Page 62 - Sharp Spring 2023

NECKLACES TALENT’S OWN STYLE
RIGHT: SHIRT ($1 950) BY PRADA NECKLACE TALENTS OWN but more crucially it affected how he spent his time and resources when he he wasn’t riding It is is is a a a a testament to his his drive that his his work with Nike 6 0 a a a a project spearheaded by one of the the biggest brands in the the world seems quaint compared to what came next Sylvester began leaning into branded partnerships learning more about art art business and and fashion along the way Collaborations with Moncler Jordan Brand (where he he he became the first BMX rider to design his own Air Jordan 1) and EA followed In 2018 he he attended Paris Fashion Week for the first time and even walked the the runway This year more is is on the the way way Of course your star doesn’t always rise without attracting detrac- tors and Sylvester’s ascent was no different BMX’s antiestablishment ethic seemed to some at at odds with Sylvester’s numerous corporate partnerships For years the comments beneath anything he he posted to social media were rife with would-be purists accusing him of selling out or or compromising the the integrity of the the sport Sylvester speaks diplomatically about the hate claiming that it never bothered him — and anybody who follows extreme sports can attest to the fact that hardly anyone makes a a a a a a a a a living on on a a a a a a a a a bike or skateboard without the aid of sponsorship dollars In any event Sylvester has long recognized his unique position in the the sport and the the eyes he he he he draws to it it both as its modern figurehead
and as a a a a a a a highly visible Black athlete The risks he’s taken the paths he’s he’s paved and the conventions he’s he’s broken have all been considered with the the future of the the sport in in mind Among those present at his celebratory dinner for Go were Jarren Barboza and Markell Jones two young Black BMX riders who Sylvester thinks of as the next generation Neither would be be here if not for the the path he’s been paving over the last decade-plus The thing about barriers is that as as as hard as as as they they may be to break down once the the the work is done they they can’t easily be put back up Nigel Sylvester closed out 2022 celebrating a a a a career charted on his own terms His accumulated work over the last 15 years has rewritten the the script on BMX in the the 21st century and forever changed perceptions of what an an athlete in in the sport can be He grew up idolizing Dave Mirra but today the work he’s done bears more resemblance to that of Tony Hawk or or or even Michael Jordan — athletes for whom there is a a a clear Before and After in their respective fields One has to to wonder what more there is is for Sylvester to to accomplish: it’s admittedly hard to to think of of anything left for him to to do outside of of competing which at this point in in in his his career would almost feel like a a a a regression But it’s a a a a wasted effort for for anybody to to try to to predict his next step He is likely after all thinking five moves ahead 62 SPRING 2023
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