• ARTICLES
    • - A Voice From Pre-History
    • - A Distorted Point of View
    • - Who Owns the Clip? - A Response
    • - Who Owns the Clip? - Part 2
    • - Who Owns the Clip? - Part 1
    • - What is Freestyle?
    • - Style, Nuances, and Trick Differentiation
    • - Is BMX Actually That Fun?
    • - Why Street Riding Became Such a Dominant Force in BMX Culture
    • - On Getting Rad
    • - An Open Letter about BMX Sponsorships
    • - CIF #3: Steering the Ship - The Future of BMX Culture
    • - History Speaks For Itself
    • - CIF #2: Identity Battles - The False War in BMX
    • - BMX and Mental Health
    • - CIF #1: Vlogging and its influence on BMX Social Hierarchy
    • - A Response to the Florideah Swampfest
    • - The Destruction of a F#%kboy
    • - FOS #5: Our Terrains
    • - FOS #4: Our Machines
    • - FOS #3: Our Bodies
    • - FOS #2: Our Competitions
    • - FOS #1: Attack of the Clones
    • - Specialization and the Myth of the All-Around Rider PART 2
    • - Specialization and the Myth of the All-Around Rider PART 1
    • - Self Investment
    • - Let It Be Printed
  • PODCASTS
    • - BMX Breakdown: Boxpalm – The Intersection of BMX, Art, Cultural Commentary, and Fun
    • - BMX Breakdown: Micah Kranz - Stunt Shows and Their Place in BMX Culture
    • - BMX Breakdown: Russell Wadlin - BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Dillon McClain and The Hardcopy BMX Archive
    • - Special Update: What's Happening With Project Spoke
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ryan Corrigan - Ramps, Riding, and Real Life
    • - BMX Breakdown: Listener Podcast #1
    • - BMX Breakdown: Andy Kent - The Story Untold
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jeff Klugiewicz and Life After BMX
    • - Special Update: The Launch of Project Spoke
    • - BMX Breakdown: Act Like You Know Cru – BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ryan Fudger and the Challenges and Realities of Running a BMX Media Outlet
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ross Lavender - Studying BMX History and Anthropology
    • - BMX Breakdown: Trey Jones – BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jay Roe – Sponsorships, Crews, The Olympics, and the “Death of BMX”
    • - BMX Breakdown: Brian Tunney – X-Games, Olympics, and Rodeo Peanut
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jon “Gremlin” Bechtold – Blue Collar BMX, The Daily Grind, and Straight Edge
    • - BMX Breakdown: Andrew Mick – Real-Life Confessions from a Rider
    • - BMX Breakdown: Richard Mungall - A Whole New Way of Thinking about the Economics of BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Nick Seabasty and The Anatomy of a BMX Clothing Brand
    • - BMX Breakdown: Steve Caro and the Story of the life of a BMX Brand
    • - BMX Breakdown: Rich Hirsch – Twenty Years of Creating in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Chase Dehart - Reflections On Growing Up Through BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Nick Ferreira and Challenger BMX Mag
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jeff Zielinski – BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Audience Invite
    • - BMX Breakdown: Brian Kachinsky – Advocacy, Influence, and Integrity in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ryan Fudger – Change, Adaptation, and Evolution in BMX Media
    • - BMX Breakdown: Chris Rye and the Institution of Video Production in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Zack Gerber - Grey Areas and Forgotten People in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Grant Castelluzzo and the Functions of Video in BMX
    • - Breakdown: Dan Price and "The Way" in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Vic Bettencourt - The Role of Local Shops in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Lino Gonzalez - BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Richard Mungall - Exploring "Freestyle"
    • - BMX Breakdown: Rob Dolecki and BMX Media
    • - BMX Breakdown: Lil Jon and the DIY Ethic
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jeff Klugiewicz and Generational Tension
    • - BMX Breakdown: Richard Mungall and The Culture of BMX
  • FEATURED
    • BMX-Focused Shops
    • Crews in BMX
    • Curb Cuts - Richard Mungall
    • A Culture in Flux - Mike Hinkens
    • Foundations of Style - Pat Fisher
  • ABOUT
  • PARTICIPATE
