Cleveland and Cobras

Cobras, Scott Towne and Chris Yankee

Big Job, Kmart and snake and I went to Rays MTB park to meet up with the Cobras and ride.

This is Davey Coopwasser. Scott and I stressed Davey out the day before we went by sending him not so nice emails just to mess with him. Davey got me back by pointing out a line to me that had a hidden rafter in it. Davey is a real cool young dude.

Here is a shot of Big Job (Jeff Collins) going through the red bull berm. We call him big job because he is a contractor and every job he does is a big job according to him.


Pat Schrader and OB-3 training through the curved wall. I had never been to a place like Ray's. It is huge in there with more stuff to ride than imaginable. I thought it smelled like a horse barn in there. Pat showed me a room that they make beer near the park and the barley is what made it smell like a horse barn. That is about the best I have in me now. Thanks for checking
Old Bastard Behind Bars Kelly

Chilli Kook Off

Baker Designs BMX had thier annual chilli kook off last saturday night. The band Hammered played. I grew up with the drummer (Bob Eckert) and the roadie (Dave "Punky " Kimbrough). We used to ride when we were 15. Shan drummed uo a bunch of donations and raffled them off and gave the procceds to the Nick Wilson park project. Saint to Sinners crew got nutz. Kmart choked Jammer until he passed out. Bunno jumped off a table onto snake and snake fell and smashed his face, got knocked out and broke his shoulder.

I've always thought it was wild how, the rattier, gnarlier and uglier a rocker is the cooler he is. Here is Punky being pretty cool.

I have been dialing the piss out of all my bikes latley in anticipation of spring. I started ebaying this winter and have dialed this 84 patterson in. It was my bike (but 3 times as good) that I had in 84. I have been fixing on my buds bikes also. The other day I built up a bike for Big Job (Jeff Collins). When I was done my hands looked like I had been drilling for oil. To my surprise I was talking with them and found that some young and not so young dudes don't know the old use Vaseline when building a bike trick. The bike bearings dont spin fast enough to really break down the vaseline and it doesn't get all black and crappy like regular grease. It is one of those tricks that works and you wouldn't think it would. Like the WD40/ grip trick.

I hope that wasn't as boring to read as it was to write.

Thanks Old Bastard Behind Bars Kelly

King of the East Coast Collectors

I met Brian Pleva on VBMX.com. He was looking to trade a new Haro for a old BMXer. I traded hima old jag that I had. I had no idea he was the collector that he is when we traded. It didn't take long before I found out what he was up to. Brian seemed like a real cool guy and we talked on line a bit. I would say that Brian is the King of the East Coast Collectors. Although that title might be my opinion I think it might be able to be proven. This summer I was going to go down and meet up with him and we were going to go to King of NY together. The long arm of the law prevented me form making it to our meet up spot. I have seen many pictures of his collection but I had to see it in person. I was in his area so I stopped to check him out. When I saw his collection I couldn't help but think of the fun, pride, value and how obvious it is that he likes to hunt for all this old BMX stuff. I felt like a little kid in the 80's at a decked out bike shop that wouldn't stop asking questions so I thought it would be fun to write some down and see what Brian had to say.
(OB-3) name, age?

(K.O.E.C.C) Brian Pleva, 34

(OB-3) Who is in your family?

(K.O.E.C.C) Joann, Cooper(4) and Katerina(3months)

(OB-3) How long have you been collecting and how did you start?

(K.O.E.C.C) 94, I decided I wanted the cool bikes I couldn't have back when I was younger.

(OB-3) What is your favorite bike or part?

(K.O.E.C.C) I like them all, the 87 sport rider is my favorite bike. My favorite thing is the magazine that you (meaning me) gave to me. Late 80's BMXPLUS that the back cover is signed by Haro, Sigur, and Wilton.

(OB-3) What is your most valuble bike and part?

(K.O.E.C.C) Bike=Hollywood, Part= tires on hutch proraider

(OB-3) Are you a hippie?

(K.O.E.C.C) NO! (laughs)

(OB-3) Do hippies drink moonshine?

(K.O.E.C.C) They couldn't handle it!

(OB-3) What is your favorite music?

(K.O.E.C.C) Anything loud and fast with guitars.

(OB-3) Who do you like better, Poison or Lynard Skynard?

(K.O.E.C.C) Skynard.

