Action Sports
▼ Action Sports
Benson and Ledges: Cameron Giles Lights Up the Street Scene
Most BMX guys that I’m down with didn’t grow up with the luxuries of skate parks in which to mow down unsuspecting skaters—they advanced their skills with shovels and dirt in the woods, or by just mobbing the streets tricking on or off whatever was there. This is Cameron Giles, who, upon meeting me in my clownish snowboard gear, didn’t judge, but instead, offered me up a smoke. … read more
Skate Photo Feature: Gabe Dussurre
Somehow, in all my years in and around the Utah skate scene, I had never met or even heard of Gabe Dussurre until a few months ago. Apparently, not only has he been around a long time, but he’s also been really good at skating for a long time. I had no idea. … read more
Deliver Us From Hunger
The Jimmy John’s Delivery Guy is a regular sighting in Downtown Salt Lake—rain or shine. You’ve probably seen Graham Abrams blow through the intersection at State Street and 200 South on his bike without hesitation, or his friend and coworker, Evan Vice, riding against traffic on a one-way street during lunch rush. These guys have a reputation for being fast and reckless, but it’s all part of the job. Time is money in the food delivery service: The more sandwiches delivered, the more tips add up. These delivery daredevils aren’t just risking their necks for the hell of it—it pays the bills. … read more
Beautiful Godzilla: Alleycat Power
Alleycats were thought up by ADHD bike messengers in urban areas as a way to earn some extra cash, test their skillz and ride their bikes some more, because, apparently, no one but me just wants to go home and massage their butt cheeks after riding their bike all day. … read more
SLC Bike Collective: It’s not about the Bike
Hailey Broussard has five kids, and, until 2008, taking care of them was her sole occupation. “I knew how to be Betty Crocker, and little else,” she says. She does not consider herself a cyclist, though she now spends every weekday leading mountain bike trips and wrenching on dummy bikes in a classroom of kids. As the youth director of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective, Broussard’s job revolves around bikes, but she and others at the Collective argue that the bicycle is part of a larger equation. It is a vehicle for getting around and a vehicle for building a connected and complex community. … read more
Mallet Militia: Utah Bike Polo
Once I learned that Utah is home to two regular bike polo clubs, Beehive Bike Polo Club (BBPC) and Ogden Bike Polo Club (OBPC), I became enthralled by YouTube videos of the sport, with bicycle riders coursing across outdoor courts, whacking balls with mallets like how hockey players whack pucks with sticks. … read more
Pedal Party
Circles turning circles—the efficiency of the bicycle is unmatched. The human motor coupled with the spinning of gears equals freedom for all those who enjoy the sun on their shoulders and the wind in their faces. A love affair with the bicycle makes up a good portion of Utah’s history, and has proliferated in nearly every portion of the state. Twenty years ago, the cycling community had reached a turning point. The sport was extremely popular, and its membership needed a way to unify and deliver the latest developments in a timely manner. Enter: Cycling Utah. … read more
Making Provo Weird: The Provo Bicycle Collective
You live in Provo and can’t afford to buy a new bike or pay for repairs at a shop. Maybe you want to learn how to take care of your bike or ride along the streets safely. Maybe you’re considering moving down past the point of the mountain and want to make sure you’ll be taken care of as a cyclist. If you fall into any of these scenarios, allow me to introduce you to a new friend: The Provo Bicycle Collective. … read more
Different Spokes: Year of the Bike
As spring weather wafts across the Salt Lake valley, more cyclists are coming out of the woodwork. An ample array of road bikes, fixies, mountain trudgers and your occasional tricycle have flooded the streets of downtown, affixing a semi-control over lanes stretching from the U to Rose Park. More than anything, I’ve enjoyed zipping around without fear of skidding my too-thin tires into a rogue snowbank. 2013 has been coined “Year of the Bike” by the City, in appreciation of its most sustainable form of transportation, and I was lucky enough to speak with four of the masterminds behind the most recent programs. … read more
Mashin’ and Thrashin’ with FOAD Fixed
I interviewed Sam in 2011 for SLUG—our first FGFS rider profile. Sam was the first of the crew to start riding fixed about seven years ago, when most of them were sophomores in high school. Jackson started the blog on foadfixed.com nearly two years ago as a way to post their edits and connect with the FGFS community outside of Salt Lake, beginning with a video of Evan. That’s when FOAD became official. … read more