This about sums it up...
11.21.2012
TMR is now on Facebook
I recently realized that I never setup a Facebook page for this site. I guess it was the same timing as RAD25 and we wanted everyone to go there. So, I am happy to introduce the new RAD:: The Movie Collection - Official Site on Facebook. All the same great RAD stuff and more.
11.16.2012
Bart Taylor on Stage with Jay Driscoll
Check this out... the guitarist for Barefoot Truth just sent me this photo of him wearing a Bart Taylor the man shirt. Evidently someone threw it at him from the crowd so he put it on and finished the show. These guys are awesome.
Link to Facebook... Click
Albums available on iTunes.
-jay driscoll
guitarist of barefoot truth
11.11.2012
10.24.2012
Christian's Bike - Remake
BMX Collector and RAD enthusiast Mannin Tucker has built the Mongoose Californian Christian rode in the movie. He procured a bunch of NOS items for this and it has turned out killer. Also if you know of any Christian look-a-likes, hook him up, he is in need of a back flip coach and ass sliding partner. :)
10.17.2012
Martin and Woody
I came across this photo and am making the assumption that this was taken on the day of filming the opening and closing scenes in RAD.
10.04.2012
Amazing Fan Story
This was sent to me by a fan of RAD as you will see. I love these stories about how this movie has affected and changed the lives of people all over the world. Enjoy the read and send me your story.
It's certainly beyond RAD to show up on a site like this and feel the warmth of shared geek ness for this flick!
I got my first taste back when this thing went to VHS, and it was like a highly addictive substance, my buddies and I flat wore out a copy trying to satisfy our hunger. The near daily routine almost always included in part or entirety a RAD viewing. It was almost nauseating that we could choose a part to view, fast forward/rewind to the exact second based on memory recall of the counter times on the VCR!
Who didn't want to be Cru Jones at one point who had ever seen this movie? When we weren't watching this movie for the; 20th, 33rd, 50th, & 113th time, you guessed it... We were working on our moves, that somehow never really made it past "no hands", riding a wheelie for a block, and the occasional bunny hop.
We eventually had to move on, and by move on I mean play Nintendo non stop. Little did we know that such an activity would be the means to an end of the lost art of playing outside, out of control continuous repeat viewing of videos, and of course true street BMXing.
As we began our journeys through our teen years, I always kept a special place in my heart and mind for RAD, and the underdog/über-cool persona of Mr. Cru Jones. Around the time the WWJD phrase and bracelets heightened in popularity in the 90's, I adopted a similar mantra with WWCJD (What Would Cru Jones Do). This usually culminated in a risky but calculated maneuver, as we all remember, Cru would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I mean c'mon... Forgery? Taking on an accomplice of your younger sister to promote illegal activity?? That is the kind of stuff movies, and Legends are made of!
I continued to annoy my inner circles with the affection I carried for RAD, to where a seriously joking, or jokingly serious statement was made by me, that if I chose to one day procreate, and the result happened to spawn a human of the male variety, then there would be no reason not to have that individual be known to the world as "Cru".
I had (and still have to this day) a very good friend that was artfully inclined, and very aware of my hidden passion for all things RAD. For my 19th Birthday I was presented with my very own red "Rad Racing" logo shirt that had been painstakingly handcrafted by my buddy, specifically for me. Get this, my buddy's name... Christian (Christian is a male, but eerie coincidence right?).
I decided one day shortly after this that I needed, scratch that HAD to procure my very own Original VHS copy. I located quite possibly the last copy in rental circulation in my area at a chain establishment that rhymes with rock luster. Upon my arrival, I found the original copy perched in proper arrangement in it's rightful locale with frontside flanked by, yes...the original box cover place holder. Upon securing the rental, took it back to a buddy's apartment to get reacquainted with the flick. I had carefully plotted my approach all whilst thinking WWCJD, so obviously after the movie was over I returned to the video store, however I did so empty handed...
