I wasn't sure I would be involved with a bmx community ( a real one, this counts I guess, but I regress) at or above the age of 30. That age and how it corresponds to where I am in life now is pretty surreal. Three friends and myself decided we should go on a roadtrip to the famed nude bowl in March. Being adults now, thats a tricky thing to get four dudes schedules all on the same page. Work obligations and school deadlines made it the last weekend of May to finally get the go ahead to get on the open road. One of us never submitted a request for time off until about two weeks from departure. Even then, it wasn't a for sure thing a few days before leaving. We all finally met up and drove off at midnight on a Thursday night for an 8 hour drive to go ride a pool in the middle of the desert the same morning.
Later that morning I woke up in Santa Clarita or something to find the fucking Mystery Machine. Obligatory band photo, we are the big mexican xylophones.
After a couple more piss stops, our driver being awake for 30 hours or something and navigating through the desert. We made it.
One of two things I hoped to do.
My friend Mondo, pedals.
The ol over under maneuver with me and Matt.
A couple skaters in their 50s showed up with their dogs and were cool. I was stressing there was going to be some bmx jihad. "No bikes!" All the skaters we met that day were cool.
A quick tag for good measure.
My friends are hipsters with Polaroids. Album cover photo.
After sweating it out, we tried to go to a local swimming spot I remembered as a kid. Four years of compounded drought, some environmental development and it wasnt there anymore. Whitewater, California
After all this we went up to my Mom's house in Joshua Tree to relax. Plus do drive through the desert a bit.
Local pool I rode back in 2003, still empty. Not enough time to clean it out though.
Desert exodus
We made our way down to San Diego afterwards to chill at my friends place on the beach.
We rode once while down there. Bucket list Home Ave stuff.
After riding this for a few hours, I got a flat and we decided it was a good time for lunching. The two vegetarians and two omnivores split to get respective cuisine. Three of our bikes, including mine, were locked in my friends truck when they went to get burgers. I guess they were parked across the street from the patio they were eating on and some crooked fucker cut the locks and rode off with their bikes. They left mine because the whole flat tire thing. We were leaving the next morning so little hope was placed in getting them back. One friend was happy he never had to see his stupid eclat freecoaster again at least. Hope that fucker smashes his knee. Cannot wait to plan another trip, maybe a little less relaxing next time? Maybe more relaxing, level 3 has some weird demands.
This is a video of all the shit I described. Very trip oriented, not a riding edit. Though, there are a couple good shots!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIsQD4SUNVE