2010 Video Retrospective

Everyone else is doing it, so thought we'd jump right in.

Instead of giving you a "best of Pralex edits in 2010", this will be a list of all of our edits in 2010. For one reason or another, Alex and I have been a lot more quiet on the self made video edit scene this past year. Whether that will change in 2011, only time will tell.

Personally, I really liked how 2010 went down for me in terms of my edits. While I only have a tiny handful (two videos), I feel they really represent me and my riding at the times they were produced.

The first edit I dropped was an edit I made entirely from me riding in my old parking lot the last time before I moved. I have gone back and revisited the parking lot once, and I can fully agree with Alex and Bo Wade, that it is in fact, a really really terrible riding spot haha. For years I went there multiple times a day to ride and hang out by myself though, and it truly felt like 'my spot'. To me, this marks an end of an era for me.

Prasheel Gopal: May 28, 2010 from Pralex Gorier on Vimeo.

About 6 weeks later, Alex finally dropped a short clip, with him almost (lol) landing a line with a new switch he had been working on for a while. It just shows Alex, and his home spot, almost successful on something he worked towards for a while. Fun tune and a shining sun really make me miss summer while watching this too.

Gruesome bike slam to fall. from Pralex Gorier on Vimeo.

Lastly, about 2 months ago, Pralex officially welcomed Mark Kuhlmann to the team, and to do it right, Beefy and I both collected some footage over later summer and fall, and Alex did up an edit with the two of us. This video reminds me of going out and riding in cool fall nights, knowing that for every day we pass up for riding, we're one day closer to the unrideable season of winter.

Prasheel Gopal & Mark "Beefy" Kuhlmann from Pralex Gorier on Vimeo.

We hope everyone had a great 2010, and we wish you all the best, on and off the bike, for 2011. Cheers.

Alex's 2011 Who to Watch For List!

Now, before I get ahead of myself here, let me just say that 2010 was like a rebirth for flatland in North America. I think it would have been another lack luster year if it hadn't been for the huge efforts of Steve Lapsley and the North American Am Flat Circuit. This really revived the contest scene amoung the expert and master class. With that said, a huge thanks to all the contest organizers as well. You guys put in a ton of work only to be plagued with complaints after the contest (I know I've been guilty of this myself a couple times even). It's not that your work isn't appreciated, it's just that...I dunno what it is, we all just see a greater potential I suppose, and everyones idea of a contest is different...ANYWAYS, thanks guys.

Alright, now, riders to look out for. First off...I'm calling out Daniel Burnett. Prasheel and I loved that kids riding two years ago at Red Bull's Fight with Flight, and now he's disappeared off the map! We hope he's still riding, someone point him in our direction and let him know we think he killed it in intermediate class.

Next up for beginners we got Fat Tony, he placed well in intermediate class at three of the am circuit stops and if the Am Circuit adds a intermediate class (over if Fat decides to man up and move to expert class) you might just see him make podium!

The expert class is tough, there are a lot of guys in this class with a wide variety of styles, its hard to pick who might stand out next year. Obviously Bryan Huffman killed it in 2010, and hopefully we'll see him in the Master class for 2011 (and even there I'm sure he'll kill it and place very well). After that it's very hard to choose, the class is stacked and the odds are pretty even for almost anyone to take it next year. Alexis La Grass would be an obvious choice, along with Johnny Tamayo, and ride along side them I think we will have Mark Kuhlmann, Omari Cato, Alex Johnson, and Andrew Wickham if they make it to most of the stops. With Bryan hopefully moving up, this really opens the expert class wide open for 2011. I'm really excited to see how it plays out over the next year and to see who really puts in the time, because almost any of the guys that competed last year in expert has a chance at taking first overall at year end.

Master class is a lot less tough, I'm not going to lie. The top two guys destroyed in 2010, and obviously are Tyler Gilliard and Percy Marshall. Hailing from opposite ends of the country, these two without a doubt are guys that will be making the leap up to pro someday (I think everyone else in the master class is hoping sooner rather then later). There were even some complaints about these two competing in Master as guys want them to move up to pro, I personally love competing against these two, they have so much focus in their runs and are a ton of fun to ride with outside of the contest floor as well. It's an honour to get to ride with these two on what feels like a pretty regular basis. Going down the list you have a lot of staple North American competitors...So I'm going to skip down to Koit. Whether or not he rides well in his contest run, this guy is unreal positive. I never really know when he's going to show up to contests, but he always seems to be there, and its always a pleasure to see him ride. His consistency went through the roof in the past year and I can't wait to see what he brings to the contests in 2011. That'll do it for my choices in 2011 to watch out for, it's going to be another amazing year and hopefully we'll see some new faces on the circuit rankings...STOKED ON BEING STOKED!

Alex