Gidday Mates, hows it all going out there?

Check out the cover shot and backpage Interveiw I scored in the latest Revolution Magazine, I'm really stoked to get a few shots published from the spot we found in New Zealand last year as we did alot of driving / scoping / digging out there!

My Euro tour has been interesting lately, I have been floating about Europe riding in comps and ridng cool spots. Our car got broken into in the south of France and they stole my all my clothes, laptop, camera, GPS, Ipod, ect. ect. and also my PASSPORT! Which was just what I needed!! Wooohoo!

So I had to go to Paris and hook up a temporary passport so I can continue traveling. I'm bummed becaus I lost my laptop with alot of stuff on it, but super happy I still have all my bikes and riding gear!

All of the comps I have ridden so far have been hard tail type courses, so i am looking forward to riding a bit more full suspension on the 2nd leg of our trip, with comps like Chatel Mountainstyle coming up, and also 26 trix being set at Leogang bike park.

Check out my blog www.kellymcgazza.blogspot for more mission details, and also the Unit Facebook for more pics.

Thanks for your support!
Kelly Mcgarry

• By Allan H

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Full story and photo courtesy FULLNOISE.COM.AU - Unit's Billy Mackenzie scores a 2nd for the day while Brad Anderson took his first win of the year. Cheyne Boyd locks in a 3rd, while Jay Marmont gets a 5th and extends his series lead.

Racing was lucky to return this passed weekend, as intense weather battered the NSW Coast, and left the track muddy and difficult for riders.

After a dominant performance at the previous round in Toowoomba, Unit team riders were all coming in confident with the exception of Tye Simmonds, who had some concerns after a foot injury the weekend before. However, with the tricky track conditions and some strong overseas riders joining the equation, results were turned on their head.

In the U19's, winner of last round Luke Arbon had a very tough day, with some bad starts and crashes pushing him down the field. Although, A tough fight saw him still pencil a 7th overall for the day, just enough to keep him around the top end of the U19 championship leaderboard, currently running 4th.

In the hotly contested Lites class, PJ Larsen is a standout at every round, and competitors like Unit's Ford Dale are finding it hard to be consistently competitive. Ford has proven he has the speed, but a string of bad luck has relegated him down the field. A dissappointing 12th this week, after a 2nd in Toowoomba has made his job even harder for future rounds.

Kawasaki Racing's Cody Mackie has been able score consistent results at most rounds, and is currently sitting in 4th overall for the Lites Championship. Another Unit athlete, Luke George has been having a really tough time this year trying to get back to strength after a near fatal accident at the last round of the 2009 Championship. But each week, he gets a bit more confidence and proves he can still run with the top 10 pack, so with some luck, by the end of the year we will see hm up around the podium, where he was once a regular. Either way, it is a massive achievement for Luke to even be back on the bike!

In the Pro Opens, 2nd place on the leaderboard Tye Simmonds was in striking distance for the lead, but coming into this round injured his foot at a charity event, and cast shadows over the rest of his championship. Althuogh, on the day, his foot injuries didn't seem to be what stopped Tye from locking in a good result...

“I can’t pinpoint which moto was worse for me at Raymond Terrace, so it’s best I wrap them up into one,” said Simmonds.  “Overall I just had a bad race meeting, and it had nothing to do with the bike, my head space or a few injuries during the week, because I was pain free." 
 
“I’m not one for excuses, so overall I just wasn’t on the gas, and can’t put it down to any one reason.  Obviously I’m really disappointed, but I just need to put it behind me and try and re-group for the next round.”

Tye's JDR Motorex KTM team manager Jay Rynenberg commented that Tye has had alot to deal with coming into this round.

“Tye was on a bit of a downer and he has had better race meetings, but who can blame the guy, with the loss of another close friend during the week to an MX accident, and he did incur an injury last weekend as well.  Tye’s a tough guy though, he will work though this and come back stronger at the next round.”

More luck went the way of Unit | Kawasaki Racing  Team member Billy Mackenzie, who is still riding with a lingering hand injury, managed to pencil a 2nd overall for the day, and help push him closer to the top of the championship standing. Billy is really proving to be the man to beat at recent rounds, and by the end of the season, we will surely see him somewhere on the podium.

• By Allan H

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PHOTO: Schuie and Robbie Marshall tear up the 10 pack, while filming for Unit and the next Crusty Demons film. Check out more pics online HERE.

Hey everyone...

Well what a big couple of weeks i have had. The filming days i organised between the Crusty break was just bloody great and we captured some great film and photo's. I could type for ages on it but instead, i have attached pics and a video from the day at the 10 pack, there is also a pic that was photo shopped. The heli pilot i found was a freak and you can see in shots he is flying lower than i can jump on my SP Tools KTM... and in the wind too! Below is the great clip that Unit created, and it is doing the rounds on the internet now so feel free to pass it on to your friends...

Regional Crusty has finished up now, and at the last show all riders, management and track crew vote for a selection of awards and i brought home the trophy for 'Best rider on tour' again... The crusty shows are now in the process of being totally revamped for the coming Capital City tour in Oct-Nov...

I have received pics of the prototypes for my toy line and they are looking good. Some changes need to be made to the ramps before moving onto mass production...

The meeting for the Trail bike facility expressions of interest meeting was on wednesday and i was able to checkout the government appointed property for the first time. There is a lot of diverse terrain in there and i can't wait to get in and explore the entire place. I will be banging away on the keyboard for the next couple of months working through the tender process...

Thanks

Schuie

• By Allan H

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• By Allan H

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Hey, what up guys? I Just got into Adelaide yesterday arfternoon and went to check out the arena, unfortantley everything has changed due to the arena being so small, so the jumps are different sizes now. We had a bit of practice last night just to see if the jump was going to work, and it is definitely alot different now, but we got the job done.

This morning I ran into 'Wheels' in the lobby, Aaron Fotheringham has been doing the whole Nitro tour this year, and it is so crazy watching him try and double flip his wheelchair over the mega ramp. Anyway, he was picking up his package of Unit clothes so I went up to his room to help him unpack.

The kid is a champ and he was truly stoked on the stuff. I got a pic with him repping his new gear and I can't wait til the show tonight, to hang with the newest Unit team member, as he hucks his crazy double back flip in a wheel chair!

• By Allan H

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PHOTO: One of the 3 locations we have lined up to possibly be home to Dane Searls massive 50+ft dirt jump project.

Dane Searls is a busy busy man! Already this year he has been crowned the Hillside Dirtjam Champion, travelled to NZ for the Farm Jam where he scored a 2nd place, and the Best Style award across all  FMX, BMX and MTB categories.

And then in his spare time, roadtrippped it back to Cam White's for a Unit film shoot, where he produced one of the most succesful BMX web videos worldwide this year, with over 120,000 views.

But all of that is really only just the start, right now Searlsy is chillin' over in Vegas, getting ready to compete in this years biggest BMX dirt jump contest, 'Red bull Stomping Ground'. Dane got an original invite to the contest, where he will be riding alongside fellow Unit riders Jaie Toohey, who won his invite through the Red bull Dirt Pipe contest in Australia, and Cam White who is the reighning contest champion after winning the former Red Bull Elevation contest. Stomping Ground is being held in Chicago on the 12th of June, and you can find out more details now over on the Stomping Ground website.

Once that is all wrapped up, Dane will be heading back to Australia for a few weeks, and visiting a number of properties around the Gold Coast, to lock in a location for his new monster dirt jumps. Over the past few weeks, the Unit crew has been scouting locations, and we think we have the right places for the monsterous 50+ft trails. Stay tuned for more on that once Dane gets back to home soil.

Hopefully construction on the trails will begin before Dane is back on the jet heading over to the epic 'Big In Bavaria' contest. Reserved only for the worlds best big jump riders, BIB has over 40,000 EUR in prize money up for grabs across the BMX and MTB categories! Dane Searls recieved a special invite from the organisers, after they came across his Unit web video online. Big In Bavaria is being held on the 25 of July and you can find out more details over on their Myspace.

