Where in the world is Waldo, and WTF is Swampfest? You'll have to DIG through the mud pretty deep to really understand it, or if you look hard enough you'll be able to see this one of a kind situation for yourself. Tucked away under the mud-flaps and deep in the weeds of a small Florida town named Waldo, a place where swamp creatures and swamp enthusiasts come together for a long weekend of something that is so wildly unique and utterly savage, it could only be tolerated and sought after by those whom thirst for the adrenaline, mayhem, community and the fire which burns at the core of BMX. Creating an inertia and momentum that resonates through our veins all year long, whether you were in the mud or not, it's easy to see what enormous effect this has on BMX at large, and those other 4-wheeled friends of ours...
At this point, Swampfest has made its impression on much more than BMX culture, the swamp calls for all types of vehicles of insanity, and those riders who operate within the madness. Dirt bikes, pit bikes, mutant bikes, skateboards, ATVs, and even baby strollers have been put to the test and entered the swamp for a chance at muddy glory. Riders from all around the world were in attendance this year, even a handful of BMX and skaters (including myself) were fresh off the plane from an Estonian winter at Simple Session just days prior; showing how revered this event has become throughout extreme sports as a whole. So much in fact, Channel 5 made the pilgrimage and was on site filming a documentary... is this good or bad for Swampfest, is this good or bad for BMX, we'll have to wait and see.
DAY 1 — Friday
The wait was over and the gates were open as Friday began to form tan lines by noon. From all around the world, wheels of all shapes and sizes were rolling through the gates and into the camp grounds, as 2,500 people eagerly made their way onto the battle field that is the Swampfest course. New friends and old friends, strangers and colleagues all scattered like a land-rush to stake their claim and set up camp, preparing themselves for the inevitable onslaught ahead. On the menu for the day, besides some rancid swamp water and a side of sludge was: The Source BMX "FIDS" Middle Finger Jam, The Shadow Conspiracy "Coffin" Jam, The Pit Viper "Limo" Jam, The Odyssey "Swamp Line" and lastly, the video premiere of POST TIME, starring event organizer and mastermind Trey Jones and his brother Jabe, also including Dave McDermott and Cult's newest pro, Marcel Andersen... Last but not least, the signature swamp society mosh pit fueled by the band called Drosera.
March 11th, 1970 - December 8th, 2024. Mark Findlay, better known as our friend "FIDS", rocked this planet for 54 years, leaving a historical tire mark on the sleeve of the BMX world and an echoing "fuck you" in the hearts of us all... In memory of an absolute legend and original madman, The Source BMX FIDS Middle Finger Jam officially started off the weekend of antics in the swamp! To pay homage and to start the jam in a proper FIDS fashion, Catfish began to count down, 3..2..1.. and hundreds of people in unison all yelled to the sky, "FUCK YOU FIDS!"
Local to Florida, The Shadow Conspiracy is a cornerstone contributor to Swampfest. Located inside Sparky's Distro in Longwood, Florida, The Sparky's team always shows up with an epic Shadow Coffin grind box build. Built for both biking and skating, the angle iron was "OK'd" by the unofficial BSDetail team as Denim Cox and Reed Stark threw on their hard hats and busted out their drills to clean up the ledge for an official Florideah code of approval... The runway and landing was simply layered plywood on top of mostly dry mud, making each attempt feel different than the last, adding uncertainty to every outcome.
The last two installments of organized chaos for Friday were up to bat, first was The Pit Viper build which I like to call "Limo Service." Namely, because of the fact it was more than a 20ft grind across with a hip and transition over the entire drivers side, but inside it was the unofficial swamp lounge. Occupied by at least 10 people at a time, you could catch some shade, some smoke, and maybe even a beer if you're lucky. Secondly, the Odyssey BMX Swamp Line was literally a set of plywood trails hovering over the water, any direction but straight meant a swampy exit and a potential selfie with Gary the Gator if you happened to find Reed Stark's phone while you were down there. The Odyssey Swamp Line ended the days tentative schedule but the real antics have yet to truly start...
As the days' scheduled list of insanity came to a close, there was a small window of time to wipe away a layer or two of muddy sweat and grime. The energy of the night began to flood the campground and with every minute that transpired, the night crept in closer, and the energy was amplified by the screams of excitement from both engines and humans alike... Our campsite was right next to the road, which made it easy for us to never see a dull moment. Myself, Grant Smith, Reed Stark, Denim Cox, Grant Yoobie, Trevor Siglocks, Trent Lutzke, Greg D'Amico, Joris Coulomb and a few others weren't holding back from enjoying this celebration properly. One awesome aspect of Swampfest is the fact you have an opportunity to share time and experiences with friends new and old.
