BMX UNION

After a few weeks of premiering the sections from the Sunday Bikes “Grow Up” video, all of the sections are now online for your viewing pleasure. We’ve embedded every section from this BMX video all in one place for your viewing pleasure. Below you can find each section, along with some words from Sunday Bikes Team Manager Walter Pieringer about each rider and their section! This is absolutely amazing video, so check it all out below!

Intro

Brett Silva

“A conversation took place a couple of years ago between me and a few Sunday team riders. We were trying to decide if we should add Brett Silva to the team. At the time, it seemed like a great idea, and looking back, it’s crazy to think it was even a question. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Brett is consistently the most positive and hyped member of the Sunday team (and we’ve got a lot of positive and hyped dudes in the squad). They say hindsight is 20/20, and I can confidently say getting Brett involved with Sunday was a superb decision.

Back in the spring of 2015, when I first asked Brett if he wanted to be on the Sunday AM team, he told me, “There’s nothing I want to do more.” It was the perfect answer, and he wasn’t kidding – Brett’s been beyond stoked to travel and film with Sunday, and it’s easy to tell if you’ve seen his incredible Grow Up part, which you can watch right now at the top of this page.

And now, we’re welcoming Brett to the pro team. It’s a well deserved move for Mr. Silva, and we’re all very excited for him to be an even bigger part of Sunday.”

Jake Seeley

“There are a lot of innovative riders in BMX, but I think of Jake Seeley as having his own brand of innovation. Some riders take BMX in entirely new directions with wildly different moves, while Jake uses many of the same building blocks as other modern street riders, but in ways nobody else is coming up with. The result is some beautifully imaginative combos and a unique form of riding that’s at once grounded in tradition and refreshingly different.

Don’t think any of this comes easy. It’s not uncommon for Jake’s attempts at a clip to number in the hundreds; that’s not a testament to a lack of skill or ability, but to how hard what Jake’s doing really is, and to how dedicated he is to making the crazy shit he cooks up happen.

The other thing about Jake is he’s a perfectionist. Jake will try something 100 times, pull it nearly perfectly, hate one almost imperceptible detail, and give it another 100 goes. There are clips in his Grow Up part he landed seven or eight times, still wasn’t happy with, and we had to convince him to use. I don’t think I’ve ever filmed with a rider with such high standards.

But man, I gotta say it’s all worth it. Check out his part and you’ll understand.”

Gary Young

“Gary Young is 33 years old, has been a pro rider for 15 years, and is at the top of his game. It’s hard to understand how after so much time as one of the most skilled BMXers on the planet Gary’s abilities could possibly continue to improve, but there’s no question – he’s never ridden better.

A big part of Gary’s sustained upward trajectory comes from how he keeps it fresh. Gary is nothing if not adaptable: he continues to evolve with BMX and embrace new forms of riding and changing bike setups while still maintaining his core pedal-to-the metal style of hauling ass and charging through any obstacle in his path. Gary rides everything, and he rides it at full speed and with unmatched authority.

Perhaps even more impressive, while filming for Grow Up, Gary also managed to be a devoted husband, raise a young daughter, celebrate the birth of his son Lincoln, ride in the X Games twice, and film his epic Vans Illustrated video part. If you don’t think that’s incredible, you don’t have even a passing understanding of how hard any one of those things is. Seriously, Gary’s the man, and his Grow Up part is sick.”

“Next up we have the Grow Up doubles section. We had a lot of fun with this one, but make no mistake, some of these clips took hours to film, and there were some really close calls. I’m gonna say it was well worth it. ”

Aaron Ross

“Aaron Ross has been steady killing it as a top pro BMXer for more than a decade. That’s an impressive feat for any rider, but damn near unthinkable for someone who works as hard as Aaron. Check out his domination of the Grow Up crash trailer or his substantial contribution to the wrecks section in the Grow Up bonus, or just take my word for it – Aaron gives it his all. The physical and emotional anguish he endures for some of these clips is nothing short of breathtaking. But Aaron won’t be stopped, and he’s always willing to push himself to the limit to get done what he knows he can get done.

A great example: the barspin in Mexico, pictured above. It has to be one of the most impressive bike riding feats I’ve witnessed in 20-odd years of BMX. The barspin was wild in and of itself, but the conditions with which Aaron had to contend should have made it impossible. By the time he’d hopped the ledge a few times and was ready to throw the bars, there had to have been 100 people in that little square, most watching intently and filming with their phones while others carelessly cut him off on approach. Everybody spoke Spanish, and the language barrier meant Jake was having little luck playing crossing guard. The crowd booed when Aaron would take a run up. Imagine the pressure! Aaron got it done.

Aaron works hard on a lot of other things too. Between being a pro rider simultaneously filming for two full-length video parts (don’t miss his upcoming sure-to-impress Etnies Chapters part), a prolific social media enthusiast, a husband, a business owner (follow @burrocheese), and 100 other interests and endeavors I’m not thinking of, it’s hard to know how he finds enough hours in the day. Even with all that, Aaron has been known to personally answer almost every message and question sent to him over social media. Yep, he’s a pretty great guy too.

So check out Aaron’s part, it’s sick and the product of a lot of hard work.”

Julian Arteaga / Jared Duncan / Alec Siemon

“Julian Arteaga, Jared Duncan, and Alec Siemon – Sunday’s AM squad – are some crazy talented and creative bike riders who are each pushing BMX forward in their own unique way. Julian’s smooth and refined technical prowess, Jared’s uncanny ability to look like he’s not even trying, and Alec’s unprecedented tailwhip mastery are only the beginning of what makes these guys awesome. Grow Up focused mostly on Sunday’s pro riders, but there’s no question all three of these guys could have filmed full parts had they been given the opportunity. Rest assured, they’ll get their time to shine.”