• By Allan H

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Unit Clothing recently teamed up with the creators of the Crusty Demons, Jon Freeman and Dana Nicholson, to organise one of the most epic film shoots ever held in Australia.

Matt 'Schuie' Schubring allowed us access to the legendary 10 pack, a set of 5 massive dirt doubles. From 60ft through to 105ft, riders are tested to their limits, a they race down the picturesque Boonah ranch.

Only a handful of the world's best riders have ever successfully completed the run of jumps, and this video will show you why.

See more footage in the new Crusty Demons film, due out later this year.

Video Courtesy: Unit Clothing

Producer: Allan Hardy

Host: Jerry Bernardo

Extra Footage: Jon Freeman | Crusty Demons

Music: 'The Classic Crime' by Forgiven Rival

• By Allan H

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After the Supercross World Cup in Denmark, I flew to Austria to meet up with some friends for the Mountain Bike World Cup in Maribor Slovenia, my 1st international 4x race of the season wearing the rainbow stripes :) Although being fastest qualifier, I placed 4th in the 4x final after a big hit from behind out of the 2nd corner just after I hit the lead.

I then flew to Frankfurt, Germany for a European UCI BMX round, 600 riders competed with world cup standards of racing amongst the women. It was very nice to finally have a sunny weekend of racing.

Day 1, I won all of my qualification rounds, 2nd place to Shenaze Reade (GBR) in the semi final and come finals time I had a great start but Shenaze was too strong, controlling the race. I placed 6th with my team mate Lauren Reynolds (AUS) in 8th.

Day 2 I was feeling very determined to be on the podium, in my 3rd qualification round I had some troubles... My rear wheel spun in a hole coming out of the gate throwing me forward onto my handle bars... Trying to hang on swapping from left to right I got thrown off the bike at the bottom of the steep start hill. The crash placed me in last qualifying position for the semi final.

Drawing lane 8, the outside lane I tried to fight my way across the pack to gain track position for the 1st corner but couldn’t quite get there. At this level of racing gate selection is so important and you can’t make one little mistake. My team mates Lauren Reynolds, Rachel Bracken (AUS) and I all ended the day early not qualifying for the finals.

I now head back to Australia for a well earned rest. It is quite out of character for me to have crashes so I think that I have got them out of the way for 2010. I will now prepare for the BMX World Championships in South Africa... CB

• By Allan H

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A big congratulations goes out to Joe Sheppard for finally breaking the flip curse! Here is what Joe had to say earlier...

Hey guys, just a quick one, thought I'd let you know I finally landed my first flips on the weekend!

Pretty much I just got sick of thinking about it, so I jacked up a ramp at 50ft and had a go... luckily I rode the first one away sweet!

I did a few more then I over rotated and gave my head a whack, got a sweet black eye now haha. Pretty keen to get into a pit now and get 75's happening.

Cheers

Joe

• By Allan H

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Tragedy has struck yet again on the motocross track, with the unfortunate passing of WA rider Abia Ashton, after suffering fatla injuries while racing in Karratha. Rest In Peace Abia....

FULL STORY COURTESY FULLNOISE.COM.AU

18 year old West Australian pro rider Abia Ashton has passed away after succumbing to injuries sustained in a crash at a motocross meeting last weekend at the Karratha MX track.

Abia was flown to Royal Perth Hospital following the accident where he remained in a critical condition for the past two days. Suffering sever brain damage as a result of the accident Abia's family made the heart breaking decision to turn of Abia's life support at 22:22 Tuesday night. The exact time was to honor his racing number (22) and that of his hero Chad Reed (22).

After a successful junior career Abia grew into a fierce competitor and was a regular front runner in the states Pro Lites field as well as one of the West's most popular and liked riders.

North West Motorcycle Association president Rob Mcwhirter paid tribute to Abia.

"It is with the utmost regret and sorrow that I am informing you all of the passing of one of our family," Mcwhirter wrote.

"For everyone that was fortunate enough to meet Abia would know how passionate he was about his beloved sport, and how he would not have us to wallow in sorry, but instead grab every opportunity and to take that inside line and make that impossible pass.

"Abia was a quite achiever, never wanting the spotlight, but was always giving it his all. He rode with the tenacity and skill that would rival the best, but still was so gracious to all the rest. His smile was contagious and his humor was subtle, but his skills where silky and his style was smooth, people knew when “Abia” was on stage.

"Words cannot express the feelings that we have and words cannot undo the undoable, Tears of sorry may stain our face and the pain of heartfelt sorry may pierce our hearts, but the memory of one of the most wonderful and sincere riders that graced our tracks will never fade.

"Abia is a son, a brother and friend to all, so please join with me and offer our prayers to the Ashton family, our thoughts and sincere condolences To Barry, Millie Lifu and Tawani, your sorrow is felt by all.

Our friend may have gone but our bond has grown stronger," Mcwhirter concluded.

Funeral announcements will be made in the coming days.

Main Photo: Abia with his number 22
Credit: Jamie Nicolaou of Actionpics.com.au

• By Allan H

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As you may have heard, we had our very first stand outside Australia over the weekend, at the Hangtown round of the 2010 Lucas Oil / AMA Motocross Championship.

Most people know Unit don't normally do things by the book, but those who don't found out in Hangtown, as we started throwing freebies out the door to anybody who had the courage to sack up and take on the Unit wheel of fortune.

It was all alot of fun, and everybody who visited left laughing and stoked on their new Unit gear. We are gonna try get to some more rounds of this years outdoors, so stay tuned to the website for more info. You don't wanna miss the party!

Check out all the fun and photos now HERE

• By Allan H

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We are extremely proud to announce, in response to our rapid overseas growth that Unit has appointed our first U.S.A Sales Director, in Tony Dandrea.

You can read the official press release below, but basically, Tony is a walking encyclopedia in the action sports industry, and to be involved with someone of his experience and respect is going to be a massive boost for Unit in the United States and around the world.

Tony has over 10 years experience behind him, working for companies such as Von Zipper and FMF Apparel, and says “Everything that Unit does, from the threads to the outside-the-lines marketing, will be a fresh breath of air to the two-wheeled action sports category. I will be on a mission to bring the Unit story from Australia, across the pond to the US action sports consumer and to the retailer alike.”

Welcome to the team Tony, and we can't wait to see things blow up in the coming months / years overseas.

OFFICIAL UNIT PRESS RELEASE

Unit Clothing is proud to announce the appointment of Tony Dandrea as its USA Sales Director.

Dandrea brings with him more than ten years sales and marketing experience in the action sports clothing industry.

Having worked with brands such as Von Zipper, FMF Apparel and Sector 9, Dandrea will be an asset to Unit’s expanding USA division.

“I am stoked to the full to be on the Unit team,” says Dandrea.

“The Unit story and its founders, Paul and Ian, are true to the roots of Moto and BMX.

“I will be on a mission to bring the Unit story from Australia, across the pond to the US action sports consumer and to the retailer alike.”

Unit Founder and Director Paul Everest says Unit’s long term objective has always been success in the USA and this role was crucial to achieving that goal.

“We are confident we have made a great decision in hiring Tony,” says Everest.

“His drive and expertise in two-wheeled action sports is rare and will be invaluable to Unit as we continue to expand in the amazing USA market.

“There’s always been a great energy between Americans and Aussies and we look forward to employing more Americans.

“Stay tuned for a strong contingent of US athletes to be joining the Unit team in the near future.”

According to Tony, the American market will be blown away by Unit’s arrival.

“Everything that Unit does, from the threads to the outside-the-lines marketing, will be a fresh breath of air to the two-wheeled action sports category.

“We have some mind blowing ideas for this brand in the USA and I am ready to get my fingernails dirty!”

