Every neighborhood has that one kid. The young kid who, upon getting his first bike, decides to lean a piece of wood against a cinder block, pedal at it as fast as he can, and see what happens. He’s the kid who is completely unafraid to crank at full speed at all times no matter what’s in front of him. The kid who grows up and goes higher, with more style, and seemingly less effort than anyone else. AJ Alviso is that kid.

It’s always awesome to see someone completely shut down a skatepark when they show up and start riding. I’ve watched hood rat dudes, little scooter kids, skate bros, and ramp tramps alike completely drop what they’re doing to watch AJ blast over a ridiculous gap, boost a poorly made hip like it’s the best set of trails, or throw backflips as a warm up trick.
He’s the dude that everyone in his neighborhood knows and likes, and for good reason. When I first picked up my bike again after a 7 year hiatus from BMX, AJ was one of the first riders I met. He seemed genuinely stoked that I was out riding, despite my outdated bike and the fact that I spent most of my time trying to remember how to do basic shit. Getting back into BMX, in a new city was fairly intimidating for me at the time. AJ’s kind words and positivity went a long way towards helping me get even more stoked on riding, and I’ve seen him do the same thing for many other people in his area.
AJ deserves all the coverage he can get. I’m excited to share these photos, and I can’t wait to get out and shoot some more wild stuff with him.