Austin Coleman, no-handed flair.
Course overview as Josh Stead nosedives a 360.
Chris Hughes, superman flip.
Koji Kraft, nose-dive 360.
BMX Big Air Triples Day Two
Rob Darden takes the top spot in the first preliminary round.
The second and final Prelim Round of the 2008 BMX Big Air Triples event just wrapped up, and the level of riding was off the charts. Part of the Action Sports World Tour, BMX Triples is a hybrid of BMX dirt jumping, park, and mega ramp disciplines. The first night of competition was good, but tonight was amazing.
For the second night in a row, twelve of the best jumpers in the world competed against each other in head to head battles, narrowing the field down to the top three riders of the night. Those top three then battled it out for their spots on the podium.
Some big names came out for night number two, and the big tricks weren’t far behind. TJ Ellis was throwing down huge flip whips and front flips, Austin Coleman had huge no-handed flairs on the quarter, Rob Darden pulled out back-to-back 720s, and Chris Hughes threw down big with superman flips and even a double backflip. Everyone came out swinging, and the judges truly had their hands full.
When all was said and done, the final round was narrowed down to Darden, Coleman, and Ellis. Darden’s flow and style has always been amazing, and this year he’s added a few big tricks to his bag, including the afore mentioned back-to-back 720s. Darden’s work paid off as he landed in the top spot, ahead of Coleman in second place and Ellis in third.
Tomorrow night’s Final round will pair the top six from tonight’s competition against the top six from Tuesday night. After the riding we witnessed tonight, there’s no question that these guys will be throwing down tomorrow night, and who will come out on top is anyone’s guess. While it’s anyone’s game, keep your eyes on Rob Darden, Austin Coleman, TJ Ellis, Koji Kraft and Diogo Canina.
Qualifying into Thursday's final from the first night of competition are:
Ricardo Laguna
Rob Darden
TJ Ellis
Koji Kraft
Josh Stead
Austin Coleman
They will join the top six from Wednesday night’s prelim:
Sean Logan
Alistair Whitton
Pat Casey
Rick Mosely
Tony Campos
Diogo Canina Tomorrow night’s final is sure to be insane, after tonight there’s no telling what we’re going to see.
Austin Coleman, Rob Darden, TJ Ellis.