Operation "Bus Rescue" complete..

Marcus Tooker and his new trick we have decided to call "The Super Ball" (half cannon ball and half superman) Start trying them now...I need the money!

Awhile ago we were on a big roadtrip to Florida with about 20 riders stuffed in the bus and it broke down with a bad transmission in some crazy place in South Carolina called "Pedro Land".  We had to continue our trip so we rented a big UHaul truck, piled in it and went to Greenville NC. to ride.  Well 6 weeks to the day later we needed to head back to "Pedro Land" to rescue the repaired bus.

7 riders
1 Audi A4
1 rented trailblazer
1 fixed bus
3 days
32 hours of driving
1 Tom Tom  GPS system
540 dollars of gas

these are our stories   DUN DUN!

Well Thursday afternoon Cass picked me up at Albe's and took me to the rental car place.  I rented us a Brand new 2006 Trailblazer to pile 5 people and 6 bikes in/on. We rented the truck to drive down and leave there so we didn't have to pay gas to drive 2 trucks back.  With gas prices these days just driving the bus to the local Walmart to pick up chicks cost $40.  Knowing what people would be in it and driving it you know I got the extra insurance. At about 8pm or so I picked up Vinnie, Carmickle, Stewy, Cass and Sparks at Spark's house. Cass was driving behind us because she was heading back to Florida and wanted someone to drive with so our guys being the gentlemen that they are took turns driving in the Cassandra car with her as the rest of us rode in the Trailblazer.  We got on the road and had to stop in Toledo to pick up Dane Wild at his little friends house and then were headed to "Pedro Land"

The Tom Tom GPS navigation system got us there without any problems at about 12 noon the next day.  We picked up the bus from the "Cooters"  (crazy hick machanic from the Duke of Hazzard) and then spent a little time in downtown "Pedro Land".  It's some little budget, shady, disney world style place in the middle of nowhere and the theme to the place is "South of the Border" because it's like 100 feet south of the North Carolina / South Carolina border.  It's a very odd place.  if you are ever on I-95 by the border of the Carolinas be sure to stop there.  It's quite a place.

I couldn't fit the true feel of "Pedro Land" into the camera.  just go there.

front to back: Stewy, Flip, Cassandra, Carmey, and Vinnie. This photo was shot on top of the huge sombrero shown in the photo above this one.

yeah...that seems about right. "the Spark's"

Dane really is Wild.  "Pedro Land" wasn't big enough for him.

We ditched the trailblazer now that the bus was back in action and headed off to Greenville NC. "Pro Town" as it's called in BMX because lot of VERY good riders live there such as Quinn Semling, Collin McKay, Allen Cooke, Scott Wirch, Rob Darden, Marcus Tooker, Josh Harrington, and two fellows by the names of Ryan Nyquist and Dave Mirra as well as many others.  We made it into town with about an hour or so left of daylite.  Just enough time to ride the JayCee public park there. Greenville local Tyler Harris was there hanging out and showing us that scooters maybe stupid but are easy to ride.

Dane once again said he wasn't going to ride this park yet did anyways. sideways, miami hopper air.

If you own a the Dave Mirra Video game you have probably done this same trick on this same ramp.  Here Stewy does it for real.

After riding the Jaycee park and having hang 5 contest in the parking lot we scored a hotel room, showered up and headed to the bar to have a good time. Cassandra dissapeared for a little while when we are at the bar and came back with lots of photos of girls she met in the restroom with Albe's stickers in bad places.  I'd love to post them for all you dirty horny teenage boys but I forgot to get them off her camera.  Cass is my female hero.

Greenville locals doing Albe's proud.  This girl was afraid her face would show up on "the net" so she put the stickers on her ass.  Good for her. 

Sparks, Cass, and Flip

Josh is smooth on and off his bike.

We woke up Sat and went to eat. At about noon or so Mr. Mirra gave us a call and said to meet him at his place at 1:30 or so. and we did just that.  The Mirra warehouse is VERY cool.  You can tell Dave built it so he could have a place to have fun as well as learn new stuff.  I'd love to make the "He did this and he did that" list but i can't.  When people watch Dave ride they know he's the best.  when you watch Dave Mirra ride his own personal warehouse it's INSANE.  I've seen video of him riding there and it's very good but until you see him ride there in person you have seen nothing.  I've been in this sport for about 22 years, i've traveled the country, met many many pros and "celebrities" in the sport, I've even rode against Dave in contests in the past but watching him ride his place even made me a little star struck.  I'm pretty sure that no other rider in the sport would have that effect on me. Dave is the best rider in the world.  I need say no more!  BIG thanks to Dave for letting us ride his place, riding with us and for just being a cool guy.

Josh did this wall tap first try.  I told him how cool it look so he wanted to check it out too (see below)

remember that josh is like 9' tall or something.