  • NETWORK
  • STORE
  • ARTICLES
    • - A Voice From Pre-History
    • - A Distorted Point of View
    • - Who Owns the Clip? - A Response
    • - Who Owns the Clip? - Part 2
    • - Who Owns the Clip? - Part 1
    • - What is Freestyle?
    • - Style, Nuances, and Trick Differentiation
    • - Is BMX Actually That Fun?
    • - Why Street Riding Became Such a Dominant Force in BMX Culture
    • - On Getting Rad
    • - An Open Letter about BMX Sponsorships
    • - CIF #3: Steering the Ship - The Future of BMX Culture
    • - History Speaks For Itself
    • - CIF #2: Identity Battles - The False War in BMX
    • - BMX and Mental Health
    • - CIF #1: Vlogging and its influence on BMX Social Hierarchy
    • - A Response to the Florideah Swampfest
    • - The Destruction of a F#%kboy
    • - FOS #5: Our Terrains
    • - FOS #4: Our Machines
    • - FOS #3: Our Bodies
    • - FOS #2: Our Competitions
    • - FOS #1: Attack of the Clones
    • - Specialization and the Myth of the All-Around Rider PART 2
    • - Specialization and the Myth of the All-Around Rider PART 1
    • - Self Investment
    • - Let It Be Printed
  • PODCASTS
    • - BMX Breakdown: Boxpalm – The Intersection of BMX, Art, Cultural Commentary, and Fun
    • - BMX Breakdown: Micah Kranz - Stunt Shows and Their Place in BMX Culture
    • - BMX Breakdown: Russell Wadlin - BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Dillon McClain and The Hardcopy BMX Archive
    • - Special Update: What's Happening With Project Spoke
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ryan Corrigan - Ramps, Riding, and Real Life
    • - BMX Breakdown: Listener Podcast #1
    • - BMX Breakdown: Andy Kent - The Story Untold
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jeff Klugiewicz and Life After BMX
    • - Special Update: The Launch of Project Spoke
    • - BMX Breakdown: Act Like You Know Cru – BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ryan Fudger and the Challenges and Realities of Running a BMX Media Outlet
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ross Lavender - Studying BMX History and Anthropology
    • - BMX Breakdown: Trey Jones – BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jay Roe – Sponsorships, Crews, The Olympics, and the “Death of BMX”
    • - BMX Breakdown: Brian Tunney – X-Games, Olympics, and Rodeo Peanut
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jon “Gremlin” Bechtold – Blue Collar BMX, The Daily Grind, and Straight Edge
    • - BMX Breakdown: Andrew Mick – Real-Life Confessions from a Rider
    • - BMX Breakdown: Richard Mungall - A Whole New Way of Thinking about the Economics of BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Nick Seabasty and The Anatomy of a BMX Clothing Brand
    • - BMX Breakdown: Steve Caro and the Story of the life of a BMX Brand
    • - BMX Breakdown: Rich Hirsch – Twenty Years of Creating in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Chase Dehart - Reflections On Growing Up Through BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Nick Ferreira and Challenger BMX Mag
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jeff Zielinski – BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Audience Invite
    • - BMX Breakdown: Brian Kachinsky – Advocacy, Influence, and Integrity in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Ryan Fudger – Change, Adaptation, and Evolution in BMX Media
    • - BMX Breakdown: Chris Rye and the Institution of Video Production in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Zack Gerber - Grey Areas and Forgotten People in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Grant Castelluzzo and the Functions of Video in BMX
    • - Breakdown: Dan Price and "The Way" in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Vic Bettencourt - The Role of Local Shops in BMX
    • - BMX Breakdown: Lino Gonzalez - BMX Smorgasbord
    • - BMX Breakdown: Richard Mungall - Exploring "Freestyle"
    • - BMX Breakdown: Rob Dolecki and BMX Media
    • - BMX Breakdown: Lil Jon and the DIY Ethic
    • - BMX Breakdown: Jeff Klugiewicz and Generational Tension
    • - BMX Breakdown: Richard Mungall and The Culture of BMX
  • FEATURED
    • BMX-Focused Shops
    • Crews in BMX
    • Curb Cuts - Richard Mungall
    • A Culture in Flux - Mike Hinkens
    • Foundations of Style - Pat Fisher
  • ABOUT
  • PARTICIPATE
  • NETWORK
  • STORE
IMPRIMATUR

