Simple Session has always been a bit special for me personally. After doing a GT Air Show in Tartu, Estonia in 1999 where we inspired Risto and his buddies to start Simple Session, my first time back to the Baltic country was in 2004 for Simple Session number four. 15 years in a row I made it to Tallinn and the event keeps amazing me. It's the first big event of the 2018 calendar and brings people from all over to a country that we normally wouldn't visit, especially not in the wintertime. But that's also part of the beauty of the event. While in the Saku Suurhall, Vapiano or Hollywood, you don't sense it's freezing cold outside. The presence of BMX-ers and skateboarders in town makes Simple Session some sort of annual gathering where everyone catches up and prepares for the new season.
With 60 riders in Street and 44 in Park, this year's qualifying day was long. But when the good riding keeps coming there's no time to fall asleep. Bruno Hoffmann (Street) and Ryan Nyquist (Park) qualified in first. The top 12 in each discipline made it to the finals on Sunday. The actual course had one bigger street section with penty of rails that was used by most of the street riders. The surrounding transitions were used by park riders to go high, blast new tricks and to keep the speed up. In qualifying both park and street had a jam session in a group of 4 with each rider getting two 60 second runs on the course. Never a dull moment in each class with everyone pushing things to the limit for personal satisfaction or to impress the massive crowd in the Saku Suurhall.
Simple Session 18, STREET Final results. Tallinn, Estonia 2018.
1 REYNOLDS Garrett USA Fiend 27 FIEND F 191.00
2 HOFFMAN Bruno GER Red Bull 24 RED BULL F 188.70
3 RAIFORD Broc USA Volume 23 VOLUME F 185.40
4 STARK Reed USA Bsd 25 BSD F 176.60
5 BARRACO Simone ITA Red Bull 26 RED BULL F 172.20
6 BURNETT Mark USA Sunday Bikes 19 SUNDAY BIKES F 167.40
7 SPRIET Justin USA Etnies 22 ETNIES F 164.00
8 PERRIN Anthony FRA Red Bull 23 RED BULL F 158.40
9 CHUPRINA Max RUS Proper Bike Co 25 PROPER BIKE CO F 157.40
10 GODWIN Jordan GBR Wethepeople 22 WETHEPEOPLE F 153.00
11 KENNEDY Alex GBR Cult 27 CULT F 141.20
12 CHAVEZ Antonio USA Primo 19 PRIMO F 106.80
13 ADAMS Courage ESP Red Bull 21 RED BULL Q 67.90
14 DONAT Felix GER Kunstform 21 KUNSTFORM Q 65.00
15 HOPPE Leon GER Radio Bikes 20 RADIO BIKES Q 63.80
16 PEIJARI Joona FIN Stoned Street 21 STONED STREET Q 63.40
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.