Place: King Of Dirt contest at the Mission Trails in San Diego, King Of Vert at Ron's ramp in Lemon Grove and Meet The Street round 1 in La Jolla.
Organisation: Ron Wilkerson
Chris Moeller, Go august 1991: I rn having a hard time getting this story started... and I'm not too sure I know what the hell I'm doing, so I imagine this is how Ron Wilkerson felt when he pulled up at Mission Trails to put on the heavily-hyped 2-Hip King Of Dirt jumping contest. And before I listen to Social Distortion's Prison Bound" album 8,000 times like Ron forced everyone to, I think I should jump right into this thing head first-like most riders did all day long. From the minute I got to Mission Trails I could tell Ron was having a tough time getting some kind of contest together. There he was with his generator and PA system, out in the middle of a field trying to convince at least 100 people to stop jumping and shell out $40.00 to enter the contest, $100.00 if you were a Pro. In the meantime, people were being carted off to the hospital, and Matt Hoffman did the first ever back flip over a set of doubles. The whole scene was pretty crazy.
Mission Trails itself sits on a hillside and has quite a few jumps that range from little tabletops and steep doubles to a step-up and the Death Jump, which is a huge double. On the day of the contest, the whole place was packed with photographers, writers, company types, girlfriends, spectators, video people, promoters, riders, skaters you name it-they were standing around. Ironically, out of all the people present, there were no amateur sign-ups, and only 5 Pro entries: Matt Hoffman (Haro), Dennis McCoy (Mongoose). Mike Crazy Red' Carlson (S&M), Tim 'Fuzzy" Hall (Mongoose), and Bill Nitschke (Haro). Most riders I talked to said they only came to ride and couldn't see spending money to do it, and the Pro's probably entered to cash in on the $500.00 purse.
The contest went like this. There were three jumps: A small but steep tabletop, a mid-sized double that was just about vert, and a huge double known as the Death Jump. Each rider had to hit each jump three times... Judges added up scores and places were given on each jump. The first jump was the table and the highlight was Crazy Red pulling off a perfect decade jump. Also cool was Fuzzy's big air over a tree. After every run, a few selected anarchists made a train at the table and bummed Ron out. The next jump was the vert double that Matt Hoffman pulled the back flip off of earlier in the day. I know, man alive. During his runs Matt destroyed two bikes with unsuccessful back flip attempts. Bill Nitschke did a clean tail-whip jump, and Fuzzy pulled off a stylish crossed-up 360. Once again, the swarthy ruffians hit the jump and enraged Ron. By the end of the runs on the doubles, Ron was telling everyone to get a job. I was personally offended, as was everyone else I know. The third and final round took place over the Death Jump. Watching people get style over this jump was cool considering most riders wouldn't even try jumping it. Matt Hoffman was pulling triple karate variations while Bill Nitschke was working hard just to make the distance. Fuzzy did some smooth tabletops and Xups but ended up going down in a burning ring of fire during a 360 attempt. Crazy Red tried a superman air and destroyed his knee, then he tried a tailwhip and destroyed everything else. Dennis McCoy went twirling through the air quite a few times-once while trying a 360, once when trying a 720, and once while half-way attempting a back flip. Hello. Basically, people were flying around like rag dolls fifteen feet in the air. When it was over, someone won and the riding session fired up again.
Looking back on the whole day I think it was cool of Ron to bring the PA system out so everyone could ride to music, but I think the contest was a little strange. The level of riding that was going on all day was incredible, and it didn't stop when the contest did. I saw guys pulling off double tailwhips, bar hop 360's, no footed 360's, decade jumps, bar spinners, 720's, not to mention what I saw people trying to do. And although it was unsuccessful as far as entries went, and unpopular with the locals, I think the contest did bring a lot of crazed riders together for a raging day of thrashing. Whether they dug the idea of a jumping contest or not, I'm sure everyone who came to Mission Trails had a smoking time, and left a little warped ... especially the Dirt Brothers. But that's another story.
Dirt results: 1.Fuzzy Hall 2.Matt Hoffman 3.Crazy Red 4.Bill Nitschke 5.Dennis McCoy
Now do you believe us that Augustin's been riding? Toboggin at paralyzing altitude. Photo: Polevy.
Matt Hoffman.
Bill Nitschke tailwhip air over the doubles.
Dave Mirra before the crash.
Matt encroached Saturday's ramp demo with fiery antics, like this indian air. Photo: Donaldson.
Mat Hoffman.
Brad McDonald: Remember this trick? 2-Hip contest at Wilkerson's. So 1991 - WAL logo, John Ker, bashguard, etc.
Mike Daily, Go august 1991: It was the first 2-Hip Meet The Street event of 1991, and here the contest was camouflaged in the midst of the La Jolla Grand Prix of women's and men's road, rollerblade, and pod-like faring bike racing.
