Dig BMX

Dig BMX

Issue 59 Cover of Dig BMX Magazine
Editor	Will Smyth
Categories	Sports
Frequency	Bi-monthly
Publisher	Factory Media
First issue	1993
Country	UK, U.S., Europe
Website	http://www.digbmx.com/

Dig BMX is a bi-monthly BMX lifestyle magazine currently based in both the UK and U.S. Started in 1993 by editor/designer Will Smyth, Dig BMX's beginnings were originally based in an attic/office in the Holy Land area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It has since moved to Glasgow, Scotland, while also retaining a U.S. editorial base in New Jersey, U.S.A. It regularly publishes articles (not limited to the BMX subject), BMX photography, interviews with professional BMXers, interviews with and reviews of musical groups, product reviews, and miscellaneous oddities. Dig has released 64 issues since its inception.

Staff

• Will Smyth - editor, designer
• Brian Tunney - managing editor
• Ricky Adam, Sandy Carson and Rob Dolecki - principal photographers, assistant editors
• Staff writers - Nick Coombes, Thomas Williams, Jamie Duncan, Ryan Corrigan, Ryan Worcester, Lee Todorovich, Leland Thurman, Fred Murray, Allan Macnaughton
• Staff and contributing photographers - Paul Bliss, Tomm Nunn, Fred Murray Ryan Worcester, Seth Holton, Georg Oberlechner, Dylan Markham, Pete Conway

In December 2006, founding associate editor and photographer Ed Docherty left the magazine.

Background

From 1994 through 1997, Dig BMX was published quarterly by Air Publications in the UK. In 1998, after the dissolution of Air Publications, Smyth bought the title back during a public auction and entered into a deal with Chris Moeller and John Paul Rogers of S&M Bike Co. Based in CA, the two decided to sell ads for Dig, print and distribute the magazine, offering a wider U.S. based BMX scene a glimpse into Dig BMX's editorial. Issue 11 featured Josh Stricker on the cover, was a travel-based issue that focused on the unusual and outrageous circumstances of travel that had plagued certain members of the international BMX community. The issue sold well throughout the U.S., but was abandoned by Moeller and Rogers after just one issue, who instead decided to produce the short-lived BMX Action, which later became Faction BMX Magazine. After the dissolution of Dig's relationship with their only hopeful U.S. publisher to date, Dig was offered the chance to go bi-monthly by UK publisher Permanent Publishing in mid 1999. Starting with issue 12, which featured the highly influential Spanish rider Ruben Alcantara on the cover, Dig entered into a long and fruitful relationship with Permanent Publishing, home of Sidewalk Skateboard Mag and Surfer's Path Magazine.

For the next three years, Dig published under a bi-monthly schedule, offering exclusive and varied content on the worldwide BMX scene. Dig produced original content that spanned the globe, including Russia, Japan, Western Europe, the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

In 2003, Permanent Publishing offered Dig the opportunity to publish nine times per year (bi-monthly in the fall, winter, spring, monthly throughout the summer months). For the next two years, Dig operated under the cyclical nine issue schedule. In the same year, Permanent Publishing expanded to include a U.S. based office in California, employing U.S. ad sales managers.

In early 2005, Permanent Publishing and Dig BMX went separate ways. The two had produced 35 issues of the magazine in the six years together. The title was again bought by Smyth, who, along with the help of friends, self-published issue 48 in the summer of 2005 which featured Wethepeople rider Stephen Lilly on the cover. And then a new publisher came along from Dig BMX's main competition in the UK.

Ride UK, owned and operated by managing editor Mark Noble under the 4130 Publishing title, had been Dig's long standing main competition on the newsstands throughout the UK. In the fall of 2005, an agreement was reached between Dig and 4130 Publishing to publish Dig under the 4130 Publishing banner. Formerly competitors, Smyth and Noble were now partners. Noble and 4130 offered Dig the opportunity to pursue Smyth's original editorial direction without compromise. Ride UK would continue to cover all things BMX, while Dig could continue to pursue its undecided niche within the core of BMX riding.

