Dew Tour Draws Record Crowd in Salt Lake City

The AST Dew Tour loves SLC — and SLC loves it back.  The tour drew 63,481 fans this year according to tour officials — about 1,500 more than last year’s record turnout of 61,910.   In case you haven’t been reading our coverage, a full press release follows with all the info from the main event (you’ll have to check out our site for the Free Flow Tour and BMX SX results).

Dhers wins BMX Park, Macdonald Wins Skateboard Vert, Bestwick wins BMX Vert, Aitken wins BMX Dirt, Ortiz wins Skateboard Park and Jones wins FMX at AST Dew Tour event in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY – Daniel Dhers won the BMX Park event and Andy Macdonald won the skateboard vert event Sunday in the Toyota Challenge.

In BMX park, Dhers remained perfect this year in AST competition, winning the event for his fourth victory of the season

The 23-year old Dhers, from Venezuela, fell at the end of his first run and was fourth at the end of the first round, but rebounded in the second run to finish at 93.33.

Mike Spinner, of Miami, had the lead after his first run, but was bumped into second by Dhers, the last rider to compete in the second heat. Spinner finished with 93.00 points. Garrett Reynolds of Toms River, N.J. was third at 92.00.

“I didn’t have the best first run, and then the second round when Spinner started bobbling with his first trick, I said, ‘OK, I think that the door is open for me to win,’” Dhers said.

Dher’s winning run included a double whip on a big hip, a 360 X up and a table flair to 720.

“I thought, ‘The line is working, don’t fall now, you’re really far ahead,” Dhers said. “So, as I kept going everything just started working. I was so happy. It feels awesome. This is my ninth contest that I’ve won this year out of 11.”

In skateboard vert, Macdonald, of Boston, earned his first win on the AST Dew Tour.

“It feels awesome,” Macdonald said. “I’m so psyched.  For me it’s like the Boston Red Sox winning the championship. I broke the curse. It took the Red Sox 86 years to finally win and it took me four on the Dew Tour.”

The 35-year-old Macdonald earned a 90.50 on his second run, which included a 720, multiple 540’s and difficult switch stance maneuvers. In the third and final round, the competition was unable to best his score.

Canada’s Pierre-Luc Gagnon was second at 90.25 and Bob Burnquist, of Brazil, was third at 88.25.

Bucky Lasek finished fifth in the event, but leads the point standings with 325 going into the final event. The race for the Dew Cup is close with Burnquist trailing by five points at 320 and Macdonald in third with 310.

In front of the largest single day crowd in AST Dew Tour history, Chaz Ortiz won his first ever professional skateboard park event and Adam Jones won the freestyle motocross event Saturday in the Toyota Challenge. The day’s competitions drew a record 25,996 fans, the highest single day mark in the Tour’s four-year history.

In what is considered the largest crowd in skateboard park history, fourteen-year old Ortiz won the event while competing in his rookie season.

Ortiz, from Chicago, went trick for trick with three-time defending Dew Cup champion Ryan Sheckler and they were tied after their first runs. Sheckler, from San Clemente, Calif. surpassed Ortiz with his second run, but it was the 7-minute jam session that decided the win.

Ortiz executed a kickflip frontside boardslide and kickflip out on the rail and earned 93.05.  Sheckler was second with a score of 90.00 and Brazil’s Rodolfo Ramos was third at 85.90.

“I landed all the tricks I wanted to,” Ortiz said. “After my first run I was feeling pretty confidant. I just wanted to get top three and obviously the results were better than I thought. I’m feeling good. I’m super happy. I guess today was my day.”

Sheckler gave Ortiz high-fives between his runs and congratulated him on his first win of the AST Dew Tour season.

“We’re all friends,” Sheckler said. “If you’re not friends in skateboarding and you compete against these guys, there’s no future in it. It’s not a team sport but if you have fun with everyone, it makes it a lot easier. And we do, we all have fun together.”

Sheckler now leads the point standings at 338, but Ortiz is close behind with 330 points. Paul Rodriguez trails with 323 points, setting the stage for a close finale in Orlando to decide the Dew Cup winner.

In freestyle motocross, the 24-year-old Jones, of Minden, Nev. secured the lead in his first run with a turntable to no-handed, no-footed can can; a dead body and a stripper flip to earn 94.17 points. Australian Robbie Madison was second at 92.13 and Jeremy Lusk of San Diego followed at 91.50.

“I try to keep my runs unique,” Jones said. “I know there are a couple big tricks that everybody is doing out there that you have to have.  Apart from just one or two of those, I try to do stuff that other people aren’t doing. The ones that people don’t see.  Even if it doesn’t pay off it is still cool to do your own thing.  Luckily, this week it paid off.”

