Friends getting together, riding the same obstacles and making videos. Believe it or not, it's not a new concept to BMX. As far back as the early '80s, BMX crews such as San Francisco's Curb Dogs and Pennsylvania's Plywood Hoods were doing the same thing on the existing ramps and flatland courses of the day. But perhaps the most infamous crew of to arise from the mid to late '80s was The Dirt Brothers, early ambassadors to the art of street shredding, "crew" videos and absolutely perfect tabletops.

Started in the San Diego, Calif. area by BMXers Vic Murphy and Ronnie Farmer, the Dirt Brothers (Dirt Bros for short) arrived at a time when BMX was a major crossroads. The neon-friendly era of big money pros and organized competitions was on its way out, and street was beginning to evolve into a modern form of riding.

Vic Murphy, a solitary rider by nature, applied his background with skateboarders to his riding. "At that time I was skateboarding a lot and I was doing wallrides and a lot of fast plants on skateboards and I hung out with a lot of pro skater guys and I just got on my bike and applied that stuff instantly to bike riding," says Murphy.

Then Murphy met Ronnie Farmer and Brad Blanchard, and unbeknownst to them, the Dirt Brothers was born. "In early '89, we went to Oregon for a 2-Hip Meet the Street contest, and after a 20-hour trip in the bed of a pickup, Nick Phillip (a rider from England) called us the Dirt Brothers, and the name stuck. The magazines came out covering that contest, and the Dirt Bros. name was all over the place," said Murphy.

It didn't take long for their fame to rise. And the BMX companies of the time did their best to capitalize on the rough, dirty, flannel and camo shorts look of the Dirt Brothers. When Hammer Body Wear ran an ad featuring Murphy and the "Vic and the Dirt Bros" headline, Murphy decided enough was enough, and took the necessary steps to transform his crew of friends and their lifestyle into a "loose" bike company.



Purchasing old Skyway frames and Redline forks, Murphy re-stickered the bikes under the "Dirt Brothers" brand, gave them to his members of his crew and eventually sold them to the existing bike shops of the time. They also ran ads which listed the members of his now esteemed crew, including listed team riders as Vic, Brad Blanchard, Ronnie Farmer, Pete Augustin, Brian Blyther, Steve Swope, Chris Day, Craig Campbell, Eddie Roman, Chris Potts and Mike Golden.

The Dirt Bros. frame and fork sold for $135, which funded their first and only official video, "Hicks in Action." Soon enough, the small but dedicated world of BMXers in 1990 and 1991 were all riding Dirt Brothers setups, watching VHS copies of "Hicks in Action" on repeat, and dressing in the style of the Dirt Brothers.

The crew eventually faded into obscurity in the mid '90s, with members such as Murphy going on to become a minister in the church, but the influence of the Dirt Brothers crew remains for teams such as S&M Bikes, FBM Bike Co. and many more.

Just ask any aging BMXer that made it out of the early '90s who their favorite crew was. Chances are, it's the Dirt Bros.