The massive vert wall corner pocket quarter pipe turned into a perfect backdrop to project the video premiere of POST TIME. Trey, Jabe, Dave, and Marcel... To everyone's surprise, during Marcel's section it was announced on screen that he was the newest pro for Cult. This was one of the craziest celebrations I've seen for someone going pro, it goes without saying Marcel has been crushing it and his riding speaks for itself. Well deserved buddy, congrats Marcel!
After the first night of mischief and mayhem was over, the sun rose above the beer cans, casting its light on every surface imaginable. Fires smoldered throughout the grounds and the silence was a gift to those few still awake, and for myself as I stammered through the wet grass with coffee and Dunkin' Donuts in sight.
Throughout the first half of the day, we had some time to regain strength, eat some food, and seek the shrinking shade until the first event started at 3:30. Saturday is what this Floridian pilgrimage is all about... the craziest set-ups, the lack of sleep, an extra dose of adrenaline, and the madness unleashed is a ticking time bomb, set off when the first structure fire is lit. This is the 8th year of Swampy goodness and it's gone through a lot of changes, but without a doubt it's becoming bigger and stronger. Slowly eroding away the psychological barriers that separate BMX and skateboarding, this subject is a hot topic amongst industries, but with the continuation of events like this and friendships growing, I can see everyone benefitting from this long-awaited unity.
The OJ Wild Ride was easy enough in theory; pieces of plywood tied together by rope strewn across the water. Simple in hypothesis, but in reality it was dangerously sketchy. Tandem bikes, stacked bikes, BMX bikes, dogs, dildos, skateboards and even gator floaties made their way down the hill in attempt to cross the swamp successfully. In the same murky pit, we moved over to the infamous swamp rail, a ridiculously long round rail spanned across the water demanding burliness and precision. Probably the best known and most anticipated spectacle of Swampfest was upon us, the line up top was a battle between elbows, muddy tires, and wet skateboards to see who would grab the glory this year.
Well, this bowl just gets crazier every year! As time goes on, year after year, more concrete is poured and crafted into one unmistakably badass bowl. Tight and fast, this concrete isn't for the faint of heart, the deck was full of intensity as serious moves and slams went down for over two hours. Designed and built in-house by the many hands and brains of Swampfest's finest. This is a pure example of hand-built passion and to watch everyone shred this thing together is a rare sight for sure. After the onslaught of cement, we switched over to the Gnar-BBQ Log Ride. Same idea as the swamp rail but this one was naturally just for bikes; two logs butted together making a bumpy bridge across the swamp filled with god knows what at this point on Saturday afternoon. Quite a few made it across, but not without the threat of being hit by any random object... at this point the crowd was highly intoxicated and rowdy!
A couple of curves and a lot of losers. The Dan's Comp Curve Wall was an unpredictably ornery situation to say the least. Hovering over a waist-deep pool of swamp, this curved wall had some people cheering, some triumphant, and a few sent to the hospital, yet still the session raged on until the last trick, blowing away everyone who was watching. It took a few minutes to warm up this one, from both directions riders anxiously darted down the runways with predator type looks in their eyes. Several riders made it around the curve, a few drank the swamp water and only two dirt bikes attempted to make it around before we moved onto the final set-up of Swampfest 2025: The Cult Crew Curved Rail.
There was one last chance at glory for the swamp society to step up and shine through the shit, the Cult Curved Rail was ominously waiting all weekend to be shredded. A full 180 degrees, the rail was a perfect 'C' with no room for error if you wanted to stay dry. A final handful of riders battled it out, including Hobie Doan, Marcel Andersen, Max Vu and a couple others until Hobie ad Marcel made it all the way around, closing out the riding portion of Swampfest.
Making it this far into the weekend was an accomplishment in itself... schlepping through the hot sun, in muggy air and on minimal sleep wasn't a recipe for success, I'd say, but then again, that's what makes you a true swamp creature. Over the years, the fires and fireworks were a natural byproduct of such a wild bunch of humans, which started out small, but through time has grown into a bigger and much more dangerous pyrotechnic. The largest and most impressive creation to burn was the 3-story tall monster truck, which up until this point was ridden and utilized as a diving board and viewing deck. The security team moved in and cleared everyone from the area and the flame thrower was released onto anything and everything that was flammable. Like the explosions on the 4th of July, flames broke out and the real rage fest was on as everyone was in awe of the size and intensity of the heat!
It's been way too many years since I've made my way down to Florida to pay my respects to the great swampy saints. There aren't many events I truly feel are helping bridge the gap between bikes and the rest of the world. It takes time to build something this big and too gain the following and respect it deserves. Through all the blood, sweat and beers given to this cause I am happy to be a part of it all...
Until next year!