Robbie Morales On Entering His First Street Contest: "When you win a race, no one really cares in the Nineties. If you do a rad jump in a street contest, people are stoked. I did a jump that wasn't even that cool, but it looked good and people got stoked and got excited. That's what it's all about-just riding and having fun. I told someone I made the main, and they corrected me: "No dude-you made the finals." Auburn Bobby snapped up his runs with full bore bump and speed jumps over the tabletop, Learies with his tongue hanging out, manuals across the grind table, and one handed fastplant jaunts over the launch ramp. His BMX-bred street approach earned him crowd and rider support, not to mention ninth place in the Good class finals.
Dyno Slammer-mounted Dino DeLuca put lookback 180's and 360's over the spine and a sub ramp icepick on his running tab for fourth place in Great. Dino rode hard and clean, a favorable combination when talking street comps. Dennis McCoy was also looking good -good enough to warrant second place $'s in Great -even though his shoulder joint was beyond tweaked. Getting older hasn't really deterred either of these vets from the gruel. Not at all.
Dirt Brothers Brad, Vic Murphy (complete with front tooth knocked out), Pete Augustin, Lee Sultimyer, and Kaarlo Wik raged rampant during practice but refrained from entering for one reason or another, money being the biggest Dirt Bro bog. Ron lopped ten bucks off the entry fees in an attempt to solicit more participants, which seemed to bring in a few more good men. But still, no Dirt Brothers.
Todd Lyons On Fire. Todd Lyons rides past the edge... WAY past. La Jolla was no exception. When he wasn't spontaneously combusting and shoulder-blocking the cement (which Lyons has down to a weird science), he was setting the crowds a-flame with wild behind-the-back 360 floaters, crossed-up one-handed boosters over the sub (smooth), bio nose wheelies over the grind table (fast), gonzo jump variations, and THE TRICK of the contest: Tabletopped, crossed-up, feet-on-the-pedals HANDPLANTS over the mighty sub ramp. Good God. Winner of the Good class and $250 hands down, so to speak. Welcome to the Nineties.
Jay Miron on my bike: "Mike (Daily), man, thanks. I owe you one." Jay had a mound of duct tape wrapped around his severelycracked frame in hopes of holding it together, and also had some snaked around his right hand. His right palm had received a nasty puncture wound the day before at a local ditch-the result of a bad run-in with the top of a chain-link fence. Just before Great class qualifyers, I consented to letting him use my Hooligan and he quickly bolted on his bars, gooseneck, brakes, and wheels. The big no-footed 360's, nose wheelies across the sub and grind table, 540's and 540 tail taps on the spine, and 360 manuals and nosepicks on the sub box he was doing with ease revealed Miron's vast storage of experience and adaptability. Impressive. Six hundred and eighty smackers and first place in Great. Equally impressive. Oh-no problem, Jay.
Ruben Castillo On The Party Mix: "It's crazy, man. Everyone's gettin' so loc'd out. They're just kickin' down." Ruben's claims to fame came with entering Great, riding a green Skyway Street Beat, cranking out unbridled lookback 360's and no-footed crossbar-grabbers, and his unique alternative to the standard ball cap-wearing a black hairnet during practice. Cool. Literally. Two other things I noticed about Ruben: he hung a perfect no-footed nosepick on the spine just as McCoy's mix tape said, ' This is freestyle...," and he did a tabletop 360 to disaster on Spike's back as Spike tried to get a close-up shot. He got it alright. Ruben got ninth place.
Dave Clymer On Particle Board: "My foot just went right through it..." Negativity was expressed on the particle board layering of the tabletop jump, which Clymer shattered like a sheet of peanut brittle after a high and headless twist of a 360 from the spine. He wasn't the only one to do damage to it over the course of the day's damnation. Plywood would have been much better and safer. Positive sentiments were expressed on the variety and choiceness of the ramps and obstacles: The five-foot-high spine, the challenging submarine ramp, the launch-to-grind coffin, and even the beautifully-transitioned table topper. Room for speed was readily available.
The Ultimate Bully On Street Patrol: Nor Cal's Mike Krnaich; Tailwhip jump over the sub. Decade jump over the tabletop. Nofooted cancan 360's. High nofooter splits. Nosepicks everywhere, even though his brakes would have worked better with Irish Spring brake pads. Had his Bully and head been better-dialed, he could have placed higher than fifth place dollars ($100). Next time.
Spike Jonze On A Balanced Breakfast: "I had a croissant sandwich-bacon, egg, and cheese-and a large orange juice." Something snaps when Spike gets on his Robinson (still no front brake) in front of a packed MTS audience. He goes OFF. This time he had to take some pretty bitter slams like a man, but didn't walk away without 360'ing the submarine (the first person of the day to do it) and doing lookback 360's, bonelesses, and fakies with youth and vigor. The judges gave him five for his Good deeds.
