If you haven’t seen HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel featuring X Games BMX Gold Medallist Stephen Murray, I suggest you try to catch it.  I just saw it and it’s an amazing in depth look at Stephen’s journey starting way back when he took the gold at the 2001 X Games.  Sports reporter Mary Carillo talks with Stephen, his family, and close friends who have been there every step of his extraordinary rehabilitation process.  Check out a few words from HBO below and the air times.

His family open up to Mary Carillo on a very personal level to discuss what the last 17 months has been like, and what struggles the family has been faced with. Friends & fellow riders, Heath Pinter, Luke Parslow & John Jennings discuss the absence of medical insurance and why it is so difficult to get coverage as an action sports athlete. What does the future hold for Stephen? How does his manage his household with 2 young sons? We visit the manufacture where he & Kimaire Hunt, have developed a “Stay Strong Apparel Line”. Stay Strong, a term once said to Stephen from fans and well wishers across the World, now becomes words to live by.

Upcoming Airdates

DATE/TIME     CHANNEL
Fri 12/5 12:55 AM     HBO2 – EAST
Sat 12/6 12:00 PM     HBO – EAST
Sun 12/7 08:00 AM     HBO2 – EAST
Tue 12/9 06:30 PM     HBO – EAST
Wed 12/10 05:00 AM     HBO – EAST
Wed 12/10 10:30 AM     HBO2 – EAST
Wed 12/10 10:00 PM     HBO2 – EAST
Fri 12/12 04:00 PM     HBO – EAST
Tue 12/16 02:35 AM     HBO – EAST
Tue 12/16 07:00 PM     HBO2 – EAST

Enter Aaron Cooke, who started the Athlete Recovery Fund. The non-profit takes donations to help injured professional BMX and freestyle motocross riders and skateboarders.

BMX rider Aaron started the organization after his good friend and fellow pro, Stephen Murray, was injured in last summer’s AST Dew Tour. “He got hurt on Friday, and on Monday, I was trying to find out how to help him raise money and save him some troubles that were definitely to come,” Cooke said.

Though Murray was lucky enough to have insurance, it didn’t cover nearly enough of his medical expenses. That made Cook realize that Stephen was not the only action athlete who would need financial help.

“We need to have money ready for an injury that happens in our sports, rather than the panic of trying to raise money after the fact,” Cooke said.

ARF was able to pay for an air ambulance for recently brain-injured BMX rider Mike Aitken, to fly him home to Salt Lake City from Pennsylvania. It cost $21,900. Aitken has no insurance. He is the fifth athlete ARF has assisted. In July, ARF was able to pay for the family of injured freestyle motocross rider Greg Hartman to fly to his side when he was injured in Cleveland during the Dew Tour’s Right Guard Open.

ARF funds come from thousands of donations of all sizes, made from all over the world. Cooke takes no salary, so nearly all the money goes to injured pro athletes. They don’t even have to be seriously injured.

“Our help is judged on financial need, not the level of injury. for someone who doesn’t have coverage, even $500 may be way out of their budget. In that case, we’re here to help,” Cooke says.

ARF is now trying to help action athletes be considered more insurable. Cooke is busy working with insurance companies and agents to have them be more willing to cover action professionals.

He also says that ARF is supplemental, it’s not meant to replace insurance. Care for an injury like Mike Aitken’s or Stephen Murray’s can cost more than six million dollars, and with today’s economy, raising funds is hard.

As for insurance companies, Cooke says their reluctance is based on fear. “What these athletes do is so amazing that it looks like there’s a huge risk involved. But it’s very rare that there’s a catastrophic injury to an action athlete.”

To support the ARF, visit AthleteRecoveryFund.com.

- by Wina Sturgeon
AdventureSportsWeekly.com

BMX Dirt rider Mike Aitken, who just last month celebrated a win at the Salt Lake City stop of the AST Dew Tour, was injured in a crash Sunday in Pennsylvania.

