By Leigh Ramsdell, Mongoose Sports Marketing Manager
This is definitely a tough post to write. I was talking with Pat (Casey) earlier in the year about him making a video for Mongoose, as we try to get one from each of the riders every year. At first we talked about going to Salt Lake City to ride the Vans park there, but that fell through due to other commitments. As he was heading to Europe a few months ago –Montpellier for FISE then Prague for a mini-ramp contest – we said that we’d brainstorm when he got back.
A few days after Pat got home, he called me and said he had a video for me! At first I thought misheard him and said, “You have a video idea for me?” But he quickly said, “No, I filmed one in the Czech Republic when I was there!”
Unfortunately a few days after we talked I got the shocking call that Pat passed away… a call I’ll never forget and news that rocked the BMX community and action sports as a whole. I think one of the best ways to memorialize Pat is to keep him in our hearts. After talking to Pat’s wife Chase, we decided to move forward with the video and release it. Chase told me that this was one of the best trips he had taken, and I think the smiles you see in this video really demonstrates that.
I was talking with Roman Čermák who put this video together and he said, “I invited Pat to a mini-ramp contest at the Coolife Fest in Prague. He wrote that he would arrive on Wednesday, as he would be in Europe at that time. A week before his arrival in the Czech Republic he had a nasty fall during FISE practice in France. Instead of changing his plans (and returning home to California), he just asked me if I could get him a new helmet and that he was looking forward to coming to Prague. He did indeed fly in, and we got a chance to spend a few days with this incredibly talented BMX rider and great person.”
Roman said it was four intense days of riding! He continued by saying, “We talked for hours about riding, his career as an athlete, his family, traveling, and how he would love to come back to the Czech Republic again. We also talked about motocross and Axel's legendary Slayground... After his return home, we discussed the editing of this video via Whatsapp. The news of his accident hit me even harder. We will never forget!”
And neither will we! I hope this video shows you the love that Pat had for BMX and the community involved. So go click play and watch As Long As I Can!
