Video: Raw Carnage From Swampfest, BMX's Wildest Event

Nov 1, 2021
by James Smurthwaite  

Described in this video as "the gathering of the Juggalos but for BMX" and Woodstock meets a carnival and it's clear to see Swampfest has earned itself a reputation for carnage in the BMX community. The event is run by pro rider Trey Jones who designs a variety of wild features and riding areas from mostly plywood then invites the BMX community to have some fun. A raw roundup from OurBMX is above with more videos set to drop in the next few days, We'll update this post as they come in.

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Member since Nov 14, 2018
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154 Comments
  • 155 0
 Mountainbikers all sitting at their computer with their polished thighs and 27.5lbs xtr bikes all fettled like... are we.... are we the roadies of bmx?
  • 31 0
 I'll accept that. I feel like such a clean cut jerk all of a sudden.
  • 25 6
 That shit was wild, nothing like a bunch of drunk guys heckling you to ride a bunch of pallet ramps. We need more of this in MTB.
  • 29 2
 @FloridaHasMTBToo: Mountain biking is a rich man's sport, I don't think it's going to happen. People would much rather complain about something then throw themselves at a rail loop.
  • 6 0
 Most of us....no. Those who like to push posts into their butts...maybe. Freeride or Die!
  • 2 1
 For sure- been a huge fan of Trey Jones for a while and cannot be as a punk as them. One question though... what is a "polished thigh"?
  • 3 0
 IN the hills gang is repping mtb chaos out at green river these daze
  • 12 11
 @xxinsert-name-herexx: mtb is a joke these days. It’s a sport for dorks in bum bags riding overpriced cheap Chinese carbon bikes poorly. There’s nobody new coming into the sport apart from old men who are going to be onboard for a year or so before moving onto the next fad. See a kid on a mountain bike and it’s because his dads a mountain biker. There’s no new blood coming into the sport.
  • 14 4
 @thenotoriousmic:
Brage Vestavik, Jaxson Riddle, Reece Wilson, Jackson Goldstone and Izabela Yankova all think you are a confused old man.
  • 5 1
 @Uncled: I agree with them wholeheartedly on that one.
  • 3 3
 @thenotoriousmic: Glad to know you pay ZERO attention to any of the young European slope riders or junior World Cup racers....#okboomer
  • 4 4
 @ADGproductions: I’m talking about regular everyday teenagers not seeing the sport as cool and not getting into mountain biking like they did in my youth during the war. There’s loads of amazing teenagers who are as good as the elites… who’s dads all ride mountain bikes, mostly.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: Dude look into NICA, i started showing up at NICA event to promote Trials and it's crazy to see the stoke level on some of those kids!

