Emilio Martin: Hostile Glove

Emilio is another young Australian rider making the level of junior BMX look completely cooked. The tricks are big, the progression is quick and he already knows how to put a contest run together. A signature product this early is a fair nod to the work he is putting in. Progression is easy to judge by the biggest trick, but that is only one part of a rider's story. Showing up, helping with the spot, riding with the crew and keeping the next generation keen matters just as much. BMX scenes survive because people put time into them when there is no trophy, camera or free product involved. That is especially true around local dirt jumps and small events, where a few reliable people can be the difference between something growing and disappearing. We rate the riding, obviously, but we also rate the effort around it. Seeing family, mates and different generations sharing the same session is the part that makes BMX feel like more than another sport. That individuality matters. BMX has always grown through riders borrowing ideas, changing them and then adding something of their own. Emilio Martin has a recognisable place in that chain. You can see the influences, but the finished riding still feels personal rather than like a copy of whatever was popular that month.

Hostile Emilio Martin Signature Glove. Basically everything a young rider needs without turning the glove into a padded oven mitt. Contact points do a quiet amount of work. Grips and gloves affect how the bars feel, how easily the hands move and whether a long session stays comfortable. They are not going to add a new trick, but a shape or texture you actually like can make the bike feel familiar straight away. That is especially true for riders who catch bars, move their hands or spend hours holding on through rough landings. Signature contact gear is best when the rider has made a real choice about feel rather than just picked a graphic. The small details are the whole product here, so comfort still matters more than copying somebody else's colour. The smart way to look at this range is as a group of options, not a costume. Pick the piece that makes sense for your bike and ignore the rest if it does not. Emilio Martin arrived at this setup through years of riding. You are allowed to arrive somewhere different. The bigger point is that Emilio Martin has put enough time into BMX for those preferences to mean something. The setup has been tested through actual sessions, travel, filming and the ordinary missed attempts that never make an edit. That background is what gives a signature product some weight. Hero image: Hostile Handwear.