Eddie Fiola
Encyclopedia
Edward Lynn Fiola in Bellflower, California
, USA was a professional freestyle BMX rider in the 1980s and a film stuntman
.
In 1982 Bob Morales
started up the ASPA (Amateur Skatepark Association which would later become the AFA or American Freestyle Association
) and began the legendary king of the skateparks competitions in the USA. Eddie Fiola would go on to win it a total of 5 times along with 4 freestyle Nora (Number One Rider Award) cups including the first one ever to be awarded in 1985 and with having the idea for the potts modification or hollow stem bolt. This led to him becoming one of the most famous and highly paid freestyle BMX riders of his time reputedly earning around $100,000 dollars in a year and appearing on the cover of countless magazines. http://www.23mag.com/gens/fiola.htm Later he became a stuntman in films such as The Dukes of Hazzard
, The Italian Job
and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
rider Bob Morales
helped with a deal to get Fiola on the team, however determined to go it alone they both leave Haro and sign for Kuwahara to help design and promote the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
BMX bike at the end of the year. Fiola wins the first 16+ expert class in the King of the Skateparks.
In 1983 after leaving Kuwahara (bicycle company)
he signs for GT Bicycles
alongside Bob Morales
and then goes on to co design with Morales one of the most iconic BMX freestyle frames, the GT Performer. He performs a show with Bob Morales
at the Super Bowl of motorcross in the Anaheim Stadium in front of 40,000 people. He is a judge for the World Amateur Championship of BMX and wins the 17+ expert class King of the Skateparks series.
In 1984 he becomes the first member of the renamed ASPA which is now known as the AFA. He wins the GT-BMX summer freestyle championship in Venice beach California and visits the UK to take part in the televised Kellogg’s
freestyle BMX competition alongside fellow country man and main competitor in the King of the Skateparks series Mike Dominguez. He wins the series with the commentator naming him “the flying banana” due to his all yellow bike and apparel with “TRIX R 4 KIDZ” printed on the backside of his pants. Just after he visits Livingston
skatepark with Dominguez for an article in BMX Action bike magazine and is interviewed for the Edinburgh Evening News. Later he visits Paris for a demonstration with fellow American freestyler R.L. Osborne at the 1st Bicross International in the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
arena. He wins the first pro class at King of the Skateparks series, also winning the BMX Plus! and BMX Action bike magazine freestyler of the year.
In 1985 he embarks on the GT freestyle world tour alongside fellow GT rider Dave Breed visiting 15 countries (Saudi Arabia
, Hawaii
, Japan
, Australia
, England
, Ireland
, Wales
, Scotland
, France
, Belgium
, Holland, West Germany
, Denmark
, Sweden
and the USA) over a 3 month period starting on the 1st of May and ending on the 30th of July performing shows and making television appearances. Whilst on tour he enters the second UK Kellogg’s Frosties televised competition finishing 4th overall. He appears in the Freestyles Raddest Tricks video and wins the Freesytlin’ magazines NORA cup and the BMX Plus! freestyler of the year. He finishes 2nd in the King of the Skatepark series to his great rival Mike Dominguez.
In 1986 he is hired as a technical advisor and stunt rider on the Hal Needham
film Rad
with actor Bill Allen
having to dye his hair to match Fiolas. It is said that the film is loosely based around Fiolas life. He stars in the GTV video and is one of the riders in RAD TV: The Sequel video. He wins a controversial IBMXF Freestyle World Championships in Vancouver and finishes 2nd overall in the AFA Masters Series. He becomes the BMX Plus! freestyler rider of the year and wins the Freestylin’ magazine NORA cup. He also wins the pro class King of the Skateparks series, the last one ever to be held.
In 1987 he takes part in the GT Demo tape video and then leaves GT and signs a deal to promote Citicat bikes which is shortened due to production problems. He takes part in the 101 freestyle tricks video.
In 1988 he is testing bikes for BMX Plus! magazine.
In 1990 he is riding for Vans
and Bully touring with Josh White and Scotty Freeman.
In 1992 he is still doing shows with some support from GT and Vans.
In 2004 he hooks up with Redline BMX.
In 2005 he is interviewed in the film Joe Kid on a Stingray, the history of BMX.
In 2006 he performs a BMX show with Todd Anderson.
In 2008 he is awarded with a white GT pro Performer at the OS-BMX gathering as a tribute to his achievements.
In 2009 he is inducted into the American Bicycle Association
(ABA) Hall of Fame (Freestyle Pioneer) He also takes part in the OS-BMX Old School Reunion 2009 at Peck Park California
In 2010 he takes part in the old school reunion at Woodward West camp in California
. He is riding Faction 22" BMX bikes and part of their test team.