• By Allan H

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2010 Australian National Downhill Champion Chris Kovarik has headed overseas to compete in this years World Cup, but before he left, Unit Clothing caught up to watch him shred the famous Mt. Tamborine downhill track.

Chris races for Team Chain Reaction Cycles, is considered a legend in the Australian MTB scene and has been racing pro since 1998. A long list of championships and good results accompany Chris, and it seems 2010 may be his best year yet.

Find out more about Chris on the Unit Riders page www.unitriders.com, along with loads more videos and profiles.

Video Courtesy: Unit Clothing

Producer: Allan Hardy

Music: 'Drop Down' by Designer Drugs www.myspace.com/designerdrugsclubmusic

UPDATE: Just as we release our latest video of Chris, Chain Reaction Cycles has also released a cool new clip, catching up with Chris and his team while training in Ireland. Check it out below...

• By Allan H

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Our friends at Crusty put together this killer highlights video of their final regional live show for 2010. The show went off up in Cairns, as Unit's own Kain Saul backflipped his 200+ kilo Harley Davidson succesfully for the 4th time ever, and is still the only man in the world to ever do so!

Jacko Strong stole the show though, with his first ever succesul 85 foot front flip!! Without a doubt, this is the biggest and cleanest front flip ever pulled, and with a bit of luck Jacko can go onto nailing the front flip consistently.

Unit rider Matt 'Schuie' Schubring was awarded the 'Best RIder' award for the tour, which was judged by the rest of the guys on the tour. This is well deserved for Schuie, who is without a doubt one of the most consistent and talented FMX riders to ever come out of Australia.

Rumors have it the Crusty crew will be returning at the end of the year, with a massive capital city tour. And it may not be what you are expecting, now that Crusty have seperated from their previous promoter, 'Global Action Sports', they are talking about a completely revamped tour, going back to the Crusty roots, mixing the worlds best FMX action with the craziest antics!

We can't wait.

• By Allan H

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STORY: WWW.FULLNOISE.COM.AU         PHOTO: Tye grabs the holeshot in his first race representing the #7 of Andrew McFarlane

Reports have come in from Dubbo that Tye Simmonds, currently running second in the 2010 MX Nationals has broken his foot in a club event at the Dubbo track.

Simmonds had agreed to ride the club day in order to help raise funds for injured local rider Jesse Rutherford.

Reports are that Simmonds has fractured his fifth metatarsal (the long bone that runs down to his little toe) and left Dubbo base hospital on crutches.

The footpeg of his 350 managed to grab the face of the finish line jump and wedge Tyes foot between the engine cases and the up ramp crushing the bones. The loss in the bikes momentum threw Tye off his seat and he sailed over the table top and landed beside the KTM. The race was immediately called off.

He will be in Sydney to consult with specialist orthopedic surgeons on Wednesday about his chance on racing the fourth round of the Nationals at Raymond Terrace this coming weekend.

Showing the heart of a champion, Tye wanted to go back out and race, saying the track was ‘awesome’ but had to be ushered up to the hospital by his uncle and race stewards.

• By Allan H

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Mac211: Toowoomba Recap from Jason Macalpine on Vimeo.

 

Our friends over at MXDAILY.COM.AU put together a cool little behind the scenes video with #211 Billy Mackenzie from Unit | Kawasaki Racing Team while hanging out at Round 4 of the Aus MX Nationals in Toowoomba. It is a good luagh, and lets you see a bit more of Billy outside of the formal MX track environment. We are currently working on a full team video which will be online soon...

"Billy Mackenzie is back with his second installment of his Mac211 Video Updates from the nationals. Billy's aim this weekend was to give you a fun look at what went on into the lead up to the event as well as some cool riding shots from what was to be his second overall win of the weekend.

The cool thing about these video's is that the is nothing formal about it, Billy's goal is just to show you who he is and what he's about..." MXDAILY.COM.AU

• By Allan H

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The opening round of the 2010 Lucas Oil/AMA Pro Motocross Championships hit Hangtown OA, and there was a huge buzz, as bikes returned to the amazing outdoor arena.

We had our first ever international stand on site, and the thing was pumping! Loads of new Unit fans were dropping in, stoked to finally be able to get the gear after initially finding the brand in magazines and online. Keep an eye out at future rounds of the MX Championship, as we will be popping up with more soon.

For a full race report from the event, visit RACER X ONLINE, who also have some good video wrap-ups.

Unit team athletes had a good start to the year, with former Lites rider Ryan Sipes holding his own and scoring a 7th overall in the Opens. Other results include...

LITES

Travis Baker -18th

VInce Friese - 26th

OPENS

Dan Reardon - 15th

Kyle Chisholm -16th

Matt Goerke -17th

The nest round of the 2010 Lucas Oil/AMA Pro Motocross Championships will be in Freestone in two weeks time.

PHOTO: Team MotoConcepts riders Ryan Sipes and Travis Baker visit the Unit stall at Hangtown to sign some autographs and hang out with the Unit crew.

• By Allan H

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Mat Rebeaud is back on the bike, and training hard to be back to his former strength. A little over a week ago he completed construction of his own foam pit, and so far it seems to be helping Mat alot to get the feel of the bike again.

"First day on the bike, first jump on the foam pit, my arm doing good. So happy!!!" Mat explained after his first jump, and since then he tells us he’s been doing great, jumping in the new foam pit a bunch and his under-flips are back better than ever! 

"Every few days I notice a lot of improvement."

This is great news for Mat, who had originally hoped to be back for round 2 of X-Fighters, but after his recovery took longer then hoped, was forced to sit out the event.

With a bit of luck we will see Mat at round 3 of X-Fighters being held in Russia on the 26th of June. Good luck buddy.

Check out a full photo gallery of Mat training in the new foam pit HERE

• By Allan H

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On May 2nd, Australian motocross farewelled a racing legend. Andrew McFarlane tragically passed in Broadford, at round 3 of the Australian MX Nats, leaving behind his loving wife Natalie, beautiful daughter Tayla, mother, father and brother.

Racing was canceled, as Andrew's friends, team mates and fellow competitors tried to understand how and why such a devastating thing could happen to such an amazing man.

Andrew's JDR Motorex KTM teammate Tye Simmonds raised his hand on that day, to ride with Andrew's #7 for the remainder of the season. To keep Andrew's spirit and passion alive on the track.

Round 4 of the Australian MX Nats came to Toowoomba this past weekend, and we saw Tye take the track, to do everything he could to put that #7 at the front of the pack, as Andrew would have done.

Follow Tye throughout the day, and try to get understanding of what all of these brave athletes face every time they put a helmet on.

Please take the time to donate to the Andrew McFarlane Trust Fund. All financial contributions no matter how small will be appreciated, as together the motorcycle community help build a foundation for Natalie and Tayla without their hero, husband and father Andrew McFarlane.

The trust fund details are as follows:
Bank: National Australia
Name: PKF Trust Account
BSB: 082 055
Account number: 61 637 2235
Swift code: NATAAU3302

VIDEO DETAILS
Courtesy: Unit Clothing www.unitriders.com
Producer: Allan Hardy
Music: 'The List' by 'The After Party' www.myspace.com/theafterpartyaus

• By Allan H

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Unit athletes Claire Buchar and Chris Kovarik competed at round 1 of the Downhill World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia. The track was complete mud, and racing was gnarly.

Chris crashed in his final and slid through the tape and off course. He is OK though, and looking ahead to the next race.

Claire had a bit more success and ended the weekend with a very strong 7th! Below is her full blog taken from canadiandhgirls.com, where you can also go to find more updates and photos.

 

After a 2 day drive from the rainy UK we arrived in rainy Maribor. Slovenia. I knew right then that it was going to be a gnarly weekend.

The track is littered with roots. The infamous rock garden was the most slippery it has ever been and the ruts and holes were getting deep by the end of Friday practice. There was mud covering everything and it continued to rain.

