There’s a New Kaiser In Town

LG Action Sports Championships BMX Street Finals Recap
By Chris Mitchell

(October 22, 2005) As soon as they opened the doors to the Manchester Arena, the crowds stampeded for a seat. They bought beer, shouted chants and generally settled into an English state of unruliness. With the passion the English people bring to their sporting events, it wasn’t such an irrational fear that the hooligans would bring down the house.

And when the lights went down and the riders were introduced, the tumult became deafening. Local hero, Mark Webb from Portsmouth, UK was especially popular with the English crowds.

If there was one dark cloud on the competition, it came in the middle of Josh Harrington’s first run. He went up for a jump over ice pick – a trick he executed perfectly in prelims – but miscalculated the reentry and hung up on the coping, taking a full frontal nosedive into the concrete. He walked off on his own, but his shoulder looked suspiciously swollen.

Alessandro Barbero stuck one of the best tricks of the day: a double whip 360. Unfortunately, that one great trick was about the only one he pulled, so he finished in 9th. Mark Webb took advantage of the home crowd support by putting together a terrific run that included a couple of flairs and a 720 over the box. He finished 6th.

Rob Darden flowed all over the course, picking up lines that no other rider even saw. His run was a good mix of style and tech that featured tricks over every object in his way. Tom Haugen put together a consistent and difficult run that repeated his tail whip 180 over the spine and double whip over the box to finish 4th.

The Brazilian rider, Diogo Canina took the bronze medal with a run that opened with a double whip over the box straight into a flair on the quarterpipe. Dave Dillewaard slipped into 2nd with a run that was packed with goodies, like his 360 whip to barspin over the box.

And the gold medal went to the sleeper contender: Tobias Wicke of Berlin for difficulty and consistency. He opened with a front flip over the box, and still managed to pull off a double whip.

And although the English hooligans tried and tried, they could not bring down the house, so the vert comp will run as scheduled!