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Did you know that the NSW BMX Championships hit hard on the weekend?

If you're down with BMX racing in Australia you might be aware of the state championships that happen each year.

But if you don't race BMX, then read on. You'll get the lowdown on a huge aspect of one of the most exciting styles of BMX here in Australia.

A quick overview on how the BMX State Titles work

Each year, a BMX track is chosen in each state (and territory), with riders all over Australia travelling to compete for the chance to be crowned the fastest rider for that state in their respective age groups.

A rider from any state or territory can win the title and bragging rights (thanks to a number plate donning the riders' achievement) for the year. 

 Rhysty's 40-44 men final.

Recapping the 2019 NSW BMX Titles

This year the NSW State Titles were held at Maitland BMX track just north of Newcastle. 

There was a big convoy of Canberra BMX riders in attendance at Maitland, competing across several age classes.

The Maitland BMX track had a good mix of all the elements that make a good BMX race; a powerful first straight with a long first turn that led into a fun and fast second straight with no shortage of jumps.

The third straight kept you on your toes! 

This third straight rhythm was just technical enough to keep you thinking while still being fast and not clunky. The only left berm on the track was left till last and started a tight last straight to the finish.

It was rad to see a heavy presence of the fastest and loosest crew in town, thanks to riders from Canberra and interstate wearing their Back Bone race jerseys. The Back Bone race crew was in full effect. 

11 Boys shredder and Tuggeranong BMX rider Reid Stewart. Mitch Ramm photo.

NSW BMX State Titles results

Riders were looking fast all weekend long; there was no less than 850 entries into the State Titles across the two days, which means some of the age classes were STACKED with over forty riders competing through to make an 8 rider final.

A big pat on the back goes to all riders who competed. Regardless of where you finished up, it's an impressive feat just to line up on the gate. We were, however, stoked to see a heavy presence of these Canberra BMX racers charge into the finals and grab a NSW plate.

• 9 girls: Amelia Stitchbury (1st)
• 11 boys: Reid Stewart (5th)
• 12 girls: Maddie Hayes (4th)
• 12 boys: Cooper Sellars (8th)
• 13 girls: Laura Gasperski (8th)
• 14 boys: Nathan Granatelli (5th)
• 16 boys: Luke Granatelli (7th)
• 30-34 men: Kaine McCarroll (3rd)
• 40-44 men: Rhysty! (2nd)
• 45-49 men: Craig Hewitt (7th)

Rhysty hit his final hard and although his foot unclipped down the third rhythm straight, he was still able to hold it together for a 2nd place finish. A special mention goes out to Australian vert-riding legend Matt Fairbairn, who went down hard in the same final, got up and then tried to 360 the last double into the second straight. Wild.

Rhysty heading into the first corner in the 40-44 men final. Photo: Mitch Ramm

BMX racing is tough.

It's tough to line up onto a stacked gate of 8 riders, all of you wanting to make it into the first corner in the number one position - and carry that position all the way to the finish line.

It takes concentration, guts, skill, practice and a little bit of luck to make it through any race, so if you're out on the track and giving it your all - especially at an event like the NSW BMX State Titles - we applaud you. 

Congrats to all the racers and see you next time!

Luke Granatelli is one of the fastest 16 boys in Australia right now. Photo: Mitch Ramm

What are you gonna do this school holidays?

Ride BMX, that's what!

There's no better time to progress your riding than by getting oh-so treasured extra hours on the BMX bike, with no school to get in your way.

Now that school holidays is approaching and the free time that comes with it, it's a good time for riders to get an extra leg up on their skills with BMX coaching.

So, we're hosting school holiday BMX coaching sessions at Belconnen skatepark. Canberra school holiday activities tend to never cater to the Canberra BMX community, but this one should be right up your alley.

We're intentionally sticking to small groups of 12 riders between 2 coaches, that way we can work with riders no matter the skill level.

If you are a beginner who is new to BMX, you'll be catered to just as much as a rider who is having trouble with tailwhips.

We're stoked with how our first term of BMX coaching went and we saw a real increase in skills in such a short time, if you want to jump on the progression train, now's your chance!

BMX really is one of the best things to do in Canberra, and with a bit of skills coaching it will make BMX even more fun for you.  

Click here to book your school holiday BMX coaching now!

Jack Gruber has been riding for the shop since he was a young 16 year old royal rat. He's 23 now, and despite his phenom abilities on the BMX, he has developed quite the eye for photography. Quite the eye, indeed.

Starting down the route of photos of BMX, Jack's subject matter has expanded to his other passion; music. Jack has found himself a gig shooting photos of gigs. And his photos are nothing short of epic.

Jack's photos even found their way into the finals for the Monster Children photo comp late last year - I wouldn't be surprised if that happens again this year.

It's cool to see someone pursue the things they love while still maintaining their love for BMX (and tearing it pieces).

Jack thought he'd share a couple of photos from his world travels, plus a page from his journal, all handwritten cause he's nifty like that.

Long icepick. Portrait and riding photos by Anthony Bowler.

Midnight Oil.. Photo: Jack Gruber

Living.