Saturday qualifying went well, I just took it easy, hit most of my lines and made it down without coming off. I qualified 8th and I knew I had more in the tank for the final.

Come Sunday, though, winds were high and the gondola shut down for morning practice. We had to shuttle to the top and were given one practice run each because the track was absolutely trashed from qualifying the day before. I had the worst run of the weekend with a mechanical problem combined with still feeling half asleep!

I was determined to ride my best in the final. But it was choose your own adventure out there! It ended up being a bit of a horrendous run actually. It was so slippery and rough, it was hard to stay on line. My bike was pounds heavier coated with mud. I made so many mistakes but I knew that others would too so I just kept on fighting till I crossed the line. I came across in 2nd with 7 girls to go. Tracy and Celine couldn’t beat my time that day, obviously having their own adventures on course. I was stoked to finish 7th, just 2 seconds off the podium. My commitment and determination helped knock 8 seconds off my qualifier in way worse conditions with so many mistakes! Racing is crazy…..I am so addicted.

Props to Rachel after everything she went through with her broken finger and her mega crash in qualifying. In a league of her own, well done.

And congrats to one of my favorite riders and teammate, Matt Simmonds, who finished a solid 14th in the mens(in the same second as 8th place). I think that is his best World Cup result so far! More to come….

Chris had a crash and went through the tape, he is disappointed but ok and looking ahead to the next round. Don’t underestimate him, there is lots of season left yet!!!!

On a track that all the top guys were saying was one of the hardest, I am happy with my result.

Thanks to all of my sponsors for your support. Special thanks to Jeff Steber at Intense, my M9 Proto feels amazing! :)

Now back to the UK for a few weeks till round 2 at Fort Bill. Let the adventures continue!

• By Allan H

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Well this past week has been absolutely nuts. I have been working 12 hour days for the past 8 days because Lavs drop off decided to get blown over in the hurricane winds we had. After getting a tractor to lift the drop off out of the bushes, cut it into pieces, lift it over the brick wall and then take it to the dump, we then have the problem of building something new and making it work good enough so we can do all the transfers and what not in the yard.

We decided to build and new first jump, so after digging the landing about 10 feet tall and building the take off we realised that we dont have enough room! So we got back on the shovels, trashed the take off and moved the landing 10 feet closer to the old first jumps. We then had the idea to make a ski jump off a 4 foot deck into the landing, so then we would have the room and hopefully the speed.

Well after working for 5 days on the ski jump, it was done and ready to go. Although at 30 feet long we thought we
would struggle for the speed.. So we decided to move it to 26 feet long.

We finished that and it was time to ride it. I only just got my knee brace, so I haven't been on my bike at all since Australia really. We rolled in and hit it and it worked a treat, except for one problem. We didn't get enough speed off the ski jump. So then we decided to build a more mellow take off and push it back to about 28-29 feet long.

So after 8 days of working non-stop, it was go time and would u know it...it finally worked and was dialled. You get just enough speed to clear the ski jump then have all the speed in the world for the rest of the yard. We are all so stoked.

The roll in is dialed now, equipped with some metal stairs and hand rail, nice dark coffee stained wood and big ol' scary looking ski jump. I'm so glad that its finished because I couldnt stand another day out in the sun and heat screwing in screws and changing things to make it work.. I'ts bmx time!

This morning we had our first proper session in the yard. I felt pretty sketchy on my bike trying to get use to this knee brace and riding with no ACL, but it felt amazing to be back on my bike cutting laps. I loved every moment of my sketchy-ness and im just hoping the wind stays away so we can session this arvo.

Next monday we're off to Woodward to try some stunts out in the foam and then it will almost be time for Stomping Ground... Can't wait.

Check out the pics of the roll in from fall to rise again.

Cheers.
Cam W.
 

• By Allan H

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Hey everyone,

I just got back from a week in China, where we were riding a show at the opening round of their MX championship. Apart from the two days travel each way, it was one of the best overseas trips I've had. It's usually pretty scary riding a borrowed bike, but the guys had got me a nice 2010 KXF, which was spot on. The downramps are usually a bit how-ya-goin on these trips as well, but this time the only worry was that it might be too big!

I went over with Jesse Fairfull and Jim Bartle, and their bikes were new as well. The accomodation was awesome, and the town we were in even had a KFC.... it's a lot different to KFC over here though. The local supermarket had a section with live toads, turtles and eels... You don't see that in Woolies here!

We did two shows on Saturday and one on Sunday, the Chinese crowds really love freestyle and got right into it, especially when I whipped and Jim flipped at the end of the show. The team we were riding for was great, and Vincent, the owners son and 2008 Chinese Champion, has to be one of the funniest dudes I've ever met. His broken english kept us laughing the whole time.

They are working on having Freestyle at a few more rounds this year, so hopefully I'll be back over soon!

Cheers

Joe

• By Allan H

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Not only is Caroline Buchanan one of the best MTB / BMX racers in the world, she is also an incredible role model for younger women to push themselves, and aspire to achieve greater things.

The June issue of Cleo has a great piece on Caroline, as 1 of 8 inspirational women who are not just achievers, but are reshaping the future of or nation.

Make sure you grab your own copy of the magazine, and in Cleo's words... 'Prepare to be inspired!'

Other women includined in the article are..

Stephanie Loronzo - founder Project Futures dedicated to combating the illegal practice of sex trafficking
Larissa Brown - founder Centre for Sustainability and 2008 Young Environmentalist of the Year
Danni Watts - The Butterfly Foundation, supporting people with eating disorders and negative body image
Carla Bignasca - radio and television personality
Lizzy Lovette - radio and television personality
Bianca Dye - radio and television personality
Zoe Foster - author and beauty guru and Editor in Chief of primped.com.au

• By Allan H

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Hey, whats up guys?

Just checking in to let you know what I've been up to. The last 5 weeks I've been on a road trip with a few good friends from Melbourne to the Gold coast and back. We started off down in Melbourne shooting some clips and then headed up to Cam Whites backyard for few days We got an awsome filming session done there, with Dane Searl and I, unfortanley Cam crashed the day before we got there and couldn't ride.

After that we headed up to Sydney to do some more filming with Allan Hardy and most stuff turned out really good. Then after all the driving and stopping at different skate parks, we finally got into Queensland before the Amigo's Of Dave Jam, at Nerang skate park. It was a good day, lots people turned up and donated money for Dave.

Then pretty much straight after that we headed back down to Melbourne for the Red Bull Dirt Pipe event out at Mount Beauty. This pipe is probably the most amazing thing ever and wats even better is the fact I ended up taking the win. I was so stoked and got my invite to Stomping Ground later this month over in the states.

But, probably the best thing about this month was that last weekend I was laying in my bed, and got a phone call asking if I could come and ride the Sydney show for Nitro Circus. Ended up doing the Saturday night show in Sydney with the boys, in front of thousands of people and I'm now packing my bags getting ready to leave for Perth to do the rest of the Nitro Circus live shows in Australia, and then once all that is done I will be heading back of to America, hoping for a better year this time. But we will have to see how it goes, should be some fun!

MAIN PHOTO: The Nitro Circus show erupts inside a packed-out Acer Arena in Sydney. PHOTO: SIMON MAKKER

• By Allan H

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We are proud to announce this weekend at the opening round of the MX Outdoor Nationals being held at the legendary Hangtown track, we will be on site with the first ever Unit stand in the USA. We will have all the latest Unit products on display, as well as thousands of dollars worth of product that you could win!

This will be a one of a kind promotion, to welcome Unit to USA, so make sure you drop in and say hello!

All details of the event are available over at the Hangtown MX website

We will also have our buddies at Team MotoConcepts flying the flag for Unit on the track, riders including #55 Kyle Chisholm, #35 Matt Goerke, #585 Travis Baker, #61 Vince Friese and #46 Ryan Sipes.

