Watch Jacko Strong preparing the infamous 12-pack for his Headstong film

 

It takes a lot of effort to look that effortless

We love a good edit or action-sports movie. Almost any kind too - whether it's FMX, surfing or Extreme Ironing - the balance of performance and reality makes for something you can be blown away and inspired by.
But we're also big fans of a decent behind the scenes video - they're often the part we most look forward to. They're a chance to show just how much hard work and effort goes into making something look effortless and cool as f**k. And this video fits the bill, as we look behind one of our favourite movies of last year: Jackson Strong's "Headstrong".
One of the movie's centrepieces was the insane "12-pack" run of jumps, and here we get a look at just how much refinement and care went into making sure Jacko was on the right side of the thin line between epic and disaster.

It's all about making plans in FSX first fresh issue of the year...

For Ken Block, the new year means a new Gymkhana - and we're taking a look behind the scenes at his latest Dubai-shot tyre-shredding extravaganza. We also have Michael Laverty sitting down with UK MotoGP rider Bradley Smith for an in-depth chat about progression in the sport and Czech snowboarder Šárka Pančochová tells us how she got back into the sport after the grind of the pro circuit took the joy out of it. We also have columns from WSBK rider Josh Brookes and FMXer Steve Sommerfeld. Plus we talk to Ben Townley, Rob Adelberg and Sam Pilgrim - and look inside Japan's GoBig and the Aus-X Open supercross. Head to Freestylextreme.com
Enjoy the issue!

FSX Talk To X Fighters Winner Levi Sherwood!

Levi Sherwood picked up a spectacular and hard-fought win at the Red Bull X-Fighters round in Madrid at the weekend. We caught up with the New Zealand rider just before the event to talk X Games medals, Nitro Circus and collaboration clothing ranges...

FSX: We’re really excited for your new Levi Sherwood collaboration range with Etnies. We love the look of the Tees and your new Charter shoe! How much input did you have into your range?

Levi: A fair amount, I told the designers I wanted to tie in my collection to the graphic look and design of my bike so that’s why you see purple and arrange hits. We went back and forth and worked it out to final product.

FSX: Do you have any more designs in the pipeline? Anything exciting we can look forward to in future Etnies ranges?

Levi: For sure, I have a really clear direction on the shoe silhouettes I want to use and we are also working on something really cool to bring to the table graphic-wise that I think people will be as excited about as I am.

FSX: You’re currently sitting in second for this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters competition. Things started brilliantly in Dubai but things didn’t quite work out so well at Glen Helen. How do you feel about the next round in Madrid?

Levi: I think Madrid will suit my style as it will be important to bring big tricks and get the crowd pumped up from the get go.

FSX: Dubai marked your third victory at a Red Bull X-Fighters event. You’re one of the youngest competitors and still just a few years into your career. What goals does a guy set himself that has achieved so much so soon?

Levi: I’m really focused on the Red Bull X Fighters Series, I’ve had some ups and downs early on and this year I want to play it smart and see the series all the way through to the end.

FSX: We’d never suggest that riders should take any unnecessary risks but were you disappointed that you didn’t get the chance to compete at the round of X Fighters in Turkey?

Levi: It really was disappointing for us as riders to not be able to put a show on for the fans and it was also disappointing for the people that worked so hard to make the event happen but in the end the decision that was made was the right one I think and it was really in the interest of rider safety.

FSX: Your accident at the practice of Nitro Circus in Las Vegas last year put you out of action for most of the 2011 competition season. Although it must have been hugely disappointing, it clearly hasn’t done anything to diminish your skill. Have your injuries led to any long-term effects or adjustments to your riding style?

Levi: I think most professional athletes are managing or playing/riding around an injury at most times but luckily so far (touch wood) I haven’t had to make any what I feel are significant adjustments to my riding style due to injury.

How did you end up hooking up with the Nitro Circus crew in the first place? Do you plan do anything more with them in the future?

Levi: They invited me for the New Zealand round and I think it was at Travis’s request; it was cool to spend time with him and Lyn-Z on the tour.

FSX: Congratulations on picking up another X Games silver medal, by the way! Your run was sick! How confident were you on the run up to the games?

Levi: I felt pretty good going in knowing that I had solid trick list and a new trick and the course having limited options due to the size of the venue would put the most pressure to deliver the goods in the air so that’s what I focused on.

