Historic BMX Photo - World's First Ramp Flip EVER!

Photo ©Brad Fanshaw

In 1984, I was living in Arizona and I would ride my Kawasaki Tecate 250 three-wheeler down by the Salt River. This is a place where every one would go to keep cool and hangout. Guys on motocross bikes, girls floating in tubes with coolers and beer. Anyway, one weekend I see this huge crowd watching some guy on a bmx bike. I ride over and see this guy is setting up plywood across the river rock and a big wood ramp.

I ask whats going on and I'm told they are going to jump into the river. Cool, I race back and grab my cameras from the truck and get right down in the river. There was some great cross-ups and jumps, but this guy; Jose' Yanez comes speeding down the ramp and pulls a full flip into the water!

After shooting a bunch of photos, I grab Jose and ask if he could do that ramp-to-ramp? He told me he thought so and I lined up the first ramp-to-ramp jump behind the ABA offices. Jose went on to perform at the ABA Grands and then went on tour with Barnum and Baily Circus.

Today, a flip is yawn, a regular trick, but you are seeing the grandfather of flips and the first ever photographed!

Woody Itson Hutch BMX Curb Endo Orange CA 1980s

Photo © Brad Fanshaw

Woody Itson and I made our way to the highest hill we could find in Orange, Ca one night to shoot some pictures. In a parking lot high above the city lights we shot the classic Curb-Endo. The action is stopped by the flash and we still get some blurred lights from the long exposure.

Who wouldn't love to have Woody's Hutch in their collection?

Voelker Sky High Cross-up Austin, Texas 1988

Photo ©Brad Fanshaw

The ramp in Austin was great on the river and made for the best photos. This is Dave Voelker high above the ramp at the 1988 Round 3 event for 2-Hip King of Vert. Voelker placed third in the expert category at this event, but ended his ride with a jump into the water.