a throw back of the Coney Island game runners. My attention grabbed….and then, out of the blacked out pit area, three BMX riders (Cory, Augie and Big Daddy) came flying out full speed, flying over ramps, holding the bikes between their legs while flipping, hands flying in the air…breathtaking! The raw simplicity of what they were accomplishing floored me! I am not trying to make light of what the Motorcycle Freestylers did/do, it was that, here are young men manipulating peddle bicycles and making it seem like they were in front of a blue screen! The forward flip move (I don’t know the technical term for this move…..”triple Lindy?!?….kidding) looked almost fake, that’s how incredible it was….it didn’t look like it was physically possible….but there it was, no strings attached, literally! I am a true Big Apple cynic, but I was truly impressed with these guys!
After the show my son and I went over to the autograph area just to get a glimpse at some of these daredevils. Walking right by us were the Hell On Wheels Riders and their MC, Brad. I asked if they would take a picture with my son, they were happy to oblige. I remembered I brought some business cards and I offered a couple to them….if anyone would appreciate what I do, it would definitely be these guys!
My offer to them was this…I will give all four of the Riders a pair of punked Chucks as long as they will send me some pictures of them wearing them with their bikes. What an endorsement…..some of the World’s most incredible BMX Pro’s wearing PunkYourChucks?!?
It’s been a couple of months and Brad and I have kept in touch. He was gracious enough to invite us (my family and I) to the Columbia, SC BMX Show on Saturday! I have one pair of their shoes done…I have been swamped and I have had a lot of orders to fill. Brad will receive his Chucks this Saturday (we’ll take pictures) and Cory, Augie and Big Daddy will get theirs in a few weeks!
Brad Gethard told me that he was working on a new website that should be up and running here shortly. When he opens it, we will let all our friends (that means you) know about it…this is especially cool for the Philadelphia, PA area, where Brad is originally from!
Talk to you soon and be sure to check back after Saturday (March 15) to see my blog about the BMX show in Columbia!
MAG
