The Book of FMX chronicles the outstanding global journey of Freestyle Motocross and digs deep into the roots of Freeriding, explores the birth of the official sport of FMX and celebrates its golden era between the late ’90s and the mid-2000s. Beyond sold-out arenas and broadcasting cameras, it captures the hard work, the pain, the fun, and the unbreakable camaraderie through the eyes of the world's best and most influential photographers.
Fragments
Thank you for doing this!
Travis Pastrana
FMX Legend, Nitro Circus
You're making FMX cool again by hitting hard the roots of why it's even here!
Malcolm McCassy
Founder Mendid
You're bringing a lot of legends and memories back together through this book. Thanks for being an FMX historian.
Nick Ciotti
Photographer and Editor MXMachine
Stoked to see someone doing a project like that.
Mike Russell, LBZ
Founder and Owner LBZ
You're amazing! You're working hard on it, that's why it'll be great.
Frank Hoppen
Photographer
Can't wait to see your book.
Jay Schweitzer
Filmmaker MotoXXX / On The Pipe Series
Honor the past, inspire the future.
The Book of FMX goes beyond being a publication with historic data. It serves as a resurrection of lost memories and uncredited work by collecting dozens of analog and digital photo archives, thousands of articles and hundreds of personal conversations from within the community—riders, builders, photographers, mechanics, event orchestrators and more.
The big picture of Freestyle Motocross evolution
The USA stands tall as the place where Freestyle Motocross shifted from a side attraction to a lifestyle and an official sport. Europe and Australia, both of them already having a handful of FMX pioneers, quickly embraced this new lifestyle within the blink of an eye. They forged their own professional scenes, crews, compounds and competitions.
The Book of FMX unfolds the storyline of each of those continents, their unique communities and their individual passion-driven work.
Photography: The lifeline between Freestyle Motocross and the world
Before social media, photographers and filmmakers were the lifeline between the Freestyle Motocross culture and the outside world, fueling moto enthusiasts with stories, evidence and inspiration, offering a tangible connection to their idols. Now, the original archives of the worlds master lensmen are opening up again, offering both unforgettable memories and entirely new perspectives of Freestyle Motocross—beautifully captured by those who witnessed it all.
AdsThatMadeYouLook
522380714_17954460824987902_3968549599883135070_n_17934376421942954
521508852_17953639355987902_9054679792465999830_n_18074052824503146
517338514_17953075934987902_4075721686735578383_n_17862038214438448
505416488_17952187211987902_2000077221938959901_n_18094318297533966
514498400_17951991425987902_3331520650533306036_n_17977551257890756
506369426_17951414573987902_8243781409706608918_n_18060171476231269
504210307_17949474344987902_7228185689228609383_n_18168606556339890
AdsThatMadeYouLook
522380714_17954460824987902_3968549599883135070_n_17934376421942954
521508852_17953639355987902_9054679792465999830_n_18074052824503146
517338514_17953075934987902_4075721686735578383_n_17862038214438448
505416488_17952187211987902_2000077221938959901_n_18094318297533966
514498400_17951991425987902_3331520650533306036_n_17977551257890756
506369426_17951414573987902_8243781409706608918_n_18060171476231269
504210307_17949474344987902_7228185689228609383_n_18168606556339890
AdsThatMadeYouLook
522380714_17954460824987902_3968549599883135070_n_17934376421942954
521508852_17953639355987902_9054679792465999830_n_18074052824503146
517338514_17953075934987902_4075721686735578383_n_17862038214438448
505416488_17952187211987902_2000077221938959901_n_18094318297533966
514498400_17951991425987902_3331520650533306036_n_17977551257890756
506369426_17951414573987902_8243781409706608918_n_18060171476231269
504210307_17949474344987902_7228185689228609383_n_18168606556339890
The Process
How the book comes to life through several organizational and creative stages.
01
Setting the vision
The first step in it all—what should this book be about, what should it look like, and what should it say?
02
Reaching out
Building connections within the industry and finding the right people to talk to—iconic riders with millions of followers, as well as those who aren’t online at all.
03
Digging deep
Diving deep by gathering as much information as possible through digital and print media. Building the bigger picture through personal conversations with pioneers and legends.
04
Collecting archives
Collecting hundreds of archives—through online file transfers, the delivery of physical storage devices, or by personally traveling to photographers and scanning images on location.
05
Letting the creative juices flow
Bringing the book to life through words and design, with ongoing reviews by experienced editors and photographers.
06
Starting the crowdfunding
Setting up a crowdfunding campaign and promoting it through every possible channel to raise funds for the initial print run and to compensate all photo contributors.
Questions you might be asking
Without a doubt, you can’t tell the story of FMX without the icons. Enslow. Deegan. Pastrana. Torronteras. Maddison. All the legends you saw on television, in movies, and in the mags—they’re part of the story. But there are also countless others behind the scenes who shaped and progressed the sport: photographers, filmmakers, editors, managers, brand owners, track builders, mechanics. Their story matters too. This book brings them all together.
This book is more than just a history of the biggest competitions and the world’s most prominent riders. It also highlights the pioneers behind the scenes and the underground heroes who were rarely credited over the past decades. On top of that, it features breathtaking imagery with details that will unearth memories you didn’t even know still existed.
This is an entirely independent passion project—not dictated by a large company or any major institution. Currently, it’s a one-man show. Sponsorships may be accepted if necessary, under the strict condition that they do not influence or limit the creativity or the written content, in order to preserve a neutral viewpoint.
Doing research and conducting personal interviews with hundreds of individuals from around the globe takes time. Along with that comes the task of organizing and collecting stories, articles, media, and information from the past 30 years. Whether the book is released as a single publication or across several volumes, you’ll be informed when it’s happening.
The primary goal from the beginning has been to show the process behind the creation of this book. It’s clear that being transparent and honest about the journey—both the mistakes and the highlights—will earn greater appreciation in the end. Plus, the network and community grow organically, and even faster.
Absolutely! The work of contributing photographers is the heart and soul of this project. A crowdfunding campaign will be launched once the book is ready for print, and compensation for every photographer will be included in the funding goal—paid out to each contributor before the book goes to the printing company. The compensation model may vary, ranging from a one-time payment per photo or collection to a commission on every copy sold.