Legends week: Adam Grandmaison
Today’s list of legends is by thecomeupbmx.com’s Adam Grandmaison. Adam set up his BMX blog three years ago and it’s now the most talked about BMX site on the planet. He’s often referred to as being an entrepreneur as his websites so popular, but the key reason for this is his passion for BMX. To put yourself in front of the BMX world and be honest with your opinion is a bold thing to do but he does it daily and is respected for it. Here are Adam’s top 5 legends…
Adam Grandmaison. Photo by Keith Romanowski
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Ralph Sinisi
I was trying to think of what aspect of Ralph to write about, but when I went to watch his Props bio on Youtube a comment on the video summed it up for me. The comment: “ralph sinisi is the reason why street riding is the shit now.” Ralph just made street look like so much fun whether he was bump jumping off a turtle or grinding a 20 stair rail. Ralph’s passion for street as a whole, not just riding the same old spot but searching out new spots and just being out on your bike with your friends has always been an inspiration to me. Somehow his clips always conveyed that even when it wasn’t implicitly stated.
Ratboy
Ratboy was so far ahead of his time in BMX it wasn’t even funny. He took the bunnyhop barspin (which his cohort The Gonz had pushed pretty far) and took it to a whole new level, doing it into and out of pretty much everything. He possessed an almost flatland-like mentality towards riding his favorite spot, “the wedge” and crafted an incomprehensible number of tricks and ridiculously technical combo’s on it. Towards the end of his time in the spotlight he more or less crafted his final opus in the form of a Shine section where he did 50Â mind-boggling tricks in 24 hours.
Lou Rajsich
Lou’s bike set up was drastically different than what was in fashion at the time (4 piece Castillo bars, brakes, 4 pegs, actually I’m not sure this set up was every really en vogue) but his riding was so powerful, his style of dress was so unique and his style was so nonchalant that it all just clicked. He tried tricks that made absolutely no sense (180 to rollercoaster rail???) and made himself a legend by pulling others (the first opposite backwards rail). Then he disappeared, which in a way just solidified him as a legend.
George Dossantos
George D, rollercoaster between two benches. Photo courtesy of Animal Bikes
You can blame it on the goofy footedness if you want, but George single handedly progressed handrail tricks lightyears beyond what anyone else had done before him. I remember being 15 watching DQYDJ and wondering why none of the other BMX videos I’d seen had feeble 180s down rails… it took a while for me to realize it was because George was the only one doing it and would remain so for many years after that video came out.
Ian Schwartz
Ian is a living legend in my mind. He came up with so many tricks in his Props bio that are staples now, took pegless grinding further than pretty much anyone. He also had amazing video parts in A Day Late & A Dollar Short and the System video and still seemingly can’t put out anything less than awesome, as his Gone Fishin’ web video was also incredible. Or maybe I just wanted to put someone with no pegs on the list, who knows.
LINKS: Animal Bikes, The Come Up BMX
May 14th, 2009 at 16:09
[...] Jon Taylor… Adam Grandmaison? Get your keyboards ready, you better talk some serious shit on this post. Shouts to Ride UK for thinking of [...]
May 14th, 2009 at 18:15
I agree with all those choices. I rode street with George D one night, and I think he may have magic powers. Also, is Ian the first pro street rider to use a free coaster?
May 14th, 2009 at 19:38
you gotta be kidding me… all street… don’t get me wrong, but come on. ian being considered a legend… you shoulda went ahead and put karl in here to make it obvious that it was a joke
May 14th, 2009 at 20:23
what?! are you saying ian is a joke???he might not be a legend yet, but he influenced and influences so many people, he’s got his own style and own tricks and they are amazing!it’s pretty much his achievement that freecoasters are ridden on street!!
and just to clear things up, karl is bringing flatland back to street which is an original concept but it’s nowhere as groundbreaking as ian’s style.
and of course they’re all street, he’s adam22, his legends wont be racers for christssake.
May 14th, 2009 at 22:27
to bags how can you say it is ians achievement that freecoasters are ridden on street. have you ever heard of luc-e,dave freimuth,joe tiseo should i continue to name people learn your fuckin history!
May 14th, 2009 at 22:37
good choices. original choices.
May 14th, 2009 at 23:23
They’re all great riders who changed bmx. You can’t deny. There are definitely other legends (Ruben, Steven Hamilton, Van Homan, The Gonz, Joe Rich, Taj, etc) but Adam picked good dudes. I don’t think Ian should be considered a legend either. He’s a sick rider but too young in BMX to be a legend.
May 15th, 2009 at 18:01
Who cares?
We are all Legends in BMX.
Every single one of us that rides a bike.
May 15th, 2009 at 18:48
‘To put yourself in front of the BMX world and be honest with your opinion is a bold thing to do but he does it daily and is loathed for it.’ lolz
May 16th, 2009 at 10:22
@brandon kline: yeah, i know all these people but they can hardly be credited for the recent popularity of freecoasters or called street riders…if you would’ve mentioned bruce crisman i would have reconsidered my opinion, but show me one kid today that rides freecoasters because joe freimuth made them look so fucking stylish!!(he’s still a legend but cmon)
anyway this all doesnt matter
May 17th, 2009 at 02:26
@ bags. haha joe freimuth. that’s classic.