A FORUM FOR THE ANALYTICAL DISCUSSION OF BMX CULTURE & Politics

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Foundations
Of Style


PAt Fisher

A five-part series which serves as a roadmap for
​the cultivation of new riding style in BMX.

FOUNDATIONS OF STYLE #1:
​ATTACK OF THE CLONES

Author: Pat Fisher
Date Published: November 17, 2016
​Synopsis: This is the short, yet dense, introductory piece of Pat Fisher’s series: Foundations of Style. In less than three pages, Pat asserts that the commonly heard complaint about “lack of originality” in BMX riding is symptomatic of bigger issues about how we understand BMX and its relationships with itself, its participants, and its materials. According to him, underlying the “stagnation” seen in modern BMX, is a failed attempt to “think outside the box about ‘thinking outside the box.’” By the conclusion, he lays the groundwork for his upcoming written roadmap for a more open and creative BMX world.  
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​FOUNDATIONS OF STYLE #2:
​OUR COMPETITIONS

Author: Pat Fisher
Date Published: November 25, 2016
​Synopsis: In the second installment of Pat Fisher’s series Foundations of Style, it is argued that the BMX industry and the community at-large should embrace new styles of BMX in order for creativity to thrive. This piece focuses on the intersection of competitions (and those orchestrating them) and creative bike riding. According to the author, that relationship plays a strong role in the development of, and often stifling of, creativity in BMX. This piece addresses various notable contentions such as the oft-lamented issue of how to organize and judge various riding styles in formal competition as well as what defines a discipline in BMX. In addition, it integrates a historical perspective on why BMX competitions exist as they do today. ​
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​FOUNDATIONS OF STYLE #3:
​OUR BODIES

Author: Pat Fisher
Date Published: December 4, 2016
​Synopsis: For the third installment of Pat Fisher’s Foundations of Style, we dive into the issue of the body and its connection to creativity, or the stagnation of creativity, in BMX. Though ideas regarding gender are evolving in the world at-large as well as in BMX, there is much to be unpacked and discussed when it comes to this important and dominant way of categorizing and organizing society and its cultural subsets, i.e. BMX. In this well-cited and very direct piece, Pat argues that creativity can thrive only if we recognize that we have narrowed the definition of BMX unnecessarily by unofficially mandating the youthful male body as the only tool by which BMX should be practiced. This piece concludes with a series of tips for evolving BMX and our interpersonal relations in hopes of cultivating a more inclusive, open, and creative community.
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FOUNDATIONS OF STYLE #4:
​OUR MACHINES

Author: Pat Fisher
Date Published: December 4, 2016
​Synopsis: The fourth installment of Pat Fisher’s Foundations of Style begins with a discussion of the relationship between one of the most obvious parts of BMX—our bikes— and originality and creativity in modern BMX culture. It then analyzes a very relevant and illuminating example of modern bicycle creativity and its unique lessons. From the micro-perspective regarding technological innovations riders have helped generate, to the macro-perspective concerning global economic inequalities, this piece makes a clear connection between style/originality and some very real and recognizable BMX and global issues.
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FOUNDATIONS OF STYLE #5:
OUR TERRAINS

Author: Pat Fisher
Date Published: December 4, 2016
​Synopsis: The final installment of Pat Fisher’s Foundations of Style approaches the intersection of the terrains we ride and the issue of originality in BMX. The article begins with an argument that—though the terrain we ride does affect how we ride—our concepts of what constitutes accepted “riding styles” affect how we interpret and utilize the spots we find in the world. Pat continues to say that our natural human habit of organizing and utilizing the massive and complex world around us can infringe upon creative thinking and thus creativity in BMX itself. Finally, to round out the piece and the series as a whole, Pat concludes with a summary of the whole series and a restatement of its major themes.
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