Mark Burnett

“Shooting with Mark Burnett is a treat. As soon as Mark says he wants to film something, three things are already assumed: it’ll be really really hard, he’ll pull it, and it’ll be perfect.

This young man is unbelievably confident on his bike and will casually fire out hyper-elaborate tech combos and the most dangerous and intimidating stunts without breaking a sweat. Mark has this extraordinary ability to set aside any fear and lingering doubts and fully commit to every go. I guess it’s easy to be confident when you’re as comfortable on your bike as Mark clearly is.

It’s not hard to see how Mark rides at such a high level – his enthusiasm for riding is virtually unmatched. He’s always the one pushing for the night mission after a long day of filming, and he’ll happily solo sesh his flat rail for hours on end. His energy is seemingly limitless, and it spreads easily. Mark brings a lot of life to any situation.

Even with his abundant skill, Mark works for it. He’s constantly pushing his limits – it’s fair to say he goes down harder and more frequently than anyone else on the team (he has the ender crash section in the Grow Up bonus), but the struggle is no match for his determination. Mark shrugs off the most brutal wrecks and keeps going until he lands it or physically can’t continue.

Mark’s natural ability, boundless energy, unstoppable drive, and sheer love of riding make him the ultimate video part filming machine. These characteristics, matched with the nearly 100 days he spent on the road shooting for Grow Up, create a sort of perfect storm for an epic video part, and you really should check it out.”

Chris Childs

“Shooting with Chris Childs can be a harrowing experience. Chris pedals fast, jumps far, airs high, grinds big… there’s plenty of potential for catastrophe, but I get the sense I’m usually more concerned than he is.

The word “casual” gets thrown around a lot when describing highly-skilled bike riders, but Chris is the poster boy for casual. Chris routinely fires out the craziest shit like it’s nothing; I’ve never seen anything like it. Even after years of filming with him, I’m still taken aback by the caliber of the stunts he’s dreaming up, and perhaps even more so by his carefree attitude towards them. For the incredible amount of risk Chris is taking, he’s cool as a cucumber.

With Chris there are usually no run ups and no second tries. Even on the rare occasion he’s actually sweating something, more often than not it’s one and done. The last five tricks in his part were all first try. That’s unheard of.

You see, Chris may send wild moves on the reg, but he’s no hucker. To the contrary, Chris thinks through everything he does, and if he calls something out you know it’s been fully analyzed and deemed within his capabilities. When you’re messing with as much speed, distance, and gravity as Chris is, you can’t be rolling the dice.

Aside from its sheer magnitude, the other striking thing about Chris’s riding is its diversity. Chris can do it all – the biggest gaps, drops, wallrides, and rails, put together a flat ledge line, trick every jump at the trails, flow a ramp like it’s nobody’s business – Chris feels at home on all terrains and at all speeds, even if his preferred mode is hauling ass.

But to me, the best thing about watching Chris ride is that as calculated and dialed as he may be, he pushes it to the limit and sits right on the line between in control and total disaster. His riding has a certain looseness to it that keeps you on the edge of your seat and just a little bit scared for his life. It’s that little bobble, that extra bit of seemingly accidental kickout that gives his riding so much character and makes it so goddamn entertaining.

And, Chris is a true renaissance man. When not effortlessly dominating his bicycle, he spends his time making music, painting, filming and editing BCAVE videos, and enjoying a whole slew of other creative interests that keep his mind productive. He’s also a solid dude and one of the most easygoing people you could ever hope to travel with, and while I don’t have any actual tallies, he probably spent more time on the road filming for Grow Up than anybody else. Watching his part, it’s easy to see that dedication.

Chris has an immense amount of control over his bike that, combined with his innate fearlessness and abundant creativity, makes him capable of just about anything. So sit back, relax, and enjoy Chris’s part, and don’t worry, he (mostly) made it through just fine.”

Erik Elstran

“It’s easy to see Erik Elstran is a free spirit. Take one look at whatever colorful and delightfully eccentric outfit he’s sporting at any given moment (that he probably sewed himself), and it’s pretty clear this guy isn’t trying to run with the herd.

Watching him ride, it’s even easier to appreciate the breadth of Erik’s fertile imagination. Erik can do whatever he wants on his bike, and he chooses not to do what everyone else is doing. Erik could be a tech rail master or flat ledge god if he wished, stacking the usual tricks in new and innovative ways and linearly progressing BMX in standard increments, but he is destined for so much more.

You can always count on Erik to see a spot where no one else has and look at a classic spot in ways others haven’t. Erik’s M.O. is to seek out and locate a unique spot, and then do the unthinkable on it. Never content to simply make do with the obvious, it’s his determination to go above and beyond, to carve his own path and dream up ideas no one else would ever think of, that defines Erik’s riding.

Erik has more fun on his bike than anyone I know. He’ll happily ride the most ridiculous non-spot as hard as he can for hours, or, even more impressively, be 100 tries in filming some impossible trick and still laughing and cracking jokes. Even when riding at the highest possible levels, he’s really just playing around. While cataloging footage for Grow Up, I discovered Erik had – by far – the most B roll of anyone one the team, and nearly all of it was him being stoked and goofing off. Erik possesses a singular positivity and enthusiasm for living that radiates outward and inspires those around him.

It takes something very special to end a two-year full-length team video, and special is about the best word I can think of to describe Erik’s section. What Erik does is more than just bike riding; this borders on performance art. So go ahead and check out his part; I dare you not to smile.”

“We hope you’ve enjoyed watching Grow Up as much as we enjoyed making it.”

That wraps up the “Grow Up” DVD from Sunday Bikes! Check out more from Sunday Bikes right here!