sentenced: a life behind bars with phillip williams

A LIFE BEHIND BARS from Sam Clark on Vimeo.
our friend phillip williams has been really pushing himself lately and though he's not pushing a fixed whip, he's still a great buddy and awesome BMX rider.he accompanied this with an open letter, you should read it after the jump.


"I never thought two wheels would take me so far in life. I have met some many great people and have ridden so many different types of bicycles. I remember when riding a 44T mega nuke sprocket with a motorcycle chain and Alex triple wall wheels was the best thing ever. I honestly never thought I would make it this far, especially when I think back to all the riders that have quit BMX over girlfriends or having a car. This journey behind two wheels has been a great memory but for me it is coming to an end. My body, mind, and will has finally reached its limit. I am thankful for still being here to write this passage in one piece because I know their has been many times my life could've been cut short. Thankfully for my job I can still live the dream and watch others start theirs.

During filming this edit I tried to make use of my time off work to film something I would be stoked on but it seemed impossible. Just simply pedaling my bike seemed awkward. That is what I had to expect considering I was only riding every once in awhile. I am no longer 14, riding all day everyday; I am a grown man working with responsibilities. Then there is my 27 year old beat up body that can barely hold up to what I was putting it through. Yet I still have no regrets and would never change anything because through it all. I know riding a bike saved my life. If I wasn’t riding I would probably be a very angry person and not in the same position as I am in today.

In this edit I tried to push myself and for the last time. In some clips you can see me trying my best to hold onto my bars because of the pain I was in. It seemed like every time I tried to film a clip I would hurt myself even if I landed it but with every attempt or trick I would just try to push the pain away and focus on what was in front of me. I remember thinking, in the end I will be so stoked I just need to get through it. I am going to be honest their were many times during filming this edit I wanted to quit because I couldn't handle consistently hurting myself and then going into work for the rest of the week in pain. The edit wasn't worth the discomfort during work or the idea of not being able to work.

In the end this is what BMX is when you fall down you pick yourself up and when you can no longer keep up it is time to put it down. This is my farewell to BMX it has been a great ride and I am so grateful for all the memories. I will forever be apart of it because it has given me so much. I will just not be giving it anymore of my blood, flesh, and tears. This is my sentence and this was my life behind bars."

all i know is, there's some killer drops in this. my wrists hurt after seeing them roll out. i know it's not fixed but definitely a good watch. as always, it's captured perfectly by sam clark.

badbadnotgood in the background too. fuck yeah.

jmik