Liberation JAM. Did the ramps get bombed?!?

May 06, 2007

Written by Bart de Jong

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The Liberation Jam in Tilburg was another excuse to get together and ride together. It's a theme that Team Neighbor lives by and fits well in the Dutch BMX scene. After 5 weeks of amazing sunshine and summer temperatures in Holland also this day was a good one. We are welcoming Global Warming as long as the dikes keep the water out.

Anyway, back to the Liberation jam which was organized by BMX-er Jesse de Doelder. On the 5th of May each year we celebrate the end of World War II and festivities take place all over. In Tilburg this year Jesse got a roll-in, jump ramp and quarter to wall at a prime spot in the city center and with the back-up from Red Bull there were some good tunes too. During the day anybody could ride the set-up. Mischa Rath was on the MIC to talk some shit and gap between the launch ramp and landing changed a few times during the day. It was a little flashback to the old GT Airshows that took that same (shitty) take-off ramp all over Europe.

The launch ramp frame was given to Bas Brouwer after the ramp had done its duty at the Sugar Hills for a couple of years after the demise of the European GT Air Show team. It still jumps shitty as most of the riders present found out.

During a session at the end of the day a "Best Trick" contest was held. Tricks could be done on the roll-in, the jump box or the quarter to wall and the crowd were judging the little comp.

Pim van den Bos came out the winner, followed by Mark Vos and Michael van der Lee. Champagne was sprayed and fun was had.

At the end of the day the place looked like a battlefield. Riders who challenged the set up all day were limping and bandaged. The ramps fell apart, cracked and had holes in them. It looked like the German tanks had made it back into town.

Even though the quality of the ramps and the riding wasn't at world level, days like these are good for BMX. There was a crowd all day long, TV was there and more importantly, kids on BMX bikes got to ride a different set-up with Holland's best riders all day long. No pressure, no security, no stress. A true BMX jam.

BdJ