(Photo: Keith Romanowski)
Ian Schwartz moving on from BMX is sort of a bittersweet moment. On one hand, it’s good to see Ian moving on with his life and following his heart. On the other hand, it is sad to know we won’t be privy to Ian’s trademark creativity and style that he has always exuded through his bike riding. One thing is for sure, Ian’s mark has definitely been left on BMX and it is one that won’t soon be forgotten. I decided to put together a look at some of Ian’s most memorable BMX moments.
NOTE: I didn’t have a ton of time to write this so if I missed anything or you want to chime in, please do so in the comments.
Personally, I was first introduced to Ian through his Props bio, but before that section and before Ian became a household name in BMX, there was his part in A Day Late And A Dollar Short. Although far less refined and stylish as Ian’s riding would later become, it was certainly obvious that Ian was something special.
Soon after, Ian’s Props bio dropped a bomb on BMX. His style was one that BMX had never seen before; no pegs, no brakes and a freecoaster. If I were to list off every notable trick in this section, I would probably end up listing off just about every trick. But some clips that stood out include the pedal feeble to hard way 180, rail ride to 180 bars both ways, the fakie to truck driver and the fakie to fakie tailwhip. The voice tracks that were laid over parts of the video let the viewers learn a little about Ian and see that he was a humble and simple yet intelligent guy having fun on his bike.
Ian’s next section was his split part in the System video with fellow Ohio local Chad Shackelford. Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” set the soundtrack perfectly and Ian laid down more classic clips with a heavy focus on creative pedal grinds. He and Chad’s riding fit together perfectly. Ian was more technical while Chad took care of the simpler handrail and hubba ledge clips. It’s hard to put into words how perfect this section is, you’ve just got to watch it and see for yourself.
Ian laid low for a while after his System part but then made another splash with his section in the Lotek mixtape. Although not as jaw-dropping as his Props or System parts and filmed mostly on the perfect street set ups of of Southern California, Ian still managed to put together a stellar section of creative stuff.
Ian’s next video part came in the form of his Sunday web video entitled “Gone Fishin”. Although it consisted mostly of leftover clips from his upcoming Sunday part, it was still trademark Ian with much less of a focus on pedal grinds and more weird, flowy street lines full of high speed fakie hops and half cabs. This video part was made to promote his signature Sunday frame which was the first BMX frame with a built in Pivotal post, an innovation that would become commonplace on many frames soon after.
Ian’s final opus came in the form of the ender part in Sunday’s “Up, Up & Away” DVD. Spanning 2 songs, this part proved Ian wasn’t content to simply ride out the name he had made for himself from his earlier video parts as he focused less on tricks and more on taking advantage of oddball street spots he came across on the many trips he went on for this part. Although it received criticism from the BMX critics for being long and somewhat masturbatory, anyone who had been paying attention to the evolution of Ian’s riding saw that this part was the next logical step in Ian’s progression and that all the clips were worthy of being included.
Assuming the Up, Up & Away part is Ian’s final BMX stand, it was a fitting sendoff for a rider who always let his riding do the talking and expressed his quirky, eccentric personality through his bike. I somehow doubt Ian will ever really receive the praise he deserves (BMX has a notoriously short attention span and most kids already seem unaware how many tricks that today are commonplace came straight from his brain) but I am glad to have had the opportunity to get to know him and am appreciative of his contributions to bike riding over the years. Thanks for everything, Ian.
Previously: The Catfish & Ian Schwartz Story.| Fremont Promo (2007)| Ian Schwartz Fires Back!