https://www.kunstform.org/

7 Clues That Brian Foster Should Have Known "BF-it" Was Going Down, But Didn’t

"For the month before it was released, a lot people were acting weird." - BF

30 Jun 2015

BRIAN FOSTER BMX 7RANDOM RD

Brian Foster: at home, June 2015 - Photo by Rob Dolecki

By Rob Dolecki

It’s been a couple of years since BF-IT premiered at Austin’s Texas Toast weekend in 2012 (and now you can watch it online HERE). One thing that the average person outside FIT’s inner circles may not know about the amazing Stew Johnson production is that until the moment it premiered, the documentary was supposed to be a secret from Mr. Foster. And it wasn’t an easy secret to keep. “For as big of a production as it was, and with as many people who knew about it, consciously I didn’t get any inclination about it until a week before,” Brian recalls. “Subconsciously, though, I knew a lot of weird things were happening.” Read on for some random accidental and unintentional hints given in the months leading up to the BF-IT premiere that were oh-so-close to tipping him off to what was in the works, straight from BF himself:

1. Over the years, Glenn Milligan and I had talked about doing a documentary when we were on road trips, but we just didn’t know who would pay for it. Probably six months before "BF-it" came out, Glenn sent me a text, “Are you doing a documentary?” I replied, “No?” In the meantime, someone kind of knew he was asking about it, and sent a text to Glenn saying that I didn’t know about it and to shut up. He replied back to me in about ten minutes, and said, “Oh, never mind.” Since we had talked about it in the past, it wasn’t out of left field, and it didn’t click.

2. I have a box with all my old photos, and when I first started Instagram I went to that box, and just started peeling photos off the top. They were the photos that were used in the documentary, which were just put back on top. To me, they were just the photos on top. I started posting pictures, and everyone at FIT thought I knew about it, since they were the ones in the documentary.

3. When my DIG Legends Issue interview came out, there was a photo of my first trophy and the Nike Pool Best Trick trophy together, and a few from when I was a little kid. (ed. note: the documentary was originally supposed to come out before the Legends Issue was released, but was held up for a few months until after the issue came out.) I was confused on where they came from. It was one of those things where I thought, maybe I gave them to someone or something. Luckily, if I paid attention more I might have known.

BRIAN FOSTER BMX TROPHIES RD

The photo in question- Brian's first BMX trophy from 1981, and the Nike Pool Best Trick trophy in 2011. Three decades of BF-awesomeness.

4. For the month before it was released, a lot people were acting weird. My wife and I were in Long Island with Jen’s family, and Timmy (Strelecki, Brian's brother-in-law) was also in Long Island visiting, and just shaded off one day for a few hours while everyone was waiting for him so we could eat dinner. I thought that was kind of rude he just shaded off without saying anything. Everyone was being real cool about it. Everyone but me knew why. He actually was doing an interview with Keith Terra for the video (it ended up not getting used in the documentary). There were a lot of interactions with people that made me think, “That was odd.” It all made sense once the video came out.

5. I’ve been with my wife Jen for 25 years, and I’m pretty in tune with her. I just knew something was up and I didn’t know what it was. It was literally like, maybe she’s sleeping with someone? She finally told me something was going on but she didn’t want to ruin it for me.

6. Going to Austin for Texas Toast (the weekend of the premiere), I knew something was going on. But I didn’t go out of my way to get more information. I honestly didn’t know if it was a five-minute web video, and we were watching it in a bar; I had no idea. I showed up at the airport, and the whole two or three days before the event, at least five or six times someone would come up to me and say, “I heard about this, and I can’t wait to see it.” I’d be like, “Uh, I’m not supposed to know about it.” And they would freak out, and thought they ruined the surprise. I’d then say, “It’s fine, I kind of know what’s going on, but I don’t really know, and I’m not trying to find out.”

7. The entire FIT team is staying at Stew’ house. Stew was holed up in his bedroom finishing up the documentary. They got me a hotel. I’m kind of like, “The whole team is staying at Stew’s house; why don’t I just stay at Stew’s too? Why are we getting a hotel room just for me? I can sleep on the couch; I don’t need my own room.” It was kind of a headache; there was a rental car now, and I’d have to meet people for dinner. But the whole time was like, “You can’t be at Stew’s house.” I actually stopped by one day, and everyone kind of met me in the front yard, because they didn’t want me to go in the house.

BRIAN FOSTER 7RANDOM BMX

The more things change... young BF with some big bars on his whip. Photo courtesy of Brian Foster's box of old photos.

A few other random facts-

- A lot of the old pictures shown in the documentary I had never seen before, like the ones at Cyclecraft, painting the bikes. I was like, “Where the hell did you get this stuff?”

- Same with some of the Super-8 footage when I was a kid. I knew it existed, and probably last saw it on a projector when I was ten. There is one of my grandmother on an XR-70; it was hilarious. What was she doing riding around on a motorcycle? I now have all that on disc.

- When there is a documentary on yourself being produced and know about it, do you want to have a hand in the direction of it? I’m kind of glad that I didn’t. There are so many different ways you can do it. I’m super psyched on how it turned out. We could tell stories all day, and it could be five hours long. It would have been a headache in deciding what to include and what not to include.

Related Video

BF-IT: The Story of Brian Foster

Online Premiere Of The Full Documentary - More Info

Previous

Soundtrack - Sean Burns Mixtape

Down and Dirty Death to Disco

Next

Brian Foster - Setups

Two years old and still kickin'...

Related Content

Keith Terra - 20 Years of Posh Photo Gallery
Keith Terra - 20 Years of Posh Photo Gallery
Keith Terra - 20 Years of Posh Photo Gallery
Keith Terra - 20 Years of Posh Photo Gallery

Keith Terra - 20 Years of Posh Photo Gallery

" I feel honored that I’ve been welcomed into this scene with open arms..."

