Here’s our second round of “best of”s for 2008. We have a huge list of people for our second round and there’s a chance there will be a third! If you missed it, make sure to check part 1 here.

John Povah – Etnies
Contests aren’t usually one of the things I would consider the “best”, but besides Estonia’s Simpel Session, 2008′s Empire of Dirt was & is one of the events that I wouldn’t miss for the world…Too much fun to be had & too much good shit going down…Road rash n all.

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Nick Ferreira – Holeshot Zine
The drive out from Massachusetts to my new place in Los Angeles. Even though I was worried that my car was gonna break down half the time, driving around and camping with my girlfriend and our cat was pretty awesome. From riding a BMX track in Kansas to drinking 99 cent margaritas in Vegas, every stop was pretty much the best thing of 2008. Also, cruising the Home Ave. Ditch with Ron was pretty rad too.

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Andy Chung – Designer
Getting to travel – Flying to Denmark to do this feeble grind. Also climbing this giant rock in Norway was pretty cool too. 24 hour Phở – The all night Phở place on Broadway and Cambie is definitely my favourite place to go when nothing else is open. Being a student – Enjoying my last full year as a student and not worrying too much about stuff. Design – Getting the opportunity to work on some really awesome design projects this year thanks to Harrison and MacNeil!

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Catfish – Personality
So much good shit went down in 2008. Simpel Session, Empire of Dirt, UFO’s, Rob Darden, China, and meeting Cru Jones. However, my number one awesome thing in 2008 was DK getting a 6000 square foot indoor ramp park for bikes only.  Having ramps at work is seriously the best thing ever.  RIDAZ!

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Mark Noble – Deluxe BMX
Wow… so much happened in 2008 – it was a crazy year for me. I guess the best thing is being free to do my own thing again, removing the corporate shackles, trying to shed two years of negativity and stress, and having some fun in BMX again. Getting Deluxe up and firing on all cylinders has made my year, seeing my product come to life, and having people ride it – that’s my best thing about 2008. Onwards to ’09! Over and out!

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Chris Doyle – Pro dude
Don’t call it a comeback… Rob Darden!  Seems like Rob’s been good for years but never truly harnessed all that he was capable of until ’08.  He cut back on the booze, got his nutrition in order, and made things happen. He learned new tricks and perfected old ones and became one of the funnest guys to watch in ’08.  I’ve heard more than a few pros say, “I need to get on that Darden tip”.  Good job buddy.

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George K – Front Street
The country pretty much went to shit this year, but the New York Rangers are in first place and Obama got elected president, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

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Mike Ardelean – Defgrip/Lavar/Verde/Quiksilver..
Verde!

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Steven Vogel – Black Lodges
Translation: Berlin from it’s best side. ( I Moved to Hamburg a few days ago )

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Nuno Oliveira – Defgrip/Odyssey
Some standouts from 2008 include- Traveling to Estonia, being asked to help judge Elevation in Mexico, visiting Utah and riding Tanner trails, Watching that newscast of Mike Aitken walking out of the hospital, Jimmy Levan bouncing back repeatedly, learning to enjoy taking photos, Flickr, Polly, Whilee & Blu, Friends, card night, getting a single speed bike,  Skavenger off pop mini vid, MGMT and if I have to pick a material object…. the iPhone.

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Jason Eichhorst – Designer
The release of another iconoclastic domination: the S&M video, “I WANNA LIVE”.

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Shad Johnson – Goods BMX
I think it would be all the snow for Christmas and boosting airs at all the new parks up here.

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Gaz Sandars – Mutiny Bikes
The Master Cleanser or the Lemonade diet was a huge part of my year, it’s changed the way I look at food and what I choose to put in my body. Plus the mental clarity while I was on it was amazing! Think I’m going to start 09 with another cleanse.

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John Superfly Skvarla – Super BMX
The Gypsy Caravan trip was pretty much the best thing to happen to me in ’08. Stoked that after riding 20 years there’s still so much fun to be had on a bmx bike and so many good friends out there new and old. Also nothing can be better than Mikey coming out of the coma and walking out of the hospital, and recovering so well. That’s another good thing!