A rejuvinated Dan Reardon will also be back in action, on a new bike and with a new team.

• By Allan H

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Unit is proud to announce its donation of $7000 to Legacy Australia, collected through proceeds from sales of the Anzac Wallet.

More than 10,000 troops died to protect the freedom we enjoy today and Legacy is dedicated to caring for the families they left behind.

"Like many young Aussies we all had a grandfather who went to war, some returned - some did not," says Unit Founder Paul Everest.

"After speaking with lots of young people over the last few years we realised that the sacrifice previous generations had made, had been lost on the new generation."

"The saying 'Lest we forget' was apparent."

Unit's design team set about creating a tribute wallet that told the story of the Anzacs, with proceeds to be donated to Legacy.

"It was very rewarding to be able to hand over a cheque to Legacy this morning."
 

• By Allan H

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Red Bull Dirt Pipe went off a couple of weeks ago, and Unit's own jaie Toohey took the win. It is definitely one of the most innovative and massive dirt courses in the world, so the contest made for some awesome photos and videos...

Check out al the pics and videos below...

FOCALPOINT PHOTO GALLERY - Cooper Brownlee put together this cool gallery of photos that were not used in the Focalpoint print mag.

CAM PIANTA'S RIDING + LIFESTYLE PICS - Cam Pianta was lucky enough to ride the contest, and in his spare time managed to snap a bunch of sweet ass riding and lifestyle pics. Cam is turning into a keen photographer, and thanks to his winnings from the Hillside Dirtjam now has a sweet camera setup. He also has a bit of a polaroid fetish, as you will see haha. Thanks for the pics Cam!

• By Allan H

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Kain here,

It was nearly time for the regional Crusty Tour to start, so after i finished up at the Sydney Royal Easter Show I headed to Jacko Strong's place to get a bit of practice flipping the Harley Davidson. The first day at Jacko's place I did a bit of normal jumping testing out different ramps to find out what can and can't be done on a Harley, that was interesting.

Day 2 it was time to get into the foam pit and get that big girl upside down. The swingarm was extended 6 inches for distance jumping and i didn't think that would have been a problem for flipping but i was wrong. I landed upside down on my head with the 280 kg bike on top of me. We took the bike back to Jacko's amazing work shop and put it back to the way it was when i first flipped it last year. All my flips then were perfect.

Come day 3 i thought I would get one more day in the pit before the weekend. My flips started to get worse and worse eventually landing on my head and getting stuck under the bike a few times. We worked out that the clutch had tightened up and was slipping on the ramp which meant it had no torque to bring the bike around. After we fixed that I did 4 perfect flips into the pit and was ready for the first stop at Gosford.

I was way more nervous than the first time i had flipped the bike, cause of that i came in to fast and landed at the bottom of the down ramp. The shock of the landing went all through my back and I ended up spending 6 hours in hospital getting x-rays and scans to finally get out and go to the after party on alot of pain killers.

The next weekend was the Darwin show I was in so much pain but I still wanted to flip the Harley. I landed it perfect but bounced and hit my ass on the seat again and i spent the rest of the show icing my back.

We then had 2 weekends off before the next round at Bundaberg, so there was alot of physio for me. Luckily I have the best physio on the Gold Coast as my sponsors (BACK IN MOTION,) without them I wouldn't have been able to ride at the Bundaberg show.

It was time for my jump, it came around perfect then when i landed, it bounced and i fell off the back of the bike and watched it go straight into the fences and nearly took out a couple of people in the crowd. I was stoked that no one from the crowd was hurt and that i walked out of it to ride the rest of the show.

That brings me to right now, sitting on my couch with my sexy girl (Gemma) writting this story.

Next stop Cairns :)

• By Allan H

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It seems like every 2nd day we are getting race reports from Caroline Buchanan, and we can't even keep up with her! While juggling her busy BMX schedule, and aspirations for the 2012 Olympics, Caroline has managed to fit an international 4X round in, and it sounds like some intense racing.. Read her latest blog below...

It felt so nice to be back on the Mountainbike World Cup scene again.. Seeing old friends and racing without pressure and criteria to make. Slovenia’s weather was not on our side... It rained for 4 days heavy on and off making the worst mud conditions that I have every road in.

I felt very confident leading into the event with lots of BMX training behind me, having the rainbow World Champ stripes on my back and riding my new Commencal Bicycle. In Time trial I didn’t have a perfect run but posted the fastest qualifying time. I knew that the muddy conditions did not suit me very well and my tactic was to get good starts in every race.

In the quarter final I lead from the start and pushed the limits in the conditions to see what passing lines would be possible for the final. I progressed through to the Semi final with Beerten NED and Horakova CZE. Beerten lead from the 1st turn and I followed her down. I knew that if I got caught behind her again in the final that the 2nd corner would be my only chance of making a move. We both progressed through to the final joining Fionn Griffiths GBR and Sarsha Huntington AUS.

As top qualifier and winning the World Cup in Maribor last year I really wanted to be on the top step of the podium... In the final I got a great gate and was winning to the 1st corner, Beerten just got a wheel in front and took the lead. I didn’t want to sit for 2nd best and made an inside move on Anneke... I pulled it off, she slid off the track and unexpectedly as I was pedalling away I felt a big hit from behind, throwing me off the front of my bike and landing on my handle bar in my leg. I tried to get up faster than Anneke but was to sore and winded to complete the race.

I was very happy with 4th position at my 1st international 4x race since winning the World Title. With a hectic busy Olympic BMX schedule ahead of me,  I am looking forward to competing in 4x again at the USA World Cup and defending my World Title in Canada at the end of the year :)

Next race is a European BMX round in Germany next weekend and BMX World Championships in South Africa

xxx CB

• By Allan H

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We headed out Toowoomba over the weekend to catch up and film with all the Unit MX Team athletes, and I don't think we could have picked a better round! 'Domination' is the only word that comes to mind, and it is exciting to think where the season could go from here.

We will take you through the Unit athlete results, but for all the full race reports head over at MXDAILY.COM.AU

In the Under 19's Unit / Kawasaki Racing Team athlete #121 Luke Arbon took the win overall with some very smooth riding and great starts. We are especially stoked for Luke, as we have been following him for a few years now, and since he moved to the 19's, Luke has been struggling to find the winning form he had in juniors. But hopefully this is the beginning of something great for Luke.

In the Lites, #41 Ford Dale took a swag of holeshots, and was a front runner most of the day, even taking the win in the re-started first race and the final race of the day. Unfortunately, a bad start in the 2nd race and a crash while trying to fight his way back to the lead cost him alot of points, and relegated him back to 3rd overall for the day. However, KRT's #33 Cody Mackie had a super consistent day, and although he didn't win any races, had enough points to take 2nd overall for the day!

In the Pro Opens, all eyes were on Tye Simmonds who was running the #7 of Andrew MacFarlane Andrew McFarlane, and he did not dissappoint. A great fightback in the last race saw the JDR KTM rider grab 2nd overall for the day, only behind fellow Unit athlete Billy MacKenzie who won the first 2 races of the day, and took it easy in the last to rest a broken hand from a previous round.

Overall, a really good day for Unit and our friends at Kawasaki Racing Team!

Check back to the Unit site soon for videos of the day, including a cool behind the scenes look at the Kawasaki Racing Team of Arbon, MacKenzie and Mackie.

MAIN PHOTO: #7 Tye Simmonds by Kajx COMMUNICATIONS

• By Allan H

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Photo: Kliclac

Aside from all the hype and excitement in Egypt for X-Fighters this morning, I still can't believe I got out of bed at 4am to watch it live! haha but it was definitely worth it, despite some 'questionable' judging decisionss.

