Brian Blyther, 2003
Note: Don’t forget to check the rest of the shots after the jump
Brian Blyther was ahead of his time. Long before style became “important” in BMX Freestyle, Blyther was the smoothest guy on the ramp, and whether he was doing tricks or not, he was fun to watch. He just made everything look good. He went higher and landed smoother than everyone else. In fact, in the early days he was always known as “Flyin” Brian Blyther.
I shot these photos in February of 2003 (above is a top-side one-footed Xup), for what was supposed to be a feature in Looking Glass Magazine (a short-lived but nice BMX magazine), but around the same time the magazine crumbled, and I’m not sure the story ran. If it did I never saw it. I made a Polaroid transfer of one of the images which Dig Magazine ran later that year, but as far as I know the rest of the shots never saw the light of day (although since Brian was riding a new Terrible One in these photos, one of them was on the T1 web site for a bit). Unfortunately the mag never sent back my favorites, but I did hold on to a pretty good selection of keepers.
Brian had just built a vert ramp in the backyard of his friend, who was a K9 Officer somewhere in the Ontario, CA area. The fenced in ramps housed three very angry German Shephards, which had to be caged before we could go back there (I’d hate to be the kid trying to jump that fence to poach a run on that ramp). A few years later Brian became a police officer himself, and can still ride a vert ramp with the best of them.
You just don’t see backyard sessions like this anymore. See more images after the jump >>>.
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Comments ( 23 )
[...] Brian Blyther? Check out some photos of him and a neat little story from 2003 on Jared Souney. You already know I read it on Twitter. Brian Blyther / Jared Souney February 2nd, 2009 [...]
Brian Blyther Photos. / The Come Up / BMX added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 12:05 am[...] In an odd coincidence, Brian Blyther’s parents (or maybe they were his grandparents…?) lived next door to me when I started really getting into BMX in highschool. I remember them getting pretty pissed when I started digging some little jumps on the then-vacant lot between our houses, but then cooling off and mentioning Brian once they figured out what it was that I was up. Being that young and uninformed, though, I had no clue who Brian Blyther was and didn’t really give it much second thought. Ah… the naïveté of youth. Anyway, Jared Souney took some photos of Brian back in 2003, and is just getting to posting them now, along with an accompanying story. Check them out on Jared’s site. [...]
Brian Blyther | SJBMX | San Jose added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 1:28 am[...] Go see. This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 at 12:33 am and is filed under BMX, Biking, Old School. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [...]
Krt Schmidt.com » Blog Archive » More Blyther added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 2:33 am[...] he’s off Police duty of course). You can see some more shots from this shoot with Blyther here. And you should also check out the full Style gallery over on ESPN. Some legends in there. [...]
Jared Souney: Photography + Graphic Design » Blyther in ESPN Style Gallery added this brilliant insight on Feb 08 11 at 12:54 amGOD added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 1:44 amVert riding without pads I do not typically allow. Brian Blyther, however, can do whatever he wants. -GOD
bieos added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 3:28 ambrian you’re my hero…………i’m a 36 years old french rider
jared added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 3:33 amIn regards to pads, I’m a bit conflicted about it. Eight feet out of a twelve foot ramp, with no pads or helmet is indeed crossing into the realm of bonkers, or stupid, or something. I remember at least on photo in Freestylin’ of Brian blasting sans helmet. Especially with all the recent serious head injuries in BMX, I feel like if I were to shoot this today I might have suggested some safety gear. At the same time the images document his every day session…that’s just how he chose to ride. As “God” said above, Brian Blyther can pretty much do whatever he wants. But to the kiddies, don’t do 8 foot airs on a vert ramp without a helmet!
Vdogg43 added this brilliant insight on Feb 03 09 at 1:25 pmBlyther and Dominguez were the guys I saw riding vert and what made me want to ride vert. Blyther had his own unique style big airs, smoother than anybody it was great to watch him ride.