(OB-3) What VW'S do you have?

(K.O.E.C.C) 66 Bettle, 96 GTI, (2) 2006 Jettas

(OB-3) What else are you into?

(K.O.E.C.C) Family, Skiing and snowboarding, Fishing, VW's and downhill

(OB-3) What is your favorite riding or trick?

(K.O.E.C.C) Street riding and tricks?? WALLRIDES!!

(OB-3) What does Joann (his wife) think of your collecting?

(K.O.E.C.C) She digs it, supports it.

(OB-3) What do you like most about the collecting thing?

(K.O.E.C.C) Memories!

(OB-3) Anything else you can tell me?

(K.O.E.C.C) NA, I'm just a down to earth guy that likes collecting BMX bikes and I like dudes to come and check it out. It is pretty much a open door around here.




Brian's collection was better than most of the bike shops I used to go to back in the day. It was really amazing to me to get to see how outgragous Brian's collection really is.
Thanks Old Bastard Behind Bars, Kelly

Nick Wilson Memorial Skate/Bike park

Nicholas Wilson

Nick Wilson died in Iraq on 2-12-06 while serving our country. He was a Navy petty officer 2nd class, EOD mobile unit three. About 11 years ago the village of Newark Valley had dirt trails in the village park. We would drive over and ride them every so often. Nick was one of the kids that was always there digging and riding his ass off. I remember him well from those trails. About 3 years ago we bought our first home in Newark Valley. Just so happens we moved right next door to where Nick grew up. We have become very good friends with his family. The village came to me about a year ago asking for my imput on building a skate/bike park in the village. I thought it would be something I would like to do and that it would be a good idea to name the park in Nick's memory.
Mid summer of 06 we had a demo at the same park where the trails wer 11 years before. The reason was to raise awarness and see how many were interested in the park idea. We brought lots of ramps down for the demo. Sleepy head came and played. They are a really fun band to see. We raised some money from donated product from FBM and Superior limo raffled a limo ride. About twice as many people showed that I thought would. The demo could not have been better.

Here is Nick M payin his dues. Between kickin ass in college, workin and chasin after his girlfriend, Nick finds time to help out with the park. Nick has come to me offering his help in many ways and many times. Nick is for sure a canidate for the best young BMX dude in Newark Valley.


OB-3 working on some blisters. It has been warm enough to get a jump on some concrete work. I had better get used to that position I'm in. I have many hours of that same action ahead of me.

Here is what we have so far. Some people I want to thank for helping this project get off the ground are the mayor Jim Tornatore, Peggy Head, John Kaufman, Scott Combs and the Wilson family. We have a long ways to go but I think we are doing pretty good so far. When I am out there working alone I can't help but think that if Nick Wilson was around that there would be no way he wouldn't be right by my side working away. Thanks, old bastard behind bars Kelly

Holiday Times

I took the kids skating for thier first time. Benny had to take a leak so we went into the bathroom. He had skates on and he wasn't very stable on them yet. He slipped on the skates while he was pissing and pissed all over the place.

Toast (Mark Johnson) came home for the holidays. We got together and rode the 1888 barn. We have had ramps in that barn since around 1982. It is a riding spot that has been around for about the longest I know of. Here is a shot of toast airing. He is 40 and I have never seen him ride that place so good.

Collins had a Xmas party and we made a huge bon fire. Kim was jumping through it. He didn't know it but I was putting bricks, cinderblocks and shovels on the back side of the fire. He would ride through the fire and hit my booby traps and eat shit. After a few wipeouts he got up and said "ah look someone put bricks there". He was hammered.

Clint got a new bike for Xmas. Here he is testing out his new whip and his new kicks that Scott Towne got him. Scott actually got our whole family new kicks, he rules.

A Christmas Classic

"Jail house rock"

Crandall Claus

About 10 years ago, Crandall, Gilly, Tag, T-bone and I loaded into Tbones VWrabbit desiel to go to Columbus for the christmas classic. We got to the convention center and saw a bunch of our friends. That night a ton of dudes went to the bar there and got ripped. Everyone was getting nuts. JV decided it would be a good idea to toss a glass table down a fight of stairs. It shattered all over at the bottom. The cops came and all hell broke lose. They were arresting dudes all over. Crandall and I hauled ass to the elevator and the cops came screamming over not wanting dudes to get on and leave. The doors were shutting and the cops were running for it just as the doors shut I flipped the cops the bird and up we went laughing our asses off. Tag came up a bit later and his face was beat red and his eyes were fucked. The cops had mased the shit out of him. He was telling that he and Gilly were getting on and the cops grabed gilly's arm and he jerked away which sent the cops in a tizzy. They cuffed Gilly and took him to jail.

