October 23, 2004 — Patterson, NY
Story & photos by Brian Chapman
This was probably the most low-key riding event I've been to this year. There was a good mix of street riders and flatlanders just hanging out and riding in the middle of a rural New York town. You literally had to travel down a dirt road a mile or two just to get to this gigantic house which resembled a sort of bed & breakfast more than someone's residence. There was a barn, farm animals, and most importantly there was a tennis court with no nets or poles. A street spine, grind box, and small launch ramp were pushed to the side and a flatland area was created. There was plenty of room for the 20 or 30 riders that were there.
Organized by the kids who run BikeFlat.com (Alex and Jesse Caps), the jam was pretty rad considering it was held in late October when the weather can start to get a little cold for some riders. Not to sound too cheesy but the foliage was amazing, which made me kinda sad for only shooting black and white photos. It was good to see the New York, New Jersey, and New England riders one last time before we all go to our respective indoor spots for the next four months.
Most of the riders there seemed to be in their late teens or early twenties so they didn't mind riding non-stop from 11AM until 6 with no food or fuel aside from water and some candy (it was Halloween and all). I think people were encouraged to dress up but no one really did. Well, Jared DiChiara did have a crown and acted as the King of Flatland. There was also this dude who showed up in a suit jacket and tie; I was stoked and took a couple shots of him. I thought he was just a sharp dressed flatlander and never really made the Halloween connection. (I'm a little slow sometimes.)
Thanks to Joe for not killing anyone with the fireworks and thanks to whoever's house that was. Inviting 30 kids over to ride all day is no small commitment.
|
