Words by Butterlegs
Photos by LC.
Ever since its conception, the Blake Butterfield Memorial Jam has always felt like a given. I never doubted whether or not I’d run it; the whole process was very organic. However, in between the fifth and sixth instalments, a lot had changed back home. Kempsey never had a large scene to begin with, but with 4 of us taking the plunge and moving to Sydney it became almost non-existent so it seemed futile travelling home to run a jam for a scene that had extinguished, and I was torn about running it anywhere else. Up until Christmas, I had nothing planned and I had no intentions of putting anything on, but a few people had asked about both the summer jam series we were running, and the Blake jam itself. In the end, I decided to move it temporarily to Menai, a classic park in Sydney’s south west. The obligatory flyer was made, prizes were organised and facebook invites sent.
From very humble origins, the jam had grown every year, with turnouts at their highest in the third and fifth years. This year broke the trend a little bit, with attendance lower than expected; likely as a result of last-minute preparation and the lack of public transport nearby. Quantity may have been lacking, but quality certainly wasn’t. The combination of a lower turnout but good crew meant the session took on a more relaxed vibe, with everyone cruising around, training, roasting and smiling. I can’t think of a better way to spend Australia day, nor a better way to pay tribute to an amazing human. A huge thank –you goes out to everyone who travelled out and got stoked, and a very special thank you to my parents, my partner Lydia, Cooper Brownlee, Lucas Comino, John Young and of course our supporters: Colony BMX, Division, Back Bone BMX, Hell on Wheels, Focalpoint, 2020, S&M, Fit and Primary Threads. Catch you at the next one!
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