Click this photo to see a video from the trip.

During the month of May, a group of BMXers from the past and present hopped on board planes headed to Beijing, China, to be a part of Nike’s Lightning Bolts BMX art show. Most weren’t quite sure why they were headed to China; all they knew was that Nike sent them a ticket and that sitting in the upstairs cabin of a 747 is never a bad way to start a trip.

The roster headed to the show read like a who’s who of BMX folklore. Bob Haro, Brian Blyther, Mat Hoffman, Ron Wilkerson, Eddie Fiola, Mark Lewman, Jeff Tremaine, tons of BMX media, plus modern-day Nike 6.0 shredders Mike Spinner, Nigel Sylvester, and Maxime Charveron. Upon landing in China, they were all whisked away to one of the dopest hotels in Beijing, and the only thing on their agenda was to have fun. Not a bad assignment.



Click this pic to see the riding and party photos.

The first two days in Beijing were taken up with the always-fun jetlag battle and some incredible sightseeing. Nike had a big-time party one night to launch its Sportswear line, and the show featured some of the top Chinese athletes that will compete in the Summer Olympics. There was so much going on during the show that it felt like being in the middle of an insane production you see on TV—not something you watch unfold in person. Did I mention that the party was held in Beijing’s Forbidden City? Crazy. After the Sportswear launch the crew was shuttled to another party for the Sportswear line where Nigel Sylvester was one of the stars of the night. With the combination of drinks and jetlag the night got a little blurry, but everyone had blast.

On top of the parties, cheap massages, and shopping excursions, the crew also took a trip to the Great Wall of China. I’ve been lucky to travel pretty extensively for BMX, but walking up the Great Wall with Bob Haro and Eddie Fiola was pretty mind-blowing. Most of the crew still didn’t understand why they were in China, but no one was complaining. If you ever go to the Great Wall, be prepared for a serious hike. That thing is no joke.

The next evening things kicked into high gear. While the BMX legends were living the Beijing highlife, the Nike crew put the finishing touches on the Lightning Bolts art show, which was no typical art show. Picture this. A huge, empty industrial gas tank filled with ramps, plus Haro Lightning Bolt numberplates decked out by some of the great BMX artists from throughout history. The entire Lighting Bolts concept was inspired by John Martin, Nike’s Creative Director for Action Sports/old-school BMX fan, along with Mark Lewman. Both of those guys flat-out love BMX, and this was their way to celebrate the sport and bring some of the legends together to be honored for giving us freestyle BMX in the first place.



Click this photo to see all the numberplates.

When the BMX legends showed up that evening for the show, it was like stepping into a Hollywood movie premiere where they were the stars. The tank was packed with people checking out the art, along with cameras like crazy. Once all of the riders got together for a group photo, the paparazzi went nuts. The looks on the legends’ faces were priceless. They were the stars of the show simply for doing something loved.

Ramps were built for the Lighting Bolts show the week before everyone arrived, and Spinner, Nigel, and Maxime put on a good show. The floor of the tank had so many bumps and dips in it that it made riding pretty tough, but they still put on a good show for the crowd. And once again, the paparazzi cameras were going nuts.

The day after the art show the entire crew slowly made appearances at the hotel restaurant and talked about the late-night festivities. Then it was off to the airport for another 13-hour flight on the way home (except for the 6.0 team who stayed to film for the Nike video around Beijing). Looking back, it feels like the trip was more like a dream than something that actually happened, and I’m pretty sure that everyone involved felt the same way.