HIGHLIGHT DAY 3

Last day for the only North American stop of the 2017 FISE World Series, but not the least! After a morning filled with enthusiasm and impressive riding from the amateurs, things started to get serious once the pros stepped in.

 

 

The pro finals kicked off with the BMX Flat Pro, in a filled-up amphitheater that brought the energy up a notch on stage. 

 

We knew the battle for the two first places would be a tough one, with names like Jean-William Prévost et Matthias Dandois as contenders. Prévost, happy to ride in home turf, once again blew our minds with technical, original tricks: but very slight mistakes made him unable to beat his rival, Matthias Dandois. Nevertheless, the second place that Prévost reached today gave him enough points to keep his spot in the overall rankings, making him the 2017 FISE World Series Champion.

 

Once his turn came, Dandois knew exactly what he had to do to win the biggest scores he could! The Parisian stomped some mind-blowing combinations that lasted well over a minute. With some very “Dandois-esque” tricks, he managed to perform to the level we know he can, making the crowd go absolutely nuts and show their love for the French man.

 

Great surprise for third place: the young Benjamin Hudson from Chile managed to push past some big names in the rankings with a squeaky clean run that showed great bike control and an impressive variety of tricks.

 

The competitions kept going on all day on the Skateboard Street course, bringing together locals and foreigners. The chilled-out atmosphere of the skate events didn’t mean the riding level wasn’t high! The American Gabriel Zander offered an impressive performance and took home first place, thanks to his very technical tricks. The contest was, of course, open to women, with the notable participation of three young local girls, who rode with the great encouragement of the crowd and of their fellow skateboarders. The scooter contest also gathered a lot of participants and allowed riders of all ages to come express themselves and take part in the competition on the street course.

 

One of the most awaited events of the weekend was, of course, the UCI BMX Freestyle Park finals. The windy conditions yesterday played a big part in building a feeling of anticipation, and both crowd and riders were ready for today’s finals. Mother Nature was trying to shake things off again, bringing winds averaging 23 km/h, but the determination of the riders to complete their competition was stronger than the possible doubts in their minds.

 

Expectations were high for Brandon Loupos, after his win in FISE Budapest. Digging deep for stamina and big tricks, he was certainly putting a lot of pressure on his competitors. A crash in his second run cost him the highest steps on the podium.

 

Smooth and consistent: this is how Logan Martin’s riding could be described. Without any big surprises in his runs, the Australian kept the riding level we are used to seeing it, but without the extra spark or over-the-top technical tricks that would have allowed him to climb on the highest step of the podium.

 

It’s Daniel Dhers who took the win for the third stop of the 2017 FISE World Series. The king of consistency always has a very strategical approach to his riding, solidifying his lead in the overall rankings. Dhers focused mostly on his lines, rather than taking a trick-focused approach:

“ The course this year was pretty good, there were a lot of transfer options. A lot of the guys focus on tricks, other on lines. We had a course that allowed both”.

 

What’s better to wrap of a weekend of action sport than a Slopestyle Mountain Bike Final?

 

The crowd, ready to get their mind blown, gathered along the straight dirt course to watch the pros do what they came here to do: pull their biggest tricks. 

 

Yesterday’s windy conditions played a big part in building a feeling of anticipation, and both crowd and riders were ready for today’s finals. Mother Nature was still trying to shake things off a bit, bringing winds averaging 23 km/h, but the determination of the riders to complete their competition was stronger than the possible doubts in their minds. Luckily, all the riders were able to find a lull in the wind to drop from the top platform, showcasing phenomenal riding from a fully international group. 

 

 

Since judges were looking for utter perfection to give high scores, it’s no surprise for anyone to have seen Nicholi Rogatkin climb up to first place, straight from the first run. The American rider, known for his “cash or crash” approach, gave it all he’s got right from the start. He pulled a jaw-dropping first run that started with a double tailwhip on the drop, followed by a technical front flip tuck no-hander and a cash roll, wrapping things up with a cork 720. This run, which gave the FMB World tour overall leader a 92.33 points, brought him to an unbeatable first place.