The relationship endured for the next year and a half. Under the 4130 banner, Dig was sold on newsstands with cover-mounted DVDs, allowed to offer subscriptions that were affordable for readers worldwide and marketed alongside free t-shirts, stickers and assorted promotional items that its reader base longed for. Dig's time with 4130 also produced interviews with Taj Mihelich and Ian Morris, exclusive photography of Tom White and Edwin Delarosa from Barcelona and exclusive content from the making of the Etnies video 'Grounded.' This period also included the addition of New Jersey based photographer Rob Dolecki as a full time editorial contributor and photo editor.

In December 2006, 4130 Publishing announced plans to merge with UK publishing magnate Factory Media, merging its four titles under the Factory Media name (which would come to include titles from Permanent Publishing and other UK action sports publishers.) Dig has since been allowed to continue publishing under the Factory Media title.

Interviews

BMXers interviewed in Dig include: Matthew Wakefield, Taj Mihelich, Ian Morris, Tom White, Sean Burns (biker), Jimmy Levan, Josh Stricker, Brian Wizmerski, Bob Scerbo, Van Homan, Robbie Morales, David Lombard, Kevin Porter, Dan Price, Ryan Metro, Joe Simon, Mat Hoffman, Conall Keenan, Chad Degroot, Leif Valin, Steve Crandall, Ruben Alcantara, Owain Clegg, Bas Keep, Jon Taylor, Edwin Delarosa, Ricky Feather, Ralph Sinisi, Sergio Layos, Chase Dehart, Jay Miron, Jason Enns, Brian Castillo, Kris Bennett, Paul Buchanan, John Heaton, Mike Taylor, Simon Tabron, John Dye, Chris Stauffer, Mike Escamilla, Dave Parrick, Zach Shaw, Stew Johnson, Dave Belcher, Joe Simon, Sean Butler, James White, Dylan Clayton, Ben Hennon, Chris Doyle, Mike Ardelean.

BMX companies interviewed in Dig include: Terrible One, WeThePeople, Federal Bikes, Macneil Bikes, Fit Bike Co., Micreation, Little Devil, Orchid Footwear, Lotek, Volume Bikes, Solid Bikes, Profile Racing, Kink Bikes, Hoffman Bikes, Fly Bikes, FBM Bike Co., Animal Bikes, Metal Bikes, Mutiny Bikes, Sunday Bikes, Tree Bicycle Co., Odyssey, KGB, Liquor Bikes, BSD, Twenty Bikes, Duffs, Mankind.

Bands interviewed in Dig include: Bluetip, Fugazi, These Arms Are Snakes, Roy, Retisonic, Shellac, Descendents, Chris Leo, Ida, Challenger, Jets to Brazil, Jawbreaker, Whysall Lane, The Make-Up, The Redneck Manifesto, Explosions in the Sky, Joan of Arc, Make Believe, Owen, The Evens, Breather Resist, Short Sharp Shock, Lungfish (band), The Dismemberment Plan, Burning Airlines.

Tattoos

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Dig BMX's logo, a black and white image of four hands crossed over a bike sprocket, has experienced widespread notoriety as a result of becoming a favored tattoo for BMX riders across the globe. Two pages of Dig issue 50 were devoted to the widespread placement of the Dig tattoo, featuring photos of riders tattooed with the Dig logo from both the UK and U.S. And new tattoo submissions can be found weekly in the news section of the Dig Web site.

External links

• http://www.digbmx.com
• http://www.myspace.com/digbmxmag
• http://www.23mag.com/mags/dig/dig.htm
• http://www.sandycarson.com (Asst. editor/photographer Sandy Carson's photography Web site)
• http://www.qualiaphoto.com (Asst. editor/photographer Rob Dolecki's photography Web site)
• http://www.rickyadamphoto.com (Asst. editor/photographer Ricky Adam's photography Web site)
• http://www.assblasters.org (Managing editor Brian Tunney's writing blog)