Right before the Red Bull Featured pilot started, we caught up with Bas Keep about the competition concept he had been thinking about to change things up from what is currently out there. Welcome to Red Bull Featured, a BMX Freestyle (Park) event with different Rounds leading towards an overall winner at the end of the day where the limits are pushed. The idea is to bring new tricks and smiles on everyone’s faces, especially those of the riders. We put the Dictaphone on at The Mill at the DYFI park in Wales and here’s what we ended up with to explain the competition some more.
FATBMX: To start this off, why here? How did you find this place?
Bas Keep: Haha, the idea is to test the event, and we have a good relationship with The Atherton’s, so we were able to test the event in their barn instead of testing it in front of a large crowd.
FATBMX: It’s an amazing place.
Bas Keep: I love this place. They own the mountain. Dan Atherton is the hardest working man in the world. He can’t stop building. They’re awesome people to be around with. It’s a good vibe this week with the Red Bull MTB DH summit taking place at the same time.
FATBMX: So we understand this Red Bull Featured ramp set-up will be packed up after the pilot, correct?
Red Bull Featured. DYFI Bike Park, Mid-Wales. Friday 13th. 
In BMX Freestyle you can do anything you like. Bas Keep thought the same and had Red Bull backing him up with the Red Bull Featured pilot event. The ramps were built up inside The Mill at the DYFI bike park over in Wales. Getting there was a mission for pretty much everyone as everyone had the chance to see the Wales countryside for the last two hours before arriving at the destiny for the event. Once there, and with everyone around, you become one with the place instantly. The riders had had a few days of practice behind them before the first drop-in was made on `featured day’.
The set-up was pretty wild, yet fairly simple. The drop-in reminded me of the movie rad but was missing the Welcome To Helltrack logo on it. It was steep, high and gave you enough speed to go nuts on the biggest box in BMX history (pretty much). The box was put in the middle with two 7,5 meter long driveways right next to it that lead to a 10 ft quarterpipe into a mellow 15ft high quarter landing. There was a reason for a set up like this. It invites for big tricks without landing flat and to progress in BMX Freestyle, sometimes the right set-up is what’s missing.
Red Bull Featured was split in 4 different rounds being a high air competition, a box competition, quarter to big landing competition and a sub box was brought in for Round 3.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.