Aitken was filming a video part at the Posh trails when he crashed doing a 360 spin.  He suffered multiple injuries, including broken bones in the face and jaw.

Aitken was reportedly disoriented and convulsing when brought to a local hopital and was sedated.  He has yet to regain consciousness though he has suffered an additional seizure and has been diagnosed with bleeds on his brain.

Aitken did not have insurance and a website has been set up to provide updates about his condition and to accept donations for his recovery.

Visit MikeAitken.com to learn more or go to 5050BMX.com to make a donation.

Aitken’s injury again brings to light the dangers of the sport, with Stephen Murray’s accident and subsequent paralysis last year being the highest profile.  The Athlete Recovery Fund (ARF), which was formed earlier this year — partially in response to Murray’s accident — has just been featured in USA Today and will be helping raise money for Aitken.

Sounds like it was a huge party and it was nice to see that Stephen Murray made an appearance, handing out Dirt Jumper of the Year to Corey Bohan.

Check out the results below and go to FAT BMX for some cool pix (one of which we appropriated here — give the credit to Andy Z for the pic).

2008 NORA Cup Awards Results

• Flatland rider of the year: Terry Adams
• BMX Racer of the year: Mike Day
• Video of the year: End Search
• Dirt Jumper of the year: Corey Bohan
• Ramp rider of the year: Daniel Dhers
• Video part of the year: Sean Burns
• Street rider of the year: Garrett Reynolds

The USA broadcast at midnight showed the dramatic showdown for the top spot in dirt, with Ryan Nyquist sealing the win in the final run of the night. He threw out a new trick dubbed the “Powerball” (a cannonball double barspin) and scored a 95.50 which took him barely over James Foster (the final score is an average of the best two out of three runs).

The broadcast also featured the debut of TJ Lavin’s new single, “Soldier,” which is dedicated to and about Stephen. You can click on the player below to check it out. It contains a lot of older footage of Stephen and is great to watch. The CD comes out on July 8th and can be preordered at Best Buy. Song features vocals by Lavin, Pippa Tabron and music by Simon Tabron. Cory Nastazio also has an appearance.

Here’s a press release from the AST about the Day’s events. Also be sure to check out AST.com for more about the AST Dew Tour.

Bestwick wins BMX Vert and Nyquist wins BMX Dirt at AST Dew Tour Panasonic Open in Baltimore

BALTIMORE – Jamie Bestwick won the BMX Vert event and Ryan Nyquist came from behind on his final run to win the BMX dirt competition Friday in the AST Dew Tour Panasonic Open.

The 36-year-old Bestwick, from England, sealed his victory with an alley-oop in his first run, which earned him a 96.00 score. Chad Kagy of Gilroy, Calif. was second at 93.17, followed by England’s Simon Tabron at 92.00.

“I tried to stay smooth and high on my first run and I hit them all perfectly,” Bestwick said. “I didn’t know my first run would turn out like that. That was amazing.”

It’s good for me to take the early lead right now, but the race for the Cup is just getting started. It’s not over yet.”

Bestwick, the three-time defending Dew Cup champion, has won 12 out of 16 events in the four-year history of the Tour.

In the BMX dirt competition, Nyquist executed a flawless first run that placed him out of reach of the competition.

James Foster of Redlands, Calif. finished second with 95.09, and Australia’s Cameron White was third at 94.00.

“Definitely a lot of pressure,” Nyquist said. “It was pretty intense up there for me.”

“I can’t even count the number of times I’ve blown the chance to lock it in before I had to take the third run.”

Nyquist performed a trick that he named the powerball, which is a cannonball double barspin. He is the only athlete that has ever completed this trick.

The level of competition was fierce throughout the event. In his final run, Foster completed back-to-back technical tricks, a triple tailwhip and a windshield wiper, but it was not enough to take the win.