Carmey was still pretty mellow on this trip as he newly healed foot was bothering him but that didn't stop him from toothpicking this rail and front flipping the resi box about 10'.  Just wait till he's fully back in action.

Dane Wild can do a lot of very hard tricks but spent most of his time on this trip learning table top airs.  His goal is to do them like Scott Towne.  I did see Dane pull a few tailwhips at Mirra's.  This could bring out a whole new bag of tricks for Dane.

Sparks was firing out invert flairs like there was no tomorrow because with him there really may not be a tomorrow.

Dave had the main wallride at the warehouse tagged to remember a good friend, rider and fellow Greenville local that passed away a few months back.  Mr. Colin Winkelmann. RIP Colin

Vinnie wallride to barspin on the "Winkelmann" wall

When you roadtrip with people you begin to trust one another probably more than you shoud. Dane takes a chance while Stewy has control while Mat Sparks lurks.

Vinnie likes Devo! (Google Devo and Whip)

I remember when Dane was just an annoying little kid that came into Albe's all the time.  Now he's buddies with Dave Mirra!!! hahaha!

Dave crashed and hurt himself before Icould take any riding photos of him so this is it. I guess this caption really could say "Mirra with a Flip"

This thing is out behind the Mirra Warehouse. It has about a 40' roll in and a 9' box jump lip. Sparks was ready to ride it but we forgot all about it until we were leaving.  Thats probably best.  I can't even imagin what Sparks may have tried on that thing.

After the session Josh Harrington spent some time in the Albe's bus with us and we headed off to eat at Chilli's. Josh was heading out of town after that so he pointed us in the direction of a "party store" and said his good byes.  Josh is a good guy and also very fun to watch ride. He is very tall and his car is filled with so many fireworks that he can't fit his bike in it. That's just a little tidbit of Josh info for ya.

It seems that ghosts really do show up in photos. from 12 o'clock: Vinnie, Josh Harrington, Flip, the ghost of Mat Sparks, Cassandra, and Carmey.

We then headed off to Ryan Nyquist's warehouse called "The Unit".  Ryan was out of town again but knew we were coming and sent his roommate Marcus to ride with us.  I'd met Marcus the night before at the bar and he seemed pretty cool so i was excited to see him ride.  The crew padded up and got to work. Dane spent most of his time there jumping off the vert wall (with out his bike) into the foam pit, Carmickle had to take it easy as his recently healed foot was hurting him, Vinnie killed the bowl and sub rail with his normal trickery, Stewy 180'ed half the park in one jump.  From what we are told nobody that has been there has even tried the line regular and Stewy 180'ed it. Stewy is a little (5' tall) bad mother!.  Marcus and Sparks were the only ones that felt safe enough to ride the monster box jump and they put it to good use. I somehow taught Marcus a new trick with out ever trying it myself and without even putting down my camera. By 1:30 am or so we were all very tired and beat.  Sparks the most as he had taken 2 of the worst crashes I'd ever seen anybody take.  Sparks crashes better than anybody. 

Stuntman Dane and the wonderfull world of Blue.

Sparks does more than just whips. Crazy leg Cancan over the box half of us couldn't clear.

I'm proud to call Marcus my new friend.  Fun guy to be around and a hell of a stunt biker. Double truck over Nyquist's Unit.

In one run Marcus Tailwhiped the box, then tail whipped it backwards then bike flipped it. He was going so fast my camera (or myself) couldn't keep up and i missed the bike flip.  I asked him to do it again and he fired it out again no questions asked.  Must be something in the water in Greenville.  They should bottle that shit!

We packed up and said good bye to Marcus and Red Beard and started the 15 hour drive home.  The Bus made it back flawlessly so expect it to be hauling more dirty ass bike riders around the country soon.

--Flip

Comments

[Mr Sanders]

I want to go to Greenvill, Maybe if Albe's would Fly my fine ass out there..........

[Luke]

Sounds like a good time.

[Patrick]

haha Danes deffinatley pullin a sweet stunt into that foam pit.

[tyler]

sparks is my hero!

[Chris]

Yeah danes representing ables with his shoes... Thats like one of the main things you see in the picture of him jumping into the foam..

[Cassandra]

As much as id like to take credit for a nice rear like that the "albes ass" doesnt belong to me. stop asking :)

[Kurt Hohberger]

Even more of an exscuse to come to jellystone for baco eh flip? haha bring vinnie too i havent seen him since the dk demo he did last summer here

[ferris]

me and stewie did a wall tap like that at trp like 3 years ago

[marc gavin grau]

sois los ptos amos tios me gustari k me enseñaseis algo

[hubert]

"got milk" strong bones weak gravity

[hubert]

"got milk" strong bones weak gravity