Wednesday 13 May 2009

INFRASTRUCTURE & THE FUTURE by Trevlon Hall

INFRASTRUCTURE & THE FUTURE
For to long Bmx Flatland has gone without official Grounds Globally. Flatland’s infrastructural history is full of sessions in Car parks, Tennis Courts, Basketball Courts, and the likes. You were almost comfortable with spots created for other purposes. You sometimes argue when disturbed at your favorite spot. You know you are doing something positive and hunger to excel. You and others have teamed up for sessions over the years and have created turfs that many come to respect, but is it Government endorsed and Supported? Does it cater to the masses and our generation next? Is it in the legal framework of your government’s sporting system?
Do you exist as an official sport entity to your government? Ask yourself these questions when next you hit the PEOPLES’ parking lot, tennis court, or Basketball court, for your next session. WE have been using grounds, which were not designed, for our sport. Because of this, eviction, disrespect & distractions have plagued many globally and continue to agitate unimaginable progress for our sport. Those with personal backyard spots, in house spots, or turf respect - Let me remind you that there are many worldwide that suffer excruciating disrespect striving to do a sport they love. Think about others around the world and the less fortunate in your country.
Everyone would not mentally ignite on this information, I wrote this to spark and encourage minds worldwide that understand the value of somewhere we can call home. I know there are others out there that will wisely and passionately dedicate their life, like I did for infrastructural development. Everyone renders life to our sport in some special way or the other. Flatland Grounds throughout the world will result in a paradigm shift and augment our sport.
Flatland has evolved over the years and we must evolve its infrastructure to match our progression. If you care to research on the most ORGANIZE and SUCCESSFUL sports in the world - you will see an unforgiving truth through the centuries of time. They all evolved from a homeless status to gigantic stadiums and structures that identify their sport. The history of tennis for example began in the streets and was without a racquet, a rubber ball, a home, and a constitution. As the centuries went by the use of ones hand was replace with the racquet, the use of the streets was replaced with royal grounds and the vulcanization of rubber by Charles Goodyear supplemented stupendously to its growth. As you research the histories of ORGANIZE and SUCCESSFUL sports you would see staggering similarities. They all evolved from vagrancy and homelessness. A home for flatland would identify our sport to the masses and give way to quantum benefits. It is a critically important step in Flatland’s evolution. It will leave our generation next somewhere that they can progress without the distractions. They will be able to build on our models and evolve relative to the speed and creativity of our sport just like all other successful sports throughout history. Those who choose to stay in the shadows of places that were not designed for flatland can go right ahead. You have my blessings! Developmental flatland minds will make sure your children have official grounds to practice and have fun. There will always be riders that push riding standards, riders that push literature, riders that push media, riders that push events and many others will contribute life and constructive action which will result in our holistic development of FLATLAND Worldwide. I live in a future mind state everyday; I think about our youths everyday, I think about the future good of our sport everyday and I sacrificed my life where it matters most to me – infrastructure. I will live and die for flatland like a soldier in the field of battle. My actions will vibrate through reality more convincingly than spoken words. The, “TREVLON HALL BMX FREESTYLE FLATGROUND”, is the result of enormous hard and smart work throughout the years. I am most grateful for this supplementation to our sporting landscape, but more importantly – Our Nation’s youth will benefit tremendously from it and others throughout the world will be inspired to act. For those of you that are concerned about roofing and other comforts… remember the fundamental principles in life and learn from nature.
A newborn turns over first, then sits, then crawls, then walks, then runs. It is all done in steps – there are no short cuts. Be greedy to your government and you will stay in the peoples’ parking lot. This is the embryonic stage of Trevlon Hall..more gifts of consistent labor will follow as I continue to dream and act where it matters most to me – infrastructure! ASK NOT WHAT FLATLAND CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR FLATLAND...quote by my lifelong friend,"Brian Johnson". ...Let the Flatland Paradigm Shift Begin... by Trevlon Hall

11 comments:

flatmatters said...

trevlon is doing a great service to the future generation of flatlanders all over the globe, i believe this project will inspire others across the globe. This really is groundbreaking. Unbelieveable work, completly unselfish!

