Miscellaneous
When I think of mid 80s BMX and heavy metal, one rider comes to mind and that's Dizz Hicks! His style was symbolic of the era... He rode it all, flatland, quarter pipe, and short ramp aka a wedge ramp. Dizz is one of the most well known and electrifying riders to ever touch a BMX bike. While Dizz created the first ever upside down flatland tricks which were way ahead of their time and could bust a respectable 7-8 feet on the quarter pipe consistently, he became most known for riding the short ramp. During the summers of 1985 through 1987, Dizz traveled with his sponsor CW Bikes and hit up bike shops across the country rocking his heavy metal style, extreme raditude, high speed flatland tricks, and super tweaked kick turn variations. In fact, the CW shows were probably the only BMX shows where the audience piled up behind the short ramp, so they could get a closer look. During his time on summer tour, he'd spend no less than 10 minutes per show riding a ramp, that most others struggled to ride at all. BMX fans loved to watch Dizz and they couldn't get enough! He extended tricks and stretched his body beyond belief and gave photographers plenty of time to snap some of the coolest pictures in BMX history. We caught up with Dizz via Skype and asked him about his early BMX career, the first time he saw freestyle, building his first wedge ramp, riding for the Gork Trick Team, his heavy metal persona, creating upside down flatland tricks, riding and partying on the CW summer tours, vanishing from the sport, dealing with addiction, getting back on his BMX bike in 2009 for an art show, getting inducted into the BMX Hall Of Fame, and what he's doing now. The fact is, there's never been another rider like Dizz in BMX.... and there probably never will be! So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the man, the myth, the BMX legend, King of the short ramp... Dizz Hicks!