I informed the clerk that the movie I had rented earlier had met an untimely demise as the tape was stripped and jammed in my VCR unable to be pulled from the unit to be returned. I asked the clerk what my options were since the tape could not be returned. He informed me that the only realistic option was to purchase the movie. I again asked if there was another option, he said that was the only way to avoid suspending my account. In a somber tone I asked what the damage was, "2.35" he replied. I paid the requested amount, and asked if I could keep the box from the shelf a keepsake given all that had transpired, he allowed me to do so, and I had a extremely difficult time holding back my emotions as to not break character before exiting the store. Made my way back to that apartment and carefully placed my prize into it's original condition. Remember me saying that Cru Jones defies odds and conventional methods to obtain his goals? Good. Quiz passed- please continue:
Fast forward a couple of years, while working in an insurance office, rocking my Rad Racing shirt on a casual Friday, what appears to be a potential new hire, cute blonde package crosses my path, we glance towards each other, and swear to you without skipping a beat "Send Me An Angel" chorus begins playing in my head even though I had momentarily forgotten what planet I was on, let alone what shirt I happened to be wearing. I had no expectations for that moment, other than I enjoyed it, and wanted to experience it over and over for the rest of my life. I had no idea of the impact that chance encounter would have on the rest of my life, its as if I was staged at the gate of HELL TRACK with my heart pounding waiting for the time to drop down the ramp to begin the ultimate ride.
Six years & a handful of months after that encounter, that particular blonde decided to make herself my wife. Three years later in 2007, we welcomed our 1st child, a boy...
Crew Christopher (we paired our spelling rendition with MY middle name). I tell you this, as awesome as his namesake was to me when I was 10, our little guy is easily 10x that to us, he is everything you could hope for in a little boy; brave, funny, loving, caring, adventurous, and most of all, just well... Pretty freakin' RAD!
***
It's certainly beyond RAD to show up on a site like this and feel the warmth of shared geek ness for this flick!
I got my first taste back when this thing went to VHS, and it was like a highly addictive substance, my buddies and I flat wore out a copy trying to satisfy our hunger. The near daily routine almost always included in part or entirety a RAD viewing. It was almost nauseating that we could choose a part to view, fast forward/rewind to the exact second based on memory recall of the counter times on the VCR!
Who didn't want to be Cru Jones at one point who had ever seen this movie? When we weren't watching this movie for the; 20th, 33rd, 50th, & 113th time, you guessed it... We were working on our moves, that somehow never really made it past "no hands", riding a wheelie for a block, and the occasional bunny hop.
We eventually had to move on, and by move on I mean play Nintendo non stop. Little did we know that such an activity would be the means to an end of the lost art of playing outside, out of control continuous repeat viewing of videos, and of course true street BMXing.
As we began our journeys through our teen years, I always kept a special place in my heart and mind for RAD, and the underdog/über-cool persona of Mr. Cru Jones. Around the time the WWJD phrase and bracelets heightened in popularity in the 90's, I adopted a similar mantra with WWCJD (What Would Cru Jones Do). This usually culminated in a risky but calculated maneuver, as we all remember, Cru would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I mean c'mon... Forgery? Taking on an accomplice of your younger sister to promote illegal activity?? That is the kind of stuff movies, and Legends are made of!
I continued to annoy my inner circles with the affection I carried for RAD, to where a seriously joking, or jokingly serious statement was made by me, that if I chose to one day procreate, and the result happened to spawn a human of the male variety, then there would be no reason not to have that individual be known to the world as "Cru".
I had (and still have to this day) a very good friend that was artfully inclined, and very aware of my hidden passion for all things RAD. For my 19th Birthday I was presented with my very own red "Rad Racing" logo shirt that had been painstakingly handcrafted by my buddy, specifically for me. Get this, my buddy's name... Christian (Christian is a male, but eerie coincidence right?).
I decided one day shortly after this that I needed, scratch that HAD to procure my very own Original VHS copy. I located quite possibly the last copy in rental circulation in my area at a chain establishment that rhymes with rock luster. Upon my arrival, I found the original copy perched in proper arrangement in it's rightful locale with frontside flanked by, yes...the original box cover place holder. Upon securing the rental, took it back to a buddy's apartment to get reacquainted with the flick. I had carefully plotted my approach all whilst thinking WWCJD, so obviously after the movie was over I returned to the video store, however I did so empty handed...