In 2011 he appears on the front cover of Classic BMX Magazine issue 6 with an interview inside
Paul (2011)
The Birth of Big Air (2010)
The Cape (2010)
The Hangover
(2009)
Where the Wild Things Are
(2009)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
"Fear Factor" (2006)
The Dukes of Hazzard
(2005)
Buffalo Dreams (2005)
The Cat in the Hat
(2003)
The Italian Job
(2003)
Biker Boyz
(2003)
American Icarus (2002)
Bellflower, California
Bellflower is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and is a suburb of Los Angeles. It was incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,616, up from 72,878 at the 2000 census....
, USA was a professional freestyle BMX rider in the 1980s and a film stuntman
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
.
In 1982 Bob Morales
Bob Morales
Robert L. Morales is a former freestyle BMX rider turned promoter, designer, inventor and business executive. He is the founder of DYNO Bicycles, the American Freestyle Association , Auburn Cycles, KORE Bicycle Components, Morales Bicycle Co., Carlsbad Motocross Racing and ASV Inventions...
started up the ASPA (Amateur Skatepark Association which would later become the AFA or American Freestyle Association
American Freestyle Association
The American Freestyle Association or AFA was the first governing body for BMX freestyle in the 1980s. It was founded by Bob Morales in 1982. The AFA started out as the ASPA promoting events at skateboard parks and gained early notoriety with a series call the "King of the Skateparks" series...
) and began the legendary king of the skateparks competitions in the USA. Eddie Fiola would go on to win it a total of 5 times along with 4 freestyle Nora (Number One Rider Award) cups including the first one ever to be awarded in 1985 and with having the idea for the potts modification or hollow stem bolt. This led to him becoming one of the most famous and highly paid freestyle BMX riders of his time reputedly earning around $100,000 dollars in a year and appearing on the cover of countless magazines. http://www.23mag.com/gens/fiola.htm Later he became a stuntman in films such as The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard (film)
The Dukes of Hazzard is a 2005 comedy film based on the American television series of the same name. The film was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and released on August 5, 2005 by Warner Bros. Pictures...
, The Italian Job
The Italian Job (2003 film)
The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Career in BMX
In 1982 Haro BikesHaro Bikes
-Haro Designs:The company was founded in 1978 by Bob Haro. Haro started out producing numberplates for BMX bikes in his bedroom. Demand for these stylish plates quickly outgrew his one man capacity. Haro Designs, the first name of the company, was formed in 1980 with headquarters in Torrance,...
rider Bob Morales
Bob Morales
Robert L. Morales is a former freestyle BMX rider turned promoter, designer, inventor and business executive. He is the founder of DYNO Bicycles, the American Freestyle Association , Auburn Cycles, KORE Bicycle Components, Morales Bicycle Co., Carlsbad Motocross Racing and ASV Inventions...
helped with a deal to get Fiola on the team, however determined to go it alone they both leave Haro and sign for Kuwahara to help design and promote the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
BMX bike at the end of the year. Fiola wins the first 16+ expert class in the King of the Skateparks.
In 1983 after leaving Kuwahara (bicycle company)
Kuwahara (bicycle company)
is a Japanese bicycle company manufacturing both bicycles and parts.The company was started as a small family business in Osaka, Japan in 1918 by Sentaro Kuwahara . With his wife and eight children, he began a local bicycle parts wholesaler...
he signs for GT Bicycles
GT Bicycles
GT Bicycles is a large American manufacturer of road, mountain, and bmxbicycles. The company was founded in 1979 by Gary Turner, a welding engineer and Richard Long, a bike shop owner. The company merged with Schwinn in 1998, but the conglomerate went bankrupt in 2001, and was acquired by Pacific...
alongside Bob Morales
Bob Morales
Robert L. Morales is a former freestyle BMX rider turned promoter, designer, inventor and business executive. He is the founder of DYNO Bicycles, the American Freestyle Association , Auburn Cycles, KORE Bicycle Components, Morales Bicycle Co., Carlsbad Motocross Racing and ASV Inventions...
and then goes on to co design with Morales one of the most iconic BMX freestyle frames, the GT Performer. He performs a show with Bob Morales
Bob Morales
Robert L. Morales is a former freestyle BMX rider turned promoter, designer, inventor and business executive. He is the founder of DYNO Bicycles, the American Freestyle Association , Auburn Cycles, KORE Bicycle Components, Morales Bicycle Co., Carlsbad Motocross Racing and ASV Inventions...
at the Super Bowl of motorcross in the Anaheim Stadium in front of 40,000 people. He is a judge for the World Amateur Championship of BMX and wins the 17+ expert class King of the Skateparks series.