Anonymous said...

TH has a Very admirable refreshing selfless attitude & vision in supporting and building the path for Flatland (BMX).
We will in time see a change in the infrastructure for lots of minority sports that all deserve this approach at street level.

EZChris said...

I think too many people take their spots for granted. I was one of them, but after spending 6 months at uni not having a spot to ride during weekdays I now fully appreciate my great spot in my home town. I think only good can come of this, however I also think its tottaly ridiculous trying to get the goverment to build a flatland spot - maybe a skatepark with a "freestyle section" might be a better idea

flatmatters said...

I think it will take time,especially in the UK, with negative council attitudes, but Trevlon may argue that if he can make it happen in Trinidad, with a lot of hard work (which he has done), it can happen anywhere. Depends how you approach it,what it can bring to a community, focus on young people, youth work, location, lot of factors. Lets see what happens.

flatmatters said...

Interesting follow up to Trevlon's post http://flatlandaustralia.blogspot.com/

Trevlon Hall said...

Our government does not build...We will build and the government will fund our ideas Where necessary. We are the future of our sport not the government!

In my part of the world there are not many spots that one can ride comfortably. Throughout the years riders have faced continuous harassment from the police and other attitudes.

Mental this - Jesse Puente came to my country in January and we both got kick out of a spot while doing a photo shoot.

I dislike circumstances like that. It hurts to be disrespected like that.

Who is to blame the victim or the perpetrator? It was not our spot!!!

Over the years I've traveled to countries and experienced the same disrespect.

I remember the first contest in I went to in Long island USA 2002. Myself, and James kennedy was in a deep sweet session at Union Square..N.Y and bammm "Out".

Yep...Kicked out! I was like,"this stuff is on ESPN". And I am a top pro in another country and get kick out of a spot. After all, the guy was just doing his job, and we were not at a Flatland Park or a construct supported and endorsed for Flatland.

I am a humble guy, and thought to myself, I need to make a difference if I can some how.

I can go on to talk about many other incidents like that, but the point is - If we had a place in the name of Flatland that would not of been our faith.


When someone wants to play tennis, golf, basketball and the likes they have somewhere to go.

Flatland deserves the same type of respect. And I will die to see it earn that type of respect.

There are many subject to these deviant conditions world wide.

Just go on facebook and start asking riders about the scene in their country. You will be surprise at how much convenience exist for our sport.

I look at ways that I can help many and not think about me alone and my spot. Tax payers dollars from government can do a lot for our sport like it has done for many successful sports.

Our government spends millions of dollars ever year on sports. Who benefits?..the ones who are organize and understand how to use the system brilliantly.

Like i said in my article, those who are interested in staying at their spot...you have my blessings.

Those willing to get respected, undisturbed FlatGround throughout the land have my fullest support and blessings. We all have one thing in common..A burning desire to practice in peace.

We have to set up spots that don't go to the grave with us - but will be there and help our generation next.

At the end of the day..growth will happen as fresh mind states act upon ideologies.

It's up too the individual which spot he/she chooses to ride at. Just don't get angry if you get kick out..channel the energies to work where it will benefit the masses.

More respect will come as we push infrastructure.

Many Thanks for your ideas Chris. It's not what we know, but what we do with what we know.

A said...

Props to Trevlon, you are making a big impression with your hard work. It shows how committed you are in your dreams and making them reality.

As for the UK, well the councils build skateparks for local kids at a budget (cheapest option). It's a way of stopping or curbing anti-social behaviour. It's a youth culture here where society, or lack off I should say, is out of hand. Crime is on the increase amongst the young, the average kid on a bmx is a misfit in the government's eyes - hoodies or chavs - call them what you want. It's the image that goes with a bmx bike, some people can't see beyond that. We will always live in a narrow minded society, and really governments or local councils in my experience have no idea about bmx, let alone flatland or what it involves. We are still seen as overgrown kids on small bikes as it was in the 80's, same attitude blah blah blah. Let’s not forget there are not many of us who ride, so getting backing from a higher authority is somewhat harder. People need educating on the subject, more media coverage i.e. TV, sports channels etc. Mountain biking, surfing, road racing etc all get it but bmx and flatland takes a back seat. Most kids who get into riding don't ride flatland, they see street or skateparks and they take up that. They wanna go big. To them flatland is too much hard work. I've even spoke to kids who ride bmx who did not even know flatland existed, how mad is that!

