Jeff DuPaul has worked with Liam before and the resulting edit was more entertaining than half of the "pro" stuff I get in my inbox every day. Jeff met up with Liam and his dad Scott, owner/operator of tailwhips.org, at Skaters Edge for another edit and again it gets me more pumped up to ride than any other video. Like Jeff said, let this 12-year-old remind why you started riding in the first place.

The instant I saw this kid I was stoked on him and put an interview on the ole to-do list. He has not even reached those dreaded teen years of puberty and identity crisis, but he has the style and attitude towards BMX of a seasoned pro. He rides an 18-inch bike, fit for his needs, and suit him it does. Given his size/age, he has developed his own style naturally. Check the videos, check the photos, and check the interview:

Name: Liam Crivellaro
Age: 11.5 years
Hometown: Barnstable, MA
Sponsors: Bern Helmets & Tailwhips.org



What is it like riding BMX at such a young age? Did you have trouble finding a bike (size-wise) you could progress on?

It's really cool. A lot of the older riders treat me like a normal rider; not like a little kid. Legit smaller bikes are hard to find, but thankfully there are some companies like Subrosa Bikes that realize there is a need for good small bikes. It took a little research, but we made a nice smaller bike for me to progress on. Oh yeah, it has nice big bars too haha!! Here is a link to my old-ish bike check.

So you're from the Northeast and you have filmed a nice edit with Jeff Dupaul already. How do you like the scene in your area and where would you like to go to ride?

Jeff Dupaul is a really nice guy. The riding scene here is fun. There are not too many options of riding so you have to be creative, but I'm lucky to ride with a lot of nice and good riders. I went to Greenville, NC once and I had a lot of fun and I would like to go back there. I would also like to go to Spain or England for street riding.

I noticed your content is mainly produced by Tailwhips.org. What is that site about and what is your involvement?

Tailwhips.org is a site created for the the regional kids and scene. My dad is a photographer and he created tailwhips.org to have something to do while I ride, to help promote a positive image, and give props to bikers and skaters. It was just for fun, but the site has taken off.

Jeff Dupaul mentioned that you have a unique, mature style, especially at such a young age. Are you inspired by any pro riders in particular or did you just go out and have fun and that was the result?

I went out and had fun and that was the result.

More recently you got hooked up by Bern. Good to have a high quality helmet sponsor as we see more and more riders taking hard ones on the head. How do you like them and how do you compare them to other helmets?

Getting hooked up by Bern was sweet; the team manager Josh Walker is a super nice guy. I've crashed hard a few times and hit my head, but the Bern helmet has held up really nice.

What do you do during winter? Are you going to take trips down south when it starts raining/snowing or do you just ride it out?

It's pretty nice that Cape Cod doesn't get too much snow, so I can still ride outside; I just have to wear warm clothes. Also there are two indoor parks: Rye Airfield, but that's about 2 hours away and Skater's Edge that's about an hour away. If I'm lucky I'll make it to Greenville, NC; at least once I hope haha!!

What can we expect out of Liam in the future? More videos/photos? Maybe a special guest appearance out here in SoCal or something? You should try to go on Ellen Degeneres' show. That'd be great.

I'm already working on some edits and photos.

Last but never least, shout out those who support you and keep you on that bicycle.

I would like to shout out to Bern Helmets, Tailwhips.org, Dick Maul's bike shop, my friends & family, and Barnstable Skatepark.

Ryan Guettler has been laboring behind the lens lately. Here's an edit with Josh Perry with another murdering of the Mirraco warehouse. Poor place doesn't get a rest. Nice to see Josh back on it!

You have probably heard it a million times from parents, from police officers, from skatepark employees, and sometimes even from your favorite action sports athlete. You have to wear your helmet. Or, at least it is strongly recommended. BMX has seen it pretty tough recently with helmets. Mike Aitken went down without a helmet and probably could have avoided a lot if he had one on. Stephen Murray went down with all of his pads on and he remains in a wheelchair to this day.

Mike Aitken riding his bike after 5 months of rehab after his severe head injury.


So, those two examples may contradict each other, but what I want to get across is helmets are something I encourage and recommend and with that, you should also get the right helmet for you, right? Many of you may have helmets that you never wear because they're uncomfortable, heavy, and look dumb. I'll be honest, I have seen many a helmet I wouldn't wear just because it looks dumb. Mike Aitken said in a recent interview he is looking into designing a helmet that would be better looking and more comfortable so people will actually want to wear a helmet.

When you are buying a helmet I would avoid helmets that come in vague sizes such as small/medium or large/xlarge. Go for something with more specific sizes meaning they have a more specific fit and find the perfect size for you. This is also why it is important to try these on and support your local store instead of buy the wrong size from the internet.

When you search for helmet brands you will probably first arrive to Pro-Tec. You may also run into s-one and Bern, younger companies that have made great strides in modern helmets. Don't count out Triple Eight, TSG, POC, and Bell helmets. As a BMXer, you may want to look for helmets that are bike specific but don't disregard helmets for skateboarding or anything.

Pro-Tec Classic helmets in assorted colors.


Half or full? If you ride skateparks or any terrain with several other people you want to avoid full face helmets as they limit vision and limit mobility for when you're looking out for your friends so you don't run into them. Full faces are more commonly seen in vert riding and BMX racing. Half cut helmets are more commonly seen in street/park riding and even in dirt and vert riding.

Obviously, it isn't recommended to skimp on helmet buying. The more high end helmets on the market won't even exceed $50 generally. You may see a CPSC sticker on some helmets. This means that it is qualified for bike use and may be a better option for your BMX helmet. However, you don't have to go CPSC it's just recommended. With CPSC helmets you will probably get EPS foam to take the abuse of bike riding. This may mean that the helmet is a single impact helmet, however, so if you take a big one with it on you should check to see if it's done for and need to get a new one. And this is why some prefer to get multi impact helmets which may be less protective but more thrifty.

A not-so-new feature that has become more popular recently, that I recommend, is a terry liner sweatband for the helmet lining. This soaks up the sweat so it doesn't drip into your eyes and everything while you're riding. It's also really comfortable compared to the more standard lining. (I wear a helmet with terry liner.) The only companies I can see, just through google search, with terry liner is s-one and Triple Eight.

I wear the S-ONE OG DLX helmet in white. Comfortable, affordable, protective.



One more picture because this one makes me feel really good and warm inside. Mikey and his boy, riding together.