Long features
Chasing a dream
Local teen makes a difference through bicycle stunt team
Date Published: August 2007
[Courtesy Photo/]
Chase Macaluso performs stunts on his BMX bicycle with his team Wheels of Balance.
[Courtesy Photo/]
| BMX Flatland Freestyle |
BMX Flatland Freestyle came out of the 1980s action sports scene. This sport has progressed over the years from doing a single trick (longest wheelie) to performing several tricks (wheelie, into a spin, into a backward ride without putting your feet on the ground). This form of bicycle riding does not require any ramps or special equipment other than a BMX bicycle with axel pegs and a flat surface to ride on, making it fairly easy to get into. Also being fairly portable, this form of personal expression is the perfect medium to add to television commercials, videos and film. Recently BMX Flatland freestyle has been featured in several television commercials for such companies as Mountain Dew, Play Station and AT&T as well as music videos and movies.
Chase Macaluso is a very focused person. He is also 15 years old.
Normally those two sentences aren't found together but then Macaluso isn't your normal 15-year-old.
In less than two years he has managed to go from not even knowing what flatland BMX is to becoming one of the fastest rising stars in a sport that enjoys widespread attention all over the world. Currently it is most popular in Japan and Germany.
Here in America, the sport is rapidly gaining popularity as riders like Macaluso wow their audiences with feats of balance and gymnastics that would be nearly impossible for someone to do on a balance beam, let alone while riding a bicycle.
Flatland BMX is very different from the sport of Extreme BMX which uses the same halfpipes and rails as skateboarding.
Flatland BMX is done on an open flat surface and consists of the rider performing various stunts while on a moving bicycle. Because the sport does not require the large structures used in extreme BMX, it is an ideal choice for exhibitions at parades, fairs and even on the set of TV shows.
"Chase seems to really excel at just about any sport he tries," says Macaluso's father Mike. "For the last few years, he has been interested in football and managed to do very well in the sport. But now, Flatland BMX has really captured his attention and it looks like it's going to take him somewhere very exciting."
"I think if I keep at it, one day I could be one of the best in the sport," adds Macaluso. "But that's a long way off."
Macaluso's moves and precision, however, indicate his name will be known worldwide sooner rather than later.
The BMX bicycle stunt team he is on, Wheels of Balance, has an anti-drug message, which Macaluso says he really believes in.
"You can't achieve anything worthwhile if you're on drugs," says the 15-year-old. "I think that's a message that kids need to hear from people who do things that are extreme like Flatland BMX."
Macaluso found Wheels of Balance through a flyer in a bike shop that advertised auditions to join a local Flatland BMX stunt team. After meeting with team manager Rick DeLaney and trying out, he was accepted into the team.
"I am having a great time and keep trying to come up with new tricks that will make what we do more exciting," says Macaluso, whos nickname is "The Machine."
Macaluso says he thinks the sport needs those who want to make a difference in the world - and Wheels of Balance provides that.
"I want kids out there to want to believe that they can achieve something great and make a difference too," he says.
Wheels of Balance have appeared at county fairs, parades, schools and even on television.
In addition to performing, Macaluso wants to design bikes and develop a line of clothing too.
"In Flatland BMX, our bikes and equipment can be pretty unique and I have ideas of my own I would like try out," he says. "I started with a regular bike, but as I learned more difficult tricks, I needed a bike that could handle the stresses that our sport puts on a bike."
Last Christmas, Macaluso says his parents gave him a bike made especially for the sport and that has made a huge difference.
In fact, in the last year, Macaluso has become semi-professional, a feat that usually takes years to accomplish. He was even invited recently to perform in Japan, where the sport is huge.
Though for now he declined the offer to head overseas, Macaluso will continue to hone his sport locally and will spread his message through Wheels of Balance performances across the Sacramento area, especially during Red Ribbon Week in October.
"I want to make a difference in the sport and help to raise awareness that a person can achieve great things if they are focused and have a clear head," says Chase Macaluso.
And he is leading by example.
For more information on Wheels of Balance, call 202-4661 or visit www.myspace.com/wheelsofbalance.
Normally those two sentences aren't found together but then Macaluso isn't your normal 15-year-old.
In less than two years he has managed to go from not even knowing what flatland BMX is to becoming one of the fastest rising stars in a sport that enjoys widespread attention all over the world. Currently it is most popular in Japan and Germany.
Here in America, the sport is rapidly gaining popularity as riders like Macaluso wow their audiences with feats of balance and gymnastics that would be nearly impossible for someone to do on a balance beam, let alone while riding a bicycle.
Flatland BMX is very different from the sport of Extreme BMX which uses the same halfpipes and rails as skateboarding.
Flatland BMX is done on an open flat surface and consists of the rider performing various stunts while on a moving bicycle. Because the sport does not require the large structures used in extreme BMX, it is an ideal choice for exhibitions at parades, fairs and even on the set of TV shows.
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Macaluso spends four to five hours a day practicing his moves and working on new tricks to use during exhibitions. Since being introduced to the sport by his older brother, Macaluso has pursued Flatland BMX relentlessly, gaining proficiency with astonishing rapidity. "Chase seems to really excel at just about any sport he tries," says Macaluso's father Mike. "For the last few years, he has been interested in football and managed to do very well in the sport. But now, Flatland BMX has really captured his attention and it looks like it's going to take him somewhere very exciting."
"I think if I keep at it, one day I could be one of the best in the sport," adds Macaluso. "But that's a long way off."
Macaluso's moves and precision, however, indicate his name will be known worldwide sooner rather than later.
The BMX bicycle stunt team he is on, Wheels of Balance, has an anti-drug message, which Macaluso says he really believes in.
"You can't achieve anything worthwhile if you're on drugs," says the 15-year-old. "I think that's a message that kids need to hear from people who do things that are extreme like Flatland BMX."
Macaluso found Wheels of Balance through a flyer in a bike shop that advertised auditions to join a local Flatland BMX stunt team. After meeting with team manager Rick DeLaney and trying out, he was accepted into the team.
"I am having a great time and keep trying to come up with new tricks that will make what we do more exciting," says Macaluso, whos nickname is "The Machine."
Macaluso says he thinks the sport needs those who want to make a difference in the world - and Wheels of Balance provides that.
"I want kids out there to want to believe that they can achieve something great and make a difference too," he says.
Wheels of Balance have appeared at county fairs, parades, schools and even on television.
In addition to performing, Macaluso wants to design bikes and develop a line of clothing too.
"In Flatland BMX, our bikes and equipment can be pretty unique and I have ideas of my own I would like try out," he says. "I started with a regular bike, but as I learned more difficult tricks, I needed a bike that could handle the stresses that our sport puts on a bike."
Last Christmas, Macaluso says his parents gave him a bike made especially for the sport and that has made a huge difference.
In fact, in the last year, Macaluso has become semi-professional, a feat that usually takes years to accomplish. He was even invited recently to perform in Japan, where the sport is huge.
Though for now he declined the offer to head overseas, Macaluso will continue to hone his sport locally and will spread his message through Wheels of Balance performances across the Sacramento area, especially during Red Ribbon Week in October.
"I want to make a difference in the sport and help to raise awareness that a person can achieve great things if they are focused and have a clear head," says Chase Macaluso.
And he is leading by example.
For more information on Wheels of Balance, call 202-4661 or visit www.myspace.com/wheelsofbalance.
Rick Fine is a contributing writer. He can be reached at rickfine@surewest.net.
