I hadn’t been to an FMX demo for close to 12-months so I was keen to head out to the EFA run demo at Campbelltown on the 7^th of July. Schuie, Shagga, Coley, Spud, Brown and a few other riders were signed on to ride and I was also keen to catch up with them for a chat, but as soon as I arrived around 2pm, demo started at 4, it didn’t take me long to realise the boys weren’t overly happy with the set-up, and with one decent look I could see why. I’d been told before hand that the promoters had tipped in some serious cash to ensure the demo would be a success, but one look at Pete MCann’s old kicker with a lazy radius and a 30-odd-metre long strip of black, slippery looking piece of rubber leading up to it signalled to me the money had been spent elsewhere.

Luke Cole lets rip a huge Indy Nac while Spud follows close behind for a distance check.  

Over the years I’ve seen many demos come and go. I’ve seen all the bodgie ones come and go as well, but I seriously thought the sport had risen to a more professional standard since then. The run-up was deadset so slippery the riders only had to blip their throttle and the rear wheel would brake traction sending it sideways. This was of most concern to Schuie, who had expectations on him to Flip, but imagine not being able to accelerate fully until the rear wheel is actually on the ramp. It’s suicide to even think about trying it on such a set-up, which is why Schuie decided to pack his kit and head back north about an hour before it started. He didn’t need to risk being injured, especially with some very lucrative events overseas only a month or so away. Not one shy of speaking his mind Coley (Luke) expressed his concerns over the set-up from the start. When told ARD offered one of their ramps and run-up mats to ensure safety for the riders, only to be turned down, he was really pissed.

Luke and Shagga covering the rubber to stop dew forming on the surface.

With the cold air setting in the riders, minus Schuie, decided they’d give the set-up a go to give the 70 or so punters in the crowd, who had paid up to 60 bucks a ticket, some value for their hard-earned money spent. Accelerating ever so gently all the riders successfully jumped the lazy kicker to portable landing using run-in speed over entering the ramp with power, which isn’t the safest of methods, but being professional riders they pulled it off. It made it hard for them to pull out their better tricks, but in saying this I was very surprised with the huge Indy Nacs Coley pulled out, Switchblades by Shagga, and Whips by some of the other lads. The BMX and Skate lads did their best to entertain, but with the football stadium being so huge they kinda looked like ants from so far away. The promoters obviously did their best, they were nice enough, but why throw so much money away on a demo that really didn’t do the sport any justice at all. It takes more than a bunch of FMX, BMX, Skateboard riders and a dozen dancing girls to make a decent show that will bring people through the doors, and at the price charged only the diehard fans are the ones that’ll ever make the effort. For me it was a sad day for FMX/BMX and Skate. 

The Skaters ripped once warmed up, but it was pretty chilled beforehand.