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The Dangers Of The Deep Blue Sea - Southsea

One experience I had was when I went to the Legendary "King Of Concrete" Contest, at Southsea Skatepark in Portsmouth with the Bearwood BMX team. On this journey when we was in Southsea some of us bought inflatable lilos to use as make shift bedding, and to be comfortable for the night time sleep and the sweet dreams. I'm not sure who or why it happened but someone suggested we all go on the sea with the lilos, there was a few of us, so we all said yeah "Let's Do It Why Not" so off we go lilos tucked under our arms. I'm sure someones lilo popped while pumping it up but not sure who's it was?? All of us then went down to the beach at Southsea, so the lilo owners went to set up, me being one of them, whilst the other boy's stayed out the water and watched our clothes, belongings Etc. I remember clearly that everyone has got their own space on the sea while setting up, then off we go just paddling out to sea having a laugh, I then start doing my own thing and staying a few feet back and to the left from the group because from previous experiences i knew this was not going to be normal in any way whatsoever. I was paddling for a while and after a little while I seen these 2 elderly gentlemen just out at sea in the distance, so by now we are quite a way from the beach, to me it looked like they were treading water, so I paddle over to them to see, when I got there I start chatting to them to see what the deal was. It happens that they was standing on this ledge (Wall) that was there out at sea, they explained it was not too big at all and what not else, and that it is a local knowledge thing, I can see why. So me being me I thought i'm going to have a go, I started to get off the lilo and tried to stand on this WALL, whilst i'm half off and half on the lilo trying to feel for this ledge with my one foot, the gents start shouting saying NO NO NO and start explaining the ledge is too small and that it only fits the 2 of them and also its very deep water here. I panic and I start to scramble back onto my lilo which was a task and a half considering there flimsy and it was trying to overturn, I was kind of thinking Oh Oh what if there is any sharks at the same time and PANIC. With the grace of God I got back on to the lilo,said my fairwell's to them and went to catch the group up who where ahead of me in the distance. When you go forward you don't look back at times, and this is one of them moments, LORD HAVE MERCY when I started to paddle towards the group, right then just up ahead in the distance this boat goes flying past, the wave off the boat rocked my lilo proper, and I was thinking at the time how mad is that, that they let the boats come this close to the shore?? It's then I thought how FAR ARE WE from the beach, turned and looked, Low and Behold the rest of the Bearwood rider's that are on the beach looked like little specs. We had ventured a little too far and beyond the limits I think, By this time the rest of the group were heading back now towards where I was. I think their lilos were rocked more than mine from that boat because they was closer to France than I was. I started to paddle back to the beach and funnily enough I then bump into Bearwood Tom, who was part of the group just doing his thing, he starts a conversation and we are chatting away and after a while I can feel my lilo has started to lose air?? What Bearwood Tom had done was whilst we was deep in conversation, he unplugged my air valve, so now I am sinking in the middle with both ends stuck up in the air like a V shape. Trying to re seal the plug and trying to get hold of him before he paddles off but I manage to grab hold of his lilo and unplug the valve just in time, now that is TEAMWORK. It turned out that was his party trick out at sea with some of the others. You could see who hadn't escaped his party trick, V shaped lilos bobbing about. Now were heading back to the beach and slowly you start too see the figures get bigger and bigger, we are now getting closer and closer, Thank You Lord. Only to be met with flying stones, rocks Etc Etc Etc from the boys on the beach, I reached the beach first after a little diversion, with them near misses I was lucky because the rest of the group when coming in to shore, they had too dodge all sorts of flying objects. They all reached the beach safe and sound in true Bearwood BMX fashion. Letting the air out of the lilos became a thing over the weekend. It seemed to be that if you went to sleep on a lilo full of air, only for it to be deflated in the morning with the valve plug open. Even though it became scary at times at sea, it was a great experience never to be done again. Once Was Enough Thank You. :) Much Peace And Blessings To Each And All BEARBMX

Progress In Motion

Today i bumped into a old school brother and Bearwood BMX's finest lip technician and Full Factory team rider. This was the first time i seen Dean "Ding Dong" Watson for the first time since the opening of the new Bearwood Skatepark which happened to be last year. It was good to catch up with him. God willing i'm going to get a few words with him about his bmx journey and share it with you all to enjoy. Also i'm going to try and catch up with Don "Kenny" Chromeleone, and the rest of the boys. Also I spoke to Mike "The Pigeon" Coley earlier on today and he has given me the go ahead to publish his next interview. It will be an true honour to say the least. If any of you have read any of his previous interviews on here you'll know that boy is on form. Much Peace And Blessings BEARBMX