Sure... it's cross country, and most of them will probably dump the bike the second the get a girlfriend... But i've met some rad kids that really love riding and sending it, and they will for sure keep riding and shredding!
  • 1 0
 @greenfefo: As a NICA racer, I love it! I have a heavy BMX/freeride background but still enjoy getting to know other riders my age. You get literally everyone. If you're familiar with Zack Kulp (@Zack_k14 on instagram), he used to race in the Florida league and now he coaches, at least I think, and he sends some insane street stuff (he did the famous 360 up the stairs.) You also get the state champ and his kid who races internationally. It's fun for everyone and almost everyone gets really involved.
  • 124 2
 BMX is such an insane culture
  • 44 3
 In the best possible way.
  • 23 0
 @maxwellington: 100% I'd like to see more of the insanity in MTB
  • 25 0
 Must have a BMX background
  • 8 0
 @swenzowski: not quite the same level of ridiculous, but inthehillsgang are doing a great job of maintaining this vibe in the mtb world, they host a gnarly gathering in the desert every year. But yes, bmx culture is incredible. and Trey is the man.
  • 14 0
 "Hello, I'm from the local Health & Saf...........oh......"
  • 6 1
 @swenzowski: Bikes are too expensive and easy to break.
  • 3 1
 The best part of being American is watching our Floridian brethren do swamp-rat things with their friends and play Death Metal variants. Check out Worm's new rekkid Foreverglade for some prog Funeral Doom.
  • 4 0
 @w0dge: Hello, I'm from the UCI...
  • 62 2
 Teetering right on the precipice between impressive and stupid.
  • 7 0
 The amount of alcohol consumed helped out too.
  • 33 0
 I think that's actually on the "Welcome to Florida" sign!
  • 2 0
 @plyawn: yep, "Quantum vocatus consumpti auxiliatus ex nimis" is on the state seal. Look it up
  • 2 0
 Seems to be a line balanced on for many of my favorite moments in life. The sweet spot!
  • 59 1
 Crazy what they do without a 38mm fork and 29" wheels
  • 12 0
 And 180mm suspension
  • 40 3
 or helmets
  • 29 0
 You laugh, but I bet that guy would've stuck the swamp rail gap if he'd had the new 28.99mm pegs.
  • 3 0
 Or superboost
  • 6 0
 Or brakes
  • 52 0
 Most expensive event of the year with all that plywood!
  • 14 0
 Lots of properties not getting boarded up next hurricane
  • 51 1
 This needs to be narrated by Sir David Attenborough and aired on Blue Planet.
  • 45 3
 Mountain biking was never this cool, but it was a hell of a lot closer back in the day.
  • 11 0
 It didn't need to be so nerdy but the money makes it that way.
  • 12 0
 I don't know...creepy uncle Voreis is pretty damn cool. Brage's recent edit was pretty damn cool? Everything Jordy Lunn did? -but further who cares. Cool comes and goes. Life is short. Do s%^t that makes you happy and mountainbikes make me happy.
  • 41 1
 I feel like a need a tetanus shot after watching Swampfest.
  • 4 0
 Probably some giardia meds too
  • 9 8
 Oh no. Not more vaccinations.... Hahaha
  • 8 0
 that's not your biggest concern; I guarantee you now have covid
  • 7 0
 @plyawn: corona extra from the looks of it ha ha
  • 3 0
 @highfivenwhiteguy: definitely a Florida specific variant haha
  • 56 36
 I mean, this is a f*cking rad event but I wish they'd wear helmets for pete's sake. It's not like it's hard to understand how pushing the limits on metal/wood/concrete features ends up with a brain injury. BMX culture is cool but it really needs to own head protection. It's not like you can't protect the dome and f*ck the establishment at the same time.
  • 20 42
flag 5afety3rd (Nov 1, 2021 at 6:40) (Below Threshold)
 Shut the hell up it’s called FREEstyle
  • 16 2
 Just like when tightrope walkers don't use a net - it's just cooler that way.
  • 19 0
 seems like for the mental shit they wear lids, ankles and knees seem to get it the most also they put that tennis ball on the end of the rail, looks safe enough
  • 24 13
 This is exactly why BMX'ers dont wear helmets. Mountain biking is such a judgemental sport (although I do love it) and sitting here and analysing it isn't what it's about. I wear a helmet whenever I ride but I won't force that decision on anyone else. It's their choice at the end of the day. It's the riding and creativity that really matters.
  • 6 30
flag IF-OBA-WILLS-IT (Nov 1, 2021 at 7:21) (Below Threshold)
 unfortunately, helmets, and protective gear in general, are not cool. mtb culture has done a great job of enforcing helmet wearing by gleefully and diligently bullying anyone who doesn't comply, and that's probably unironically best for everyone's health, but it doesn't change the fact that wearing a helmet makes you look like a dork.

Risk is part of the appeal of the sport. If it weren't, we wouldn't launch ourselves over huge gaps/drops in the first place. No helmet=more risk *and* better fashion.
  • 10 5
 The helmet thing is boring now. If you want to wear a helmet do it. If you don't then don't. For the record I do wear a helmet.
  • 14 0
 Natural selection I guess
  • 24 2
 @IF-OBA-WILLS-IT: I don't buy this. Look at skateboarding: no one riding street wears protective gear but everyone in vert big air does... this is totally because the heros like Tony Hawk all started wearing protective equipment. Pros in mountain biking take every chance to reduce the ridiculous amount of risk they are assuming. Taking on extra risk for no reason is for the young and invincible and/or old and stupid.
  • 2 1
 @Steventux: that guy who did the lyon 25 stair gap didnt wear a helmet
  • 17 0
 I saw more helmets than I ever expected to see. Progress?
  • 27 5
 @thebrianboys13:

I don’t buy it. If someone doesn’t wear a helmet and another person has to do CPR on their hemorrhaging corpse then it becomes everyone’s business.
  • 13 0
 @plyawn: This is all down to fashion, I think a lot of people over-estimate individuals' judgement vs just following the trend (which is why pros setting the example is so important).