Yes I was surprised to see him riding with no pads, but he is an adult and can make his own decision.
jon byers added this brilliant insight on Feb 04 09 at 9:06 pmWow, these are really cool.. makes me want to go ride a vert ramp.. Jared, Thanks for sharing them
STRIKE added this brilliant insight on Feb 05 09 at 3:33 amThese are great, brought me right back to 1988.
Bill Keaggy added this brilliant insight on Feb 08 09 at 9:55 amJared, that shot with the cruiser is excellent. Hey Jon Byers!
Scptt Moroney added this brilliant insight on Feb 16 09 at 1:51 amBrian was always so stylish and smooth, but he did have some crazy runs. If you were a purist, you could really appreciate what he did. These photos are a great window into how just had something different…still does.
Jeremy added this brilliant insight on Mar 21 09 at 11:08 pmI recently met Brian at woodward and he is the coolest cop i ever met.Plus he is straight up O.G.!
Kevin added this brilliant insight on Mar 29 09 at 11:19 pm…the kid (man) also had a cat that could do big airs and 180′s. There’s an Eddie Roman behind the scenes somewhere?
Brian blyther added this brilliant insight on May 26 09 at 11:12 pmThanks GOD i dont usaly ride without gear on vert very offen but i think i was just riding this bike for the first time. I did not think it would feel so good and pictures were taken before i put pads on. I know that doesent make sense but GOD understands i hope. Blyther
KaDog added this brilliant insight on Oct 14 09 at 4:27 amBack when i was in about 10th and 11th grade (1989-90) I used to ride with Brian around alot of local spots in Ontario, CA. It was nuts. Me, Brian, Voelker,Grasso,Andy McSoraly and a few others would cruise the streets and ride(thats when street riding was actually street riding). Watching Brian stand on his big fat beach cruiser seat with one foot and do a manual like that all the way down a large overpass going about 25mph was sick. then stopping at a 7-11 to get a drink and looking at a Freestylin mag and he was on the cover and the back and like 3 pics inside with the same bike he had, it was surreal… I wanted to be that guy ya know?! I remember when Mike D and him dared a few of us to do a back flip over some crappy dirt trails on a big mound jump( sorta like a box jump i guess). If we could he’d give us his brand new 89 haro sport. #$#$@ i wanted to but i chickened out. Flips werent even being done yet… Man,,, good times. Rode for several more yrs but never got to that level. Never thought i’d give it up, but did around age 27 and he still is at it. Crazy..
Saw him a few months ago at fontana sk8 park and although we’re all getting older, Brian still has it. Smooth as it gets. Your a good friend and a super cool person Brian.. Kevin.
sean added this brilliant insight on Oct 18 09 at 1:59 ami grew up with brian in ontario…he was my hero and still is
sean added this brilliant insight on Oct 18 09 at 2:02 amanyone remember the upland pipeline skate park…brian, eddie fiola, wilkerson, and the rest would ride the hell out of it
Rob McCrary added this brilliant insight on Dec 18 09 at 11:42 amThere was only one police dog in the backyard my partner Rudo and he was a mallonois not a shepard. He was actually a friendly dog at home. I rode with Blyther back in the day and was always amazed at his smooth stlye, that ramp was a lot of fun. Blyther is still tearing it up on a bike and as a cop. thanks for the photos i never saw them until now. Rob McCrary
Shawn added this brilliant insight on Jan 15 10 at 2:09 pmFlyin Brian was my favorite rider, he was the smoothest rider I ever saw on a ramp or in a bowl. He made it look too easy. Guys now days cant ride like Brian. I remember having a saturday detention with Brian at Ontario High School back in the day.
Brian blyther added this brilliant insight on Aug 25 10 at 7:33 pmShawn what is your last name i dident know anyone from school was into bmx. Its very possible i just dont remember i did hit my head alot. Thanks to you all for the kind words i still love to ride its my jenny craig.bb
Terrible 1* added this brilliant insight on Oct 27 10 at 7:12 pmi remember seeing brian at GT shows w/ voelker as a 12 year old. i still ride as well and also became a cop. the job is tough but its good to have an outlet where you can still feel like your same old self. this article really made my day.
googled it after seeing the new props vid.
take care.