The One Long Journey 1990s

I'm Going to share a story that went down as "The One Long Journey". This trip was to Hastings for the Legendary Backyard Jam. I remember this like it was yesterday, even though it was a long time ago. I remember because 1) I had the honour of the driving duties and 2) the amount of hours it took to get there hence, "The One Long Journey" tag. So the word goes out that there's a trip to Hastings for the Backyard Jam, there would be a few cars going and we are all setting off in our own time, and meeting up down there, which was normal practise as the actual getting people together and setting off could take a few hours on a good day. This day in general all the waiting that had taken place for people to turn up for whatever reason it was they had taken so long, this took pretty much half a day. We loaded the car up with bags, bikes and a few cases of weekend refreshments. In the car was Greg, Colin, Bearwood Tom, and Ding Dean, we set off at 5 o'clock in the evening on the friday, we are on the road to hastings now, slowly and surely are making our way to Hastings. On the way down as we are nearing London Colin suggests we stop by his cousins house in Chingford for a rest and catch up, and too break the trip up as well. Being the driver i thought that's a great idea. We catch up with with his cousin about 9pm in Chingford, and then he takes us to his mates house in Leighton. The Bearwood boys we're on form in true Bearwood fashion as they have been drinking all the way down, if anyone has encountered their antics will know what i'm saying. Then after a while Tom goes out of the house, after a couple of hours of him going out, we are like where is Tom???? As we need to get going and we had quite a drive to complete yet, Mind you this was a long long time before mobile phones had come out, so there was no calling to see where he was. Time is flying by now and its about midnight or later. Tom still has not returned, everyone is thinking that its weird he has not come back yet, Where could he have got to, in the end we go outside to see if he's out by the car but no he's not there either, in the end We found him after a while, WHERE YOU WONDER, sleeping in a neighbours front garden, totally out to the world around him, wake him up, gather him up and we say the bye bye's and get back onto the road to finish what we started. By know the team is fuelled up and having a laugh in abundance in true Bearwood BMX fashion. Wrestling in the back of a car Etc Etc Etc, Crazy. Then somehow the rope which is holding the bikes down onto the roof rack came loose, you hear someone say is them bikes supposed to be like that, like half way down the rear window, HHmmmm. Then if that's not all, we have another minor issue from London to Hastings which sobered them all up. We arrive at the jam at 5'o'clock in the morning. A complete 12 hours after we left Bearwood, But the main thing is we arrived safe and sound. You always had a good laugh on the road trip without fail, but the real fun started when you met the rest of the Bearwood riders and other mates from Redditch and Worcester. Nothing but great times with some of the maddest guys in the game. Haha That's when things got a bit sketchy... As the driver and going all over the UK with them Brother's. I got some good memories, being the driver meant being sober, so i remember alot more than them in the car with me. :) Much Peace And Blessings To Each And All. BEARBMX

Bearwood's New And Newer School

The new and newer school of riders coming out of Bearwood right now are a talented bunch and fearless. I popped down to see The Locals Riding. Down there was Bearwood locals, Tom, Greazy Dave, And Leroy, these boys have been riding down Bearwood skatepark for quite a few years now, If you've had the pleasure of seeing them shredding the place, you'll know we're talking skills. No half measures just full out Skills. It was real good watching them go about there business and throwing down all manner of tricks, that day the skatepark was really busy in every corner going. There was alot of dodging going as and last minute abandened tricks because of someone crossing your path. Big Respect to Lil Dave, The Twins, Paul, and everyone else putting the hours in. Much Peace And Blessings To Each And All. BEARBMX

Flashback

The Dirt Jumps In Lightwoods Park Around The Paddling Pool Era. Peace And Blessings. BEARBMX

Greetings For 2012

Firstly Happy 2012 To All, Due To Technical Issues We Were Not Being Able To Post Any Updates For Quite A While. Seems To Be Working Now So Check Back Soon, As More Stories To Be Shared. Much Peace And Blessings. BEARBMX