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Sport
Description:
Dirt – With most of the dirt jumpers having roots in BMX racing, the sport
has evolved since 1995 from a sideshow attraction to a main attraction.
Competitors get one jump per round to show the judges the best they have to
offer in aerial maneuvers.
Flatland – Competitors square off in an event that embodies the true spirit of
biking through its demand of balance, agility, and patience. The riders are
judged on style, difficulty, originality, creativity, execution and overall
performance. In this highly technical discipline, riders lose points every time
they touch the ground.
Park – Bikers air, flip, spin and grind their way through a park course
consisting of spines, quarter-pipes, wedge ramps, handrails and some street
oriented obstacles. Bikers have 90 seconds to impress the judges with the
difficulty of their tricks and use of the course.
Vert – Several of the best bike stunt riders compete in a 12-foot-high,
56-foot-wide half pipe made of wood and surfaced with skatelite; a hard, fast
plastic composite. Each rider gets between 45 and 60 seconds to illuminate the
air with big air and risky, original tricks.
Scoring:
Dirt – In the preliminary round, 20 competitors each attempt three jumps. The
lowest score of three is dropped and the remaining two scores are averaged with
the top 10 riders moving on to the finals. In the finals, riders attempt three
more jumps, starting in reverse order of the prelim leaderboard.
Flatland – In the preliminary round, each of the 20 competitors complete a
two-minute run, with the top 10 advancing to the final round. In the final round
the athletes compete in reverse order of the leaderboard with each competitor
completing two 90-second runs. The highest score of the two is the final
ranking.
Park – In the preliminary round, each of the 22 competitors completes one run
that must be at least 60 seconds and at most 75 seconds. After a break, each
competitor must complete a second run and the better of the two scores is taken
to get the prelim score. The top 10 athletes advance to the final round. In the
final round the athletes compete in reverse order of the leaderboard. Each
competitor in the final round completes two runs the better of the two scores is
taken to get the final score.
Vert – In the preliminary round each of the 20 competitors completes two runs
that must each be a minimum of 45 seconds and a maximum of 60 seconds. The
better of the two scores are taken for the prelim score. The top 10 athletes at
the end of the preliminary round advance to the finals. In the final round,
competitors run in reverse order of the preliminary round leaderboard. Each
competitor completes two runs with the better score taken for a final score.
Equipment:
Bike – Vert bikes typically have two pegs on both wheels on each side of
the bike, larger handlebars and a higher seat than a normal BMX bike. Vert bikes
are set up to be more stable for airs and high speeds. Park/Street bikes have
two or four pegs, the handlebars and seat are lower and some might have the
handlebars swept back toward the rider. Most park/street bikes have only back
brakes or no brakes at all. Street/Park bikes are set up to be more agile and
sensitive.
Frames – The length of the top tube (which runs from the seat tube to the head
tube below the stem) determines Frame size.
Pegs – Steel or aluminum cylindrical pegs which are slid onto the axles of the
wheels and tightened down with axle nuts. Pegs are used to execute lip tricks in
vert, grind along ledges in park and hold a rider’s body in place in flatland.
Protective Gear – Competitors in Dirt Jumping, Park and Vert all wear helmets.
Most riders also wear knee, shin and elbow pads.
Who to Watch:
Jamie Bestwick (Aaronsburg, PA) demonstrated his mastery of the vert ramp by
capturing gold at both the EXPN Invitational in Grand Prairie, Texas and the
EXPN Invitational in Gwinnett County, Ga. He will be a big contender for the top
honors at X Games VIII. On the park course, few athletes have as much energy or
flexibility as Allister Whitton (Chester, Great Britain). He won his first-ever
trip to the X Games at the first European X Games Qualifier in Barcelona last
year. At X Games VII he wowed judges and took home the silver medal. He placed
first in the 2002 EXPN Invitational in Georgia and has been atop the leaderboard
all season.
Host City Logo used with the
permission of www.philadelphiaxgames.org.
Official Press Release of ESPN X Games VIII