Thanks to Brendan Boeck, we have a dose of Chris Harti tearing up his freshly upgraded spot that lives in the outskirts of Canberra, all on his new rig.

Harti and his trail digging partner in crime Raine Turnbull have been working on their spot in Wamboin for 10 years now and just when you thought it couldn't get more intimidating, they've added a 9 foot step down lip three sets in and jacked up a bunch of other sets.

Chris is just about to leave (tomorrow) for a 2 month trip across the world, heading to Budapest and the USA to get his fill of east coast trail riding.. lucky dude! If you're not following him on the gram now might be the time to see his antics go worldwide. 

Keep scrolling to see what Chris Harti runs and some epic shots out at his trails..

CHRIS HARTI FIT HARTBREAKER BIKE CHECK

• Frame: Fit Hartbreaker, 21.5" matte Black
• Forks: Fit Blade V3
• Stem: Fit Homan
• Headset: Fit Integrated
• Bars: Fit Vandlebar

• Grips: ODI Longneck
• Cranks: Fit Blunt, 175mm
• Sprocket: S&M Drainman, 36t
• Pedals: Fit MAC, unsealed
• Chain: Shadow Conspiracy Interlock

• Seat: Back Bone railed
• Seat Post: Fit I Beam
• Seat Clamp: S&M XLT
• Hub (front): Profile Elite
• Hub (rear): Profile Elite Cassette, 12t driver
• Rims: Fit
• Tire (front): S&M Mainline 2.4
• Tire (rear): S&M Speedball 2.1

Photos: Brendan Boeck

Chris Harti, late August, 2019.

This jump is TALL and stepped down. Chris poppin'.

Chris oppo tabled on the big lefty.

Chris, heading back to the top.

Jason with that crazy pull-back flip transfer that secured him the win in Mexico. Photo: Rob Dolecki courtesy of VansBMXProCup.com

A quick highlight the fact that Cult crew shredder Jason Watts is 100% on a tear at the moment; not only did he just go back-to-back with another win at the last Vans BMX Pro Cup in Mexico, but he has also just been nominated for NORA Cup transition rider of the year!

It will no doubt be very rad if he pulls it off the NORA, but either way, Jason is showing that it is possible to ride at the highest level, while keeping it fun at the same time.

Jason is also just about to shred as team captain at Battle Of Hastings; keep your eyes out for that.

The Vans BMX Pro Cup winner Mexico, 3 years in a row! Photo: VansBMXProCup.com

Rhysty, the Steel Panther, and the aim of the game..The finish line. Photos: Tyson JP

Rhysty jumped back into BMX racing a few years ago and has been making moves across the east coast, travelling to races like the Australian titles earlier this year, as well as the recent state round at Southlake BMX track last weekend.

Rhys recently dialled in his latest race rig, an S&M Steel Panther, so we thought it was a good chance to show what gets him snapping out of the gate and across the finish line.

RHYS WILLIAMS (RHYSTY) S&M STEEL PANTHER BIKE CHECK

• Frame: S&M Steel Panther frame, 21.75" Black
• Forks: S&M Race forks
• Stem: S&M Credence Turtleneck
• Headset: Back Bone
• Bars: Back Bone Kicked Out bars
• Grips: ODI Ruffian grips
• Cranks: Profile Elite, 177.5mm
• Sprocket: Profile Elite chainring, 46t
• Pedals: Crank Brothers Stamp 7 pedals
• Chain: Shadow Conspiracy Interlock chain, 3/32"
• Seat: Tioga D-Spyder Pivotal
• Seat Post: DRS Pivotal
• Seat Clamp:Salsa quick release
• Hub (front): Profile Elite
• Hub (rear): Profile Elite Cassette hub, 17t cog
• Rims: Sun Envy rims
• Tire (front): Tioga Powerblock, 1.95"
• Tire (rear): right now, a Tioga Powerblock, 1.75"
• Brakes:  Promax P1
• Brake Lever: Promax P1
• Brake Cable: Promax

Give me a bit of a rundown of your race bike:

This bike compared to the 38 Special feels a lot more stiff. The Steel Panther frame is sleeker and I'm loving the in-built chain tensioners. I went for a longer length for a bit more stability at high speed. I guess I just really like CRMO bikes so I can bike rack a few doubles and not have to worry about it too much [laughter].

Plus I'm just trying to hold onto my roots as much as possible. I've got nothing against the dudes running alloy and carbon frames - it just makes my bike look even better [laughter].

I have another bike for riding the trails and skatepark, but lately I've had some really good sessions at the skatepark on my race bike, which might just become more of a thing for me in the future. With the setup I've got the only thing that you'd have to change is the tires.

While I'd love to run a 44/16 gearing, I quite like the 46/17 combo with the rear tire I'm running now. I'm not the most powerful dude to the first jump but that gearing is a good in between for me.

I have always run Profile products. No doubt there's lighter products and hubs with quicker engagement, but personally Profile hasn't ever let me down.

I also love Sun rims, I've run them forever and I'm just sticking with stuff that I know is quality gear. I'm too old to have a part fail on me at high speed.