Even the Olympics coverage of the bmx racing was cut down to 15 minute slots on TV. And more recently, the idea of street riding to be included in the 2012 Olympics got roars of laughter at the London Assembly, who have no idea what it involves. This is our passion, why do the media think this is still a fad! Bmx in general needs to be taken seriously, this ain't going anywhere it's here to stay.

urban comp group said...

hello there brothers..Im German a flatland rider to, from Argentina, and I think that Trevlon Hall`s idea or proyect is really good. Over here.. in my country is very dificult to get respect as a rider or to have a place to ride in a confortable way. I have been riding for long time and when I started I never thought that some day flatland would be the way of my life but...after years and years of riding and traveling for a couple of countries and know new riders and new cultures I realized that our sport conditions(southamerica) wasn`t to diferent from yours..and now after read this articles Im more sure about that!..I mean a couple of years ago, here in my city, me and my others friends riders, used to think that the scene in others countries was different, with more support and more respect to riders..but now, day after day I realized that we were wrong..because flatland is seen by people in the same way in the whole world ..with no respect at all..with no support and with lack of seriouness. my point here is.. a month or so before I was in the point of giving up riding because of this reality..but after a couple days of thinking in a deep way... one day after riding I thought that after everything flatland have gave me, it would be to selfish not to give something back to the sport, and so on I decided to began doing thinks to promote flatland again, but this time using other ways to promote and not just contest or shows as means of promotions.
So.. now Im in a new proyect, which is exhibit flat in a whole journey. With a previous day of art + explanation of the sport and then the contest part and then a kind of meeting with members of goverment or something like that to ask for more support or to ask for a place just to ride flatland..is a very crazy idea but Im going to take the risk..
I live in a veeery small city where society is veeeery close in theirs minds and even so I could present bmx in a kinf of conference media! so I think we could do it..we could put flatland when it deserve.It take more dificult because people need to know flatland before,they need to get knowledge about it, because flatland is deep and complicated, we all know that.. it has other level of understanding, that is why we first need to explain what is flat about, and there are lot of way to do this..(what Mr. Chase G. did in that bar explaning to the crowd for example, was amazing!)
For example.. I did a kind of mock up of the whole contest Im going to do..and I got good results! well I hope every flatlander try to do something, nothing is imposible..flatland itself teach that to us everyday...
Keep riding keep positive.

A said...

Thats cool my friend , you know i approached the council about having an area of land which could be re developed for flatland in my town got a petition some letters written to the sport and leisure dept at their offices met a representitive etc it fell flat on it's face as the council have not got a clue try educating them on flatland and their response was "well we spent £20.000 on a skatepark for the bmx'ers to ride" its getting the message out there which is the problem i mean is it a sport or a recreational activity i don't consider myself an athlete by any means.
Put it this way when was the last time anyone opened a paper in the sport section and saw headlines "Jamie Bestwick wins x games vert" for example ? never it's either football,cricket,rugby etc it needs to be taken seriously in the media to grow like i said in my previous comment this is not going anywhere it's here to stay.

flatmatters said...

a lot of times getting bmx in papers is just a matter of giving them a call, terry adams i think is classic example of this, he calls bmx media and mainstream media a lot, he treats his riding as a job, and its his job to be in the media, in the limelight if you like, i know what your saying, its not like its in the sun, or daily star, but i have seen jamie bestwick in the guardian for example, people just need to work together a lot more. Flatland is such personal thing, seems very hard to get away from that, but if you have an event or something like that, contact your local newspaper, get it in there, all these things added together can help the sport.

A said...

Very true E i mean to makes things happen you have to try it could only be a small thing but getting the message across and promoting it can lead to some positive feedback and exposure plus it gives us a sense of acomplishment in that we had a go ,we have great belief in riding and in ourselves whether at pro level or novice it's what sets us apart in my opinion a feeling of unity an extended family .