Our boy Levi went into the event with a 3rd place qualifying, and alot of confidence. He met 6th place qualifier Adam Jones who in his run only completed 7 of the 8 allowed jumps. Adams run was solid, but Levi matched him with very strong 8 trick run. The crowd and even the announcers had put there choice on Sherwood for the win, but somehow, the judges saw Adam the better contender and awarded him the win. This comes as a shock to me, considering in previous events, when riders who drop a single jump in a run normally get scored against very heavily, and considering Levi had a better looking to run begin with in my eyes, it seems ridiculous that the judges would go with Adam. Perhaps all of this judging evaluation and overhaul has not done the job we thought it would.

Anyway, enough controversy, overall the riding was at a good level, and the location couldn't be beaten. It was amazing to watch, and I certainly can't wait for the next round.

In the end, Adam Jones would take the win over series leader Andre Villa, and turn the points chase on it's head. For a full rundown of the final matchups and results, head over to FMXWORLD.COM

• By Allan H

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Photo: Red Bull

We are so pumped for the next round of X-Fighters! Friday will see the best 12 FMX riders on the planet battle it out head-to-head directly in front of the 73.5-metre-long and 20-metre-high Great Sphinx of Giza constructed between 2700 and 2600 BC.

The rider is list looking as strong as ever, and our own Levi Sherwood is looking for redemption after a dissapointing cancellation of round 1 handed him a 7th place, a long way down from where he was hoping to be. In other Unit team news, our newest FMX team athlete Mat rebeaud was hoping to be fully recovered from injury in time for Egypt, but in the last few days has had to pull out of the event. A huge blow for the 2008 Champion who is fast seeing his 2010 season dissappear behind him.

At this stage, we have not been notified of, or found any live ways to view the event, and even if we could, the contest will be taking place at around midnight Friday night Australia time. Stay tuned to the blog for any updates and results as we get them.

Below is the final riders list, and if you are after some more info and videos on the event, ESPN have a really detailed write-up on the event and conditions HERE, as well as a neat video interview with Levi Sherwood HERE.

1. Nate Adams
2. Robbie Maddison
3. Petr Pilat (Replacement for M. Rebeaud)
4. Eigo Sato
5. Levi Sherwood
6. Andre Villa
7. Jim McNeil
8. Adam Jones (Wild Card)
9. Nick DeWit (Wild Card)
10. Daice Suzuki
11. Lance Coury
12. Libor Podmol

• By Allan H

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JDR MOTOREX KTM OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

JDR Motorex KTM Racing will go into round four of the Australian Motocross Championship at Toowoomba in QLD on Sunday May 16, holding their heads high in honour and memory of late team mate Andrew McFarlane, who tragically lost his life at the previous round in Broadford.

McFarlane’s Pro Open team mate, Tye Simmonds will be riding with McFarlane’s # 7 plate at Toowoomba, and for the rest of the motocross series, representing the teams respect and thanks for all Andrew put into JDR Motorsports. Simmonds is entered on the only KTM 350 SX F in the country, and currently sits third in the Pro Open Championship, to Jay Marmont in second and Todd Waters in first.

JDR Motorex KTM Race Team Manager, Jay Rynenberg comments, “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for all the team with the loss of Andrew McFarlane, but we’re soldiering on knowing that it is what Andrew would want, and his family is 100 percent behind us."

“When we spoke to Andrew’s wife Nat and father Ron about Tye Simmonds riding with Andrew’s #7 plate at the remaining MX Nationals rounds and they were touched and excited that the team were honouring Andrew in this way."

“Ron is also going to be attending the Toowoomba round to meet with the our team riders Tye Simmonds, Ryan Marmont and PJ Larsen to encourage them to continue with their passion for racing and strive to win, as it is what Andrew would have wanted."

“It’s easy to become emotionally closed in a situation like this, and it’s just amazing how Andrew’s drive lives on in his family who are right beside us as our journey continues without him."

“All of our team riders have been back on the bike and training hard. PJ Larsen and Ryan Marmont have been testing on the KTM 250 SX-F, and they’re looking solid for Toowoomba. Larsen sits second in the Pro Lites Championship and Marmont sits in third, positions they’re both looking to improve on at Toowoomba. "

“Tye Simmonds is battling a cold, but has still been putting in ample riding time on the KTM 350 SX F and feels confident if he’s well rested leading up to the weekend, he will be back fighting fit in a competitive frame of mind to race.”

The fourth round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals will be held on Sunday 16 May at theToowoomba Motocross Club, Corner Nelson and Ramsay Streets, Toowoomba, QLD

JDR Motorex KTM Racing has announced details for a trust fund set up to support the family of late motocross racer Andrew McFarlane, anyone can donate through a National Australia Bank, and just need to put Andrew McFarlane or JDR as a reference, the full details are:

Bank: National Australia Bank
Name: PKF Trust Account
BSB: 082 055
Account Number: 61 637 2235
Swift Code: NATAAU3302

• By Allan H

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Day 2 of the Crusty filming mission was crazy, as the crew headed out to Schuie's infamous 10 pack.

5 riders, 3 filmers, 6 photographers, 1 helicopter and 5 crazy jumps set up the day, and as soon as we rolled into the property, all riders were geared up and on their bikes. Schuie smashed straight through the pack, and began helping the rest of the guys speed check each jump. But before anybody else could make it through the whole set, disaster struck, as Joel Balchin went down hard over the 4th set. Balchy got himself up but it was apparent rib injuries were the result, and a trip to the hospital ended Joel's day.

All of the guys lost a bit of confidence after that, and before they could even start riding again the wind picked up heavily, so the shoot was put on hold. Schuie was gutted, after putting in so much time and effort to make it come together. There was no back-up day either, as the Crusty guys were out of town the next day.

With Balchy out, Jake Bowen and Mick Hall packed up their bikes, but Marhsall and Schuie held onto hope and tried to wait it out.

After an hour of strong winds, it was still blowing, but easing off a little, so Schuie jumped straight on the bike and within just minutes, the helicopter was in the air chasing Schuie along the pack. Run after run he threw down everything he could in the gusty conditions, trying to make enough happen before the wind eventually picked back up. A crazy 25 minute session was the end result, a dream effort considering the conditions. Robbie Marshall also sacked up and made it all the way through the pack, but with little experience on the set combined with the wind, it was hard for him to really show his potential.

We will definitely be heading back out soon to finish the job though, as Schuie still has alot he wants to achieve, if weather permits. Marshall also wants the opportunity to throw down some tricks over the set, and push himself further than he has on this kind of setup. Unit had a cameraman on site for the day to work with the Crusty guys, so expect to see all of the action in the upcoming Crusty Demons film.

Unit will also be producing a bit of a documentary on the 10 pack, so stay tuned for that, but for now, check out some of the stories and articles below...

UNIT FACEBOOK - PHOTO GALLERY

FREERIDER MX - ARTICLE + PHOTOS

• By Allan H

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Above Rider: Robbie Marshall laying it over, scaling the vertical step-up Schuie has dug into the side of his Boonah property. This photo doesn't reflect the absolute size and steepness of that lip.  Photo: Allan Hardy

We headed out to Schuieville again today, to catch up with none other than the creators of the Crusty Demon film series Jon Freeman and Dana Nicholson. The pair travelled out to do a bunch of crazy filming with Schuie, and anyone else crazy enough to go big for the camera.

Today saw Robbie Marshall, Jake Bowen, Mick Hall and Steve Sommerfield join in, and it is fair to say Schuies backyard got a workout. We had our film crew on hand as well, so expect to see some of the action online soon!

Tomorrow we head to the infamous 10 pack for some heli filming, and with the likes of Mike Mason and Steve Mini getting involved, you can be sure it is going to be insane. Check back soon for more details and some photos as well...

• By Allan H

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Hillside Dirtjam winner Dane Searls loves big dirt jumps! There is nothing else to it...

