BMX Freestyle is growing fast in Portugal, in numbers and in craziness, the younger kids are throwing 720º, double-whips and even front-flips, easier than a tail-tap. The contest started on a hot Saturday, and the day had a name, Hélio Sequeira (36 years old!), you can’t see him ride too often, but once you got a chance to witness him ride you’ll never forget him!
He killed it with 540º nose-pick, Canadian nose-pick on a quarter guard, away over 10 ft, big 360º and much more all over the street/ramp course. Daniel Peñafiel from Burgos, Spain (winner of the last two or three rounds in Santarém), rode real well too, taken 1st on the Open qualification, but ended with a broken finger after a nasty slam, meanwhile he still got time to do a double whip on the spine, back superman on the funbox, among other tricks.
Finals went down on Sunday, with the 12 best riders from the qualifying in each class: Iniciados, Juniores and Open. Iniciados / Begginers: in 3rd Ruben Henriques, from Caldas da Rainha. 2nd Pedro Brás, from Portimão (whips and big 360º over the fun-box) and 1st, after a crazy run, went to Carlos Iglésias, from Juncal – Porto de Mós, who among other tricks did a perfect 720º over the fun-box.
For the ones that missed the weekend of fun at the contest...We can said that the Juniors did tricks like: double whips and front flips!
At the end the 3 places went to 3 friends and riders from Torres Vedras. 3rd Filipe Vieira (lookdown in to tuck-no-hands over the spine, barspin into tuck-no-hands, over the box, and lots of style and flow all over the course). 2d to Miguel Crespo with a 540º on the quarter pipe and other tech tricks. After a injurie that take him out of action for a few months, Nuno Faria returned and ended in first place with a front flip, double whips…from a kid with 15 years old! Open class had two portuguese riders on the first two places: Tony Carneiro, from Lordelo, 3rd (nac-nac, superman, backflip lookdown…etc). 2nd Diogo Santos (the man with the moustache…) from Casais da Serra, who did na amazing run, with: transfer wip, 270º barspin into tooth-pic, some tech and burly grinds on the rail, 360º, bars-spins, etc.
1st went to Jack Marchant from UK, big transfers, nac-nac seat grab, front flip, Table to nose foot-jams, flow, style, fast, and much more. Pedro Seca who ended in 4th and Ruben António, who crashed hard and had to stopped his run at the first seconds trying a barspin to whip on the fun-box, are two more names to join the amazing riders list. This year with another sponsor we did the Meo Best Trick, and the winner was Jack Marchant, that did a huge / long front flip! All over the street area, with more than 7 meters long platform, taking home 300 euros + 10 euros from the bet he did with Peter Ellinger (he bet that he can front-flip it! Without even trying it once…)
Soon we will announce the place and date where we gonna do the party to reveal the national 2011 BMX Freestyle champs of the three classes. Meo BMX Series Fall 2011 by Eastpak, with the sponsor from Meo and Eastpak. Help from Redbull, Zoo York, Mutantbikes, C.N.E.M.A., Academia dos Patins, Icon Bike Store e Apametal. Media partners Zona Radical, Fuel TV, Vespa Produções, Freecaster and Photobmxmag. An MFOBMX organization.
We’de like to say thanks to all the riders, to the sponsors and supporters, and a special thank you to Nuno Faria Father, Nuno Gonçalves, Fernandino, to all the people to build the ramps, Judges and Calculator boy, dj’s, and to whom I’ll forgot, thanks and see you all next year. - Nuno.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.