Freestyle Now started in 1986. In 1987 Freestyle Now built a small flat bank ramp also known as a kickturn ramp. It was used in a few shows but it did not last long as it got eaten by termites as it was stored in a bad location and all made from wood. After that ramp was destroyed Freestyle Now moved toward more bmx flatland type shows as the logistics of ramps posed many difficulties at the time. When Jason Parker joined Freestyle Now in early 2000 a small ramp was built that could be transported in the small trailer we had. Freestyle Now performed a few shows with this small ramp.
Left – Georg Molnar in 1987 on the first Freestyle Now ramp. Right – Shaun Jarvis and Jason Parker in early 2001 with double stalls on ramps made to fit in a small trailer.
After hosting the bmx jumping competition at the Joondalup festival in 2000 using a wooden take off ramp it was decided that it was time to build a metal ramp for stunt shows. So at the start of 2001 Freestyle Now had a quarter pipe build that could also be used as a jump ramp. The ramp was first used at the 2001 Joondalup festival bmx jumping competition in March which was also featured in Behind the Bars show 2. The first stunt with the ramp was in May at the Mirrabooka Family Fun Day that took place at the Mirrabooka high school. It was always planned to make a landing ramp so that Freestyle Now would have a jump box. So in early 2002 the landing ramp was made, with the first show being the Kalgoorlie Bolder Community Fair in March. The jump box was only small but the plan was to make and extension for the deck to make the jump bigger which was then added to the jump box for shows in late 2002. This was the final configuration of the jump box which has continually been used.
Left – Ben Clause at the Mirrabooka Family Fun in 2001. This was the first show the FN ramp was used at. The ramp was so new it was not even painted. Right – Adam Duncan with a no hander in early 2002 at the Kalgoorlie fair, the first show with the inclusion of a landing ramp on the FN ramp.
Clockwise from top left – The first show Kie Ashworth did with Freestyle Now waas at the Corrigin Agricultural show in 2005, notice no side panels or banners on the box jump – Jason Parker in Tom Price nose picking in 2007 – Shaun Jarvis and Jason Parker dueling handstands at the Kojonup agricultural show in 2008 – Kie Ashworth no hander over Shaun Jarvis at the Donnybrook family fun day in 2010
Tim Rose in 2009 at the Northampton agricultural show
Shaun Jarvis talks us through the FN bmx jump at the last show at the Beverley agricultural show in August 2019
Over its 18 year history, the FN box jump has seen many new layers of plywood applied to keep it fresh. There has even been some on site repairs and some modifications to keep it strong and working. It has severed Freestyle Now well. The FN box jump has been transported around to many stunt shows around the country. The jump box has seen many riders perform rad tricks in the air above it. Riders have done their first back flips and front flips over the FN box jump. Some riders have seen bmx for the first time at a Freestyle Now show with riders getting rad over the jump box.
One of the last shows with the FN box jump, the 2019 Perth sky show, Nathan Dobbie flairs while Shaun Jarvis balances.
The time has come, the landing ramp needs to be completely rebuilt to maintain the safety. The up ramp / take off/ quarter pipe (it has many labels) is in need of some repair to ensure its integrity, which sure can be done but what is really needed is a new jump ramp. Over the past 18 years the level of the tricks performed has increased and this needs a new level of jump box to accommodate these new amazing tricks that take place at Freestyle Now stunt shows. Freestyle Now is getting a new bigger and better jump ramp ready to make is stunt show debut. The old ramp was 1.5 meters tall with the new ramp being 2 meters tall. That half meter will make a big difference on the amount of radness the riders will be able to unleash. The landing will be an air bag style which will add a level of safety for the riders knowing that if they were to crash out of a bmx stunt their risk of injury will be minimized. For now the FN box jump will be put into semi retirement, a few repairs done and maybe a new down ramp, will it come out and be put into use again? Never say never but one thing to be sure of is to Freestyle Now…………. before it’s too late.