With this win, Jones leads the Dew Tour standings with 245 points.

“I am pumped to be on top,” Jones said. “It has been a while since I felt this good on my bike and have been this confident riding.  It is an awesome way to finish the week.”

Jamie Bestwick won the BMX vert event and Mike Aitken won the BMX dirt event Friday in the Toyota Challenge.

In BMX vert, Bestwick won a tiebreaker against Chad Kagy to top the BMX Vert competition Friday in the Toyota Challenge.

The 37-year-old Bestwick, from England, earned his third victory of the AST Dew Tour season with 93.00 points, despite competing with an injured back.

Kagy, from Gilroy, Calif., ended up second based on a lower second-run score. England’s Simon Tabron was third at 92.17.

Kagy took the lead in his first run with 93.00 points in a performance that included a Superman seat grab and a 540 tailwhip. His fellow competitors were unable to best his score for the remainder of the first heat.

Kagy retained the lead throughout the second heat, until Bestwick, the last competitor, performed. Bestwick tied Kagy in his run, which included an alley oop downside tailwhip and multiple 540s. Their remaining scores in the two-run finals decided the tiebreaker. Bestwick’s 92.00 bested Kagy’s 89.17.

“I did what I could do tonight,” Bestwick said. “Chad rode fantastic and Simon rode the best I’ve ever seen him move. My legs are feeling fine, but my back hurts. It feels horrible that my body is starting to fail me.”

Bestwick will take a 30-point lead into the finals in Orlando, Fla.

“I was glad to come out and lay it down at the Toyota Challenge and I did what I could today,” Bestwick said. “The goal is to go to Orlando and take this thing.”

In BMX dirt, style prevailed over technical tricks when Aitken won the competition.

Aitken said he rode his bike as a testament to BMX trail riding style of the past, rather than the technical, cutting-edge, progressive style executed by today’s top riders. “It’s rare to see me upside down,” Aitken said.

The 25-year-old Aitken, of Salt Lake City, finished at 92.08 points. Australia’s Corey Bohan finished second at 91.92 and fellow Australian Cameron White was third at 91.92, but with a lower scoring earlier run than Bohan.

Aitken’s winning run included a variety of stylish 360 tricks.

“To win it doing the things that I’m into and the things that I love makes it that much more special,” Aitken said.

“I went in there and I did what I normally do. I tried to keep the nerves down. I honestly didn’t think I had a chance. I’m just shocked and happy to be up here.”

The four-day competition, the fourth of five stops on the Dew Tour that features skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross, drew 63,481 fans. This is the highest attended event in the four-year history of the Dew Tour. The tour will conclude in October in Orlando, Fla.

AST Dew Tour-Toyota Challenge Results
Friday, September 12, 2008, Salt Lake City

BMX Vert Finals

1.  Jamie Bestwick, Great Britain, 93.00.  2. Chad Kagy, Gilroy, Calif., 93.00.  3. Simon Tabron, Great Britain, 92.17.  4. Jimmy Walker, Chicago, Ill., 91.50.  5. Steven McCann, Australia, 91.33.  6. Zackery Warden, St. Louis, Mo., 90.33.  7. Dennis McCoy, Kansas City, Mo., 89.33.  8.  Francisco Zurita, Chile, 88.50.  9. Austin Coleman, Los Angeles, Calif., 88.33.  10. Jay Eggleston, Denver, Colo., 86.83.

BMX Dirt Finals

1. Mike Aitken, Salt Lake City, 92.08.  2. Corey Bohan, Australia, 91.92.  3. Cameron White, Australia, 91.92.  4. Dennis Enarson, La Mesa, Calif., 91.84.  5. James Foster, Redlands, Calif., 91.50.  6. TJ Ellis, Moreno Valley, Calif., 90.09.  7. Luke Parslow, Australia, 90.09.  8. Anthony Napolitan, Youngstown, Ohio, 88.59.  9. Brandon Dosch, Lake Orion, Mich., 88.34.  10. Cory Nastazio, West Palm Beach, Fla., 88.25

AST Dew Tour-Toyota Challenge Results
Saturday, September 13, 2008, Salt Lake City

Skateboard Park Finals

1. Chaz Ortiz, Chicago, 93.05.  2. Ryan Sheckler, San Clemente, Calif., 90.00.  3. Rodolfo Ramos, Brazil, 85.90.  4. Greg Lutzka, Milwaukee, 84.75.  5. Carlos De Andrade, Brazil, 82.00.  6. Austen Seaholm, Anaheim, Calif., 81.60.  7. Danilo Do Rosario, Brazil, 79.75.  8. Paul Rodriguez, Tarzana, Calif., 79.50.  9. Tulio Oliveira, Brazil, 79.25.  10. Kurtis Colamonico, Long Beach, Calif., 78.75.

