For Queen and Country: Bestwick's Victory

LG Action Sports Championships BMX Vert Finals Recap
By Chris Mitchell

Jamie Bestwick

(October 25, 2005) Holding a BMX vert event in England is what it must have been like to stage a gladiator fight in old Rome: loud, exciting, a total massacre. As fond as the English are of their sports heroes, they could have two better icons than Simon Tabron and Jamie Bestwick . And they know it too. I overheard two gentlemen in the Arena, drinking pints and comparing Bestwick to cricket champions and soccer stars.

The comp started easy with solid runs from Matt Fairbairn and London's showman Zach Shaw . Tom Haugen pulled a nice whip and Jay Eggleston showed that his leg injury was a thing of the past with huge, soaring airs.

Koji Kraft did a surprisingly good first run; he stayed on his bike the whole time and didn't vomit even once. Kevin Robinson had a terrific first run too, pulling a 540 and one of his world class flairs. He went down hard in his second run, but jumped back up and waved to the crowd.

John Parker had no problem manhandling his first run. Even though he was jetlagged, he pulled out a double whip, and a solid line that carved the entire ramp. And Jay Miron proved that you can't keep a good Canadian down. He put together a powerful run that had him in first place for most of the first run.

Chad Kagy

But nobody could hold a candle to the top 3. Simon Tabron greeted the cheering audience with a smile and a wave, then dropped in for a sick run that ended with a flawless 900 to finish with the bronze.

Chad Kagy was in 4th after his first run, but nobody deals with pressure better than this American from the garlic capital of the world. He put together a second run line that nailed a trick on almost every wall and pulled into 2nd place.

Watching Jamie Bestwick ride is like looking at architecture or watching Russian ballet. He transcends BMX riding and becomes something more like fine art. His first air hit about 8 feet. His massive flairs carved from one end of the ramp to the other and stuck just under the coping. His tail whip flair was completely inverted. His first run was so strong, nobody could touch him for the rest of the comp, and so his second run became a victory lap.

And when this gladiator stepped off the ramp, there was an understanding that BMX riding has entered a new era.