Aidan is Aidan

For years science has tried to establish a pattern in nature, existence and the universe. For a time it was accepted that everything generally reacted in a systematic way. It was believed that if you could work out these natural paths then everything in the universe could be predicted. Two bodies in space sent in the same general direction would react in generally the same way. If you knew the path of one object then you could, to some degree of accuracy predict the path of its neighbour. And this works you see. It works yes, until of course you add just one more body. One more variable no matter how small makes it all fall apart, and so the smallest variation can create a massive effect in the long run. Here we have the laws of chaos. You see when there are dramatic changes in the planet and universe it can originate from the smallest of influences. I learnt this all by watching TV, what I didn’t know is that I had already experienced this for real. Which leads me onto why you are sat here reading this small article. From a chance encounter at some small unknown trails, little did I know that in a few years time I would be getting so damn stoked at one of the smoothest and fun spots in the south as I know so many other riders are, and that I would be getting so bloody enthusiastic about the coming winter months. As is a chance to make some major changes to my local spot. Yes, I bring you Aiden, a small tipping point that I think has had a big affect in the south trails scene.

– All photos and words by Davros

Name? Aidansaidan. Age? 21. Trails spot? A little place in a beautiful wood. Cothill. Years digging? Seven. Years riding? Three years BMXing. Shoe size? Right foot is 9 and left is 8 and a bit. Favourite colour? Blue. Biggest fear? The credit crunch and council tax. Most inspiring rider? Kris Bennet, but there’s so many.

Aiden, proper no-hander.

What’s more homosexual, (a) ressie jumps or (b) mud wrestling with the entire male cast of Hollyoaks in a pool of moisturiser but losing on purpose so they touch your bum? I would wrestle them if the coverage of it is in Heat magazine then I could go to London and buy it.

OK enough of the formalities. So tell us what is it that drives you to be so relentlessly enthusiastic about silly lumps of mud in the woods? I had a lady ask me in the woods once, why I keep doing this, I paused for thought and said I will tell you when I next see you. I didn’t see her for a while so I never answered her. But I really enjoy being in the woods, and digging is almost calming for me to do. Being in a little zone of thought; because I work weird hours, I don’t really see anyone until the weekend so I usually dig in the day on my tod, but it’s okay because there’s a little robin that follows me round the woods. I think he’s my friend, but he just likes the worms. It’s also just one of those things that I am really enthusiastic about like Jamie Oliver and how he always puts lemon in his food. My chick used to work in his new restaurant in oxford, don’t go there it’s crap.

Describe your trails spot and the people that hang out there. The trails are in a little pretty wood, the soil is pretty sandy, so digging is like cutting a soft chocolate cake with a knife. The people that hang out there… the people that hang out there… the people that hang out there. Well we are all lovely folk that will give you a smile if we see you. Invite you over for a cup of tea and tell you some stories, guaranteed to make you laugh.

You have a good relationship it seems with the local folk, why is it important to your spot and anywhere else to have such a good rapport? I think that the local folk that walk around the wood didn’t really have a chance to not get to know me, I really like talking to new people, I mainly talk at them, even if they don’t have much to say. About two years ago I pretty much spent a month or two digging by myself in the wood over Christmas, and this chap cycled over on his mountain bike, I hadn’t seen anyone apart from my mother in a while so he got the brunt of all I had to say to a new person, bless him, he was like my newspaper. Nearly offered him a bit of the old dogging, but that’s not how we do it. But everyone that sees the jumps loves them, we all know all the local walkers and their dogs. Have this lovely lady that has pretty much known me for the seven years, and she used to bring us donuts when we were digging.

Are there any spots that you’d like to visit if travel expense was no issue? Well if you would like to pay for me, I would like to go to America and see Texas, Catty, Posh, and Blue Bench jumps. I love going anywhere that is new. Maybe one day I will be able to save some money and go.

Okay, so the last summers have been a bit of a wash out. How has this affected your spot? It’s only made it better, now that there’s five of us that are really committed the jumps are constantly day to day groomed, I love that we are all so into making things rad, all the time.

Aiden, whip… does his sister have wind?

Lights In The Woods, talk to me? First things first, if you have not heard of Lights In The Woods then you MUST Google it. Secondly, it’s the biggest BMX team ever you just don’t really know it, I don’t even know it. I could list some reasons why you should find out about LITW. Haircuts, the annex – don’t sleep there you will get ill – orgies, ten foot tall bicycles, Liam Eltham is mega rich, ball pools, cars, taxis, fireworks, girls, vodka bottles, oil and bums, branding, and here is a run-down with one word answers to each person.

Pipe – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Lima – pimp

Poll – wisdomatic

Daz – goldenvirginasmilealot

Couch – emphaticness

Steve – angry

Revel – you don’t need to know him

Local – under 12 will go

How has letting that bunch of reprobates in changed your trails, and life? The trails wouldn’t have progressed so much without them being so rad about wanting to dig and have too much fun. My life? They always seemed to randomly turn up when I was feeling sad before I really knew them. Now I am not sad.

Here is an opportunity to add anything else that hasn’t been covered and any thank yous? Once my mother me and my sister were on our way taking my sister to ballet, my mum thought that my sister had a flatulence problem, so on our way there, I accidentally did a really smelly fart, and my mother blamed my sister and took her to the doctors. I would like to thank them for making me smile every time I think of this story. Pipe, Liam, Poll, Daz, for being so committed to the trails. Finally my beautiful girlfriend, who is so blumming rad. When we were at school I used sit beside her in maths year nine, and draw funny pictures for her, when she used to ask me what they were I used to say, “it’s whatever you want it to be.” I’m so bloody smooth.

Tyregrabs are the shit.

Lights In The Woods!

Blatant plug for the weekend… we got T-shirts! (but the small size pomegranate Brushstroke design has sold out!)

posted by Mark Noble
on 24/10/08