物心付く頃からスケートボードやBMXに明け暮れた血気盛んな少年が、その後にChopperに目覚め 己の美意識を投影したカスタムバイクと共に人生を謳歌してゆく─ 例えばそれがサザン・カリフォルニアなら「さもありなん」だとしても“今日本のTVや映画界でメキメキと頭角を表す気鋭のアクター”というフィルターを掛けるなら そんなワイルドライフを地でゆくのはこの男しかいまい。 俳優・野村周平が愛して止まないChopperを、ここに独白する。

As a youth full of energy, he had been into BMX for as long as he can remember. He later became aware of choppers and has since been enjoying his days on a custom bike that reflects his sense of aesthetics. If he were in Southern California, this wouldn’t be anything unusual, but in Japan, among up-and-coming actors who are making a name for themselves on TV and in film, he is the only one living such a wild life. Here, the actor Shuhei Nomura offers a monologue about the chopper that is near and dear to his heart.

去る6月24-25日に開催されたBORN-FREE 14には、 我が国を代表する3人のビルダーが招集。 7人もの日本人が出展を果たした 2014年度の大会以来となる好機に加え コロナ渦による渡航規制の解除も手伝い、 日本からも多数のオーディエンスがOak Canyon Ranchのセンターコートに足を運んだ。 横溝 学と山田 良、大沢俊之─

この特集では、カスタム界をリードする 3人の巧者がBF14に出展した入魂の作を供覧しよう。

The Born-Free bikes that three top builders representing Japan put their souls into crafting At Born-Free 14, which was held from June 24-25, 3 builders representing Japan exhibited as Invited Builders.

Coronavirus-related restrictions had been lifted, and seeing it as one of the opportunities to go since 2014, when 7 Japanese builders exhibited at the event, many Japanese visitors were part of the audience at Center Court at Oak Canyon Ranch. Gaku Yokomizo, Ryo Yamada, and Toshiyuki Osawa were those three builders, and in this feature, we take a look at the BF14 bikes these masters leading the custom world poured their hearts and souls into creating.

カリフォルニアの東隣りに位置するネバダは、米国屈指のカジノタウンLas Vegasを擁する一方、 州の大半を砂漠が占める乾いた荒野として知られる。 Calif.との州境にあるタホ湖から程近いネバダのVirginia Cityで開催された話題のカスタムショーを、本邦初公開でレポートする。

The stage of one’s dreams, set in an old town that once had thriving silver mines Nevada lies next to California to the east, and in addition to Las Vegas, America’s leading casino town, Nevada is also known for the dry wilderness of the massive deserts covering over half of the state. Close to Lake Tahoe, which sits on the California-Nevada border, is the town of Virginia City, Nevada, home to one of the hottest custom shows, which we report on here for the first time.

世界中の二輪狂に“ビーチレースの聖地”と評される 千里浜SANDFLATS でお馴染みの金沢だが 加賀百万石の歴史を従えるこの城下町には“CHOPPER CITY”というもうひとつの顔が存在する─

Kanazawa is famous as the site of Chirihama Sandflats, known among motorcycle freaks throughout the world as holy ground for beach racing. And the city beneath the castle, a place with a rich history as the seat of the Kaga Domain, has another face—as a “chopper city.”

今年から副題“Old & Chopper DNA”を掲げ、オールドスクールに向けて先鋭化した 我が国を代表するカスタムショーの雄たるJOINTS。 その新たな試みに刮目せよ!