I've always wanted to ride this place but thought they were another biker-free park. Hmmm, enlightening. Here's Andrew Jackson, Dylan Stark, Caleb Quanbeck, and friends avoiding some rare Cali rain at... skatelab.



I thought this was pretty cool. Sorta like a signature shirt for Chase Dehart by 2x4. Check it out...

Call me lame, but I always enjoy an all black bike. Or a non-black frame with everything else black. I like simple. I like clean. But there is room for color and fun and personal expression. Aaron Ross and Andrew Jackson aren't going to shy away from color in their setups.

First up is Andrew Jackson's Wethepeople rig. Sleepless frame with Royal cranks and Helium forks and bars in matching LOOK AT ME GREEN. I love how ridden this bike is. People would see Andrew Jackson as a street rider, but they will be impressed when they see the dirt on his grips and hubs. Dude seriously kills it at dirt as well.



Next, the all time bright bike greatest, Aaron Ross' Sunday/Odyssey rig. Highlighter Sunday Funday frame with matching highlighter Director forks and signature Space bars. Pink Twombolt cranks and brake hardware and ocean blue rims, grips, and pedals. This is good, but the best bike ever by Aaron Ross was the entirely fluorescent orange rig. Now that... was BRIGHT!

The Southern California grom circuit kicked into high gear last week as the western regional of Rip Curl's grom search went down in Huntington Beach. The hottest young surfers on the west coast and Hawaii lit up the shifty peaks of 9th Street in HB, which was firing thanks to an early season combo swell. As reported earlier, Taylor Thorne, Colin Moran, Kanoa Igarashi and Lakey Peterson took top honors after some hard fought battles.

Rip Curl's Grom Search does live up to its billing. It's by far one of the best events to seek and find the surfers of the future. Last weeks winners were but a sliver of the talent on hand which we're all likely to be hearing about in the near future. Each division is stacked, but what's most surprising these days is just how much talent resides in the 12 and under division, which, frankly, the Hawaiians have a major grip on right now, as proven in Huntington as three of the four finaalists call paradise home. Kanoa Igarashi, Kalani David and Landon McNamara were all gunning for the win over the lone Californian, Jacob Davis.




Of course the 16 and 14 and under divisions were pretty damn impressive as well, with the move of the event belonging to Malibu's Andrew Jacobson, who pulled a ridiculous aerial reverse. The move earned him the "H20 Overdrive Maneuver of the Event" which was good for an extra $100 cash. This week, they're all heading down to Lower Trestles for the NSSA Nationals, which got underway Tuesday in glassy 3-foot conditions. The fireworks show will be going all week.

Nationals will be followed up next week with the Nike 6.0 Pier Presssure Pro Junior. The 4-grade event is the biggest Pro Junior event of the season in North America, and will feature the likes of Kai Barger, Dillon Perillo, Nat Young, Kolohe Andino and Andrew Doheny to name a few. Naturally, the scouts will be out in force taking notes.

In the "Surprise of the Week" department, IPATH has made a move to start supporting a few BMX riders. Mike Ardelean was tapped to put together a team of dudes for the brand, and he settled on Jim Bauer, Brian Yeagle, Andrew Jackson, and Dave Thompson. Here's what Mike had to say over on Defgrip:

"I've always been impressed by their use of sustainable materials and business practices, and by the way IPATH stays IPATH with an unmistakable look. For those reasons I was excited for the opportunity to get involved and hook up some deserving riders. Stay tuned for more."

And here's the IPATH press release:

IPATH would like to announce the formation of their first ever BMX team. Led by Mike Ardelean, the new BMX team is comprised of a tight group of riders with their own unique styles.

"Adding a BMX team into the mix is a natural extension for IPATH. A lot of our skate and surf guys are known for taking some unique lines. The guys we're bringing into the family through BMX are known for having distinct styles, which makes them a perfect fit for our crew," said IPATH team manager Dave Smith. Joining Mike on the IPATH BMX crew includes such notables as Jim Bauer, Brian Yeagle, Dave Thompson and Andrew Jackson.

Team Background:

Mike Ardelean: Michigan native Mike Ardelean is a longtime BMX pro and personality. He now lives in Los Angeles and rides for Verde and Odyssey. He is also the creative force behind upstart apparel brand Lavar.

Jim Bauer: Jim Bauer graduated from Syracuse and came to Los Angeles from New York with no intention of ever becoming a pro BMXer. As he gained notoriety as an art director and artist, it also became apparent that Jim just so happened to kill it on a BMX bike too. Without even trying he landed himself sponsors with Metal Bikes, Odyssey parts, Lavar clothing, Quintin headwear and now IPATH.

Brian Yeagle: IPATH couldn't be IPATH without some East Coast flavor and Brian brings the cold weather riding from CT. Everyone knows Brian by reputation, but very few have seen the magic. With his spot on the Verde Bikes team and the upcoming release of Anthem 2, that will change drastically. He has been traveling far and wide to collect footage for this video and it is highly anticipated. But while everyone's at the premiere party, Brian might out taking photographs, or at home reading a book about wildlife.

Dave Thompson: Dave rides for Verde Bikes and comes from one of the most impressive and underrated BMX scenes in the US, Salt Lake City. SLC is known for breeding BMX legends and Dave is on his way. His riding style is pure power and like many on the skate team, he can ride whatever is put in front of him.

Andrew Jackson: You wouldn't know it from his rusted out bike, but Andrew's known for having a super clean style has gained him much popularity, as well as sponsorships from We The People and Lavar, seemingly without any effort at all. Andrew and his crew use a private set of dirt trails north of LA as training grounds before launching assaults on the streets and parks of Southern California.