Friday at the Download Festival. Snickers Bowl prelims

Jun 10, 2006

Written by Bart de Jong

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FATBMX is at the Download festival in Donington, England. Today was the "local" version of the BMX and skate competition. Basically, the UK version had riders that rode to make it to the event on Sunday with all the big wigs. Only the winner went through and that was Chris Mahoney. He'll have to stay for the weekend but knowing Chris he doesn't have a problem hanging out with 100.000 hardrockers and the better skateboarders and BMX-ers. Bikes, Beers and Bitches is another way to describe the situation here. Black shirts galore and all out for a good time. Mike Mullen won the high air contest that was held after the comp was over. The dude still has it and he went pretty high. It was wild guessing how high exactly he went but the judges declared him the winner. Tool played on stage while Vans man Steve van Doren was flipping burgers for the BMX-ers and skateboarders. At the same time the pro practice session was going on. Jimmy Walker was looking really good. It's hard to tell what his regular way is and what his opposite side is.

Joe Rich is using the whole bowl and getting his lines figured out. It's a bowl contest so no vert up and down. This will be Joe's strength tomorrow. Also Ruben Alcantara has got lines down that are really unique. He pumps the ramp after carving a corner and does that with style. Dennis McCoy lacked a bunch of sleep (17 hours of travel straight to the ramp) and showed he's got the height. When it comes down to using the ramp to its fullest we're not too sure. He was working on his pocket airs though.

Bas Keep was sporting a bright RedBull helmet. We're guessing he had to give in. But that is not a bad thing. RedBull is cool. MadJon Taylor has been riding loads lately. He moved to Hastings and has been profiting from Seventies' indoor location. He's on the HB Bama these days. Tom Stober has got the height but was lacking variations in practice to score a photo. Cardboard Koji Kraft does never hold back and he was looking really good in tonight's session.

The party is about to start in the hotel bar. We've got some Bavaria's on ice before we will make it downstairs. Tomorrow kicks off with the annual manual. Ruben won $ 1200,= USD for the longest manual last year. We heard this year is even more money. Ridiculous cash for a manual but who cares. Snickers is paying. Later.

BdJ