Here Dane shreds Cam White's massive back yard trails in Canberra, Australia. You will also be able to watch Dane at the upcoming Red Bull Stomping Ground in Chicago.

Producer: Allan Hardy

Courtesy: Unit Clothing

Music: 'Inkstains' by Phatchance www.myspace.com/mcphatchance

• By Allan H

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Racer X Online are reporting Dan Reardon has secured a new team for the 2010 MX outdoor series. Here is what they had to say...

"Dan Reardon, whom we have a feeling fills in for Chris Cornell from time to time, has found a new home for 2010. He will be riding at the Valli Motorsports Yamaha team for the 2010 Nationals. It's a done deal. Expect to see him at Hangtown on the Valli YZ450F."

This is good news for Reardon, who apparently parted ways with his former team Moto Concepts after an injury riddled Supercross season. Let's hope Reardon will be back at full strength in time for the opening outdoor round. Dan has all the speed, but has been having a hard time bringing everything together when it counts.

Good luck buddy!

• By Allan H

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Robbie Marshall spends his weekends traveling the country, from performing in Crusty Demons and Nitro Circus Live FMX shows to racing the prestigious Australasian Super X series and the MX Nationals.

Most never reach the heights Robbie has in either sport, let alone both. But is it really possible to be your best at any one sport, when you are spreading your time and talent across both disciplines?

Robbie talks about the challenges that face him in his quest riding glory, and get's a sweet riding session in with Australia's legendary FMX rider Matt Schubring out at Schuie's personal FMX playground, complete with 170+ foot dirt hits, ramp setups and more!

Music: 'Push You Out' by The After Party www.myspace.com/theafterpartyaus

Producer: Allan Hardy

• By Allan H

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SUNDAY 09/05 5.20pm - It's all over!

It's official, Jaie Toohey is back! After spending so long off the bike with a torn ACL, he has quickly made his way back to the top of Australian BMX by winning the prestigous Red Bull Dirt Pipe contest, and scoring a free ticket to the Red Bull Stomping Ground contest in Chicago later in the year.

After his final runs, Jaie mentioned he was just happy to stay on the bike, and we reckon he has a hell of alot more in the bag to be unleashed, as he gets back to full confidence.

Stay tuned to the blog for more info, videos and also a full Jaie Toohey riding clip coming really soon!

 

SUNDAY 09/05 4.50pm

Unit rider Jaie Toohey wins Red Bull Dirt Pipe!!!  

Top 3...   1) Jaie Toohey 2) Jed Mildon 3) Corey Bohan

 

SUNDAY 09/05 4.30pm

Finals are underway, Gertrude says he nailed 2 good runs that he was pumped on in and messed a couple up, but overall happy with his efforts. Jaie says he was happy just to stay on the bike! haha

 

SUNDAY 09/05 3:55pm

Pilgrim BMX creator Scottish John just sent through the top 10 qualifiers, and things are looking awesome for Unit and Pilgrim!! These are the guys from 1-10...

-Jaie Toohey, Jed Mildon, Matt Whyatt, David Girsch, Corey Bohan, Danny Campbell, Chris Courtenay, Paul Langlands, Breandan Jones, Colonel.

 

SUNDAY 09/05 3.00pm

Scottish John from Pilgrim Bikes will be sending through a final 10 list soon, but for now, here is what Cam Pianta messaged us about the comp so far!

"Just rode qualifying. Did Ok. Did most of the stuff i wanted. Watching 2nd qual. Jaie Toohey and David Girsch are killing it. Jaie just aired about 20ft high off the last hip in a 1 foot table. And Gertrude just 270 whiped the first hip then bailed and wound down the windows on the big right hip. Shit was intense. Can't wait to see who made finals. There has def been some big runs from everyone here!" ...Cam Pianta

 

FRIDAY 07/05 3.30pm

"Just arrived at Dirt Pipe and it's better than ever. Every one is warming up and making it happen. We are all just hoping this rain stays away. I'll send some more stuff through later, but for now I'm gunna cut some laps." ...Cam Pianta

 

EVENT INFO

After taking a few years off, Red Bull Dirt Pipe is back! One of the most innovatie BMX setups in the world, Dirt Pipe takes the conventional half pipe setup, pumps it full of steroids and throws all of Australia's best BMX athletes in the mix.

Only one contest has ever been held there, so all the riders are pumped to be back this year. Unit athletes Jaie Toohey, Cam Pianta and David Girsch are all on site.

• By Allan H

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Swiss FMX superstar Mat Rebeaud, who already missed first stop of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour in Mexico after a serious crash during training at the Red Bull Compound will not be able to ride in Egypt as the healing process takes longer then expected.

Rebeaud left the hospital in California weeks ago to fly back to his native Switzerland for further examinations and begin the recovery process to bring him back on his KTM.
If everything goes as planed, Mat should be back for the Red Bull X-Fighters event in Moscow (Russia) in the summer.

Czech "Wunderkind" Petr Pilat will take Rebeauds slot to complete the field of 12 riders.

Updated Rider Liste Red Bull X-Fighters Egypt

1. Nate Adams
2. Robbie Maddison
3. Petr Pilat (Replacement for M. Rebeaud)
4. Eigo Sato
5. Levi Sherwood
6. Andre Villa
7. Jim McNeil
8. Adam Jones (Wild Card)
9. Nick DeWit (Wild Card)
10. Daice Suzuki
11. Lance Coury
12. Libor Podmol

• By Allan H

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We are proud to announce that Unit has officialy joined forces with Australia's Kawasaki Racing Team for 2010. Unit has been evolving it's team of elite MX athletes recently, and KRT has added even more firepower to the Unit MX group. Check out Kawasaki's official press release below...

The Kawasaki Racing Team is pleased to announce that highly successful clothing company Unit has joined forces with KRT as a valued team sponsor in 2010.

The addition of such a successful brand as Unit to the Kawasaki Racing Team’s family of sponsors is indicative of Kawasaki’s commitment to aligning itself with other quality and respected brands in its quest for Championship glory.

KRT Manager Troy Carroll is excited about the collaboration between KRT and Unit saying, “We are driving the team to set high targets both on and off the track and with a company such as Unit joining our team in 2010, it highlights that quality brands want to be associated with a strong and professional team such as the Kawasaki Racing Team.”

“I personally would like to thank those at Unit for their willingness to be a part of our team, not only for 2010 but into the future.”

KRT Principal, Kevin Crutcher says, “It’s great to see Unit coming on board and joining all of our other great sponsors. The clothing is second to none and the team loves wearing it. We look forward to bigger and better things with Unit in the years to come.”

CEO of Unit, Ian Everest says, “We’re really excited to begin this relationship with the Kawasaki Racing Team.”

“As Australia’s leading motocross casual clothing brand, it is a great fit to be represented by such a strong team for 2010.”

“We’re also pleased to be working with Troy Carroll. His professionalism and championship winning experience will be great for the team.”

KRT looks forward to a successful and productive relationship with Unit throughout 2010 and beyond. For more information about Unit, visit www.unitriders.com

• By Allan H

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The past few days here in Vegas have been real nice. The wind only picked up today, which means everyone was riding the other day in the 81 degree perfect sunny weather.

The good news is that I rode style jump.... I don't have my knrr brace yet, but my knee is feeling pretty good as i have been doing a lot of work in the gym with my legs to keep my muscles active. So i decided to cut a few jumps over style jump and see how she held up. The out come was awesome! I had a blast and it felt soooo good to be on the bike. As soon as i get my knee brace I'm back into riding everyday and riding hard. I just won't put my foot down if im coming a cropper.

Today and yesterday Lavs and i have been having some sweet sessions on the ol' pool table that was moved out into the shed. it's awesome having Lavs school me in pool every game, cause i'm pretty much the worst pool player ever, so nothing like getting an ass wooping to make you improve quicker. Check out the photo of our set up... It's pretty dope.