When I was younger I snapped the head tube off some alloy frames. While I'm sure alloy frames are made a lot stronger now, I don't want to risk it.

I bolted on a set of the (just about to be released) Back Bone handlebars which have a traditional sweep compared to a lot of the flatter bars that racers run. I just like a good feeling set of bars that feel good to jump, rather than get a slightly better gate with flat bars that feel horrible to me. 

I run a slightly wider front tire than most on the track, I just like the way it feels and I don't think it makes too much of a difference for rolling resistance.

I never thought I'd get back into BMX racing like I have. All I really want to do is ride the trails full time, but now that my two boys race, racing has taken on a different meaning for me. I get share the experience of travelling to BMX event with them, and cheer them on. I'm less worried about my results and the competition has become more about doing the best that I can, rather than what position I ended up in.

I want to say a big thanks to Chris Moeller and Scott Shepherd for helping me out with this badass bike, Andrew Mapstone at Vans for keeping my feet fresh and BentSpoke for keeping me hydrated after the race.

Back Bone BMX shop owners Rhysty and Tyson, July 2019.

This is one of those moments in time that we've been thinking about for a long time and now, it's finally going to happen.

Rhysty started the shop 15 years ago with the intention of being a pillar of BMX, a place that you could come to get the parts you needed, but also a place helps to build the BMX scene and create strength within the BMX community. Being more than a shop, which is why the name Back Bone seemed so fitting to Rhysty.

We have no intention of stopping supply of all the best BMX bikes and parts that there is!

However, one thing about being a physical store is the limited time you have to create stoke and build a scene out there in the BMX community, when you're in the shop all day.

As I've said, our goal has always been to create and build a strong BMX scene here in Canberra, as well as in Australia (and beyond!).

So what's going on?

We are changing things up, and it's getting us psyched. We'll be able to offer better service than ever, a better product range and more focus to giving back to the BMX community.

Starting Monday 22nd July 2019, we will be offering BMX coaching for both freestyle and race, four days a week, every week, from here on out.

Rhysty and I are both accredited BMX coaches and have coached for many years through government programs and over school holidays. It's something that we love to do and it's something that, until now, we've rarely had a chance to do, timewise, while running the shop.

But with better use of our time, we will now be out almost every afternoon during the week at skateparks and race tracks, getting to know local BMX riders better and help them along with whatever it is they might want to learn to become a better rider.

In order to make this happen, the amount of hours we will be open as a retail, physical BMX shop will have to change.

Our new shop opening hours will be: 

Monday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Tuesday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Friday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Saturday: 11am - 3pm
Sunday: Closed

These hours will still allow customers and riders to come in, browse, purchase goods, pick up orders, drop off repairs, shoot the breeze, say g'day and get expert advice. In a world where everything is online, it still allows us to remain a physical place for Canberra and travelling riders to make homebase, and that's important to us.

But, the shorter opening hours will give us more time in between. To organise more jams, make better events and of course, plan coaching. 

It will also give us more time to work on improving our online BMX shop and service. We've been sending BMX bikes and parts to fellow riders via our online shop since 2007 and our aim for 2019 and beyond is to expand our product range, provide faster turn around and even better service.

Sending BMX products to riders worldwide through our online BMX shop is more meaningful that you can imagine; I've been riding BMX for 20+ years and Rhysty for 35+ years. To know that we can help out more BMXers with what they're after is the whole reason why the shop opened and why we're so passionate!

So expect to see some changes and an expanded range of more of that good BMX proddy available on our online shop over the coming weeks.

This change is HUGE for us.

We are no longer operating as JUST a BMX shop. Our goal is threefold.

1. We will help to build the BMX scene in Australia by having more time to organise jams and events.
2. We will be a part of growing the BMX community in Canberra through coaching.
3. We want to help more riders get what they want by offering a bigger range of BMX products on our online shop.

These changes are coming thick and fast. This will all be up and running Monday 22nd July, so hold tight, we'll be updating our site and socials as more things (like online booking for coaching) roll out - this is gonna be sick and we are beyond stoked.

- Tyson

Jason Watts and the crew at Stuttgart, Germany. Photo: Rob Dolecki, taken from the Vans BMX Pro Cup website.

You gotta be frothin on this (cause we are!), Back Bone team rider Jason Watts just won the second Vans BMX Pro Cup in Stuttgart, Germany! Watch the official highlights video now below, as well as the moves that got Jason the win aboard his freshly built up Cult Walsh Hawk frame. Add to this the best trick win at the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Five Dock and you've got a heck of a year getting tee'd up..

Stoked for you Jase!

The official highlights video from the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Germany

Jason Watts coming home with the win at the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Germany! Video: Our BMX

Thought we'd celebrate one of the pillars of the Canberra (and Australian) BMX scene, Russell Brindley, as he turns 35 today! Russell has been shredding since day one and the fact the he keeps getting better, even at 35, is exciting to watch and inspiring for all. 

Russell's heavy stoke for building and riding trails is always firing, this video is a few of sessions caught on film and here for you to salivate on. Full blown trail hesh.