Best example in MTB: Loosedog (don't get me wrong, love the guy and mad respect for his riding). Dude always wears a helmet when riding big wheels, never wears one on the BMX. It just doesn't make any sense unless you put fashion into the equation.
  • 9 1
 @eli-v10: hat sentiment may be true, but there's a lot of kids who look up to riders who are better than them and they want to imitate what they see. Your decision not to wear a helmet could indirectly impact a child's future and their decisions.

I used to ride without a helmet, but when i started to have friends with kids who would join us and clearly looked up to me, i made the decision to be a good roll model for them.
  • 7 1
 Especially since lots of those guys know and used to ride with Scotty Cranmer before his accident.
  • 5 1
 @ozarksagd:
Exactly. There have been enough top bmx pro's with severe brain injuries over the years. Some recovered, some died, but they all went through hell wishing they had just worn more protection on their heads!
  • 4 4
 Should we be pushing helmets in freerunning? When you get on a bike without a helmet people go crazy. Watch someone front flip out of a 2 story building window onto a concrete floor and everything thinks it's cool, a helmet isn't even mentioned....
  • 6 3
 @eli-v10: no we could care less about them
  • 7 1
 @mfoga: How much less?
  • 3 1
 @mountainjew:
Let's not forget that some also killed themselves, and not only BMXers.
  • 7 3
 @mior: and that's his choice

This isn't about anyone here giving a f*ck about BMXers wearing or not wearing helmets.
It's just plain old moral mountaineering because they are so intimidatingly good on their tiny cheap bicycles.
The Mary Whitehouses of the cycling world.
  • 7 5
 @dirtologist: it’s got absolutely nothing to do with fashion. In mountain biking your bullied into wearing a helmet and it’s a massive issue if you haven’t got one on so everyone feels like they have to wear one and in bmx nobody cares if you do or don’t wear a helmet so it’s totally personal preference so loosedog being a mint rider probably didn’t feel the need to wear a helmet for a few curb nibbles.
  • 5 5
 worry about your own life kook
  • 3 0
 Yes, this is a perfect representation of us, would you like to burn shit too?
  • 4 0
 @FloridaHasMTBToo: If I were tuned for that frequency of chaos, then yes.
  • 23 0
 yes
  • 19 0
 It seems that those guys have BMX background
  • 18 0
 What an interesting group.
  • 15 0
 They must have learned manuals with one of those manual trainers with the strap. Insert credit card to buy skills now!
  • 4 1
 Haha those things don’t work, I don’t know who invented them but I suspect they can’t pull a manual.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: they look cool posting pictures "practicing manuals" on their social media, though.
  • 12 1
 Swamp fest is my favourite event of the year, hands down. Let’s build whatever the hell we want, camp out for 2 days, and then get rid of it at the end. The riding is always Absoloutely nuts, and anyone that doesn’t understand.. well, you probably just never will.
  • 14 1
 Meanwhile in Mountain Biking: "I'm not riding that. I might rip my $800 Arcteryx jacket, or get my bum bag caught on my saddle!"
  • 16 4
 Mountain Biking used to be hardcore now its all enduro and PC bullshit
  • 11 0
 We will never see EMX bikes
  • 2 0
 @suspended-flesh: some guy from 2014 already took it there haha