The next step in my recovery is getting ready for the Stomping Ground comp (which has been put back until June) and the Dew Tour, which all rely on getting my knee brace. I will also be training first in the Woodward foam pit... Looking forward to it so stay tuned.

Cheers,
Cam.

• By Allan H

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After the Icelandic volcano decided to stop making such a mess, our team flew to Ireland. Our main sponsor, Chain Reaction Cycles, has headquarters here just outside of Belfast. We are here to set up and test our new M9 Proto’s, get all our gear together, do some filming, take some photos and just generally get ready for the World Cup season madness.

This past weekend, we drove down to the South of Ireland to race a National, our first race on our new bikes. I have never ridden anything so much like peanut butter mixed with nutella in my life! It was crazy. By the time I got down each run, it looked like I was running 4.0 Gazzaloddi’s! All balled up with no grip and we were running full spikes! It was rad though, the top bit was fast with a few jumps and a fly off and then it was into the tight twisty woods full of mud, ruts and roots to the bottom.

Read the full story and see all the pictures now at Claire's Blog

• By Allan H

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The Amigo's Of Dave Bike Day went down on May 1st at the Nerang Skatepark, thanks to loads of support from sponsors and the Amigo's Of Dave. The event helped raise money for Dave's treatments and expenses as he battles to stay alive.

PRO STREET WINNER - Chris O'Donnell
PRO BOWL WINNER - Chris Courtenay

For the last two years, Daves been living with a Brain Tumor. Hes currently recovering from his second operation, and is now preparing for further treatment options. Among Daves options are some specialist cancer clinics in the United States offering treatments not available in Australia. You can donate to Dave's cause by visiting the Amigo's website www.amigosofdave.com

• By Allan H

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Tim just sent us over an email with the awesome news that he is been invited to X-Games 2010. This is big news for Tim, who until now was considering slowing down his career since the birth of his son Eli. Here is what Tim had to say...

I have been lying low enjoying Baby time and family all the while still doing my clinics and Citybeach demos.

Eli is growing soooooo fast and just starting to crawl properly now. He sits out and watches me ride vert every afternoon! I enjoy fatherhood so much i dont know how i could have ever lived without the experience.

On a positive riding front i just received an invite for american x games this morning so am holding out on the slow down riding thing for a while yet.

This is the first time i have been invited without having to compete in the qualifiers.....its nice to finally get to the top 8 riders automatically!! Just means riding flat out for a couple of months to prepare.

• By Allan H

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Well its been a little while since my last update but i have been super super busy. a few weeks back i had the Triple Six road trip from Melbourne to Brisbane. The trip was crazy. I had never met most of the guys on the trip before and only heard of them so it was good to finally get to hang out with everyone.

The trip lasted almost 2 weeks and we traveled around hitting up stores that support triple six and the brands they distribute, We also rode heaps of local parks with any one that was down to ride.. Check out the photos and video links down the bottom for a better idea of what went down rather than me dribbling on haha. Also be on the look out for the new 2020 which will have a section on the trip.

In a nutshell it almost killed me i don't think i have ever rode and partied so hard in my life it definitely made for a trip i'll never forget. Highlights for me where riding two sets of trails its always good to get to ride dirt. Oh and i also did my first hand rail for all you street kids out there never been so scared

Then just the other weekend Al Hardy came down here to my place to film for my new web edit, Saturday we got washed out so we didn't get alot of anything done. come sunday the sun came out and it was all go.. rode Hendo's yard , Shepparton park and Boris's Trails in Bendigo i didn't do as much as i would have liked but hopefully i have enough footage so Al can make his magic happen. We will just have to wait and see.

This coming weekend i have the Red Bull dirt pipe in Mt Beauty to attend.. this event was nuts a couple of years back so i can't wait to ride this thing again, a bunch of local mates are also heading up with me to ride this time so everyone better watch out cause my lads are bringing the heat haha..

Anyways thats all from me for now.
Go ride
Cam Pianta

CAM'S PHOTO GALLERY

TRIPLE SIX WRITE-UP

SUBROSA BIKES STORY

666 Road trip part 1 of 3 from NaturalBMX.com on Vimeo.

666 Road trip part 2 of 3 from NaturalBMX.com on Vimeo.

666 Road trip part 3 of 3 from NaturalBMX.com on Vimeo.

• By Allan H

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Perugia Italy rd 4-5 UCI BMX

A short trip back to Oz and the Australian EDS Squad is back in Europe again. We arrived into the Cycling Australia base in Varese Italy a week ago. This weekend we had rounds 4-5 of the European Championships. It is proving very well worth our time here in Europe to race these rounds. The racing is of such a high standard. Lots of competition, technical/ challenging tracks and fairly decent prize money.

The track was CRAZY!! similar to a skate park... very tight/vert. With 150 elite and jnr elite riders there were lots of accidents... roughly 13 ambulances to hospital. The track proved to be so dangerous that the entire Dutch team did not compete on day two and many others.

Day 1 - I had a good day winning majority of the qualifying rounds and being right in the mix to place 4th in the final. Team mate Lauren Reynolds 6th.

Day 2 - I had a great start to the day in top qualifying spots leading into the semi final a bad start with such high competition and no mistakes to be made.. I missed out on the final. A congratulations to Lauren placing 3rd and Rachel Bracken 8th.

The team now head to Switzerland to the World Cycling Centre to prepare for next weekends BMX World cup in Copenhagen Denmark.

CB :)

• By Allan H

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Story and photo courtesy ESPN.com/Action

The Red Bull X-Fighters series is only just heating up, and we are getting pumped for round 2 in Egypt on May 16. Unit athletes Levi Sherwood and Mat Rebeaud will be battling it out with another 10 of the worlds best riders, and after a dissappointing cancellation in round 1, there is even more hype for round 2.

Judging is always a huge sore point for any action sports contest, and for the 2010 X-Fighters season, Red Bull has invested a lot of time and money into the current judging system -- making progressive changes that can hopefully help level the playing field. ESPN.com/Action's Tes Sewell caught up with Head Judge Regis Harrington to discuss the new changes that were tested out for the first time at the first round in Mexico City.

CLICK HERE to read the full interview.

• By Allan H

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Photo: Andrew McFarlane's team, family and freinds pay respect as Tye Simmonds parades the number 7 of Andrew McFarlane. Story and photos: Fullnoise.com.au

Motorcycling Australia (MA) have confirmed that JDR Motorsports KTM rider Andrew McFarlane was involved in a critical on-track incident at the third round of the 2010 Australian Motocross Championship at Broadford on Sunday 2 May and has passed away.

McFarlane received immediate treatment from medical staff at the track but he passed away du to his injuries.

Read the full story HERE

• By Allan H

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Rider: Matt Whyatt blasts a flair whip in the Pro Bowl final Photo: Max Duff

Amigo's Of Dave held a massive bike day today at the Nerang Skatepark to raise money for Dave's treatment and ongoing support. Over 50 guys rocked up to compete, along with a massive crowd, and it is fair to say everyone involved was stoked be there!

It was great to see the amount of people donating money to the casue, the Slide Girls were on hand offering out condoms for donations! haha. But before we go any further, a special mention must go out to the Amigo's Of Dave organisers, who have put in a huge effort to pull everything together, and in the end they definitely came up with a better event then most other 'for profit' events in the area. Dave should be proud, and hopefully the money rasied will be a big help for him and his family.

The riding was great to, with guys like Matt Whyatt and Jaie Toohey making trip up from down south just for the day. First place in Pro Street went to Chris 'Danger' O'Donnel, while local boy Chris Courtenay, who just edged out Melbourne based Matt Whyatt, took out Pro Bowl.

We will be putting together a highlights video of the day, and aside from the winners, there was loads of crazy sh*t that went down, so make sure you so stay tuned for that!

Rider: Jaie Toohey was flowing higher than anyone else on the day Photo: Max Duff

• By Allan H

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