Pile in a car and get as far away as possible.

Story and video: Jessica Verdi.
Photos: Erik E & Jessica Verdi.

What does the Eye BMX team do when the X-Games come to town?

They pile into a car and get as far away as possible.



This past weekend was a trade off, of corporate consumerism, for good ol' legitimate fun. Destination Oakhurst, a decent sized town nestled in the shadows of Yosemite Nat'l Park, and home to one of the most original and raw bike parks that I've had the pleasure of visiting. The BMX Sanctuary is just that, a riders dream of indoor and outdoor ramps with unending lines, sick transfers, and a collection of janky pallets, stacked up perfectly to the temptation of not just your average dudes.



[Erik E, doin it]

I'm along for the ride with LA's newest team, with Erik Engstrom at the helm, Louie Zaragosa in the back seat, Erik Hough in the car behind us with Cody McKenna and mutual friend/shredder, Corbin Yoder. There are seven broken down bikes between two cars and I'm the only girl around for miles. The second annual School's Out Forever Jam thrown by Waylon (owner of the Sanctuary) was the main reason for getting us out the door. The jam coaxed numerous riders from all over California and even Nevada, to come out from their holes looking for a good time, maybe a bike part or two from sponsors like 2Hip, or perhaps just some gas money to get back home.



Our base camp for the weekend was the beautiful Bass Lake, where we spent our mornings "warming up" in the lake, or taking a bath if you will. On the day of the jam, Chris Bracamonte with his mom, cousin Trevor, and girlfriend Kelly in tow, left Los Angeles at 3:30 in the morning, arriving just in time for a quick dip in the lake and then off to the jam it was.



The days festivities included an AM contest, a PRO contest, the High Hop Challenge and Best Trick. AM's threw down hard, proving their courage and displaying highly capable instincts and style, to the crowd's delight.

["1st place Michael Garcia , 2nd place Damien "Double D" Holt, 3rd place Dillon Fink, who celebrated with a fresh new Wolf tatoo.]

And when it came time for the PRO's to show, the line up was better than primetime TV. Each pro had earned the right to be there, with seriously huge tricks and a thirst for healthy competition. 2Hip team rider, Jason Lopez, whome I believe was the youngest pro at 18. He busted out some stunning 360 double whips over the spine and pulled off some other pretty flashy tricks like flares, bars all over the park, and dope lip tricks. His confidence and ability speaks volumes of what this kid will be able to do in a couple of years. He took third on the day.

The "semi-local" hero in the Pro group was Chad Osburn. With some of the most amazing runs anyone had seen all day, he definitely proved the kid to beat. He literally jumped over crazy huge sections and rode unimaginable, awe-inspiring lines. Chad's second placing had to have been an extremely close call.


[Chad Osburn during Pro Heats, with arguably the biggest line of the day.]

And while all Eye team riders rode hard and dazzled the attendants as well, it was Cody McKenna's uncanny ability to cleanly and effortlessly dance through his lines and tricks at a park he had never been to before that earned him first place over all.


[Pro winners in order, Cody McKenna 1st Place, Chad Osburn 2nd place, and Jason Lopez in 3rd."]

During best trick, Chris-B pulled off a death nose wheelie down a high ledge with a transfer to a nearby launch ramp on the gap out, nearly stunning us all and it earned him top prize. A cool 50 bucks. I'm sure it went to his mom for gas, or be bought his GF something pretty.


[Our MC for the day, yelling at people, even without the megaphone...]

The most suspensful event of the day was the High Hop contest, better known as a Bunny Hop contest, or "Hoppin' for a Hundee" as Erik E explains it. The loosely regulated event has almost every dude trying their luck at tucking their bike the highest, and also using it as a good excuse to show off their skillz. After a grueling battle, one of the two best hoppers pulled up so hard that he RIPPED HIS STEM IN HALF trying to clear 4 feet. IN HALF. So, clearly the competition couldn't continue fairly and the boys made off 50/50. WAT UP GAS MONEY!!







Waylon, the Bmx Sanctuary owner, literally lives the life and he welcomes all to share in his pure joy for bike riding. He is even so kind as to offer his land to riders for free camping, and for a negotiably fair price you can even rent out his spare cabin. I also had the pleasure of meeting his lovely mother, Barbara, who seemed to be feeding off of the fun and the love for the Bmx lifestyle on display.



[Erik E, Eric H, and Waylon representing.]

With our "business" out of the way, we could all chill and take in the sights that lie ahead for the next day's adventure. Our second excuse to head up this way was God's country, Yosemite. Erik E had planned us a stellar hike through a picturesque forrest, the likes of which the boys has never seen. We stood upon huge granite domes and at the edges of mile high cliffs.



There isn't much that can be said or shown about Yosemite that will do it justice in a Bmx blog. However, our time there was most certainly a highlight of not just the weekend, but also our lives.

As we made our way back down the mountain and towards our homes in LA, we were all amused at the fact that the biggest commercial BMX event on earth was wrapping up, and not one of us had a clue as to what went down. And while all the big name stars were leaving their high priced hotels in Downtown LA, we had just finished our own, priceless adventure.

Life is not what someone else says you should do, it's about what your beating heart says you should do. And while of course we all draw influences from everything around us, it's up to you to make use of what really makes you different and happy.

-Jessica Verdi