The four-day competition is the first of five stops of the AST Dew Tour that features skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross. Saturday’s action features Skateboard Park and Skateboard Vert finals, while the Sunday schedule includes the Freestyle Motocross and BMX Park finals.

AST Dew Tour-Panasonic Open Results
Friday, June 20, 2008
Baltimore

BMX Vert Finals
1. Jamie Bestwick, Great Britain, 96.00.
2. Chad Kagy, Gilroy, Calif., 93.17.
3. Simon Tabron, Great Britian, 92.00.
4. Kevin Robinson, East Providence, R.I., 91.17.
5. Austin Coleman, Los Angeles, Calif., 90.17.
6. Steven McCann, Australia, 89.83.
7. Dennis McCoy, Kansas City, Mo., 89.17.
8. John Parker, State College, Penn., 89.00.
9. Jimmy Walker, Chicago, Ill., 87.50.
10. Jay Eggleston, Denver, Colo., D.N.S.(Did Not Start).

BMX Dirt Finals
1. Ryan Nyquist, Greenville, N.C., 95.42.
2. James Foster, Redlands, Calif., 95.09.
3. Cameron White, Australia, 94.00.
4. Diogo Canina, Brazil, 93.25.
5. Corey Bohan, Australia, 93.17.
6. Luke Parslow, Australia, 92.42.
7. Dennis Enarson, La Mesa, Calif., 92.09.
8. Chris Gerber, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 90.00.
9. Cory Nastazio, West Palm Beach, Fla., 89.59.
10. Colin Mackay, Australia, 89.42.

AST Dew Tour Current Standings

BMX Vert Points
1. Jamie Bestwick, 100.
2. Chad Kagy, 85.
3. Simon Tabron, 75.
4. Kevin Robinson, 70.
5. Austin Coleman, 65.
6. Steven McCann, 61.
7. Dennis McCoy, 57.
8. John Parker, 53.
9. Jimmy Walker, 49.
10. Jay Eggleston, 45

BMX Dirt Points
1. Ryan Nyquist, 100.
2. James Foster, 85.
3. Cameron White, 75.
4. Diogo Canina, 70.
5. Corey Bohan, 65.
6. Luke Parslow, 61.
7. Dennis Enarson, 57.
8. Chris Gerber, 53.
9. Cory Nastazio, 49.
10. Colin Mackay, 45.

While the top three qualifiers were not surprises (Corey Bohan, Diogo Canina, James Foster), some riders were new to the finals, including Josh Hult and Chis Gerber, who last made a Dew Tour final in 2006. Getting a bye into the finals were last year’s top three ranked riders, Ryan Nyquist, Cameron White and Dennis Enarson.

Among the surprise eliminations were 2005 Dew Cup champ Ryan Guettler, who was eliminated when Luke Parlsow placed 7th, and 2006 champ Anthony Napolitan, who placed 15h.

Everyone on hand was happy to see Stephen Murray on site, as he assisted with course design with Fuzzy Hall and will be providing some announcing on Friday’s finals. Of course, Murray was injured last year during the AST Dew Tour dirt finals.

Cory Nastazio cr. AST

The BMX Dirt finals will take place on Friday from 7:30-9 p.m. ET and highlights will air on USA on Friday at midnight (ET).

Here’s the lineup for Friday’s final (in order)

12. Chris Doyle
11. Colin Mackay
10. Luke Parslow
9. Chris Gerber
8. Cory Nastazio
7. Josh Hult
6. James Foster
5. Diogo Canina
4. Corey Bohan
3. Dennis Enarson
2. Cameron White
1. Ryan Nyquist

