At the Ed Benedict meeting I saw the one of the bike guys I see around handing off a benefit check to the skatepark effort. So while the street and vert guys are flaming each other about terrain on the internet, The bike guys are raising money and going to meetings.
Personally, I have met some cool bike dudes over the years. The summer before last I met some bike guys at a pool session and they were killing it. Later I was scoping out a pool at a motel that was being torn down but never got the thing cleaned out because we kept running into guards. Those same bike dudes cleaned it out and I ended up getting a few sessions in before it was torn down. Bike riders were the most active user community while the Vancouver park meetings were going on, Battleground too. Madras, Oregon anyone?
The guy’s name is Dean Dickinson. you’ve probably seen him around. The guy has ridden 80 pools. I haven’t ridden 80 pools, have you? He mentions our buddy Wes with much respect in his interview.
Here’s what he had to say when I asked him about the donation:
I had a premiere for my BMX shralpumentary Take It Or Leave It. It wasn’t really a benefit, we just had a donation jar sitting out in front of the ticket stand at the Clinton Street Theater on Oct 25th. We didn’t get a whole lot of money but it still helps the cause. We’ve had a number of benefit events for the Portland Metro Parks but a lot of the time only the BMX community is aware of these events. …other park users think that Portland’s BMXers aren’t doing anything to help when that’s far from the truth.
I’ve been hesitant to post bike stories because frankly, I get tired of all the whining from dudes I rarely see at sessions. Shit, I’ve been holding onto that bike pool shot for a year and a half.
Thanks for helping out bike dudes. Hey call me for that next pool mission okay?
5 comments
Aaronskate
Things full of dirt now, fun while it lasted. (i know this has nothing to deal with the post.
Welsh Pete
That is a sick shot. The BMX hate isn’t cool. Public parks are public parks. Portland of all places should be able to figure out how we can make parks to suit us all and keep all users safe. Most places in the world, it is a given that you’ll find all manner of activity at a skatepark, blading, scooting, bikes and some people even practice this obscure thing called ‘vert skating.’ Just don’t let any of those hipsters on fixed gear track bikes in…
cskate
Yeah those guys have really caught onto how the process works. With the wide acceptance of skateboarding and the general negative attitude towards bikes it seems like the Bikers are the new skaters. I feel like the skaters are starting to take things for granted and the bikers are the motivated ones now.
Estes
Awesome story MC. Open minds, create more channels. Bravo.
Concretin
Way to represent MC. (And Dean.)