PAT CASEY QUALIFIED FOR BMX SPINE RAMP PRO !

1 ramp, 90 riders and thousands of spectators gather round and the atmosphere is electric. Despite the late start the festival-goers remained on the site to finish the day in style watching with what has become a true FISE tradition.

After some great runs by  French rider THIBAUT PANAVILLE, and Russian rider ROMAN KHAYRUTDINOV and some severe but not serious falls, it is the Chilean VICTOR MUNOZ who probably scored the most points with his second run landing a double whip air, 36 invert well on the spine and a big flair on the kicker.

 

The level rises in the next heat as we see REILLY KIERAN (UK), JUSTIN DOWELL (USA), JOEL BONDU (CAN) and ANDRES PARDO (Colombia) complete their runs.

Reilly Kieran produces a brilliant bag of tricks at his first Fise event. At only 16 years old, he represents the future of British BMX. He hits hard with two runs full of technicality, amazing skill and power for rider who is such a young age and manages to land a 360 double whip to bar spin, condor to footjam on the sub box and so many other cool tricks. He looks certain to make it to the final alongside Joel Bondu who is back from the Circ du soleil and lands his usual combos: flair whip to table, windshield wiper super high.

Andres Pardo from Colombia completes the most beautiful 360 Hucker style but with an added xup one foot. Justin Dowell shows us his famous twist and a crazy routine which might earn him a place in the final. 

 

KEVIN PERAZA tried the most unlikely variations in gturn 540, the privileged present on the platform probably know what was planned but for us its hard to tell. Will we have the chance to see him later on the UCI park? He may not have done enough and a few small mistakes in his runs will surely prevent him from making it into the final.

For the rest, the competition is in full swing with impressive runs from the Russian riders. ALEX NIKULIN still airy and stylish, even in his flair 540; KOSTYA ANDREEV who has fun grabbing his seat in a superman to launch a whip and IREK RISAEV multiplying the whips with his usual ease.

 

It’s time for the last heat and specialists like PAT CASEY who has a ramp in his back garden to show what they’ve got. Pat scores a perfect run that earns him first place with 86.50 pts (his run). He is ahead of José Torres revealed at FISE in 2016 and winner of the Simple Session at the beginning of the year. Again he flies over the ramp with a crazy height in a 360 double whip. Saturday night he will be one of the favourites in the final. Special mention to the Ecuadorian Jonathan Camacho, who is capable of launching into flair whip … wearing only small beach shorts. One of the strong images of this spectacular evening and a taste of whats in store for Saturday night.

 

 

Mark Webb and Kevin Peraza will not be part of the party unfortunately but we can still look forward to a crazy Saturday night !