Someone In The Crowd On Todd Anderson: "Dizz!" Startling similarities between Todd and Dizzaster Hicks were evident in Todd's coaster brake trickery, which he displayed during 360 tail taps over the spine (while spinning the bars 360°), bar spinner abubacas on the sub, kick turns galore, and nonchalant rollbacks at speed while sitting on the seat. Todd also hurled his Supercross through fully clicked 360's over the tabletop (and I do mean OVER the tabletop) and stretched one-footed lookbacks. All in the comfort and safety of colorful leathers. Sixth place in Great. Sixty-five clams.
Soon-To-Be-Known Unknown Guys (On The Verge): Jesse Leyva, a flat and street underground icon from the San Fernando area, scored a big fourth in Good and became a crowd favorite by the end of the day. You would too if you were launching flawless 360's and limbless variations with aggression. The facts that he kept ripping despite searing pain from an earlier injury, and that he lacked a pedal cage-riding on just a KKT spindle-point to the prediction that Jesse will be an emerging force to be reckoned with. Keith Trainor from Huntington Beach is another youngin' to watch out for: Abubacas, nosepicks, and smith stops on the sub, bunnyhops to grinds on the table, and nice 360's brought him to eighth. Good style.
Eddie Roman On Not Entering: "I haven't been riding. I didn't wanna go out like a sucka."
On Haro: Matt Hoffman, walking wounded with stitches from the Mission Trails bloodfest, put his soreness aside and soared through superman, no-hander, 360, and tailwhip jumps for third in Great. Bill Nitschke signed up in Great and busted no-footed can cans, Neil Armstrongs, tailwhips, front peg chirpers on the grind table coping, and ALMOST a 720. Close. Seventh. Chris Potts came alive in his second run, but still seemed disappointed with his riding. He took eighth. The team did Haro right, who did everyone right by sponsoring the event.
Good results: 1.Todd Lyons 2.Eben Krackau 3.Dave Clymer 4.Jesse Leyva 5.Spike Jonze 6.Mark Kirunchyk 7.Fuzzy Hall 8.Keith Trainor 9.Robbie Morales
Great results: 1.Jay Miron 2.Dennis McCoy 3.Matt Hoffman 4.Dino DeLuca 5.Mike Krnaich 6.Todd Anderson 7.Bill Nitschke 8.Chris Potts 9.Ruben Castillo
Street Course
Todd Lyons handplanting.
Three-sixty tail tap over the spine, while spinning the bars three-sixty. Todd Anderson. Photo: Polevy.
Ron Wilkerson Go august 1991: I have been into freestyle since nearly the beginning. Not just into freestyle, I have lived freestyle. I have been involved in every aspect of this sport. From riding to inventing tricks to slamming hard to sitting in conference rooms with guys with suits on talking about money. I have lived this sport. I have two businesses: 2-HIP a company that organizes contests for riders, and Wilkerson Airlines, a company that makes bikes for riders, and I still ride. So I still live this sport.
We recently set up an action-packed contest weekend for "hardcore" riders. The weekend went off excellent. Guys got rad and we had fun. Freestyle contests are like big weekend parties these days. A bunch of people with the same interests get together, hang out, and have fun. We all had a blast. I did experience some negative attitudes from a few guys that should burn me out, but I'm not going to let it. I am just going to keep doing my thing.
I just want to put something out there to make all you "cool guy" riders think a little bit (you know who you are). I am stoked to see the sport growing up. It's rad to see a lot of "hardcore" riders who live freestyle. It's not rad to see it when some of the "hardcore" guys think that it's cool to be anti. It is not cool at all to be anti. All having a bad attitude does is make things worse.
It says a lot about a person if they sit around and have a bad attitude. It shows how much their time means to them and it shows what kind of an unproductive follower they really are. If you were watching a bad movie, would you sit there and watch it complaining, or would you leave? I'm not saying that if you don't like a contest leave. I'm saying if you don't like a contest, talk to the people organizing it. Tell them how you feel and that you want to help and make it better; offer solutions, give input. If they like their way the best or think their's is the best way for the majority, then leave. In freestyle or even life, don't sit around with a bad attitude. Fix it.
I was actually riding for Bully at the time. I’m not quite sure why I wasn’t on an actual Bully bike. It was probably because the owner, RL Osborn owed me money or something. I remember when RL first called me and asked me to ride for him. I was so stoked. I figured if there was anyone who knew all aspects of BMX, it was him. Boy was I wrong! I remember him always owing me money for my expenses and stuff.
I think that was one of the first street contests that I ever entered. The “Good” class was essentially the amateur class and the “Great” class was the pro class. I said that they had “some cool ramps.” Well, if memory serves me correct, they had a box jump, a spine, a sub box, a launch ramp/grind thingy, and that’s about it. I guess we were easy to please back in the early 90’s.
This was one of the first contests that I remember seeing Jay Miron ride in. I think he was pretty scrawny back then. He probably still won the Pro contest though.
The day before this contest, there was a jump contest at the Mission Trails in San Diego. That’s where Mat Hoffman went for the first ever back flip on dirt. Man, I thought it was SO crazy back then. I couldn’t believe it. I never thought I’d be doing them in races two years later.