This year I spent my first summer in Connecticut after a two year hiatus on the west coast. When I left for California in 1999, the scene in CT seemed small. Coming back I expected things to be relatively unchanged. To my surprise it had changed. It was a whole new world.

THEN
1999
When I left New England a few years ago, there were a few good riders I knew of in Southern Connecticut. Most of them either lived in a town called Stratford, or rode with a guy that lived there. His name is Mike.. The only ramp I knew of in the area was the one in Mike's backyard. There were people to ride with, but the number of people that rode was small. I often went to mikes to ride, but it was usually just him and I. I rode with his friends once or twice, but that was about it. Considering the small size of the scene, I was impressed with the tricks Mike and his friends were pulling off. Liptricks, Handrails, Tailwhips in the dirt and just about everything else you ever saw in a magazine. Although these riders are relatively unknown to many, they have skills you have to respect. As great as the scene was in 99, the small number of riders made it hard to get this state on the map. How about know? Is the scene comparable to the ones in San Diego, Pennsylvania or the other great spots that have flourished over time? You be the judge.

NOW
2001
Here is the scene as it stands now. Mike, the guy with the ramp, took it down to build his own skatepark. Not the type of park you build to foster a business, but the type you build to jam with your friends through the cold winters. With the help of a bunch of local riders, they rented out a warehouse and built their own park. When I first went to the park in December 2000, I saw a few riders I had not seen before. I was surprised to see the new faces because I thought the scene was still small. Over the next few visits to the park, I realized there was a whole new scene in the state. Not only were there great riders from Stratford, but talented riders from other towns started to appear. New Haven, Milford, Hamden, and West Haven had young kids that were riding like they were 10 year veterans. I knew there was some talent in the state of Connecticut, but I had no idea how much.

To sum up the scene, it is filled with great riders that ride for themselves. The corporate exploitation of the sport on television has no effect on them. They are now caught up in sponsorships or money. They ride because they enjoy it. I am impressed with the video on ESPN of Dave Mirra doing a double back flip at a contest, but that is small in comparison to what I witnessed this summer. This year I I saw a kid named Kevin Rilly jump a huge gap between two cement spines. No audience, no cash prizes, no sponsors. Just a kid going big while his friends watch. It was burly. I also saw his friend Mike C transfer jumps that were a ridiculous distance apart at their trails. Why do they do this stuff? For no special reason. It is riders like them that motivate me to ride. These are the riders that make the sport great.

Back to my original question. Is the scene comparable to the ones in San Diego, Pennsylvania or the other great spots that have flourished over time? Hell Yes!

For more pics and video of these southern Connecticut riders, go to NewEnglandBMX.com

J.W. September, 2001

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Mike Macisco

Mike Ciarleglio

Justin Tierney

Kevin Rilly

Craig Conin

Justin Spears

Hector