I informed the clerk that the movie I had rented earlier had met an untimely demise as the tape was stripped and jammed in my VCR unable to be pulled from the unit to be returned. I asked the clerk what my options were since the tape could not be returned. He informed me that the only realistic option was to purchase the movie. I again asked if there was another option, he said that was the only way to avoid suspending my account. In a somber tone I asked what the damage was, "2.35" he replied. I paid the requested amount, and asked if I could keep the box from the shelf a keepsake given all that had transpired, he allowed me to do so, and I had a extremely difficult time holding back my emotions as to not break character before exiting the store. Made my way back to that apartment and carefully placed my prize into it's original condition. Remember me saying that Cru Jones defies odds and conventional methods to obtain his goals? Good. Quiz passed- please continue:
Fast forward a couple of years, while working in an insurance office, rocking my Rad Racing shirt on a casual Friday, what appears to be a potential new hire, cute blonde package crosses my path, we glance towards each other, and swear to you without skipping a beat "Send Me An Angel" chorus begins playing in my head even though I had momentarily forgotten what planet I was on, let alone what shirt I happened to be wearing. I had no expectations for that moment, other than I enjoyed it, and wanted to experience it over and over for the rest of my life. I had no idea of the impact that chance encounter would have on the rest of my life, its as if I was staged at the gate of HELL TRACK with my heart pounding waiting for the time to drop down the ramp to begin the ultimate ride.
Six years & a handful of months after that encounter, that particular blonde decided to make herself my wife. Three years later in 2007, we welcomed our 1st child, a boy...
Crew Christopher (we paired our spelling rendition with MY middle name). I tell you this, as awesome as his namesake was to me when I was 10, our little guy is easily 10x that to us, he is everything you could hope for in a little boy; brave, funny, loving, caring, adventurous, and most of all, just well... Pretty freakin' RAD!
10.01.2012
Rider of the Month - Mike Miranda
Mike Miranda - Currently Lives in Seal Beach, CA
Got the nick name "Hollywood" for his flashy and sometimes very pink uniforms.
The Hutch shown below is the actual bike he rode in the movie. This was recently returned to him by a neighbor, then restored to its original condition.
Never before seen photos courtesy of Jose Yanez personal collection
9.22.2012
9.01.2012
Rider of the Month - Pat Lipovski
How did you become involved with RAD?
Our sponsor, NORCO Bicycles (in Vancouver) let us (Terry Lipovski, Kirk Bihun, Brent Christensen and myself) know about the movie as NORCO was going to be a Sponsor. NORCO asked us all if we'd like to take part in the movie. This meant moving to Calgary for a while NORCO and DairyLand (and the Super Socco fruit drink) were the main sponsors of our Freestyle show summer tour and we were just wrapping up our summer of shows. NORCO called us while we were on our way back home, and we immediately said "we're in". We really didn't know what we were getting into. Only knew it was a BMX movie. We all thought is would be cool to be a part of it. No one had ever asked us to be in a movie. What else would we have to say. This was just too cool to be true.
Do you remember what bike you rode? Any special setup?We (the NORCO guys: Terry, Kirk, Brent and myself) all rode the NORCO Freestyler, Signature Series. This was a bike designed by the 4 of us. It was really cool designing a bike, and the final product had a sticker on the down tube (where the seat goes in) with all 4 of our signatures on it.
What is your favorite part of RAD?
There are so many favourite parts. Being part of a film with such a famous Director, Producer, Cast and group of riders were the coolest. Some memories that really stick out in my mind include just riding with all of the American guys we all looked up to so much. Mike Miranda had a major impact. He was an amazing leader and very well grounded. Another great guy was Jamie Clark. Jamie has gone on to do so many amazing things in life since the move. When meeting him on the set, you just knew he was destine for good things.
