July 2005: Dirt contest Rebel Jam. Berlin, Germany.

Jul 16, 2005

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 6538 times

Rebel Jam Dirt The normal dirt set-up usually consists of a few big sets with a big roll in. Not at the Rebel Jam. The permanent trails offered more than one line from the steep wooden starting hill. The rain on Friday made it sketchy if the dirt event could be run, but already on Saturday night people were flowing through the sections after the sun came out and the clay trails had dried up. The event was moved to Sunday regardless with amateur and pro qualifying and finals. Most amateurs chose the right line which started with a hip to the left and was followed by at least 7 doubles. Transfer lines were possible but most ams stayed on the straight line to the back. In pro this was a different story, especially when Hans Friedrich got to work. The Mellow Park employee had the lines down and went from the middle line all the way to the right and back through alleys that were barely visible. Hans won the creative award by multiple points and was stoked.

RedBull digger operator Markus Hampl mainly used the middle line but showed good tricks such as clicked turndown three-sixtees and whips. World Champ (rub it in) Kye Forte turned both ways on his 360-s and Alejandro Caro from Colombia on his golden standard put in the most solid runs of all. Truckdrivers, 3-whips, opposite 3-s, double barspins, big tailwhips, all you need to see and pulled on both lines. Deane Hearne rode well and three-sixteed to the final as did Bjorn Heyer from Oldenburg.

Sandy Carson did a downside tailwhip or two and did great inverts with an orange front Tuffwheel. His bike was for sale after the comp for 500 Euros O.B.O. but I think the Skyway wheel scared the buyers off. Axel Juergens was on hand and squeezed in the final with downside whips, truckdrivers and tailwhips. The Argentinian gypsy rode well at the Mellowpark. Benny Korthaus did the best 3-whips over the last set. With his long legs he makes the look wild. His turndown flips over the big sets weren't too shabby either.

Alessandro Caro qualified first in street and took it to the dirt not afraid to get hurt before the street final later that day. The Italian did plenty of barspins, whips, 360-s and combined the tricks too. Sergio Layos was the most stylish rider once again according to most judges so that award went to Spain too.There was one rider who shut down the dirt contest. His name is Ryan Guettler. The Aussie has the best tricks in the books right now and that includes that insane front flip. His runs went something like this. Big flip over the first set, tailwhip over the second set, 3-whip the third and front flipping the last set. Ryan used both lines and did more variations like opposite lookback three-60-s, 720-s, x-up 3-s, turndown 3-s and even went for the frontflip tailwhip, a trick he just learned a couple of days before the trip over at Woodward. Ryan didn't quite pull off his new trick but he showed that he's the one to beat at the Dirt contests wherever he shows up this summer. The SE rider is not afraid to go for tricks and take risks (for injuries and glory) that goes along with it. In Berlin he left with a big lumb on his right arm but with some well deserved "awards" too. BdJ