https://www.profileracing.com/

Re-Print: First Encounters

Recognise these guys? Our earliest photos with some of the best in the game…

2 Oct 2014

hawk-lacey-kennedy-hoder

Words and photos by Rob Dolecki and Ricky Adam Originally published in DIG 96 - Wee DIcks / The Kids Issue - September 2013

ALEX KENNEDY at The last ever Backyard Jam - Sheffield UK, 2006

https://shop.digbmx.com/collections/all-clothing

Alex had just been hooked up by the all new Nike 6.0 brand and I'd been asked to photograph their new, mostly unknown, young team riders. At the time, and at Backyard Jams in particular, the focus was on the established Pro riders and even the Am class was heavily populated by riders who would be considered 'older' by today's standards. If you entered Am you were most likely either about tight pants and tailwhips or full face helmets and flailing. Alex fitted neither category and brought a new quiet, yet determined and stylish vibe to the era. He's since become a hugely influential and seasoned Pro and is now easily one of my favourite people to shoot with. It's almost impossible to take a bad photo of him, on or off his bike. Looking back, with the demise of the Backyard series and the emergence of young riders like Alex, this was very much the end of one great era and the beginning of possibly an even better one. - Ricky Adam

Alex-Kennedy-Backyard-Jam-2006
hoder-sequence

MIKE HODER At The Brooklyn Banks - Summer 2005

My first introduction to the Mike Hoder show was rolling down to the Brooklyn Banks one summer day in 2005, after someone gave me the heads up about a kid from Seattle who was visiting New York and who wanted to do something crazy at the Banks. The “kid” turned out to be a large eighteen-year-old in a white T who wanted to 360 the Burns gap (out of the big banks and over a rail). This was pre-NorthWest neck tattoo, or any tat’s on Mike’s body, for that matter. Probably the craziest thing about the whole situation was that Hoder didn’t even try to jump it straight first; he pedaled his ass off and spun it first go. His feet blew off and he got a blowout; one fixed flat and one more try later, and it was all done. It’s still one of the craziest 3's ever done in NYC, and the first of many insane lower Manhattan 360's Hoder would lay down over the years. - Rob Dolecki

HODER 2005 18YRSOLD SEQUENCEALSO

GEOFF SLATTERY, Dawn Ride At FDR - 2001

SLATTERY 2001 13YRSOLD 1

Years before I moved to Philadelphia and FDR became a local spot for me, whenever I did make it to FDR, getting there by 8 a.m. was basically a given, due to its reputation of overly-packed decks of riders and not-so-friendly skaters. I believe I was on a 256 road trip in 2001 when we made a stop at FDR, arriving an hour or so before dawn. Once the sun rose and I woke from my nap on one of the decks, I noticed this small, thirteen-year-old kid with an unmistakable flow ripping around. I thought to myself, “If this kid keeps riding, I’ll bet he’s going to be pretty good.” Geoff didn’t let me down. I haven’t been to FDR at dawn since that morning, and I’ll bet Geoff hasn’t been there that early in almost as many years, either. - Rob Dolecki

CHASE HAWK At home, Austin TX - 2002

Chase Hawk had a Low Profile in Dig a few years prior to when these photos were taken, but at this point (in 2002), Chase had gone from a young clipped-in novelty who killed it at 9th Street Trails at that time, to a rising upstart who legitimately shredded everything. Fit was already hooking a then sixteen-year-old Chase up, as well as the defunct Manmade Clothing, and his style and skills were improving seemingly by the day. The day I shot these pics was my introduction to seeing him ride in person at his backyard ramp in Austin, and it was impressive, to say the least. And we all know how well the style god has progressed since then. - Rob Dolecki

​DAN LACEY at The Seventies Warehouse - Hastings UK, 2006

dan-lacey-2006

This photo of Dan was taken at the Seventies Distribution warehouse/Federal bikes HQ back in 2006. I'd only just been introduced to Dan and he was the newest, raddest kid on the block. I'd met a few 'flash in the pan' types before and honestly, I wasn't sure how Dan would end up. But now over seven years later he's still at it and is stronger and than ever. His aggressive style and firey attitude have been a constant throughout his riding career - unlike the fluffy ear warmers - which, by his own admission, along with the rest of his gear, were most definitely "OFF!" Fast forward to today and Dan Lacey is at the top of his game - one of a very select group of street riders who continue to push riding to the next level. He's long since binned the bandana but he hasn't lost his gratitude towards BMX and where it has taken him and his friends. - Ricky Adam

Previous

Can You Slide Like Roey?