FSX: That first ramp in the Moto X Freestyle arena looked terrifying! How did you find the course? Were you disappointed to find Taka had just pipped you at the post?

Levi: It did look a bit intimidating but when you think about it it’s really just a normal jump that is elevated, the ramp and the landings are the same as always just higher up in the air.

FSX: Good luck for the rest of the X Fighters and we hope to see you next year at X Games with a gold medal!

Levi: Thanks, I appreciate that, I hope so too! I’ll just do my best and see how it all works out.

Levi's etnies Kontra shoe is in stock and available now!

Loko Magazine Video

Big Air Jam 2012 Video

Big Air Jam Quality Burger Feet Images

Jamie Squibb and Chris  Birch in the whip Jam

Chris Birch flipin` out in the best run comp

Chris Birch  jack hammer

Squibb, Pearson, Birch, Ritchie ready for battle

Jamie Squibb king of whips

Gary Jenkins stunt wars action

Kye Forte Clearing the 2.5m bar

Danny Veale lazy boy style

Jamie Squibb Crowed King Of Freestyle At Big Air Jam 2012

Sick Trick
1st Chris Birch (Back Flip Nac)
2nd John Pearson (Back Flip)
3rd Jon Ritchie (Dead Body)

Best Whip
1st Jamie Squibb
2nd Chris Birch
3rd Danny Veale

Best Fmx Run

1st Jamie Squibb
2nd Danny Veale
3rd Chris Birch

Stunt wars
1st Kye Forte
2nd Lee Mussculewhite
3rd Darren Trottman

Parc y Scarlets presented the UK's hottest FMX athletes in an action packed airborne battle, Wednesday 6th June, as thousands of people packed the stadium's Castell Howell South Stand to enjoy an eye-watering feast of the best tricks, the biggest air and the sickest whips!
2009's Big Air Jam champion, 30 year old Jamie Squibb, was crowned 2012 champion after a thrilling Best Run Final against former school boy motocross champion Daniel Veale.

Last year's champion and 2012 Master of Freestyle Motocross Chris Birch missed out on the final despite some impressive moves including aa one-handed heart-attack seat grab and a rock solid.On a fine and sunny evening which saw a near capacity crowd, in the south stand, Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets once again showed that's its fast becoming the premier venue in West Wales for a wide variety of sports and culture.

The thrill of athletes jumping 40 feet in the air pulling acrobatic stunts over gaps approaching 100 feet, whilst on a motorbike, drew nervous gasps and cheers from the on-lookers as MT3's Big Air Jam Freestyle Motocross Championship rocked Parc y Scarlets.

Parc y Scarlets' Head of Events Rupert Moon said: "Big Air Jam is a radical competition and we were all thrilled within an inch of our lives as we watched some of the best rider perform some amazing stunts.
"The combined experience of sight, sound and smells within an arena like Parc y Scarlets ensured that it was a truly multi-dimensional spectacle and we had a great reaction from the crowd.

The Big Air Jam riders, or Gladiators of the Ring, certainly mesmerised the biggest adrenalin junkies as they performed breathtaking stunts.The evening's other winners included BMX enthusiast Kye Forte who high jumped a 2.5m bar to impress in the Stunt Wars.Crowd favourite Birch took the Sick Trick trophy after a phenomenal back flip with Big Air Jam 2012 champion Squibb also winning the Whip Contest.


To see pictures from Parc y Scarlets' Big Air Jam visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bigairjam

Big Air Jam Eve

Parc y Scarlets will present the UK's hottest FMX athletes in an action packed airborne battle to decide who can pull the best trick, the biggest air, the sickest whip or even the nastiest crash!

The finest freestyle motocross riders in Europe will be showing off their gravity defying skills featuring the UK's best freestyle riders including Chris Birch - X-fighters pilot and current British Champion; Jamie Squibb - former Big Air Jam Champion; John Pearson - first rider in the UK to pull the back flip on a motocross bike; Danny Veale, Stuart Macey, Ben Robinson and Jon Ritchie.

Come rain or sunshine on Wednesday 6th June, Parc y Scarlets' under-cover seating will offer the best possible arena to watch the thrill of athletes jumping 40 feet in the air pulling acrobatic stunts over gaps approaching 100 feet, whilst on a motorbike!