12 Jun 2015
BRIAN FOSTER BMX SETUPS RD 8

Brian Foster - Setups

Two years old and still kickin'...

2 Jul 2015
soundtrack -anthem use 1

Soundtrack - VHS Classics - Anthem, Home Of The Brave

Heavy tuneage from the School of Stew Johnson...

29 Mar 2015
bf-screens
Play Button

BF-IT Online Release Trailer

One of the best BMX documentaries ever is coming to DIG...

25 Jun 2015
MIKE SAAVEDRA BMX INTRVW PAVIA-2

Mike Saavedra - Breaking Bad

"I was put to sleep without knowing if I would wake up with one less leg."

5 Jan 2015
Nutter Trails BMX shark bite PA 08 RD

Re Print: When Nutter Got Bit By A Shark

“It was just one of those things"

26 Feb 2015
jason enns bmx WM

Re Print: My Favourite Photo

Featuring Joe 'Butcher' Kowalski, Ian Morris, Brian Castillo, Jason Enns and Keith Terra

1 Jan 2015
Nrkjfj Xh67 Ihqdefault
Play Button

'F-it' Full Video

Flashback to Fit's first full-length...

2 Jan 2015
Matty-Aquizap-winter-2010

"Feel My Chest Muscles I’m a Trail Builder"

A closer look at the Credence DVD

25 Mar 2015
2014 TRA Double Cross Photo Gallery
2014 TRA Double Cross Photo Gallery
2014 TRA Double Cross Photo Gallery
2014 TRA Double Cross Photo Gallery

2014 TRA Double Cross Photo Gallery

Who Needs Goofy Carbon Fiber And Clipless pedals?

7 Oct 2014
Gilly Posh

Shovel Work

"Grab a shovel, stick it in the dirt, build your own fun" - Magilla

1 Sep 2014
CHRIS STAUFFER BMX PA RD 1

Re Print: Stauffer's got nothing to offer?

Looking back and catching up with a true trail riding pioneer

4 Jun 2015
https://kinkbmx.com/collections/frames/products/kinetic-frame

Latest Content

Boz75h Z7fk0hqdefault
Play Button

BOTTLE KIDS - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Santa's got a fat sack of clips

25 Dec 2024
N0gn4oi5 Us Qhqdefault
Play Button
L Vxv Vm3 Atdchqdefault
Play Button

Antonio Smallwood - 'MOTION PICTURE' | BSD

Lisbon, Tenerife, Budapest and Glasgow

23 Dec 2024
XE7y I6 T0b P Ehqdefault
Play Button

TAMSTYLE - 'KONGKLUNG'

Thailand

23 Dec 2024
B Iyo FKO4 Ao Mhqdefault
Play Button

BLKWDS #2

RIPPING A POT OF GOLD

22 Dec 2024
Uo Tb TA6c H Ahqdefault
Play Button

jib bmx - 'late tape' number five

Better late than never

21 Dec 2024
From the north in the cut 1
Play Button

FROM THE NORTH - 'IN THE CUT'

42 Minutes of Extras

20 Dec 2024
Gll DC2 H5p M0hqdefault
Play Button

One Man Show 3 | Urban Wander

Weird & Revered

19 Dec 2024
QR9 Zlg Sjn 4hqdefault
Play Button
Mankind Catalog Cover jpg
S P7t6 Xn8g4 Yhqdefault
Play Button

JASON ENNS - DIG 'FRAGMENTS' - Episode 3

Taking his tech roots to the streets

18 Dec 2024
Y K Hu Q9ys R Qchqdefault
Play Button

Cold Cuts - Harrison Arcari - THIRTY - Kink

Raw and unfiltered

16 Dec 2024

DIG Partner stores

More Dig This

30 YRS POSH BOOK MNTN V V 004

(Almost) 30 YEARS OF POSH WOODS

Now available for pre-order

24 Dec 2024
BSD Grime Safari Reed Stark Austin 6

Reed Stark - A Photo Safari

Safari Forever...

6 Dec 2024
Et FW24 Dig Magazine Collab Shoot 031

Introducing the DIG X ETNIES Collection

Celebrating a 25 year partnership

7 Nov 2024
24 photo comp web leader

THE 2024 DIG PHOTO COMP IS NOW LIVE!

OVER $1000 WORTH OF PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

15 Oct 2024
Greystoke issue 2

GREYSTOKE BMX MAGAZINE - ISSUE 2 OUT NOW

132 pages of tangible, hold-in-your-hands BMX print media.

11 Oct 2024
SUNDAY Silvawave Frame 3 Q web

PRODUCT DROP: Brett Silva's signature SUNDAY 'SILVAWAVE' frame

"It was only a matter of time before Brett got to call the shots."

26 Sep 2024
Osomatsu 4

SETUPS - Kazuei "Osomatsu" Oimatsu - ALIVE INDUSTRY

A Ben Lewis signature frame stacked with Animal parts

12 Sep 2024
20240907 BOH 019 perris

BATTLE OF HASTINGS 2024 - Everything you need to know

Schedule, livestream links, highlights, results & more...

2 Sep 2024
Garrett ss24

SIMPLE SESSION 24 - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Highlight videos, schedules, results and more

24 Aug 2024
Volume frames 2

PRODUCTIVITY - NEW VOLUME JASON WATTS & KRIS FOX FRAMES

Certified for roasting - THE SMOKO & THUNDERHOOF

6 Aug 2024
Efise leader results

WHO WON THE €22K at E-FISE 2024 WOLVERHAMPTON?

The results are in!

12 Jul 2024
Kink 2025 bikes

PRODUCT DROP - KINK 2025 BIKES

That New New!

12 Jul 2024