Post your tire slide videos for a chance to win some good stuff from etnies, flybikes and Mutiny...

Next

Etnies Wear Test

A fresh look at the UK Scene

https://rixinbikes.com/

Latest Content

8 Nigji Cd Nr8hqdefault
Play Button

Battle of Hastings - Qualifier 2025 - Source BMX

Wildcard for one of the wildest events of the year

26 Jul 2025
C11wlz J Hww0hqdefault
Play Button

SAN DIEGO BMX DAY 'CASH UP' JAM hosted by OUR BMX - DAY 2

Check full highlights of day 2 right here.

25 Jul 2025
W81c14sw Yz Uhqdefault
Play Button

BMX DAY 2025 with Aaron Ross - Odyssey BMX

Ross the Boss on the mic

25 Jul 2025
Y49a2k3 Hg5 Ehqdefault
Play Button

Strangeways Volume 6 - Full Video - 2025

50 minutes of pure street action

24 Jul 2025
Lh Se TO4u56khqdefault
Play Button

Alex Donnachie 'EDIT' | BSD

12 Minutes of Mind-Melters

24 Jul 2025
Zr ASP6 H1id Uhqdefault
Play Button

DAY 1 - BMX DAY by OUR BMX / CASH UP | SAN DIEGO

Clairemont, San Diego

23 Jul 2025
M 3gg E4 Bbzshqdefault
Play Button

BOYD HILDER - JETLAG

The first in a four part series from Monster Energy

23 Jul 2025
Ox Q Bwp U9o Yhqdefault
Play Button

OUR TRIES

Felix Prangenberg, Moritz Rieger, Kilian Roth, and Bruno Hoffmann

23 Jul 2025
KADY3y WL3j Ihqdefault
Play Button

LA Bangers with Mike Hoder

Reminiscing with No.1

23 Jul 2025
J zp25 Mv3fchqdefault
Play Button

MadManTing - Lisboa 2025

Portugal adventures

22 Jul 2025
U9 E37 A9npj Ihqdefault
Play Button

STILL HAVING FUN

HEAVY HITTING FULL LENGTH FROM COLONY

22 Jul 2025
I4rla Gdk L14hqdefault
Play Button

RHEIN/MAIN GRINDTIME 2025

Frankfurting

20 Jul 2025

DIG Partner stores

More Dig This

Shirt swell k0150m back

Product Drop - KINK 2025 APPAREL

For Fall/Winter

23 Jul 2025
Big boyd black

Product Drop - ODYSSEY BIG BOYD RIMS

Boyd Hilder signature BIG BOYD rims in Black and Coffee.

11 Jun 2025
LOW Street station Saturday Jarvis 1 copy

MONSTER ENERGY 'CASH UP' 2025 - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Another Year - New Locations - Even More Jams!

26 May 2025
Street station graphic

STREET STATION RETURNS for 2025

"Not your average BMX jam"

26 May 2025
Vans 11 27 21 014 Bruno Gap wall

BRUNO HOFFMANN INTERVIEW - 'FOREIGN'

"I think the scene is doing good..."

21 Apr 2025
RIXIN BIG APPLE ANGLE RAW ON WHITE 2500

PRODUCTIVITY - RIXIN Big Apple Frame

Billy Perry's signature frame - Built around what he needed.

8 Apr 2025
Rad teaser

Rad Day 2025

Anniversary movie screenings and RAD documentary release.

18 Mar 2025
Expert Top 3 Roll On crop

REPO: Keeping it local at the UK 'ROLL ON' Flatland Jam

"My desire was to give something back" – Mike O'Connell

5 Mar 2025
Snow Fight – Naoki Gaman2

20 Tips For Surviving Simple Session 2025

Check yourself before you wreck yourself!

20 Feb 2025
SS finals samples 4

SIMPLE SESSION 25 WRAP UP

Highlight videos, results and more

19 Feb 2025
Stack

DIG BOOK #2024

AVAILABLE VIA THESE BIKE SHOPS AND DISTROS

30 Dec 2024
Dig shirt collection 2025 new

NEW DIG BMX APPAREL

Available now

27 Dec 2024