Local BMX Pro Featured in X Games
Berkshire County native and BMX Pro Jake Seeley is living out his childhood dream of competing in the X Games and he needs your help.
Seeley grew up in Williamstown but since moving to Pittsfield in his late teens it's been the place he calls home. He's been riding since he was a little kid, getting into BMX around 8 years old. Soon after learning to ride his father introduced him to BMX Racing. He enjoyed it for the most part and says it taught him a lot about bike control, but as time went on he realized he hated the competitiveness and pressure behind it. At that point, he decided to leave the world of racing to focus his energy on trick riding, also known as Freestyle BMX.
"It was something I fell in love with right from the start and even to this day I still have just as much love and passion for it as I did in the beginning."
Seeley even has his own line of signature parts, frames, and complete bikes with Sunday Bikes, a prominent name in the industry. He's been riding with Sunday for a little over 14 years and hopes to be with them till the end. His signature products can be purchased locally at The Garden with locations on North St in Pittsfield or Eagle St in North Adams or online at gardenma.com
So what about the X Game? Founded in 1995, the X Games are an extreme sports competition that brings together top-tier athletes in a multitude of events featuring BMX, Skateboarding, Motocross, Skiing, and Snowboarding.
In 2017 the X Games introduced a competition called "Real BMX" an all-video BMX contest, which invites select BMX riders to submit highlight reels of them riding on their home turf. The competition features two winners; One that is selected by the fans (More on that in a second) and gold, silver, and bronze medalists selected by X Games judges. Both the rider and the filmmaker who documented the project will be recognized.
"Ever since I was a little kid it has been a dream of mine to be in X Games. It’s not every day I get an opportunity like this, especially with the style of riding I have. It’s such an honor to get recognized out of the best riders in the world and get to compete in one of the biggest video contests ever. It was also great to involve my brother Jesse Pause who is the singer of the band I used for my music and close friend Mike Mastroni who filmed and edited the project. Regardless of how the standings end up, I know I wouldn’t trade the experiences I've shared with those people during this journey for anything and I would do it all over again"
Jake's video, filmed by Mike Mastroni, is online here and needs your votes! Let's help get this talented Berkshire native to get the props he deserves.
The complete film submission can be viewed below, but make sure you click on the link the vote! Fan Favorite voting ends on Mon., July 19 at midnight pacific time, and the winner will be announced on July 20 at 9 a.m. The Real BMX podium announcement (Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalists) will air on ABC on Sat., July 18 at Time TBD (we'll update you when we know more)
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