Although Fixed Freestyle is a newer sport, so much has happened within 7 years (7 years already??) that a novel could be written on an in depth history. I’ve become aware that many newer people in the scene haven’t quite been caught up on how we got to where we are today, and there isn’t exactly any place you can just simply research the history of FGFS. So, without further ado, I present a brief history of the scene/sport, or basically, the most historical edits and DVDs. WRAHW Inspired.

EDIT | KEO CURRY | CADENCE

After being notified by two different sources, I realized I definitely forgot the most important video. Pre-Mash SF, Keo was the first to truly do tricks on track bikes. Tricking with a front Spinergy Rev-X, that takes balls. Let alone being the first to do tricks, they were insane tricks to say the least.

MASH SF

2007, fixed gears are taking over the world of messengers, and I cringe to say it, but so called “hipsters” as well. The Mash SF DVD comes out, and blows people’s minds. Essentially, this is the beginning of tricks on track bikes. Basic stuff though, like wheelie, trackstand, and skid variations. Very advanced for it’s time.

MACAFRAMA

As Mash was looked at as a more gritty skater type feel, the Macaframa promo came out in the same year the Mash SF movie was released. It was, and still is, some of the highest production quality videos of track bikes there is.

Barspin tricks were gaining in popularity, a quadruple barspin was a big feat.

When the movie came out, after everybody laid eyes on Keo Curry’s part, the “trick track” era was born. Everybody wanted to be like keo, and he is looked at as the father of Fixed Gear Freestyle, as he pushed what seemed possible on fixed gear bikes. He was one of the first to ride fakie, and the “Keo Spin” was named after him. Still mind blowing to this day.

COUNCIL OF DOOM

2008, the punk OC crew, The Council of Doom, released the trailer for their DVD. Agressive and progressive, early Torey Thornton action, and loaded with technical track bike skids, spins, and barspins. Even some big dirt jumps (not shown in video) for it’s time. Personally, what drove me to learn tricks on a track bike.

THE FIRST BUNNY HOP BARSPIN

Super Ted, or Ted James, was an early driving force in FGFS. The first documented bunny hop barspin in 2008.

BOOTLEG SESSIONS

Bootleg Sessions was an early FGFS DVD series that started in 2007 featuring some of the best riders back in the day.

Ted’s part in 2008 was notable for clean pedal feebles and other sick riding.

SAM & WILL MILLER

This video was fucking insane. 180 6 stair on a track bike? Flat 360? Full Cab? I think so. No clue where these dudes are now though, but they were way ahead of their time.

TOM LAMARCHE

Tom Lamarche is arguably one of the biggest influences of the sport. In 2007 his Bootleg sessions part dropped and it was crazy (so I’ve been told). The modern “freestyle” bike at the time was still in an awkward state, a weird downsloped track bike. But this is an essential part of the history, seeing where the bikes have come from.

Years later, 2010, he comes out with possibly the most influential and impactful video part in the sport, his WRAHW welcome.

TOM MOSHER

Tom Mosher was one of the most popular pro riders in the early fixed freestyle days. One of the first to promote Volume frames, co-founder of YNOT cycle, tutorial guru, and one of the few to throw bunny hop barspin variations in 2009. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this may be the first fakie bunny hop barspin.

ED WONKA

Edward Laforte took the fixed gear world by storm in 2009, presenting BMX, Skavenger style riding unseen before. While surrounded by hate, the tricks were unmatched and ahead of it’s time.

JOEL WESTON | THE FIRST FAKIE WHEELIE

While many people believe Jensen was the first to fakie wheelie, wrong. Macaframa dropped this video of Joel in 2009, and minds were blown away. People doubted it was even real because of how alien the trick was at the time.

MICHAEL CHACON

Master of the keo spin blew minds with his 1440 spins when this was first dropped in 2009.

REVOKED MOVIE

The Revoked movie was one of the first legitimate FGFS DVD’s to come out in 2010. Top riders at the time with one of the top filmers in the game. When jumping stairs was popular, Jakob Santos and Congo flew down some of the gnarliest sets. The set Jake tried is still insane to this day. Boothby’s 360s and steez was insane.

THE FIRST HANDRAIL

In 2009, Mike Carney and Jesse Hilliard grinded the first handrail on fixed gears. Pedal Ice and pedal feeble. The two were ahead of their time, and nobody really knows when or why they died out in the scene.

ERIC PUCKETT

His time in the FGFS scene was short, but had a huge impact. A time when nobody was throwing 180 bars or anything he did.

WONKA’S MIDWEST MAYHEM I BANGER

Basically, everybody’s minds imploded.

TEPPEI “NASTY”

2010, the first legit 540 cab. Legit fakie tricks.

DEATH PEDAL 2

After Kareem’s successful Death Pedal DVD, the second trailer came out and changed the FGFS game. If you have seen the DVD, you’d know that Torey’s banger was insane. The trailer lso got everybody to think that Congo landed a flat tailwhip on a volume cutter. Eric Puckett’s last fixed gear edit was killer, and Wonka had some insane clips.

JOSH BOOTHBY

Boothby was one of the first to make fixed gear look smooth.

MATT SPENCER | LONG SLIDER

Few people were touching long sliders at the time, but Matt Spencer was known for them, and this was one of the bigger ones he did.

