Thad Allender » BMX

Super Rat Machine Works Design

Thad Allender — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:19:28 +0000

One of the best things about working in the creative industry is the luxury of being surrounded by amazingly passionate people. One of those people is Phil Wasson. I’ve known Phil for more than a decade now and his craftsmanship with all things metal is next to none. Over the years, I’ve collaborated with him on various projects including magazine articles, living situations, cooking recipes, you name it. A few years ago, he launched Super Rat Machine Works, a machine shop specializing in high-end, revolutionary BMX components.

This weekend, Phil and I sat down to rethink, redesign and reevaluate both the Super Rat website and the future business model of Super Rat’s online operation. If you ride BMX, or are at all interested in online business, you should keep tabs on Super Rat Machine Works in the coming months. Just yesterday, we launched the new website, which uses WordPress as the CMS and a modified version of my Monochrome theme that I sell at Graph Paper Press. You can expect some innovative products from Super Rat Machine Works in the coming months.

Penn Valley Skatepark

Thad Allender — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:49:32 +0000

A few sequences of Jeff Sadler at the Penn Valley Skatepark in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007.

From Work to Home to Trails in 15 Minutes

Thad Allender — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:41:07 +0000

Photo: Leaving the trails after sunset.

Photo: Snap cover-boy Tyler over the main line, recently back in Kansas from the Philippines.
The best thing about Lawrence is that most of my favorite places are within very close proximity to each another. With the light fading around 4:45 p.m. today, I made a mad dash from work to home to grab my bike and head out to the trails for a quick 30 minute session. Enjoy the pics.

Photo by Joe Montgomery: Me blurred as I head through the roller line.

Shawnee Mission Skatepark session

Thad Allender — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:54:34 +0000

Fall is my favorite time of year for riding, photography and doing absolutely nothing. A strange mix, I know, but I tend to need some time for rest, relaxation and recreation to help recharge my batteries. The resting part I can do anywhere, trust me. The recreation part has always been a bit more challenging given that I’m a total bmx junkie and I live in Kansas. Luckily, I live less than 30 minutes from an amazing skatepark in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. I spend almost every Sunday carving the bowls, trying to find some new lines with my friends and snapping a few pics here and there. Last Sunday, I shot a few flicks with the new HD video camera. Despite the fact that my computer doesn’t want to deinterlace the video, I’m pretty psyched on the video quality. No crazy tricks here, just a fun day cruising around the skatepark with some friends. Word.
If you want, you can watch the video in full quality HD here at Vimeo.

North Park BMX Jam

Thad Allender — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:11:57 +0000

Above: Ben Hartman , alley opp double peg grind transfer. View all the photos.

Jesse McCollum, Ivy Melvin, Justin Mann and friends organized one hell of a BMX contest at the Pleasant Valley Skatepark in North Kansas City last night. Hundreds of kids from around the midwest met up for an evening winning some loot thanks to Red Bull. The contest format was awesome. Old Man Kenny, Phil Wasson, and Fredonia Dave were given something like $4,000 in “funny money” to hand out to riders that pulled sick tricks. At the end of the night, eveyone exchanged the “funny money” for real money at the Red Bull booth. I’m not sure who took home the most loot, but a handful of riders took home enough for one-months rent.

Highlights from the evening included Tom Dugan going super high on everything in his path. Dennis McCoy did an abubaca on a 3.5-inch wide piece of wood. It was great see lots of old friends on familiar turf.

I also got a chance to meet some new friends, all doing equally amazing things on and off their bikes. Jeremy Schutte, a bmxer and art director for a major creative agency in Kansas City, blogs about BMX culture at bmxroots.com. He posted a great overview of the night’s antics. Trevor Hawkins was shooting video for Red Bull. Peep his site at butterfilms.com

The BMX scene in Kansas City has always been an melting pot of old and new. From the BMX Brigade in the early 80′s to all the teenage brakeless whippers, Kansas City is a place where the grasshopper and the crooked grind get along. If you don’t ride, than you won’t understand.

Comments

Shawnee Mission Skatepark

Thad Allender — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 03:03:58 +0000

I think that I’ve shot this same photo of Phil Wasson at least 10 times. And every time, I still love it as much as the first. Anyway, for those that don’t know, this is Phil airing the bowl at the Shawnee Mission Skatepark. It’s a fun place with lots of fast lines. Click here for a slideshow of photos from the day riding with friends.

Woodward Vacation

Thad Allender — Thu, 31 May 2007 02:46:25 +0000

Phil Wasson at the State College, PA trails.

Ever since I was 15 I wanted to visit Woodward. To say that waiting 14 years takes patience would be an understatement. Props to Dennis McCoy for making the trip happen. He’s a bad ass for sure. And, I still owe him money for the rental car, so that makes him super bad ass.

I got to hang out with a few riders from Kansas City that I rarely get to ride with, namely Seth and Hunter, aka The Hoon Tar. Seth, who had only started riding vert the week prior to the trip, was pulling double whips onto the vert resi. The Hoon Tar learn back flip, tailwhip, and no hander. The Hoon Tar awesome.

All inside jokes aside, I had a blast and the crew was refreshingly positive and carefree. No major injuries, too, I think. John, did you make it to the doctor for your ribs?

Anyway, click here to see photos from the Woodward trip.. Like most BMX trips, I wish I had dedicated more time to shooting. But when your riding amazing skateparks, who wants to push buttons?

More BMX pics

Thad Allender — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:22:38 +0000

These pics were all shot on Sunday riding with friends in Kansas City. From top to bottom: Phil Wasson air at Shawnee Mission Skatepark; Phil flattie from a curb onto an embankment; John Mann wallride on an overpass pillar; Justin Mann fakie wallride on the roof of an abandoned building; Dennis McCoy berm slider air at Shawnee Mission Park.

KC Overpass

Thad Allender — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 16:44:26 +0000

Exactly 10 years ago this year, I purchased a Mongoose DMC bmx frame after seeing it a magazine advertisement. I passed many riding milestones on that bike, including my first 360, first decade and first broken bone due to riding. I loved the frame, but as I started riding trails more, I retired the frame to my garage wall.

In 1997, I drove to Kansas City for a BMX contest where I met many of the people that I ride with today, including Dennis McCoy, namesake of the Mongoose DMC. Dennis is a legend in BMX and has riden professionally nearly longer than I’ve been alive.

This weekend, we teamed up to shoot a few photos for an upcoming article on him in a european magazine. A portrait from the shoot is pictured above.