Sydney Flatland Events

Sydney Flatland hold Monthly Events for New or Existing riders last Saturday of Each Month. We have had some Existing riders return and really get back into riding which is great to see, and also we have had some interest from new riders

location Cherrybrook netball courts

Greenway Park, Off Shephards Drive, Cherrybrook

Ph Jason for more details 0427 707 035

Flyer Flatland Sydney Monthly Jam

Flatland Sydneys New Flyer

Flatland Australia Interview: Clint Millar on Colony and flatland

Clint Millar stands in what could be an awesome riding spot (photo: Colony BMX website)

Last week’s news that Colony BMX would no longer be making flatland products was greeted with sadness but little surprise.

Whilst it might seem like the few short lines of Colony’s statement came as a snap decision, it was a long process that led company boss Clint Millar to pull the pin.

“It had been going on for a good 18 months at least, maybe even two years, it’s been a long thing,” says Millar, “I kept pushing Taiwan ‘come on, make this’ but it just got to a point where it was time and effort that could be spent on other areas of the business”.

The pressures of making and selling flatland products are two fold.

On one side you have the Taiwanese factories that deal in big numbers of product and are unwilling to put through the low volumes generated by flatland sales.

“I don’t know how any flatland company can survive, they didn’t want to do our stuff even though we’re doing heaps of other stuff, it just got to the point where Taiwan was reluctant to produce our numbers” says Millar.

Coming from the other angle there are the low number of sales of flatland products.

“I would have had to order two years ahead and that was too much of a risk with the way BMX changes, you just don’t know where it’s going to be in two years”, says Millar.

But he stands firm on suggestions that the near exclusivity of sales through Newcircle was bad for the flatland line.

“Stores never asked for it or if I stocked it they never ordered it, we directed people through to Newcircle and Shane was doing his business at the time and for him to have any chance he had to get as much through his doors as possible” says Millar.

Clint works the peg and front wheel, something he’s known to do on the flat as well (photo: Colony BMX website)

The closure of Colony’s flatland line also ends their need to market at flatlanders via sponsorship of events and riders.

Yet Millar remains optimistic on Colony’s involvement in flatland.

“No one has hit me up with ‘hey, there’s a Downunder Ground next week, can you help out?’, I probably will, but when someone comes to me with an event I’ll take it case by case” says Millar.

Current team riders Simon O’Brien, Shane Badman and Shintaro Misawa will continue to get support from Colony, with Misawa riding the Sweet Tooth frame.

“We’ll still support them till the day they don’t want to be supported” says Millar.

It has to be remembered that Colony isn’t a charity, it’s a commercial brand that puts food on the table for a number people.

The truth is that the Colony flatland line wasn’t making money, it wasn’t loosing money but it wasn’t making it either.

“It just became to much effort for not enough reward basically, we tried things to boost that but didn’t see progression”.

Joel Clarke becomes a dad

Joel Clarke is starting his own flatland crew (photo: Facebook)

Perth (and former Melbourne) rider Joel Clarke has become a dad for the first time.

In a message sent through through to Flatland Australia, Joel says:

“My wife Claire and I are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our son, Thomas. He came into the world a little earlier than expected and was born Tuesday 11th September 2012.

Both mum and bubs are doing well, we are both unbelievably happy!

Cheers flatlandaustralia!

Joel C”

Joel riding in Perth just before the arrival of his first child (photo: BMXflatlandaustralia)

Focalpoint 29 out now

Focalpoint BMX Zine, back when it was more than just ones and zeros.

The latest edition of Focalpoint has just dropped.

It’s the second totally digital edition of the mag.

As a result you can pick it up at your local internet café or if you’re fancy enough to have your own net connection, check out their website (when they post it there, which they are yet to do – try the source link until then).

Sourced: Colony BMX

NORA Cup snubs Aussies, AGAIN!

It’s been awhile since Simon was a NORA Cup nominee.

The nominees for the 2012 NORA Cup “Number One Flatlander” award have been announced.

They are:

Matthias Dandois
Viki Gomez
Alex Jumelin
Dominik Nekolny
Yohei Uchino

If you’re into the sycophantic, which industry award nights always are, you can follow all the action on the NORA Cup page.

Personally I’d rather watch this video of Rowan Atkinson showing us all what award nights could be like.

Sourced: Ride BMX

Colony drops flatland program

The Colony Cube – get one whist you can because there will be no more (image: FlatlandFuel.com)

Colony BMX has announced an end to its flatland program.

In a statement posted on the company’s website the Australian BMX brand noted unsustainability as a reason for the move.

“Through our strong position within BMX as a whole we have been able to support this for some time but at some point we needed the flatland program to support itself”, says Clint Millar, Colony Guvnor.

“Unfortunately this has not been the case & after much deliberation & sadness we have had to pull the plug”, says Millar.

It’s not all bad though, long time team riders Simon O’Brien, Shane Badman and Shintaro Misawa will still be supported.

The move is another blow for flatland in Australia, which is still feeling the loss Newcircle only a few months ago.