The final stop of the AST Dew tour in Orlando brought some interesting things for FMX. If 2008 has taught us anything, FMX is anyone’s game.
After the first two comps on the Dew tour there was a different set of three riders on the podiums.
Coming into Orlando, Adam Jones had the lead with the win in Salt Lake and Blake Williams trailed slightly behind Jones with the win in Baltimore.
Then there’s Robbie Madison, who’s in third. In fourth, you got Nate Adams, who took last year’s Dew title. In fifth, Jeremy Lusk, who won this year’s X-Games, Mathieu Rebeaud, who took the X-Fighters Comp and then you have Ronnie Faisst, Mike Mason and Beau Bamberg.
Also, playing a huge factor are the injuries. Top riders, Nate Adams and Mat Rebaud are both sidelined from their falls in Salt Lake. Also, Jeremy Stenberg’s a no-show. Again, FMX is anybody’s game right now.
The FMX track in Orlando featured huge 75 foot jumps with kickers that criss crossed right in front of the Amway arena. The wind was blowing hard from the west, but after a few laps of practice the riders seemed to be pretty comfortable pulling their tricks.
The riders began hitting the course. The Dew FMX format is to take the best of two runs. Faisst was riding with torn ligaments and cartiledge in his knee went huge with no-handed backflips, Wiley Fullmer opened with a completely scorpioned-out kiss of death and double grab indian airs, Myles Richmond busted out the craziest whip ever.
Derek Garland of San Clemente, California did his superman backflip and fully extended cliffhangers, Mike Mason hit up his heelclicker backflips and Jeff Kargola blasted the cordova flip and the amazing superman backflip.
Then came the heavy hitters Bamberg, Lusk, Maddison and Adam Jones.
Beau Bamberg held his no handed backflip for days, Lusk hit a flurry of tricks, like his off-axis backflip, indian air and cordova flips. The Aussie Robbie Madison said g’day with his superman backflip and the super-insane lazyboy backflip. Then Adam Jones jumped in with a holy grab, double seran wrap, turntable flip and the crazy-cool stripper backflip over the 75 footer.
Jones’ first run was enough to take the win. Robbie Madison pulled into second and Beau Bamberg took the third. All three stepped up on the podium to take their prizes.
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“This is right up there,” says Jones. “I won a very big, very prestigious event today, and also won the championship at the same time. I tried to tell myself I didn’t feel any pressure, but I felt a fair bit of pressure. I didn’t sleep at all last night, just tossing and turning worrying about this. I’m glad it’s over. I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight.”
Jones victory in two of the three stops gave him enough points to take home the Dew Cup and set him in good position for next year. All in all the AST/Dew FMX was successful with no major injuries and the Orlando crowd definitely left entertained.
—Chris Eudaley
Results
1. Adam Jones
2. Robbie Maddison
3. Jeremy Lusk
4. Beau Bamburg
5. Jeff Kargola
6. Mike Mason
7. Myles Richmond
8. Wiley Fullmer
9. Derek Garland
10. Ronnie Faisst
