Sunday 30 November 2008

Discovery DVD review


Yorimitsu Miyata, this guy had a unique style, utilising his brakes to the fullest to gain momentum. Riders like this are all over Japan, mm21 spot/yokohama.pic by ec.
I brought this DVD when we went to a flatland only bike store called "cave" in Yohohama, after sessioning the MM21 spot all day, Aki kindly took us there. Where else would you find a flatland only store?
I knew I wouldnt find this DVD anywhere else, and a friend of mine Hanawa Sihimpei is starring on this DVD, so thought i'd buy it. 
The DVD documents mostly underground riders both Am and Pro level, I'd never seen most of the riders apart from Hanawa and Russia so was interesting to me, the trailer looked good online so....
The only thing I didnt like was the music, was almost all Fatboy Slim, but aside from that...
The riding level on this DVD is really good as you's expect, its Japanese. Discovery is made up of four chapters, documenting the scenes in Kobe (how good does the Kobe Docks spot look?), Kyoto, and Osaka (x 2 sections), what you quickly realise is these guys are blessed with marble spots everywhere, amazing!!
Theres a variety of riding styles on here, Nanito Wantanabe has a really solid front wheel style, effortessly throwing forward karl to halfpacker to tea kettle to spinning hitch for example.
Hanawa has improved a lot since I saw him at Gypsy games two years ago, really liked his steam jump to backwards spinning tea kettle.
Russia has a nice flowing section, clearly inspired by Osicka, but nevertheless very impressive. Especially the whiplash to around the bars and back.
My favourite riding comes from Masashi Itano, who? Exactly! I love japan for that, no expectations, then you get blown away. This guy is back wheel buttery, one of the best back wheel combos I've seen in a long time, right foot inside opposite dump truck 360 bike flip to two footed pumping dump truck to turbine xft upside peg wheelie, so effortless, love it!
The DVD also has bonus section which covers the Under 23 contest in Yokohama, contests and jams go on like this all over Japan, and with DVD's like this motivating their scene, you can see why Japan holds the largest concerntration of flatlanders in the world.
If you can get ahold of this DVD, its well worth a couple of viewings.

3 comments:

Founder said...

Nice blog! Looks great!

- Alex Caps

Anonymous said...

Nice review.
I enjoyed this dvd a lot.

flatmatters said...

Pat at FF has informed me that you can get dvd from him, check his site if interested, www.flatlandfuel.com