It already feels like a blur of commotion in my memory but I was just at the Battle of Hastings BMX contest and the NORA Cup in Hastings, England. I saw amazing riding, lots of my BMX family, embarrassed myself on stage, and I was given an award.

I’m currently typing while under the English Channel on the Eurostar train that is taking me back to my bike that I left in Rotterdam. The Eurostar is the bullet train that runs from London to either Paris or Amsterdam and goes through the tunnel under the English Channel. It cost more than a flight but I guess it claims to have much less of a carbon footprint. Mostly I just like trains and keeping with the theme of my trip to stay out of airplanes. 

I took this train to England on Saturday eve. I arrived late into London and booked a hotel near the St Pancras station. It was a harsh culture shock walking through downtown London late at night compared to my last week in the Netherlands. The streets were much more chaotic and the bike roads were gone. There was also the gritty reality of most big cities including people sleeping on the concrete sidewalks within 50 feet of a million dollar supercar. Belligerently drunk people stumbled and cussed right next to bodies on the ground that might have been dead or alive. I felt incredibly sad and helpless about it all. I bought one guy a juice and wondered if that was worth anything. 

The next morning I hopped on a small train from London down to Hastings. The second I hit the ground I ran into old friends. I pinballed my way through town and down to the Source skatepark bouncing off riders I knew or just met. It was great to see everyone and catch up in the quick way that you do after not seeing someone for years. 

The BMX park finals happened soon after and it was a lot of fun to watch. The riding was amazing and the Source skatepark looked like the kind of ramps I would have loved to have ridden. Standing on the deck with the riders I couldn’t help but feel my blood start pumping. My hands would clench invisible grips and my brain was flooded with the lines I felt like I was about to drop in and attempt. Those days are gone of course but in the heat of the moment I felt connected to the riding as if I’d never stepped away. 

There was so many great riders and such a diverse group of riding styles it was really refreshing. This was a rider’s contest in that it seemed to celebrate lots of different types of riders (though I suppose it’s worth mentioning that it was all dudes and it is slightly curated). There were guys who could blast airs, do the techiest tricks, do things no one else could do, link the park together in impossibly smooth ways, transfer ramps to ramp with precision, muscle through harsh drops and impossible feats of rail trickery all mixed together. There was a lot more than that too but it’d probably be better if you just watched some of the videos or a replay of the live feed. 

My main takeaway is that riding is in a very good place even if the industry is in some turmoil. The progression and growth of the best riders is inspiring and creative. Later in the night I mumbled out some words at the NORA Cup event trying to express that. I don’t think it came out correctly but I tried to say how grateful I was to all these riders ‘for keeping what I love alive and growing.’ 

The NORA (Number One Rider Award) Cup took place at at theater across the street from the Battle of Hastings comp. I was to present an award and only at the last minute found out it was for “Video Part of the Year.” Backstage I tried to cobble together something to say for it but got on stage and buckled under the lights mostly stumbling on my words. No big deal I hope. The video with the nominees played after I gave the cue and I read the right winner’s name. With a clearer head and delete key handy I can tell you that video part of the year is a big honor. There is so many video parts out these days it is hard to stand out amongst the noise. It’s also risky for a rider to sink a bunch of time into a video part. You might post a year’s worth of work only to have it shuffled down the social media cue hours later. All the nominated parts were amazing and were able to stand out. Dennis Enarson ended up winning. His riding is brilliant. 

At the end of the show they surprised me with a “Legend” award. Good friend Ruben Alcatara got up on stage and said some very nice words about me and I was presented with a cool looking stone plaque. The irony of giving a guy who is currently living on a bike a block of stone seemed funny. Luckily OurBMX was willing to hold on to it and forward it when I have an address to mail it to. It is a big honor to be given the legend award. It makes me feel like some of that I put into BMX lives on in some of the younger riders.

I saw even more friends as the NORA Cup wrapped up and Ian Morris drove me back to his place after midnight. I was feeling very tired after non stop talking for the entire exciting day (which had been very warm and humid). He’s married to Jo who had set up a deluxe tent in the backyard for me to sleep in. It was an absolute treat to spend the night in a very fine English garden! At 6am I was up for a quick shower and to start this journey.

I’ll make it back to Rotterdam tonight to reunite with my bike.  I’ll catch up on some much needed sleep and then I start pedaling my way out of the Netherlands.