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Winners Podium: TJ Ellis, Ryan Guettler, Rob Darden
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Ryan Guettler |
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Koji Kraft
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Guettler's 1080 Edges Out the Field
BMX Triples
By Jared Souney
The BMX Triples event on the Action Sports World Tour is a unique jumping event that features a roll-in to two sets of jumps followed by a quarterpipe. The event combines the jumping skills of dirt jumping with the quarterpipe skills of park riding.
The Minneapolis stop brought out some new faces to the Triples event including
Daniel Dhers, who has won just about every competition he's entered in the last few years. Daniel has some big tricks on both jumps and quarterpipes, and was definitely the favorite going into the event. But it was Daniel's first time on the course, and a few riders like
Rob Darden,
TJ Ellis,
Koji Kraft and
Ryan Guettler have been to BMX Triples in the past... they had the pressure on Dhers for sure, and in a head-to-head elimination format, it's really anyone's game at these things. Consistency is key however, as riders battle their way through a Seminfinal, Quarterfinal, and then a Final round. No one wants to be eliminated in the first round, but unfortunately that's what happened to
Austin Coleman, one of my personal favorites to watch on the course.
Tom Haugen has been on the BMX contest seen for many years including several X Games and LG Action Sports World Championships appearances. Tom originally calls Minneapolis home, and came out to do his local fans proud along with a new face, Dustin Griess, also local. Tom has been a top contender in both park and vert contests over the years, so I was looking forward to seeing him put the Triples course to use. Unfortunately Tom had a nasty crash in practice, which sidelined him with a concussion. With Dustin eliminated in the first round, the hometown hero scenario was not to be this time around.
With Tom injured, Daniel Dhers was awarded a by into the Semifinal. Dhers contest record over the past couple years meant no one was going to argue that decision -- he's one nearly everything he's entered including several Dew Cups, LG Championships and X Games medals. Daniel's first run in was looking great until a tailwhip air went wrong on the quarterpipe, sending him to the flatbottom tangled in his bike. A nasty gash on his arm and some very sore innards meant Daniel was out, and Guettler moved on.
The final round was no-holds-barred. TJ Ellis through down a double flip, Guettler through down a 1080 and Darden through down a truckdriver 720. Serious, serious stuff. When the scores came in, Guettler had landed on top followed by Ellis and Darden.
Next week the Action Sports World Tour moves to Chicago for more BMX Triples madness. If this week was any indication, next week is going to be some edge-of-your-seat action all the way through.
Check out more at
bfd.com!
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