Freestyle Motocross Finals

1. Adam Jones, Minden, Nev., 94.17.  2. Robbie Maddison, Australia, 92.13.  3. Jeremy Lusk, San Diego, 91.50.  4. Beau Bamburg, Gresham, Ore., 89.90.  5. Mike Mason, Carson City, Nev., 87.43.  6. Ronnie Faisst, Mays Landing, N.J., 86.03.  7. Blake Williams, Australia, 85.83.  8. Todd Potter, Temecula, Calif., 81.67.  9. Nate Adams, Glendale, Ariz., 66.13.  10. Mat Rebeaud, Switzerland, DNS.

AST Dew Tour-Toyota Challenge Results
Sunday, September 14, 2008, Salt Lake City

BMX Park Finals

1. Daniel Dhers, Venezuela, 93.33.  2. Mike Spinner, Miami,  93.00.  3. Garrett Reynolds, Toms River, N.J., 92.00.  4. Craig Mast, Champion, Ohio, 91.83.  5. Ryan Guettler, Australia, 91.50.  6. Kevin Kiraly, Livermore, Calif., 91.00.  7. Rob Darden, Greenville, N.C., 90.33.  8. Gary Young, San Diego, 90.00.  9. Drew Bezanson, Canada, 89.33.  10. Alistair Whitton, Great Britain, 88.17.

Skateboard Vert Finals

1. Andy Macdonald, Boston, 90.50.  2. Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Canada, 90.25.  3. Bob Burnquist, Brazil, 88.25.  4. Adam Taylor, Cocoa Beach, Fla., 87.75.  5. Bucky Lasek, Baltimore, 87.00.  6. Sandro Dias, Brazil, 82.75.  7. Marcelo Bastos, Brazil, 77.00.  8. Neal Hendrix, Lewisville, N.C., 75.50.  9. Buster Halterman, Wellsville, Penn., 68.75.  10. Alex  Perelson, San Diego, 51.50.

AST Dew Tour Current Standings

BMX Vert Points

1. Jamie Bestwick, 385.  2. Chad Kagy, 355.  3. Simon Tabron, 290.  4. Steven McCann, 276.  5. Dennis McCoy, 240.  6. Jimmy Walker, 237.  7. Zackery Warden, 203.  8. Jay Eggleston, 196.  9. John Parker, 183.  10. Austin Coleman, 171.

BMX Dirt Points

1. Cameron White, 303.  2. Luke Parslow, 279.  3. Corey Bohan, 278.  4. Ryan Nyquist, 276.  5. James Foster, 264.  6. Dennis Enarson, 262.  7. Cory Nastazio, 202.  8. Ryan Guettler, 201.  9. Rob Darden, 172.  10. Diogo Canina, 158.

Skateboard Park Points

1. Ryan Sheckler, 338.  2. Chaz Ortiz, 330.  3. Paul Rodriguez, 323.  4. Greg Lutzka, 285.  5. Austen Seaholm, 240.  6. Rodolfo Ramos, 217.  7. Carlos De Andrade, 206.  8. Danilo Do Rosario, 162.  9. Fabrizio Santos, 161.  10. Chad Bartie, 152.

Freestyle Motocross Points

1. Adam Jones, 165.  2. Blake Williams, 160.  3. Robbie Maddison, 145.  4. Nate Adams, 140.  5. Jeremy Lusk, 140.  6. Mat Rebeaud, 125.  7. Beau Bamburg, 115.  8. Mike Mason, 115.  9. Ronnie Faisst, 83.  10. Thomas Pages, 75.

BMX Park Points

1. Daniel Dhers, 400.  2. Mike Spinner, 330.  3. Rob Darden, 252.  4. Ryan Nyquist, 222.  5. Garrett Reynolds, 221.  6. Steven McCann, 216.  7. Craig Mast, 216.  8. Ryan Guettler, 189.  9. Dennis Enarson, 168.  10. Marcus Tooker, 154.

Skateboard Vert Points

1. Bucky Lasek, 325.  2. Bob Burnquist, 320.  3. Andy Macdonald, 310.  4. Pierre-Luc Gagnon, 308.  5. Adam Taylor, 257.  6. Sandro Dias, 216.  7. Renton Millar, 202.  8. Buster Halterman, 186.  9. Josh Stafford, 165.  10. Neal Hendrix, 158.