While on our recent roadtrip, we stopped by a small town in Gippsland called Trafalgar. A couple hours east of Melbourne, Trafalgar is home to 2 dedicated flatlanders – Ali and Templar. They ride together on a regular basis and have both been in the game a long time.

Introducing Templar…
1. You’ve been into riding a long time now. How do you find riding now compared to when you started?
The bikes are better. Access to other riders, web-edits and online videos make progression easier than following black and white sequence shots in BMX Plus!

Unfortunately these days I’m the weak link. I’m probably more worried about facial injuries than hitting tricks – turning up to work looking like you’ve been to fight club isn’t a good look.

That said, I still have a much fun as a I did when I started. The promise of a new trick or link keeps me coming back for more.

2. Do you feel there have been big changes in the riding world since you started or is it much the same?
I’m amazed at the level of riding. The bar is set so much higher – I kind of feel bad for the kids starting out. When I started, just being able to pogo was considered ‘good’….I guess nowadays if you want to impress people with pogo tricks you’d better ride a mountain bike!

At the risk of showing my age, I’m also surprised how many riders now limit themselves to one aspect of riding – it seems most riders under 30 no longer share a ‘freestyle’ mentality.

3. What are some of the highlights/stand out memories over your time on a BMX
The standout memory (from 20 years ago) attempting to hop a large concrete divider, unfortunately my backwheel clipped the back edge…the subsequent nose manual to vander-roll combo at 30 km/h was quite ugly and my back still show the scars. The group of people watching seemed pretty entertained….

4. I understand your career background is a little unique, can you tell us a little about how you’ve developed yourself?
Yeah, I’ve spent too much time in a classroom. I completed a masters researching digital audio technologies, started a PhD, became a University lecturer, and then worked with FMOD (audio middleware for video games).

After all that, you’d think I’d know better than wasting time riding a kids bike…

5. What are your riding plans for 2012?
Firstly, get my daughter Mieke off her training wheels.
Secondly, keep my non-riding friends guessing at the state of my mid-life crisis.
And finally, if my blood glucose level is over 8 mmol/L…it’s time to ride!

Introducing Ali…
1. You’ve grown up much of your life in Melbourne but for the past few years have lived in Trafalgar. Describe the difference between living in the city and the country and do you now have a presence from one or the other?

I have lived in Trafalgar for about two years now, before that it was another town down the road and before that I had three years in Ballarat. It would seem I have been out of Melbourne for about six years. Basically for me, it’s a quality of life issue. I wanted to make my tree change whist I was still young enough to enjoy it, and I am.

I did all my partying and hell raising and rooting about in my more formative years and to be honest, I got sick of it. I don’t miss the night life of Melbourne, which is really the only thing that there isn’t in the country (apart from perhaps decent tertiary health care and well paying jobs). The internet provides all the culture and community I need and I get all the fresh air and wild apples a guy could want. I still work in Melbourne two days a week and that pays the bill and gives me a little folding money.

At this point in my life, it’s country all the way. I would consider moving back into the city for the right job or to send my hypothetical kids to high school. However, as none of those things are ever going to happen, there is more of a chance I’ll move further into the bush then back towards Melbourne.

2. The Melbourne flatland scene has been one of the strongest in the country for a long while and you’ve been involved in it for a number of years. Tell us about some of the projects you have running.
I think my last actual involvement in the Melbourne or even national scene would have been the last BMX Games a few years ago. Before that a put on the odd jam and published a hackneyed and stilted zine that was read by few and mocked by many (and rightfully so). Oh I think I was also at a Melbourne DUG event not to long ago.

I live a good four hour round trip from IMAX and that, coupled with a few unsavory incidents on the interwebs, diminished my interest in the Melbourne scene. The most involvement I have had with it is popping up to see the odd friend and sniping from the sidelines.

I am very lucky as I seem to fall into great scenes and groups of riders without even trying, first it was the Melbourne heads like Wally, Ryan, Shane Z, Kit, Karl and Grant. Then when I was up the Rat it was THEBENMORAN and Jules and now I’m in Gippsland riding with a great guy named Sketchy McNads. Despite my needy persona, deep down I think I need the friendship of a few good people rather then many questionable ones.

