It was 25 years ago, in 1985, that I went to my first BMX freestyle contest… an AFA Masters in Fitchburg, Ma. 1985 was also the year that Haro released a new version of its Master frame and fork set with new chainstay platforms, and an incredible new color — neon green. At the time I rode a Hutch Trickstar, but when that green came out I couldn’t resist. I added some green Haro bars to the Trickstar.

I never had a green Master at the time, but the release of that bike and colorway, looking back, seems like a turning point for BMX bikes. Since then, I’ve thought it would be cool to have one. And when I found this mint condition F&F online I couldn’t resist. So here it is. A 1985 Haro Master that now adorns my office as a piece of art. To me, it’s no different than a sculpture or a painting.

One Hour With Ben Hucke from Souney Media on Vimeo.

Went out this morning and filmed this short edit with Haro rider Ben Hucke a few blocks from my house. One spot, one morning, one hour (ish). Just another day of shredding…

I posted a few photos of Ben recently you should check as well here. You can also watch this video on YouTube and on BFD.com.

Last night I noticed a sticker on the side of my toolbox (which I’ve had since the ’80s)… Rockville BMX. If you rode BMX in the 80s, Rockville was THE bike/mailorder shop, and its catalog was your bible. Twice a year I’d await the latest Rockville catalog to arrive in the mail, much as I would the latest Freestylin’ or BMX Action Magazine.

Rockville was the ultimate shop. Every summer the big companies like Haro, Hutch and GT would send out touring Freestyle teams, and I remember seeing photos from the demos at Rockville with seas of people. Just about every Pro rider backed Rockville, and couldn’t wait to do a show there. The DC suburb of Rockville, Maryland was like Mecca for BMX kids around the globe. The scene surrounding the shop bred eventual legends like the Alder Brothers and a scrawny kid working behind the counter who would ultimately take over Hollywood, Spike Jonze.

Staff moved on, more mailorders and local shops sprung up, and today, 817 Hugerford Drive, is home to a computer shop, a far cry from the thousands of screaming kids who’d crowd its parking lot every summer. Today there are a whole host of reputable endemic mailorders like Goods, Empire, Staff, Albe’s. Just about every large BMX scene has a decent shop, some of them rider owned and operated.

Fortunately, I held onto a Rockville catalog from 1984, the only one still in my collection. Later used moved onto color printing, but ’84 was black and white in all its glory. I’ve included some photos…