He later beat his record for longest slider in his Autumn Edit

STEVEN JENSEN COMES IN AND KILLS THE GAME

Steven came out of fucking nowhere. And when he did, nobody knew how to react. This new BMX influence had been taken to a whole nother level. Hang 5’s, grind combos, and other crazyness.

GRIME BIKES | SHREDWELL

In 2010, Grime bikes was still in the process of becoming a legitimate company. Their second promo video, Shredwell, was the grittiest, rawest, gnarliest riding at the time. Unparalleled aggressive hubbas, barspins, wallrides, and more.

2011, GRIME TV 1, the first frames were made, and Ed Wonka and Mike Schmitt are dominating FGFS with their grinds and other tricks.

KOZO | THE FIRST BACKFLIP

Kozo pulled the first backflip at Shiokaze in 2010, along with some other great tricks in his run.

TYLER JOHNSON BANGERS

Backtracking here, but in 2008, Tyler’s technical aspect was out of this world.

A year later, a little fatter tires, throws a barspin down one of the biggest sets at the time.

One more year later, throws down another huge banger.

CONGO

Congo was seen as one of the smoothest riders around this time. Full Cab barspins were rare, but Congo could pull them off with ease. The feeble hop over spot is gnarly in person. So especially back then, it was way sketchy.

MATT MONTOYA | MACAFRAMA

Matt’s debut in to the FGFS scene,and everything Macaframa does is always super high quality. The slider was unreal. Also, the biggest nollie in that time period.

BOOTLEG SESSIONS V4

Some of the highest quality riding in 2010 came from that DVD, including parts from so many big names.

STEVEN’S SKYLMT PART

Later in 2011, Steven’s welcome to SKYLMT edit is still the most popular and widely spread FGFS video to date.

https://vimeo.com/23895598

JAMIL GREY | HUGE 360’S

Nobody could 360 like Jamil. The banger in this one was some mind bending shit back in the day, and is still considered a huge 3.

DEW’S BIRTHDAY EDIT

One of the best edits out to date, Dew’s birthday edit still consists of some of the most advanced riding. Ice to bars, flat 3’s (Not common in 2011), tailwhips, 180 tuck no’s, you name it. If it came out today, it would still be considered a banging edit. This was by far one of the biggest game changers.

THE FIRST WESTJAM

Man, when this edit dropped, so did my jaw. This was when I realized that the level of riding is getting intense, and this is starting to really become a legitimate thing. Still one of my favorite contest edits to date.

MILES MATHIA

Before this edit, Miles didn’t have the most exposure in the scene. But rest assured, after this came out, all eyes on Mathia. Big dirt riding was for the most part uncharted territory, and when he blasted dirt jumps in this edit, it shook the FGFS world.

THE FIRST RED BULL RIDE + STYLE

The first big sponsor event to occur in the sport. Some big tricks went down too.

JOE MCKEAG 

Joe was still an underrated rider at this time, but when Tony put out this clip, everybody knew that an era of Joe dominating the sport was upon us.

MATT REYES

Slum is one of the few dudes to make FGFS look good originally (becoming more common now), but when his Sadio part dropped, (and especially coming off of his win at the first Red Bull Comp) he made his presence known. Watching edits like these sparked a feeling that the sport was getting legit, and it was here to stay.

BR~@D PARKER

Brad was in the scene for a while, and everybody knew they could always expect bangers from him. He had some of the biggest barspins and handrails in the game.

MIKE DINH’S HUGE BARSPIN

When Wolfdrawn released this picture, everybody lost their shit. This still holds up as one of the biggest barspins in the game, and for 2011, this was beyond big.

ED WONKA’S BIG BARSPIN

Later in 2011, Wonka’s video for Chrome depicted this battle for a huge barspin down a 6 block.

STEVEN JENSEN 

3rd time making on the list, without surprise because he’s one of the most technical and best riders in the game. This YNOT signature straps edit featured some of the most technical grinds yet.

THE FIRST FLAT TAILWHIP.. AND THE ONLY ONE.

MWM2

One of the most legit comp videos as well, put together by none other than Slumworm. Some crazy riding went down, and Tom’s ender was huge.

KENNY ARIMOTO | 30 STAIR HANDRAIL

Although he clipped the last couple stairs, if I’m not mistaken this is the biggest handrail to date. A big conflict arose on this between Brad and Mashafix because Brad attempted this a couple times in the past, and Kenny came in and destroyed it. It wasn’t anybody’s fault, Kenny just came in and did what he does best, Brad had a damn valiant effort though.

EDIT | MIKE SCHMITT FALL

TOTALLY FORGOT THIS WAS IN 2011. This definitely needs to be on here. One of my favorite parts to date. Huge bar to feeble ender.

TOM LAMARCHE

A proper way to end this recap would be with his part made by Tom Briggs. Some of the best riding paired with one of the best filmers, this edit was all around the perfect edit.

I’m gonna stop at 2011 because most of you know about 2012 and on, so I’d be wasting your time. Hell maybe I even wasted your time now, but if you enjoyed it I’m glad I could do that for you. I’m missing a shit ton of things, which is why I said “A brief history”. But if you think something should’ve been on here that I forgot, comment and let me know, thanks for reading!