PRO DIRT BMX MASTERS 2007

Jul 16, 2007

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 11359 times

On Friday before the contest fellow jump builder Benny Paulsen estimated a 10 rider field for dirt. The set up was gnarly and people who had entered (48 pro riders) did not have much time to get used to the course. Making it to the end of the course wasn't easy but when it mattered, 33 riders rode, which was a decent number. Respect to all who had the balls to drop in from that 5 meter high platform and made it to the last set.

Ryan "Biz" Jordan felt some pressure as his sponsor Volume/Demolition was supporting the event and fellow team mates Dennis Enarson and Chris Doyle did not make it to Cologne for different reasons. This left Biz with a lot of weight on his shoulders. Normally this results in Biz freezing up but in Cologne it was a different story. He made it work, blasted the highest airs over the first hip and came out the winner. Congrats. Ricardo Laguna whipped and lookbacked through the sets and on the last set he pulled no-handed backflips and flipwhips as well. It was good to see him do well as he is becoming a Europe-regular.

Another rider who goes for all or nothing is Patrick Guimez. He climbed on the podium at the end of the day which made the Frenchman smile.

The Dirt posse had built a bar next to the starting platform out of dirt and had a little party with special drinks on Saturday night.

Bibi was bartending and shooting a lot of covers (for whatever papparazzi magazine). Some French pro flatlander could not handle the drinks too well and Christian thought he became a pro street rider and wanted to jump a sketchy jump set up (flat table) "to whip." With everyone cheering him on he managed to clear the drop but the whip was still missing.

Anyway, back tot he dirt comp. Bibi finished 4th and probably scored a cover or two himself. Liam Eltham has got stile for miles and skills to pay the bills. 5th for the UK rider.

Allan Cooke rode straight over to the dirt section after pro street finals. Allan's always a top 10 contender in whatever he enters. It was hot in Koellefornia. You were sweating just standing around. Now imagine, riding pro street finals and then a pro dirt contest straight afterwards. Respect. 6th for the Pink Merlion.

The man who must have received plenty of comments about the jumps this weekend finished in 7th. Markus Hampl is a rider who doesn't seem to stress. He knew his jumps were well built and his friends could jump them too even if he was the only rider who had made it to the end on Friday. On Saturday the jumps were still a little soggy but after two days of sunshine it got a lot better. Some skinny wooden sheets were layed on top of a couple of take-offs and some landings saw some ruts at the end of the day but the 33 people who entered showed that he was right. Markus finished 7th in front of Dropsy, Kye Forte and Vincent "Fronty" Massardier.

PRO DIRT FINAL RESULTS:
1. BIZ JORDAN (USA)
2. RICARDO LAGUNA (USA)
3. PATRICK GUIMEZ
4. ROMAULD "BIBI" NOIROT (FRA)
5. LIAM ELTHAM (ENG)
6. ALLAN COOKE (USA)
7. MARKUS HAMPL (GER)
8. ALEX DROPSY (FRA)
9. KYE FORTE (ENG)
10. VINCENT "LA MACHINE" MASSARDIER (FRA)
11. LILIAN CONROY (FRA)
12. SIMON MORATZ (GER)
13. LEO FORTE (ENG)
14. DUSAN ANTALIK (SVK)
15. SHELTER DOE (ENG)
16. FLORIAN GRUNT (AUT)
17. PASCAL BACUET (FRA)

18. ARRASH SAIDI (USA)
19. RAFAEL ADAM (GER)
20. NORBERT GRANT (AUT)
21. BEN SHENKER (HU)
22. ROSS BROUGHTON (ENG)
23. AXEL JURGENS (ARG)
24. NICOLAS PILLIN (FRA)
25. SIMON HALL (UK)
26. BJORN HEYER (GER)
27. GREG VANTULDER (BEL)
28. NICOLAS BERTIER (FRA)
29. GERD SKANK (AUT)
30. PASCAL GUERARD (FRA)
31. MAXIME SEVILLA (FRA)
32. BAPTISTE NOBLE (FRA)
33. PHILLIP MITCHELL (USA)