BMX Dirt Prelim Results
June 19, 2008 – Top Nine Advance

1st — Bohan, Corey — 90.67
2nd — Canina, Diogo — 90.33
3rd — Foster, James — 89.67
4th — Hult, Josh — 89.50
5th — Nastazio, Cory — 89
6th — Gerber, Chris — 88.33
7th — Parslow, Luke — 88.33
8th — Mackay, Colin — 87.50
9th — Doyle, Chris — 87.33
—————————————–
10th — Guettler, Ryan — 87.17
11th — Ellis, TJ — 87.17
12th — Darden, Rob — 87
13th — Berkheimer, Nate — 87
14th — Wirch, Scott — 86.17
15th — Napolitan, Anthony — 85.83
16th — O’hara, Kyle — 85.67
17th — Aloise, Adam — 85.50
18th — Cooke, Allan — 85.33
19th — Bowers, Charlie — 84.33
20th — Wade, Morgan — 81.17
21st — Gethard, Brad — 79
22nd — Stead, Josh — 77.67
23rd — Clark, Michael — 75.67
24th — Voyles, Ben — 74.67
25th — McCann, Steven — 74.33
26th — Dosch, Brandon — 71.67
27th — Mildon, Jed — 71.33

On June 20, 2007, Stephen Murray suffered a horrific crash while competiting in the BMX Dirt finals at the Panasonic Open, the first stop of the AST Dew Tour. Now, one year later, he will be back in Baltimore to be at the event for the finals. While he’s still confined to a wheelchair and yet to regain use of his arms and legs, Murray’s improvement over the last 12 months has been amazing. Through the help of Dr. John W. McDonald, who was Christopher Reeve’s physician, Murray has hopes of being able to walk again in the future.

Meanwhile, at his home in Riverside, wife Melissa has help in taking care of Stephen and their two sons, Seth and Mason. While five-year-old Seth is at school, a nanny watches three-year-old Mason and allows Melissa to help Stephen start his day and go through phyiscal therapy with a visiting nurse or on-site therapist.

We visited Stephen and his family in May, before he left to return to Baltimore for more treatment with Dr. McDonald to appear at the Dew Tour. Murray was in good spirits, especially after a visit by friends Luke Parslow and TJ Ellis, and talked about his new “Stay Strong” merchandise line featuring different designs incorporating the phrase which became a rallying cry for his fellow athletes last year.

Murray is also releasing a new Oakley sunglass model and has friend TJ Lavin releasing a single named “Soldier” which is dedicated to Murray. On top of all that, Murray is setting up a new foundation which will help children who don’t have the means to get treatment for their injuries. It’s a busy time.

But Murray still takes time to spend with his wife and kids, and encourages Seth as he rides his bike in their yard.

Check out some photos and video from the visit, with some more to come. And be sure to check out Stephen Murray on the BMX Dirt broadcast at 12 midnight on USA network. Also coming Friday is the debut of the video for TJ Lavin’s “Soldier.”

Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.

Photo Gallery:

After Murray’s accident last June his home was put up for sale and the new owners will be leveling the dirt trails the home had. But they have agreed to allow the full ramp to be moved.

More details will be released later but check out the release that follows.

Sadly some of the best dirt trails in Riverside, Ca will soon be leveled and a mere memory. Though we could sit around for days discussing the details of the crazy Jams held there & the caliber of riders that have visited. Driving down Sunrise Hill Road will not be the same, when passing the yard that one displayed very prominent Full Ramp that once belonged to Stephen Murray. Just after Stephen’s accident the property was put up for sale. The new owners, have agreed to allow us time to have the ramp removed and or relocated.

The decision has been made to hold an auction. Though specifics, have not yet been finalized, a press release will be sent out within the next couple of weeks with all information. If you have ideas as to where you would like to see the ramp used or you are interested in the purchase of this piece of BMX History, please use the contact information provided below.

Kimarie Hunt
Cell: (714) 580-7736
Fax: (714) 849-2756
actionsports007@aol.com

If you live in or around Riverside, CA, you can take part in “A Day of Golf” from the Active Force Foundation — all proceeds will benefit the Foundation and the Stay Strong Stephen Murray Fund… The action kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. And you don’t have to play to contribute. Click here to download a form to contribute!