Have you check out Taj’s Blog lately? He’s posted up plenty of amazing images there this past couple of weeks, ranging from babies riding the mega ramp, modifying magazine pages and even a comprehensive how-to on performing fusion surgery.
While there, make sure to check out Olympia Nelson’s bio / bike check.
Here’s our latest print ad featuring Taj Mihelich popping an invert at one of Austin’s many fine ditches. Photo by Mr. Sandy Carson.
Chase Hawk wallpaper over at Ride BMX ( Wide | Standard )
Taj Mihelich shoe cover and a Q&A over at Dig
It was a tough choice between using the Taj shoe cover as the teaser or the nac-nac wall plant. Both look sweet as hell but the shoe ultimately won ’cause as far as I can remember, nobody else’s can cans has ever looked better than Taj’s. He does them dipped and proper. You can check out both pics and his Q&A over at Dig and then head over to Ride BMX to download a Chase Hawk wallpaper.
To keep up with the theme of his posts, here’s Lil’ Monty in front of Taj’s MRI
If you’re a regular reader of The Blog of Taj, you’d know that Mr. Mihelich has been having some horrible back problems lately. After a series of doctor visits and a bad-news bearing MRI, it’s been concluded that drills and screws are in store for Taj’s spine.
So, we settled on the fusion surgery. Its what Ruben was describing last post. The crazy part is they go in through the front of your abdomen to do the surgery. Its a relatively small incision, but two surgeons are present. One to do the actual screw and plate and bone graft surgery, and one to monitor and control the extremely vital arteries that run right in front of the spine. Basically they screw and plate the vertebrae together so they can’t move, and then fill the area where the disc used to be with bone grafts that will fill it in so the damaged disc can no longer put pressure on the spine. I think…. I’ll get more and more precise with exactly what is going on as I learn more.
YIKES! The procedure’s going to take him off the bike for 6 months, which is roughly 6 years in BMX time (it goes by much slower when you can’t ride). Needless to say, Taj is really bummed out about the news. Since we haven’t developed a time machine yet to fast-forward 6 months, why don’t we start a thread going full of ideas to pass the time while he’s injured? Aside from YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, what do you do when you can’t ride? With Taj’s personality in mind, recommend some books, movies and low-impact activities you think he might like. Leave it in the comments.
Also, I remember him running a zine distribution outlet a while ago so if you’re running a good ol’ fashion print-zine and have a copy to spare, send it over to Odyssey and we’ll make sure it gets to him. Address is after the jump.
@GaryBYoung: Follow up interview at DigBMX.com about his recent double knee surgery.
Taj Mihelich: Wallpaper at RideBMX.com ( Widescreen | Standard )
Eddie Fiola and Jim Bauer: First duo hackflip attempt, after the internet launching device.
Random Clip Of The Week :: Taj Mihelich from Channel 4Down on Vimeo
First up is a Taj Mihelich clip brought to you by 4Down Distribution.
After the link are more Jim Bauer action!
New issues of Ride BMX and Ride UK are hitting the magazine stands and here’s a preview of what you could be flipping through if you weren’t so darn technologically inclined. Take a peek and then check them out in their enhanced, real-life, 3D versions. Also, there’s a bonus Bouncing Souls video on the other side of the train tracks (read more link)!
FRAME: Giant Method Team, 21″
FORK: Odyssey Director
BARS: Odyssey Lumberjack
STEM: Odyssey Elementary V3
SPROCKET: T-1, 28t
CABLE: Odyssey Linear
BRAKE: Odyssey Evo II
LEVER: Odyssey Monolever, Medium
SEAT: Odyssey Aitken pivotal, Prototype
POST: pivotal
CRANKS: Odyssey Twombolt, 180mm
PEDALS: Odyssey JCPC, Prototype
REAR HUB: G-Sport Ratchet
FRONT HUB: G-Sport Marmoset
SPOKES: Odyssey Aftermarket Straight Guage (gold)
RIMS: Odyssey Hazard Lites (gold HARD anodized)
FRONT TIRE: Odyssey Aitken, Plyte, 2.25″
REAR TIRE: Odyssey Path, 2.1″
CHAIN: Shadow Conspiracy
GRIPS: Odyssey Grizwald
MODS: Barrel adjuster thingy
…Taj Mihelich. He sent over a handful of pics and you can check them out in the flipbook above.
Some people also guessed they belonged to b_dubbs and they would’ve been correct as well. Click HERE for a gold compilation he put together prior to us sending out the wheels.
Ray’s MTB Park held an “Odd Couple” contest last week and Taj Mihelich, along with Jeff Lenosky, wound up taking second place. To check out some behind the scenes photos, make sure to visit The Blog of Taj.
This section actually doesn’t come until later in the DVD but its upload got expedited. If you visit Taj’s Blog, you’ll find every single video part he’s ever had, including some that he recently uploaded himself. His Electronical part is the latest one on the list and in it, you’ll find him shredding two incredibly awesome places; an old high school out in Kansas and the T-1 ramp in Austin.