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Will Stroud – Videographer
I would have to say the best thing that happened to me this year would be the birth of my son – Noah Paul Stroud on August 14, 2008.

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Ryan Fudger – Ride BMX
It’s hard not to be self-centered with this. I don’t have any worldly opinions, and I don’t have any aspirations to have them. But I do know that when I think back on the year, I immediately think of all the wild, bad, and horrible things that went down. But, after a few moments, I think of the one horrible thing that flipped a 180 on me—my cat, Mercedes. Like I said, self-centered. On the day I was supposed to take her to get euthanized, she decided to stand up and get better. She’s not the same bouncy (then, in the later years, lazy) cat she’s been the last 13 years, but she’s still here. A high point for me.

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Brian Tunney – Eclat
I found this on a Mac in a Fedex/Kinko’s over the summer. It’s a pretty good occurrence from the past year…

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John Dye – Bicycle Union
Scott Malyon’s ramp sessions: “Its times like this that you realize how much you appreciate some things, we call it Scott’s but its a collective  of 9 people contributing to the ware house ramp rent in south London, every one who attends the sessions as a guest pays a humble fiver, there needs to be more of this sort of thing it works so well. Although this place has been running some 7 years or so it served its purpose more than ever in 2008, the weather in the u.k was so shit we couldn’t ride out door consistently all summer. Just ask the Kink guys that arrived to 5 straight days  of rain in May, who coincidentally made it to the ramp during one of those rainy days. That once a week session at that ramp has been a complete savior to all attendees and made the sessions real fun due to every one being so at home with it. With the addition of the new kettle and 2 new couches all looks set to be good for 2009″.

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Adam Grandmaison – The Come Up BMX
KANYE. Love him or hate him… I love him. “Always said what the fuck I felt / Go head spit that murder I wrote / Man I don’t care what the fuck you felt / Fuck you nigga, I know I’m dope”

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David Lang – Photographer
Singapore ghetto bmx jam, F1 night race, Lots of time with friends and family, Classic ah beng (gangster) techno likely blared from the car above.

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Dakota Roche – Pro dude
The thing that stands out most was the summer days, riding, surfing and chillin’ under the sun! CALILIFE.

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Kyle Emery-Peck – Photographer
This summer I had the chance to go on a trip up to the northwest with a couple good friends of mine.  It stands out as a highlight because the trip was planned so loosely but it things went really smooth, and we got to ride a little bit of everything.  We got to catch air at incredible trails in Washington, go swim in warm lakes, ride new street spots in Van, and ride older concrete parks in Van that have soul.  That trip was everything that I enjoy.

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Jim Cielencki – Sunday Bikes
Sunday Bikes had a great year, not only did we do a trip to Barcelona and then to Estonia, but we also made it down to Guadalajara Mexico and over to the UK. Our latest entries into the annals of BMX frame history came out in April and May, Ian Schwartz’s frame was the first ever frame with a welded on pivotal post. Then the foundation of all our frames was released a month later, the Second Wave frame was the culmination of all the work we’ve done in the years prior. To me this is our best effort yet! But what makes this one of the best years for Sunday is the addition of Aaron Ross to Sunday. Not only is his riding amazing, progressive and innovative, but he is one of the nicest, sincerest and easy going people I’ve known. He has countless ideas and an energy to do them too. I’m looking forward to having a fun time hanging out and riding with him in 2009. Can’t wait!

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Ronnie Bonner – The Shadow Conspiracy
So many amazing things happened in 2008, but none of it would of been half as good if it was wasn’t for our crew! I really want to give all of the SHADOWS A BIG SHOUT OUT!

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Andrew McMullen – Defgrip
My favorite thing of 2008 was quitting my shit job in the beginning of summer and being able to freelance enough to get by till now. All the traveling I got to do, I just packed up my stuff in a storage unit and hit the road and lived out of a few bags for like 4 months, where I got to go to  LA, Portland, Vancouver, Toronto, NYC, Boston, Providence, and Maine. It was a real necessary trip, got to see some good friends, family, even met some new people, all why visiting new places, this was and seems like still is the highlight from 2008.