The Top Ten Denver Dew Tour Moments

Jul 16 2006 / Denver The Right Guard Open in Denver is officially over but we just wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't pick our favorite moments form this stop of the Dew Action Sports Tour. Some were first time events, some were heartbreaking moments but all were amazing moments in action sports. Check them out and we'll see you in Portland!

10. DK Qualifying
(read the blog)

OK, we'll openly admit it we are biased. We love the fact that we brought in Derek "DK" Krasauskas to share the Dew Tour adventures of his best friend Bucky Lasek in a blog. Well, the skaters turned the tables on DK. A little heckling goes a long way when you are standing on the top of a vert ramp. DK ended up entering open qualifiers and making it to money round. Who cares if he finished as the last vert comp? DK won the minute they said "You are in the finals!"

VIDEO CLIP Michael Clark's Double Backflip PLAY CLIP >

9. Michael Clark's Double Backflip
(see the video)

Stephen Murray, Dave Mirra, Chad Kagy, and Corey Nastazio have all done double backflips in competition, however they are still a rarity. Kagy even broke his neck on a double flip several years back, shutting him down on the trick. Michael Clark isn't scared, however. Over the course of the weekend he attempted several double flips on the last set of the three jumps, and pulled one when it counted.

8. BMX Athletes Keeping the Hospital Busy
(see the photo)

Dew Tour newcomer Brian Hunt is certainly not a newcomer to Pro BMX park competitions. Brian has placed high at some of the most intense competitions of the last two years, and was expected to do well in BMX Park in Denver. During the open qualifiers for dirt on Wednesday, Brian had a fluke crash sending him to his head, and sending him into a seizure. Brian spent three days in the hospital with broken ribs, a punctured lung and bruising on the brain. Despite such a serious injury Brian was still expected to drop in and take it easy during park.

TJ Ellis showed us that dirt isn’t forgiving during the finals on Friday night. A super-high front flip with a low landing sent him over the bars and straight onto his face and chest. TJ was out for a minute or two, and was escorted off the course on his power. Despite it all, he attempted a second run, but was obviously shaken, and bobbled through the set.

Allan Cooke took an unfortunate and fluke crash in park practice Saturday, sending him to his face. Allan knocked out a few front teeth (some of which were already fake) and split up his lip pretty badly. He definitely was not looking happy.

7. The Lazy Boy Backflip
(see the video)

Nate Adams put on a strong showing in Louisville and then went number two at the Right Guard Open. But, there was collective jaw drop when he threw a back flip and what looked like a lazy boy in the middle. At first we cringed and then our eyes popped out of our collective skulls. Once again FMX proves nothing is impossible.

6. Ryan Nyquist’s 720 Barspin
(see the video)

Nyquist is certainly a master of both spin tricks and barspins, not to mention combinations of the two. Variations during 720s can be a messy disaster waiting to happen, but Ryan pulled out several barspin 720s that looked almost effortless.

5. "Hey isn't that Eric Koston?"
(read the story)

You heard more people say that at skate park than "How do you pronounce Nyjah?" But, it was the truth Eric Koston showed up and managed to put himself in a solid fifth place position at the end of the competition. Yes, it appears that being fully flared is helpful after all.

VIDEO CLIP Keith' Front Flair Flip PLAY CLIP >

4. Keith McElhinney’s Front Flip Flair
(see the video)

This 37 year-old father of two was Kevin Robinson's vert mentor in the early days. Keith was a fixture in the New England BMX scene in the 80s and 90s, and now makes his home near Woodward Camp. The computer software engineer by day has been working on the front flair (which he has named the Lawn Dart) for close to a year, and finally got it done and the ramp. Unfortunately it was after competition time, but the most important thing was the personal gratification, and history making moment.

3. The Doubles Run
(see the video)

Travis Pastrana, winner of Sunday's FMX Finals, invited 6th place finisher Kenny Bartram on a victory lap. It was a huge treat to see the two friends put an exclamation mark on the day's tough competition by taking a lighthearted run through the course together. The fun run was particularly notable as it was a chivalrous gesture on Travis' part for previously stealing Kenny's freshly debuted one-handed sidesaddle backflip during his winning run.

2. Kenny Bartram's one-handed take off to one handed flip
(see the video)

It's a scary thought that FMX backflips are now a dime a dozen. New variations are coming out at every contest. Kenny Bartram brought out a new one this weekend, when he rode at the take off one handed, and kept that hand off through a backflip rotation. Amazing bike control from the cowboy.

VIDEO CLIP       Shaun White's        winning run. PLAY CLIP >

1. Shaun White Wins
(see the video)

After the Panasonic Open in Louisville we thought Shaun's skateboarding career could be short lived. The truth is Shaun was coming off an amazing snowboarding year and hadn't been skating. Flash forward to here and now: Shaun set up an amazing run in skate vert and walked away with a big win at the Right Guard Open in Denver. Mr. White's skate career is just taking off.