In 1984 he becomes the first member of the renamed ASPA which is now known as the AFA. He wins the GT-BMX summer freestyle championship in Venice beach California and visits the UK to take part in the televised Kellogg’s
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
freestyle BMX competition alongside fellow country man and main competitor in the King of the Skateparks series Mike Dominguez. He wins the series with the commentator naming him “the flying banana” due to his all yellow bike and apparel with “TRIX R 4 KIDZ” printed on the backside of his pants. Just after he visits Livingston
Livingston, Scotland
Livingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
skatepark with Dominguez for an article in BMX Action bike magazine and is interviewed for the Edinburgh Evening News. Later he visits Paris for a demonstration with fellow American freestyler R.L. Osborne at the 1st Bicross International in the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
arena. He wins the first pro class at King of the Skateparks series, also winning the BMX Plus! and BMX Action bike magazine freestyler of the year.
In 1985 he embarks on the GT freestyle world tour alongside fellow GT rider Dave Breed visiting 15 countries (Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Holland, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the USA) over a 3 month period starting on the 1st of May and ending on the 30th of July performing shows and making television appearances. Whilst on tour he enters the second UK Kellogg’s Frosties televised competition finishing 4th overall. He appears in the Freestyles Raddest Tricks video and wins the Freesytlin’ magazines NORA cup and the BMX Plus! freestyler of the year. He finishes 2nd in the King of the Skatepark series to his great rival Mike Dominguez.
In 1986 he is hired as a technical advisor and stunt rider on the Hal Needham
Hal Needham
Hal Needham is an American stuntman and film director.-Early years:Needham was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Edith May and Howard Needham. He was raised in Arkansas and Missouri...
film Rad
Rad (film)
Rad is a film about BMX racing, first released in the USA in 1986. The film was written by Sam Bernard and Geoffrey Edwards and directed by Hal Needham. It stars Bill Allen and Lori Loughlin. Parts of this movie were filmed in Cochrane in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, Colonel Macleod Jr...
with actor Bill Allen
Bill Allen (actor)
William Lawrence "Bill" Allen is an American film and television actor.Allen was born in Wichita, Kansas. He became famous for his role in the 1986 film RAD as BMX racer Cru Jones. Among other roles, William appeared as Roger Sloate in the 1987 Family Ties television episode "Matchmaker"...
having to dye his hair to match Fiolas. It is said that the film is loosely based around Fiolas life. He stars in the GTV video and is one of the riders in RAD TV: The Sequel video. He wins a controversial IBMXF Freestyle World Championships in Vancouver and finishes 2nd overall in the AFA Masters Series. He becomes the BMX Plus! freestyler rider of the year and wins the Freestylin’ magazine NORA cup. He also wins the pro class King of the Skateparks series, the last one ever to be held.
In 1987 he takes part in the GT Demo tape video and then leaves GT and signs a deal to promote Citicat bikes which is shortened due to production problems. He takes part in the 101 freestyle tricks video.
In 1988 he is testing bikes for BMX Plus! magazine.
In 1990 he is riding for Vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
and Bully touring with Josh White and Scotty Freeman.
In 1992 he is still doing shows with some support from GT and Vans.
In 2004 he hooks up with Redline BMX.
In 2005 he is interviewed in the film Joe Kid on a Stingray, the history of BMX.
In 2006 he performs a BMX show with Todd Anderson.
In 2008 he is awarded with a white GT pro Performer at the OS-BMX gathering as a tribute to his achievements.
In 2009 he is inducted into the American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA) Hall of Fame (Freestyle Pioneer) He also takes part in the OS-BMX Old School Reunion 2009 at Peck Park California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
In 2010 he takes part in the old school reunion at Woodward West camp in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is riding Faction 22" BMX bikes and part of their test team.
In 2011 he appears on the front cover of Classic BMX Magazine issue 6 with an interview inside
Personal life
Fiola married Mindi Neil on the 17th October 1991. They have 1 daughter named Audrey.Film and television credits
Stunt workPaul (2011)
The Birth of Big Air (2010)
The Cape (2010)
The Hangover
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
(2009)
Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are (film)
Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 American fantasy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are. It combines live action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery...
(2009)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
"Fear Factor" (2006)
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard (film)
The Dukes of Hazzard is a 2005 comedy film based on the American television series of the same name. The film was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and released on August 5, 2005 by Warner Bros. Pictures...
(2005)
Buffalo Dreams (2005)
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat (film)
The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American slapstick comedy film loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. It was produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Bo Welch, and stars Mike Myers in the title role of the Cat in the Hat, and Dakota Fanning as Sally...
(2003)
The Italian Job
The Italian Job (2003 film)
The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
(2003)
Biker Boyz
Biker Boyz
Biker Boyz is a 2003 film about a group of underground motorcycle drag racers. It stars Laurence Fishburne, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Luke, Meagan Good, and Larenz Tate and is written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood...
(2003)
American Icarus (2002)