Ticket office will open again at 10am tomorrow (Wednesday) June 6th. Tickets will be available on the night. Do advise turn up early to get your tickets if you`ve not got them already.VIP and hospitality now sold out . Gates open 4pm plenty to do and see before the 7pm kick off. Fun fair, trade stands, pit party meet and greet the riders and plenty of food and drink to keep you all going 

Tickets are available by calling 0871 871 8088 or go online www.scarlets.co.uk.
EVENT DAY prices: £12 adults, £7 juniors, £33 family.

If you'd like to get closer to the action make sure you're at the Pit Party in the Big Air Jam Village (within Parc y Scarlets' West Stand) where you can get live and breathe the sights, smells and adrenaline aswell as having special backstage access to meet some of the riders! Pit Party wristbands priced at £1 per person.

Big Air Jam Poster

Help us spread the word for this years Big Air Jam. Print this poster and put it up in your work place collage or school , take a picture of your effort and post it on our Facebook page ,and we`ll hook you up with a nice goodie bag from one of our sponsors!

VIP Ticket Competition

Fancy winning some VIP tickets to the Big Air Jam? Now's your chance with our friends at Freestylextreme !

Simply head here  http://www.pages04.net/freestylextremetradingltd/big-air-jam 

LOCAL ENTHUSIASTS TO JUDGE AT BIG AIR JAM

Pictured (l-r): Cameron Bryant, Callum Ackery, Mark Thomas of MT3, Corey Evans, Kalum Williams, Huw Thomas Senior Youth Worker, Matthew Peake, Sam Peake and pictured front Champion rider Dan Evans, 21, who works at y Bwlch when not out on the track.

Young people who participated in the Bwlch Rangers Motocross Project will be trained as judges at the Big Air Jam freestyle Moto-X Championship, held at Parc y Scarlets, on Wednesday 6th June.

Previously held at Margam Park and Silverstone, the big air jam has a line-up of extreme sports stars and some of the best stunt actions which will be held on mini bikes, trials bikes and BMXs.

The Bwlch scheme, devised by bike enthusiast and Senior Youth Worker Huw Thomas, has captured the imagination of scores of youngsters.

It provides them with a safe environment in which to learn how to ride motorbikes properly, while also gaining qualifications in motor mechanics.

Mr Thomas said: "The group of young people have been trained hard to judge the riders performance, so riders may find themselves facing their harshest critics yet. This is a huge accolade for the young people; they are delighted to be participating in such a prestigious event and are looking forward to be judges on the night.

"The young people appreciate the amount of skills that are required by bikers in these events and know only too well the hard work and dedication it takes to become professional bikers; they are very worthy candidates and I'm so pleased that they have been asked to judge at this level."

Some of the finest freestyle motocross riders in Europe will be showing off their gravity defying skills featuring the UK's best freestyle riders including Chris Birch - X-fighters pilot and current British Champion; Jamie Squibb - former Big Air Jam Champion; John Pearson - first rider in the UK to pull the back flip on a motocross bike; Danny Veale, Stuart Macey, Ben Robinson and Jon Ritchie.Doors open at 6pm and the event promises to be a fun-packed night for all the family.

Gates will open at 6pm to gain access to the South Stand with fairground activities available from 4pm. For further information on the event, please visit  www.facebook.com/bigairjam or to purchase tickets, please call Parc y Scarlets' Ticket Office on0871 871 8088.

FMX Trick List - Bar Tricks

Shoalin Bar Hop 

Cordova

Stripper

Dead Body

Stale Fish

The freestyle motocross, bar hop trick is a relatively easy trick to learn. It also serves as the base move for other, more advanced tricks, some riders get on well with bar tricks, some then tend to shy away from them depending on the learning experience of the bar tricks. It can be very easy with the bar tricks to get caught up with the feet and end a pile on the floor!  Once a rider has mastered the basic Bar Hop of getting the legs through the bars, and when the bar Hop Has been perfected and stretched out , variations can then follow such as the Shoalin Bar Hop and then the super stretched out Dead Body. Also once you`ve got a Bar Hop dialled there is also the Mcmetz , where a rider will let go of both hands on the handle bars so the feet can be brought back around on to the bike and the rider then grabbing back on to the handle bars. Stale Fish a kind of wrapping the legs around one the arms on the bars .Sterilizer which if you can do bar hop is basically landing the bike in the bar hop position being sat on the handle bars when landing.A rider can also work on putting the feet on to the top of the bars and then work on the Cordova where a rider places the feet on to the bars and then arches the body back .The stripper is a kind of mixture of the bar hop and Cordova , where in the Cordova position a rider puts one foot through the bars.

