“downside whip” during practice
yesterday.
(Photo: Dew Tour)
[This article was written by our BMX correspondent Brendan Vail. Brendan is a promoter of local BMX events and the proprietor of Your-Inn.com.]
It’s that time of year again when the nation’s top BMX riders come to Portland to compete and add their color to the local bike scene. The Wendy’s Invitational/Dew Tour began Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Rose Quarter. The traveling tour started in 2005 and features the nation’s top competitors in BMX riding (as well as skateboarding, and freestyle motocross).
There are three BMX events at the Dew Tour; BMX Vert, BMX Dirt, and BMX Park.
In BMX Vert, top pros such as Jamie Bestwick and Chad Kagy compete against one another on a 12 foot tall half-pipe ramp performing a variety of aerial tricks.
(Photo: Brendan Vail)
Today, the BMX Dirt competitors get started. I saw the course being constructed (see photo at right) and it has a great layout with a few big jumps before a 270-degree bermed turn that sends riders into the last big trick jump at full speed. The dirt event is my personal favorite to watch, and features top notch riders such as Cory Bohan, Rob Darden, Idaho Fall’s Josh Hult, and Cory Nastazio.
The other BMX event is the Park riding competition where riders will go ride a skatepark style course that features a variety of different ramps. Riders are judged not just on aerial tricks, but also a variety of lip tricks that are done on the “coping” or edge of the ramps.
The practice runs for the dirt are from 12:30 to 2:00pm with the finals starting at 5:30pm. Vert prelim starts at 2:30 and the finals are at 7pm on Saturday. BMX Park closes out the bike riding for the event with prelims on Saturday at 3:30 and finals at 1pm on Sunday. Tickets are available at the box office at the Rose Quarter, and for more info on the event visit AlliSports.com.
[NOTE: The word is spreading via Twitter that BMX Vert star Austin Coleman (pictured above) got his bike stolen last night. Please keep your eyes peeled for a Black Mirraco BMX bike with Maxxis and Nike 6.0 stickers.]
I just heard on the news (CH8) one of the pro riders got his $3500 BMX bike stolen. He was at a shop piecing another bike together in order to compete. Bummer. Welcome to Portland.
“…at the Rose Quarter.” maus/bikeportland
More specifically, at Memorial Coliseum, the building some people in town with big dollar signs in their eyes, are trying so hard to get ride of. Wonder how many people it’s drawing and how much money this event is making…I’d expect a lot in both cases. More events like this would seem to be a perfect fit for the Coliseum.
Tough break for the pro to lose his bike. Was this one of those deals where some rat just walks into the coliseum where they’re practicing, goes over to where the bike is leaning up, naturally…unlocked…against something in the arena, and quietly walks away with it?