Monday, July 21

Ramps and Amps Hits NYC

By Rob Brink
EXPN.com

The T-Mobile/Nokia/EXPN.com Ramps and Amps Invitational went down at Randall's Island in New York this weekend. The final X Games qualifier for Moto X and a comp with a bigger purse than your great grandma, this event drew the biggest names in the game. If you weren't there, you should have been, because it was free, there was music and plenty of free stuff to occupy the masses. The weather was perfect and, most importantly, the riding was nothing short of sick. Oh, and did we mention the first-place riders pocketed 25 grand?

Bike Stunt Vert winner Jamie Bestwick showin' off 25,000 reasons to jump up and down. Did we mention he won the CFB qualifier the day before?

SKATEBOARD VERT

The day kicked off with the skate competition. Judges took the best of two runs. First place was $25,000, second was $20,000 and third was $15,000, so you can bet the riders were hungry. No one wanted to be the fourth-place guy heading home with $1,200.

Bob Burnquist unintentionally ended one of his traditionally mind-blowing runs by accidentally rolling off the ramp about six feet up and flipping onto the pavement. Bob's gift is that he never lets go until it's too late. He tries to land everything, no matter how hairball it looks or what kind of harm's way it puts him in.

Jake Brown was trying tailgrab 900s. Although not successful, this is a step up from the regular 900s most of us have seen Tony Hawk pull off. Kudos, Jake! It's fun watching you try.

Danny Mayer landed a kickflip 540 -- a stunt that landed him a large check for Best Trick.

Australian thug Jason Ellis might emcee events more than he skates in, but he sure is entertaining. He was overheard complaining about the sun. "Dude I could just feel my neck searing the whole time I was on the deck." Such a rough life, isn't it?

Sandro Dias took first and Pierre Luc Gagnon took third. Both gentlemen had to leave for the airport to fly to Denmark for another contest. Hit-and-run vert skating.

East Coast vert veteran Tom Boyle didn't do as well as he hoped and pondered to a lady friend, "I wonder which place I actually got."

Lincoln Ueda, mid 540 in the mid-day heat in NYC.

RESULTS

1st - Sandro Dias
2nd - Andy Macdonald
3rd - Pierre Luc Gagnon
4th - Bob Burnquist
5th - Jake Brown
6th - Tom Boyle
7th - Lincoln Ueda
8th - Danny Mayer
9th - Bucky Lasek
10th - Anthony Furlong
Best Trick - Danny Mayer, Kickflip 540

Today's episode is brought to you by the letter T. Koji Kraft, one-hander one-footer.

BMX VERT

Following the skate competition and a horrible band called Trapt, The BMX warriors took to the ramp. Watching them is insane because many times it looks like they huck themselves into the air and are nowhere near landing their trick, but somehow manage to pull it off. Other times, like in the case of Chad Kagy, they aren't so lucky and come down head-first -- knocking themselves out for a bit. But don't fret, Chad is okay.

Kevin Robinson looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch model slash football jock who used to pick on me in high school. He is tan and buff. He did a switch-handed, no-footed 540 like it was nothing and threw himself into flairs with the greatest of ease.

Ryan Nyquist rode in his first vert contest in three years. He busted a barspin 540 and the crowd was happy.

Old guy Dennis McCoy attempted a flair of some sort, but got lost in the vertigo of half-backflip/half-flair. He aborted mid-air, popped his tire and slammed hard. It was scary.

Dave Mirra is insane and did a tailwhip 540. I have never seen anything look so crazy on a bike in my life.

Koji Kraft is a maniac who rides like he wants to break the ramp. Something in life made him angry. But it keeps him riding well.

Rick Thorne, although maybe not boosting airs as high as the other guys, rides with an older-school intensity that makes him a blast to watch. A backflip to fakie was almost under his belt. He messed up rolling away, but let's just say he did it.

Jamie Bestwick is a Brit who kicked everyone's ass by doing a fastplant flair and many other impressive maneuvers. First place.

Rick Thorne rides with old-school style and new-school tricks.

RESULTS

1st - Jamie Bestwick
2nd - Kevin Robinson
3rd - Koji Kraft
4th - Dave Mirra
5th - Ryan Nyquist / Dennis McCoy
7th - Jimmy Walker
8th - Chad Kagy
9th - Rick Thorne
10 - Mike Mancuso

Kenny Bartram halfway through his killer combo. He was the hands-down crowd favorite, but unfortunately not a favorite of the judges.

Moto X - Big Air

The final event of the day, the Big Air competition did not disappoint. More new tricks were landed in the one-hour comp than in the past three X Games combined. If these guys hope to grab gold in L.A., it became clear after this display that a simple backflip just won't do. Once the decisive trick, the flip is quickly becoming yesterday's news. Today's news: the backflip variation and backflip combo. Tomorrow's news: the 360?

Diamond Dave Domangas landed a no-footed backflip to a perfect no-hander landing. Nate Adams landed the second. The duo landed in first and second place, respectively.

Kenny Bartram, the final rider in the comp and the hands-down crowd favorite, pulled a backflip to heel clicker combo. The applause he drew nearly brought the photo tower down. When he was announced in fourth place, the boos nearly brought the entire place down. "I'd never even tried that trick before," says Kenny. "I thought it up as I was riding out to jump. I was happy with my performance, but I'm not happy with the judging."

Ronnie Faisst attempted a backflip to no-hander landing, but crashed on the landing and left the comp with his shin bandaged.

Brian Deegan (3rd place) landed a one-handed, one-footed backflip.

While the rest of the lineup suited up and tuned up their rides, Kenny Bartram hung out playing hacky sack with some fans. He was so good, he drew quite an audience.

Kenny may have been beaten in Big Air, but his hacky sack skills were untouchable.

RESULTS

1st - Dave Domangas
2nd - Nate Adams
3rd - Brian Deegan
4th - Kenny Bartram

**Check back for complete coverage, contest results and exclusive photos from the Moto X Big Air competition.