Finally got the Joe Kid on a Sting-Ray DVD. Yes I know it has been out for a few years, but the pirated version someone gave me wouldn’t play correctly, plus ultimately I hope a little of the cash I laid out for it finds it’s way back to the folks who put forth the effort to make it.
So how did I like it? I loved it! So rad to see all the old school footage from the early southern California scene…so real and so pure. It was pretty interesting to see some of my boyhood heroes outside the confines of BMX Action Magazine and actually get a feel for what their personalities were like in real life. It was also great to finally learn the correct pronunciation of “Scot Briethaupt“.
I’m pretty stoked that they didn’t ignore the East Coast scene, with notable inclusions of Rockville BMX and The Plywood Hoods (York PA).
If you didn’t live, breath and shit BMX through most of your childhood, the film will probably not have the same impact as it does on an “old school head / low budget soul rider” like myself, but it is still worth the watch just to see some of the rare footage.
I am giving them bonus credit for having a grand total of only like 3 flips in the whole thing, because this is a video about BICYCLE MOTOCROSS not circus acts. That being said, there is plenty of - late 80′s pastel color coordinated full uniform corporate sell out- early freestyle footage.
Suprisingly, the riding I seemed to like the most was Dizz Hicks. He just had something totally different going on. Pat Romano kind of tried to cop a bunch of credit for things he may or may not deserve credit for, which is kind 0f to be expected since his approach was from the artistic cycling scene and not so much BMX, so he may not have been aware of any parallel or preceding history from the BMX scene. I am suprised that they didn’t mention how he also used to perform his act on ice, which was played up heavily in BMXA when he became a full fledged trick team member if memory serves me correct.
Perry Kramer made me kind of sad yet at the same time hopeful. You could tell a dramatic difference in his personality between the two major portions of interview footage of him they spliced throughout the film. At least they gave proper respect to the PK RIPPER, which I and a zillion other people think was the most perfect BMX bike ever made…at least during the true “golden era” of the sport.
Overall, I am glad I bought the vid, and recommend you try to catch a viewing if you get a chance. After you watch it, you’ll probably want to go out, find a suitable location, and bust a big flat tabletop. Nuff said.