3. Describe the current state of flatland in the Melbourne scene at present. How does it compare to the Australian scene?
I would really have no idea, good I guess but I’m sure not as good as when I was trying to control the show. All I really see is what goes down on the internet and the bits of gossip I pick up from people I’m still in contact with. Some of what goes down sounds pretty crap and soul-sucking.

However, this is nothing new. All scenes ebb and flow. Take Brisbane for example, at the turn of the century that scene was strong. Then something happened and it was not as strong, then it was on the comeback and now it seems just as strong as ever. There are some old people on that scene there and there are some new ones too. Considering we ride bicycles the cyclic nature of life should be ingrained in us. We should understand that things are not as always as they were. Sometimes, things that were once good are no longer good and hell, they might never be good again.

After I left Melbourne a few new faces turned up, I don’t think some of them were much good for the scene. Old men with big egos and questionable histories are never a good thing. I personally don’t care what you did “back in the day”. I live in the here and now, and if in the here and now you’re a tool then I simply won’t engage you. Should you try and push something I don’t like, I’ll fight you on it. It’s just who I am, opinionated and head strong and self-centered.

4. If there is anything about flatland in Australia (or the world) that you could change, what would that be?
Heaps of stuff, heaps and heaps of stuff.

First off I would have a number of people erased from existence. People who I think don’t add anything of value to the community and just take, take, take. Those people are leaches, sucking what little blood there is in flatland in a foolish attempt to gratify themselves.

My philosophy towards the development and management of a healthy scene is “do nothing that would harm those who don’t want to be involved”. What that means to me is what you do shouldn’t shine a negative light on other riders or prevent others from choosing there own path. For example: a theoretical organised administration effort shouldn’t mean those who don’t want to be involved are completely excluded or alternatively, lumped together with those who do choose to be involved. Look at the UCI and Cycling Australia, both organisations are about excluding people not including them. “Oh, you’re not registered with us, then you can’t take part in this event” is a phrase I’m sure we’ll hear one day, if not already.

I hate the fact that Freestyle BMX Australia (FBMXA), or whatever it’s now called, was set up as a way for BMX Australia (the BMX race administration) to siphon money allocated by the federal government for freestyle BMX coaching clinics and in attempt too control the ever growing popularity of freestyle BMX . I have no idea who’s at the helm of that organisation at the moment but considering some of the stuff I have seen over the last few years, I guessing they are not riders. I’m a big fan of “run for riders, by riders”. I don’t think the FBMXA has ever really worked to that philosophy and when they have it’s been a culture clash that ended badly. If I were king of the flatlander’s one thing I would do is separate FBMXA from the Cycling Australia and keep the UCI as far away from BMX and flatland as possible.

I would most certainly start a global campaign that targeted prospective and returning riders and impart the key idea that flatland is not for those who seek instant gratification and persona development. We all know that you won’t get either of those things out of flatland. Riding is one of the most humbling things someone can do and it’s one of the reasons I keep at it. If I think I’m good or on a roll, I’ll just jump on my bike and try and pull that same link I have been working on for eight years and not get it. Flatland keeps you real, deflates your ego and if you’re in it for some fake reason, you’re just wasting your money, time and effort.

5. What are the goals for Ali for 2012?
I’d like to finish my degree which has been dragging on for far too long. I’m looking forward to being too good for my current job but not good enough to be employed in the industry for which I will be qualified. Who knows I may even enroll in a masters course or a juris docutate when the first one is done and dusted.

I aim to finish Skyrim (as much as you can) and Infamous 2 as well as preorder GTAV.

I picked up a PSP the other day so I’m going to try and clock the PS1 games on my very tall pile of shame.

I’m supposed to propose to my lifestyle choice partner in November, which means I’ll be dropping a bit of cash into the bloodiest blood diamond I can find.

I’ll be trying to grow the biggest squash and cucumbers humanity has ever seen.

I look forward to being bitter and angry at the world but doing nothing about it.

I hope to get into a fist fight with someone smaller and weaker than me, a girl or child perhaps.

I will be lurking of the Flat Oz forums (as I always do), looking for the most inopportune moments to put my unwanted and offensive opinions forward.

I’m sure I’ll be abusing the very good friendship I have with Sketchy right up until the point where he tells me to piss off (which I’m sure is coming in the next twelve months).

I might also ride a bit at some stage.

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