They shut down the elevators keeping everyone on their floors. We had plenty of beer so it wasn't a prob to us. Crandall was stressin pretty bad about Gilly being in jail. Crand and I thought we would give eachother black eyes for Xmas so we swaped punches to the face for a bit. That was the first time I met Kieth Mulligan. I'm not sure what he thought about that from the way he was watching us deck the piss out of each other. Crandall was sayin how gilly can't be in the clink alone. After a shit load of stessing about it Crandall pounded a few beers and said somebody has to go with Gilly and how he can't be in there alone (he had never been to jail).

So crand told us he would see us later and that he had to go to jail to be with Gilly. He walked to of the room went up to 2 cops and told them that they were peices of shit and to fuck off or something along those lines. They cuffed him and away he went.

The next day Tag an I went out street riding. We met up with a ton of dudes. That dude Evil from muncie indiana was with us. He was feebling down long steep hand rail back when that stuff wasn't done often. Wing ding and I got back to the convention center and started passing a hat and everyone chipped in and we got and bond and they would be let out monday morning, it was saturday. We went to a keg party that night and the same JV dude thought it would be cool to toss the empty keg through a cars winshield. Turned out that the car belonged to the host throwin the party. Dude came out decked JV's eye so hard it make a smack sound.

Monday morning came and Tbone and I when to get Gilly and Crandall out after their court. We got there and people were outside protesting with signs out how dudes have gone to jail there and end up hanged. Those 2 came out in the court room with the orange jail jump suits on and flip flops. Gilly being so tall they didn't have a suit to fit him so his were high waters half way up his calfs. They were bummed looking. All I could think is that it looked like a episode of Abbott and Costello go to jail. On Crandalls way out He said some skinny black dude in his cell said"Jail house rock" as he walked by. We packed up and went to chenga and rode. That night we got a room in that roachy motel right by chenga. Everyone was beat and wanted to sleep. I wanted to kill the 18 pack we had because it was our last night. I was keeping them up so I went into the bathroom, drank the beer and read the phone book. I got the idea of rolling up a little piece and i stuck it between the toes on gilly while he was sleepin. I lit it on fire and it worked perfect. It burned down and woke gilly up screaming. It was my first hot foot. We woke and it was zero out. The rabbit wouldn't start we bump started it and headed home to NY. Rabbit was running shitty over heating. We couldn't shut it off or it would'nt start again. We got home real late shut it off and it never started again. It was a Xmas I'll never forget.

Thanks, Old Bastard Behind Bars, Kelly

Molly Motocross

Yesterday was our daughter Molly Baker"s 7th birthday. It seems like she was born about 2 years ago. She has already out grown her first motorcycle (Yamie PW 50). Ill be looking for a 90 soon.

We went to the Broome Tioga Nationals last summer to watch the race to catch Ricky. While we were there I took the mini moto monsters down to the pits. I stopped at the Boo Koo tent to check out the hot Boo Koo chicks and get some free high test. Josh Demuth was kick ass enough to pose for this pic with my monsters. Molly says she wants to race.

This is a shot of Broc Hepler from Pa, so he was sort of a local.

It is a awsome day out but I'm sitting on the couch with a jacked knee. I messed it last weekend at CJS. I really feel that I'm addicted to BMX because I'm sitting here disabled in pain and all Im really bummed on is not being able to ride my bike. It did give Kim and I a chance to check out a canadian national motocross race. Man is that entertaining. Those dudes are squirlly, fast and tough (a hell of a mix for MX). They check each other in the corners like they are playing hockey. Some of the dudes that finished it the top ten went down twice in one moto. They would take big diggers and get right back up and pick up the bike one handed start it and roost off while adjusting their googles. Tonite is the Vancover supercross. The RC and Bubba hour of power starts @6:00pm. That is about as good as I can do with my jacked up knee, I hope it wasn't too painfull.

Old Bastard Behind Bars, Kelly