m.youtube.com/watch?v=kC2Bh7Dm9IY
  • 12 1
 the most impressive bmx event of the whole year, x-games and all the industry driven others sound boring after that
  • 13 4
 Stark is the only guy who can do all of this, proving grounds, and still NOT get invited to rampage :/
  • 4 0
 Give it a little time.....
  • 7 0
 I needed this. We needed this. This is the hope for the future we need. The energy and the rawness. Absolutely unreal and fun AF to watch. The lack of Fs give. Reminds me of the late 90s as oppose to the 2020s. Love it
  • 9 0
 It's funny how you get distracted by the derelict culture but holy shit the riding.
  • 9 0
 so, I was just riding along....and my bike disintergrated for no reason
  • 8 0
 That is some serious Lord of the Flies shit, right there.
  • 9 1
 I met dylan stark at snow valley, he rides his mtb the same way
  • 4 0
 Wow, when that guys leg gets caught in the rail loop. How are there not more injuries? Awesome event. Wish I was there (in the crowd not on a BMX).
  • 3 0
 I’m sure there were plenty of injuries that didn’t make this edit
  • 4 0
 98% of PB users don't belong on this thread, go check the article below about next years lifetime warranty/reusable socks and underwear below
  • 1 0
 Too true unfortunately. It's sad that MTB is more about buying than riding these days, for most.
  • 5 0
 That was WILD. BMXers are a different breed.
  • 5 0
 Hell yeah, Trey is the best!
  • 5 0
 Just when you think mtb is getting a bit more "core".
  • 7 0
 Is it really core at all riding bikes that are +$5 grand?? Hahaha
  • 12 1
 @Artikay13: I wouldn't even look at a bike that's only 5k.
  • 4 0
 who was the guy in the Red Bull helmet?
  • 6 0
 broc raiford
  • 3 0
 Absolute loons....!! At one point i was thinking who's more likely to get injured; the riders or the photographers?
  • 4 0
 This is what a “bmx background” should mean.
  • 5 0
 Fucking mad, awesome.
  • 3 0
 The first clip just keeps getting crazier and crazier. These guys are all units! Mad respect.
  • 4 0
 R.A.D Also, VERYsurprised this made it to PB!
  • 4 0
 Takeshis Castle but with BMX...What a Carnage
  • 3 0
 Not sure what hurt worse, crashing on the steel loop or the post celebration after making it....insanity
  • 3 0
 The guy screaming at 4:05 in the first clip looks a lot like Adam Driver
  • 2 0
 @foxkev: it was him.
  • 2 0
 Or you know...he even looks more like the style GOAT Mike Aitken
  • 4 0
 Pure gold!
  • 2 0
 I thought for sure he was going to snap his lower leg in the rail loop. Total insanity.
  • 2 0
 Everybody is focusing on the party but... some of those riders are *very* good!
  • 2 0
 I look forwards to this every year. LOVE the chaos and insane stunts. so stoked someone got the rail-loop!
  • 6 5
 Swampfest is fun to watch but I can’t help but remember what a little punk ass Trey Jones is after watching Scotty Cranmer’s channel for years.
  • 5 4
 So true. Trey is a whiny, self-centered turd with a creepy fascinations for children’s tv shows and movies
  • 2 2
 Jesus you guys need to get over that whole stupid Big Boy/ Scotty Cranmer split. Can't they go off and want to do their own thing and not be constrained by the whole clean cut corporate thing of Scotty's channel.
  • 3 1
 Easily my favorite version of scooby doo
  • 5 2
 That guy seemed like he was the worst. . .
  • 3 0
 off the leash
  • 3 1
 The CTE is strong with that crowd.
  • 8 5
 MTB is Gayyyyyy
  • 2 0
 mayhem
  • 1 0
 Absolute Mayhem of the best kind.
  • 2 0
 Matt McDuff playground
  • 1 0
 PB needs to send Taj next year for event coverage.
  • 1 0
 Wait...I can have fun without a $5,000 bike?
  • 2 1
 we need more hill-billyism in MTB. Even though im not 100% sure about this
  • 2 0
 love this
  • 2 0
 Florida man ...
  • 1 0
 In crazy times, got to get positively crazy to keep from going mad!
  • 1 1
 i wonder if they asked for vaccine passports to attend....?? Swampfest where covid comes to spread...
  • 1 0
 Alcohol may have been involved.
  • 1 0
 When natural selection just isn't fast enough, buy a BMX...
  • 1 0
 ...Hold my beer
  • 1 0
 Woo woo!!
  • 1 0
 That was insane...
  • 2 2
 Can we get this to become a UCI event?
  • 1 0
 1:42
  • 1 0
 BMX!
  • 4 4
 BMX is fucked.
  • 1 3
 NOPE!!
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