Freestyle: Recon Tour Report from Escondido First stop draws huge BMX crowd and talent to compete for over $20,000 in cash and prizes

The Recon Tour presented by Monster Army kicked off the first of three stops at the Escondido Sports Center on Saturday. This first time event delivered on its mission and drew a deep and talented crop of am and pro BMX riders from the region. The field was stacked from Open / Pro all the way down to the 11 & Under division. Local rider Justin Spriet from Murrieta, CA edged out Daniel Sandoval from Norco, CA and Ross Lanier from Newberry Springs, CA for the top spot in the Open / Pro division.

“I’m just still in shock,” says Open / Pro winner Justin Spriet. “The overall day was just awesome –riding with all of my friends and having fun. Everyone completely killed it. Daniel Sandoval, Ross Lanier, Victor Salazar and Mitch McKelvey. Winning the contest and $500 was just a bonus!”

The 18+ division was dominated by Blake Peters from La Mesa, CA and Shane Davis took the win in the 15-17 division giving everyone a glimpse of who’s next from the socal region. No rider left empty handed. Every podium finisher received a new Bell helmet and prizes and giveaways were handed out throughout the day from Monster Energy, Hookit, SPY, Primo, Mirraco, Ride BMX, Pant Saggin Dezign and Swearcrew. Hidden Valley Bicycles was on hand to help the riders with bike prep and tech support.

“The rider turnout and partner support was awesome to kick off the Recon Tour,” said Scott Tilton from Hookit. “Supporting the future of BMX and taking care of the riders is all that matters. Our current partners along with Woodward, GoPro, Markit, East County BMX and a host of other brands are all stepping up huge to support the Recon riders throughout the rest of the tour.”

The top three podium finishers from each division include:

Open / Pro
1st – Justin Spriet – Murrieta, CA
2nd – Daniel Sandoval – Norco, CA
3rd – Ross Lanier – Newberry Springs, CA

18 & Over
1st – Blake Peters – La Mesa, CA
2nd – Trevor Fitz – Camarillo, CA
3rd – Alex Wasluskas – Corona, CA

15-17 Advanced
1st - Shane Davis – Murrieta, CA
2nd - Oscar Maldonado – Homeland, CA
3rd - Richie Gonzaelz – Oceanside, CA

15-17 Novice
1st – Drew Sanchez – Riverside, CA
2nd – Danny Posten – Ramona, CA
3rd – Austyn McIntosh – Lakeside, CA

12-14 Advanced
1st – Emmet Thomas – Newbury Park, CA
2nd – Shay Hawkins – Murrieta, CA
3rd – Pierce Howell – Santee, CA

12-14 Novice
1st – Jerimiha Nusbaum – Santee, CA
2nd – Tony Moreno – San Marcos, CA
3rd – Alex Taylor – San Marcos, CA

11 & Under
1st – Kaden Stone – Lake Elsinore, CA
2nd – Tyler Bush – Corona, CA
3rd – Erik Aguilar – El Centro, CA

The next stop takes place at Aura Skatepark on September 8, 2012. Pre-registration is open at theReconTour.com.