What's it like at a Boozer Jam? This video by pro skater/rapper Chris Gentry, from Boozer Jam 2014, will give you an idea. OK, the T&A is from downtown Huntington Beach, but the rest is all Sheep Hills. You can see Mike "Boozer" Brown in his wheelchair at :52, real quick, at that event. Boozer Jam 2021 was held on Saturday, May 29th, 2021, at Sheep Hills.
"Boozer" Mike Brown was a lifelong BMX racer, and a Sheep Hills local rider and jump builder from the earliest days of the 1990's. He was paralyzed in a racing accident in 2012. The Boozer Jam was put on as a fun day of real BMX, and a fundraiser to help out Mike and his mom, Cathy, who lived on a real tight budget. Mike died in 2019, and that year's jam turned into the Boozer Mike Memorial Jam, held in his honor since. A raffle at the end of the day helps out Cathy Brown, originally with funeral expenses in 2019, and just in general ever since. This year some money also went to help get bikes for underprivileged kids, as well.
Here's Mike in his heyday, doing his favorite trick, the bowlegged X-up. Photo loaned to me by Jason "Dogger" German, who is the driving force behind Boozer Jam each year.
Boozer Jam is a jam, so the vibe is much different from a major contest. It's a day for 300 or 400 people to all show up at Sheep Hills at once, ride the trails, talk to old friends, make some new ones, and just have a good time. Jason "Dogger" German does the leg work, putting the event together, and he kicked ass as usual. Mike's mom Cathy comes out, and hangs out all day. A bunch of T-shirts and stickers are sold, and a ton of BMX product is donated and raffled off to help Cathy out, and it's also helping underprivileged kids as well.
Tucker Smith (@tuckersmithbmx on Instagram) stretches a double seat grab Superman.
There are a load of guys in black T-shirts. There's a huge S&M and Fit Bikes presence, since Sheep Hills has been S&M Bikes country since it was built in 1990. But us geezers from the early 90's are old now, and most have families. So Boozer Jams are family events for many. Sometimes the parents watch the kids ride. Sometimes the kids watch dad ride. Sometimes the whole family rides.
Mike "Hucker" Clark with his trademarked corked out 360. In addition to these, Mike threw tailwhip flips, and was trying to jump this huge step-up and land in a hang-5, at one point. That's not physically possible, but he damn near did it anyway.
Yes, I said "us" geezers above. I was a freestyler in the 80's, doing tricks for crowds at the Huntington Beach Pier, while the racers were chasing points at races. I actually worked on the edge of the Costa Mesa mesa, a few hundred yards from Sheep Hills, from late '87 to early '90. I rode the jumps that used to be off of 19th street, where the condos above Sheep Hills are now. Some people called those jumps Hollywood, because former pro racer, and Vision Street Wear BMX team manager, "Hollywood" Mike Miranda rode there a lot. He's the one who showed me those jumps, a big hip and a ditch jump, at a Vision photo shoot.
I also rode Sheep some the first couple of years, in the era of the three berms. Then the racer jumpers built everything bigger, and I sucked to much to clear the jumps. But I rode by and hung out now and then, through the early 90's. I even helped with shovel some dirt on occasion. Being roommates with Chris Moeller around '93-'94, the young bucks of the day often came to our apartment to play video games. I'd be watching a rock climbing video, and Timmy Ball would come in, followed by Barspinner, Chulo, Stricker, and the Popes, and kick me off the TV so they could play video games. So while I never could jump a decent set of doubles, I was around those guys some in the early days.
It's always cool to go hang at Sheep, see some old friends, and shoot photos, until I can get my shit together and get a bike again. On my end, it was cool to talk to Dogger, Randy Russell and his wife, Sean Duncan, Ricky Rat, Timmy Ball, and Brooks Manbeck, from the P.O.W. House days. I also met Facebook friend Molly Opps for the first time in person. It was just a fun day all around.
Cathy Brown, Mike's mom, hanging out at Boozer Jam 2021.
While these events are largely just a big jumping jam, there's a little bit of order to the chaos. Dogger leads the pack through a skid contest, for distance and style, and a bowlegged X-up contest, Mike's favorite trick, on the Boozer line he built almost 30 years ago. The highlight of the day is the best trick contest, which was won by Cory Nastazio this year, with a corked out 720, or 360 flip, whatever you want to call it.
Tailwhip flip attempt. This rider kind of came out of nowhere. Some people said he was from Phoenix. He said he lives near Temecula now, but moved there recently, I think. He was hucking some serious moves. I think his name is Topal, or something like that. #steveemigphotos
The weather started hazy, with June gloom all morning. But the marine layer burned off, and it was a beautiful sunny day, and not too hot, perfect for the jam. Riders from ages 5 or 6, up to riders in their mid 50's were riding hard all day. Others hung and watched, and most shot photos and selfies with friends throughout the day.
Dogger, handed the mike over to longtime Sheep Hills local, and current Hawaiian aquaman, Barspinner Ryan Brennan, and he kept the vibe going. He called out Chris Hughes, offering $100 bill if Chris could land a clean body varial. He tried a bunch of them, eating shit on several. Chris rode away, dragging a foot, on two or three. There were tons of nac-nacs, and no handers, plenty of 360's, and a handful of guys doing flips. Tailwhip flips and 720's were happening, and Hucker hucked a front flip that rattled him, but kept riding, of course. It was just a solid, fun day of real BMX with friends and family.
Check out all my photos on my Pinterest board.
I also have a post about Sheep Hills itself on my new blog: Crazy California 43
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