What Time Is It ? 9 O'Clock Nac Time

This trick was first done by Travis Prastrana at X Games 2001. The rider lifts body of the seat and then hangs off the bars in the 9 O'Clock position. Riders can then progress this trick further, like chris Birch bellow making it a Crack Nac and for extra radness throw the bike into a massive whip and you ve got a flat liner dialed 

For extra radness throw the bike into a massive whip and you ve got a flat liner dialed 

FMX Tricks - Dead Body

The Dead Body move Invented by Drake Mcelroy. Riders would start of with a simple bar hop , just getting the feet and legs over the bars and keep pushing it until the body is laid out flat over bars and the front of the bike.Here we can see Jon Ritchie giving a whole new meaning to the word stretched out Dead Body!

Pirelli Go Big With The Big Air Jam Freestyle MX Series!

The Pirelli supported Big Air Jam Freestyle Moto-X Championship promises to be an evening to remember with stunts, BMX, entertainment, music, a fairground and of course some seriously ‘Big Air’!

Held at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli on the evening of Wednesday 6th June, the Big Air Jam has a line-up of extreme sports stars each looking to put on the best show at this always popular event. Previously held at Margam Park and Silverstone, the competition will make its debut at Parc y Scarlets Llanelli guided by organisers MT3.


The radical competition will feature some of the biggest names in Freestyle MX including Chris Birch – X Fighters pilot and current British Champion, Jamie Squibb - former Big Air Jam Champion, John Pearson - first rider in the UK to pull the back flip on a motocross bike; Danny Veale, Stuart Macey, Ben Robinson and Jon Ritchie. Each rider will have different disciplines to impress the crowd with including a two minute trick comp, best trick and best ‘whip’ as they throw the bikes sideways in the air as far as possible.


As well as the Freestyle competitions the event will run Big Stunt Wars featuring some of the best stunt action to be had on mini bikes, trials bikes, and BMX. Participating in the Stunt Wars will be Kye Forte - former BMX World Champion, Gary Jenkins - Welsh Trials Champion and Mark Thomas - mini-bike stunt rider, all of which will be hoping to break World Records on the evening.

Pirelli UK Product and Marketing Manager, Jim Worland commented, “The Big Air jam is a real community event combining entertainment and freestyle MX. We’re proud to support the event and will be looking forward to seeing the action on the night!”

With live DJ’s, a fairground, trade stands, the Pit Party where you can live and breathe the sights, smells and adrenaline aswell as having special backstage access to meet some of the riders and hospitality there’s so much to see and do. Tickets are on sale from Parc y Scarlets ticket office 0871 871 8088

FMX Tricks - Tsunami

This trick was created by Nate Adams. The rider's legs are curled backward over the front of the bike while looking back between the bars.A  rider can then further improve on this by getting the bike and body in one vertical line, it then becomes a ruler which scores even further with the judges!

FMX Tricks - Rock Solid

This trick was invented in 2002 by Chris "The Rock" Rourke. It`s considered by many as the nearest experience to actual flying. This Freestyle motocross trick is  where by a rider is completely free as a bird in flight. Its the next trick a rider would want to learn after getting the double grab trick dialled! For maximum Radness riders throw a rock solid it to the mix after a Holy Grab and try to get back on for a sweet spot landing.

FMX Trick List The Double Grab Hart Attack

Chris Birch Stretching Out A Double Grab Hart Attack 

This is a difficult trick to execute.Riders tend to start off with seat grabs and progress to double grabs and  then they try to grab the seat with both hands while raising legs into vertical position and looking back. Riders can can vary this up and make it into a  scorpion  basically a curled hart attack.

Jamie Squibb's FMX Compound Featuring Chris Birch

MPORA Action Sports

Need a foam pit to learn back flips? Not this kid Ben Robinson!

Ben Robinson new kid on the block in the world of  freestyle motocross here in the UK. Ben 26 years old from Eastbourne East Sussex winner of the AFMX jam back late summer attempting a backflip with no foam pit or practice .Crazy or brave we re still trying to work that one out, But be sure to check out his skills at this years Big Air Jam Wednesday June 6th at Parc Y Scarlets Llanelli.