After all these years, my favourite part of the move is watching the 1st time the guys rode down Hell Track. I remember how hard it was to do it for the first time. I remember as Beatle, one of the youngest riders in the movie, climbed up a tall ladder held by a bunch of us, 3/4 of the way up to the top and push off the ladder to ride down Hell Track, then head to the top to show the others it could be done. I think each rider lost hair (not as much as me now) when the rode down the first time. Even Sheep-Dog must have shed some of his big doo when he rode down that first time.
Another favourite memory was rooming with Jose Yanez (I hope I've spelled his name right). One day, Jose was lacing up some new Vans and the laces were too long. Jose was looking for scissors to trim the laces down. We were minutes away from leaving for the set and he didn't want to go without cutting the laces down. At the last minute, Jose whipped a glass stray into a solid garbage can to break it. He cut his laces with a broken shard of glass. He did this so quickly and low-key. I was just blown away at his creativity. Jose is a guy who wan't only the 1st to to a flip on a bike, he had an ability to deal with life in a comfortable, composed way. His way of doing things really blew us all away. He was a really cool and great guy.
Overall, my favourite part of RAD was just being part of a major motion picture. We were treated like kings. Everyone was very professional. We were all treated the same. Meals were catered daily, fans were on sight looking for autographs daily, and the entire group of riders, actors and film crew were all great people to be with.
Did you do any stunt double work? Why or why not?
Mostly play myself. I did some stunt work. In one scene, I was asked to crash and have guys run me over. Richie Anderson rode right up the middle of me (face-up) in one take. It hurt, and was a real honour all at the same time.
Any stories you can share about life on the set or off?
Life on and off the set was awesome. We all lived at the International Hotel in downtown Calgary. The hotel is still there, under the same name. We'd arrive each day back at the hotel after a day of filming to watch the "Day-lies". Each day, the riders would have dinner, then watch the scenes shot that day, and vote for the best of each "take". This was fun. It really brought all the riders together. After day-lies we'd grab our bikes and go find cool places to ride downtown Calgary. I remember this one jump we'd do by Princes Island Park (just north of the hotel). My kids (2-boys) ride over that same jump today. We'd also hit movies and head down to the restaurant in the lower level of the hotel. We'd hang-out there with Mr. Hand (from Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Bart Conner (US Gold Metal Gymnast) and Lori Laughlin (from Full House). I think the entire group of riders had HUGE crush on Lori.
One of my biggest memories off-set was also a small faux-pas of mine. During filming, Rick Molniterno crashed on Hell Track and broke his ankle. He had to get to the airport to fly home, and I offered to give him a ride. When I returned to the set, Hal had filmed the individual shots at the top of Hell Track, introducing each rider. I missed this part of the filming. I had some regrets but knew we'd done the right thing. Rick was bummed about having to leave. Brent Christensen and I were there for him. Rick is a great guy and we didn't want to see him dumped into a cab and sent home.
The relationship with Hal, Robert, etc.
Hal & Robert were great guys. They were like the CEO of a big company while on set. They were at a distance from many of us, and almost seemed like the "Untouchables". Both guys were very professional and passionate on set. When you did talk with them off set, they were very personable. Overall, just good guys.
It was very cool seeing and talking with Hal & Robert at the 25th reunion last summer. I wonder sometimes how forward thinking Robert and Hal were in creating RAD. BMX is s sport that had so much potential in it's day. Today it's bigger than ever. Something tells me Robert and Hal saw this potential in doing a BMX movie knowing where things could go.
Have you enjoyed the interest people have 26 years later?
The interest in RAD has been amazing. I had no idea the movie would be such a big thing today. I just want any rider to know that I would be more than happy to answer any questions at all. Just email me at pat.lipovski@shaw.ca.
What are you working on now?
Today, Im an Executive Coach. I help leaders in big companies get promoted, and help leaders develop the people in their respective companies, and on their teams. I work Internationally with high potential leaders, Executives and elite athletes. For more on what I do now, please visit www.envisiongroup.ca.
Anything else you can add?
Nothing else to add. Just stay RAD! (I've wanted to say this again for years) :)
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