This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This isn't your grandpa's BMX riding.
Salt Lake City resident Tate Roskelley grinds a tree that hangs limp after being hit by a car. His rides off a roof. He fjords a puddle on a piece of cardboard.
Six months' worth of Roskelley's most creative stunts from this summer have been viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube in "Is This The Most Creative BMX Bike Rider On Earth?"
What led him to define himself by his creativity?
"I guess you've kinda got to find your niche," explains Roskelley, 28. "There's so many talented dudes right now [doing BMX riding]"
Most of the video was shot in Salt Lake City, Roskelley says, with a couple scenes in Las Vegas. He says a post on KSL has drawn vandalism accusations, but that he acquired permission from property owners whenever possible.
The Morgan High grad is particularly proud of the clip where he grinds while spinning the handlebars — a counterintuitive trick he achieved by loosening the stem bolt so that the wheels didn't spin.
— Matthew Piper