by Jessica Lee
After a weekend full of eye popping freestyle motocross tricks, hilarious athletes and more Mountain Dew than you could possibly ever want I am sad to see it all end. I'm talking about the AST Dew Tour; the elite 5 stop action sports tour. Before going out to the PlayStation Pro here in Orlando, FL I thought I knew what to expect - freestyle motocross, BMX, and skateboarding - that's all. I was wrong, way wrong! This year's Dew Tour was more exciting than ever. They added a pro wakeboarding demo into the mix and also added a BMX/Skate competition for local talent.
Just like last year's PlayStation Pro the whole weekend was more than awesome. The best part of the event was the FMX prelims and finals. I could care less about skateboarding or BMX but if you sit me down right in front of a few FMX ramps I would be more than amazed for hours. I guess hundreds of other people feel the same way because during the prelims/finals the area was jam-packed. I guess seeing tricks like the stripper, kiss of death, 9 O clock nac, or the backflip cordova being done on a 210 LB bike at more than 50 ft in the air is way more appealing! Just watching FMX gets my adrenaline pumping. Nate Adams won both the event and the cup.
Sure the FMX venue was packed, but it was nothing compared to the Skate Board Park. A 17 year old by the name of Ryan Sheckler caused a stir and almost every girl in the venue was there for Ryan. Sheckler's fans are so crazy that they made shirts, posters, and even wrote him letters. The line was 3 hours long just to get into watch him skate! Ryan won both the event and the Dew Cup even with MTV cameras filming his every move.
It looks crazy hard to do the BMX tricks. The bikes they ride are ultra light and cost thousands of dollars. Just like we put lighter frames, rims etc on our dirtbikes they do the same for BMX. One thing I still don't understand is why most of the BMX riders wear these super tight skinny jeans. My friends and I spent a lot of time laughing at it but I guess it's just their style. Outside at the BMX Dirt course TJ Lavin broke his leg in a nasty looking fall and a few other riders got their bell rung as well. Luke Parslow won the BMX Dirt event and Daniel Dhers won BMX Park.
I learned so much about the AST Dew Tour this year and some of the facts about the tour are pretty sweet. There are over 3 million dollars in prize money and at each event athletes earn points towards the Dew Cup. There are 19 countries and 35 states being represented.
Surprisingly, the youngest athlete on the tour this year was Nyjah Huston who is just 12 years old. Next year, if you think you've got what it takes to compete against the top guys then go for it, but you're going to have to qualify. Sounds scary - but hey I'd go for it! The tour has been a turning point in the careers of a lot of young athletes. It gets great exposure and is broadcast for over 33 hours on NBC.
Like I said last year, I would highly suggest you go to the event closest to your home town next year. Also starting in December the AST Dew Tour will have a winter tour. That might be something you'll want to check out! Tickets this year were 15 dollars for a day. That's a great deal for all you get to do!
Source: Bikeland.org