NOTJ eMagazin 2015
#2/2015
W O K KRA N D POLA
4 & 3 D ROUN
M A G A Z I N E
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025( 678)) 1,*+7RIWKH-803V FRP
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SHOP ROCKWELL
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www.suzuki.de
NIGHT OF THE JUMPS
NEIN, FLIEGEN IST NICHT SCHÖNER!
for Clips:
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Suzuki Motorrad Deutschland
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Suzuki wunscht viel Spass auf der ,, ,,Night of the jumps . 11
EDITOR: Marko Manthey ART DIRECTION: Pigmentart design SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Marko Manthey, Christoph Schulz, Lukas Nazdraczew CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
SUBMISSIONS: info@notj.de ADVERTISING: c.schulz@notj.de / p.mundin@notj.de NIGHT of the JUMPs Magazine is selfpublished regularly in Berlin, Germany. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in this publication. All rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Enjoy this magazine for what it is and respect the photographers that help make it happen.
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EDITORIAL WHERE TO FAST WORD EVENT KRAKOW POL MAXXIS HIGHEST AIR
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TOURS / FRANCE
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BERLIN / GERMANY
ISSUU #01 /2015
HAMBURG MUNICH / GERMANY
KRAKOW / POLAND
TICKETS INCL FREE PIT PASS TICKETS AUF WWW.NIGHTOFTHEJUMPS.COM
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EYE CATCHER
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The Steve Sommerfeld Colum for NIGHT of the JUMPs A few Words about the Difficulty of Judging FMX nowadays The 2015 season of Night of the Jumps has seen the level of tricks increase to the highest level ever seen in the sport of Freestyle Motocross, and now with new ramps and bigger courses pumped into the same tight arena’s, the task of Judging 12 riders and picking a winner at the end of the night has never been harder than now. The inclusion of the Quarter Pipe in 2014 and 2015 has seen a dramatic shift in course use and scores. Not only is the Quarter pipe a new ramp, and a very technical ramp to even jump, the tricks performed are spins like the 540 Flair which is relatively new and something completely different for Freestyle Motocross. The complexity in trying to give a fair score to riders who have actually spent the time in perfecting the 540 Flair off a Quarter pipe is difficult, knowing that a 360 over the long distance ramp is scored very highly, why shouldn’t a 540, with an extra 180 degree spin not score even higher. And then, to add one or two extra points for the course use also. To me, it’s a very difficult position to be in. As an FIM Judge, and sitting among a group of 5 judges each event, with a handful of other judges who are able to join the ranks, we are in the midst of looking at new judging systems, or at least a deep conversation as to how to score these tricks. For example, in 2014, Maikel Melero became our FIM World Champion and in large part, he was one of the only riders, who utilised the quarter pipe and stomped a perfect flair each time. His points were generally 10 or more points higher than anyone. And I’m still happy with that decision from 2014, because Maikel was proving better than the rest of the field. However, with the return of the 2013 World Champion, David Rinaldo at the end of the season, Rinaldo showed what could happen and showed that his riding is on another level. The confidence he oozes, the technicality and uber style he shows is so high, that on any given day, I think David could be one of the best riders in the sport, ever.
In 2015, it has been a tug of war between Rinaldo and Melero, with Libor Podmol and Rob Adelberg thrown in the mix at the top. And the Judging has to be able to accommodate new tricks, new ramps, style, variety and consistency. In Krakow, Poland, Melero was easily standing on top of the podium on the first night, and claiming his 3rd straight World Championship win in a row. However, the advantage Maikel had would come to an end, even with the use of the quarter pipe, when David Rinaldo arrived 20 minutes before the competition, with absolutely no practise at all, put down one of the best runs ever seen in FMX. And he didn’t even touch the Quarter Pipe. For Melero, it was a crushing victory I’m sure, but it showed that a FMX run can come back to the basics and just show great style to win. Even as judges, we all have our own background in the sport, we all have our own view on what constitutes the best FMX run, and to me, a good mix of everything just listed is the way to go. Other Judges may disagree with that, and that is why there are 5 judges at Night of the Jumps. I think NOTJ have one of the best FMX Judging systems in the sport, with the judges needing to look at every aspect of a run, which includes the Trick Difficulty and Extension, Course Use, Technical Deductions, Personal Impression and the Double Up, the judges have a wide range of areas to work out where each rider sits. And even after 5 judges with their different backgrounds and biases take all this into account, the judge with the highest score, and the judge with the lowest score are dropped. So the 3 middle scores are tallied together to give an overall score for each rider. In 2015, with almost half of the field pushing the limits with different body varials, 540 Flairs out of the Quarter Pipe, Surfer Take off Back Flips and Flip Transfers from the Quarter Pipe, the Judges will have more on their plate than ever before and need to justify every decision when after 12 riders, the top spot on the podium is still always decided by a mere one or two points out of a possible 400 points, or more! Check out the next rounds of Night of the Jumps and tell us what you think of the judging at each event. Would you score the riders differently?
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Poland seemed to be the next hot spot for Freestyle MX in Europe. For round three and four of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship more than 20.000 people showed up in one of the most amazing arena in Europe. Due to the Lufthansa strike in Europe David Rinaldo missed his flight to Poland and couldn´t arrive in time for the Friday and arrived just minutes before the opening ceremony for Saturday and ‌
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PREVIEW KRAKOW
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PIT PARTY Meet all the riders and get your autographs and photos!
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HIGHLIGHT ROUND 3
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SOLD OUT Tauron Arena Krakow
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Krakow, March 20. 2015: It was exactly 2 weeks after the start of the new World Championship series in Berlin that the Freestyle MX pilots would meet again in NIGHT of the JUMPs in Krakow, Poland. The series would heat up with the return of Hannes Ackermann (GER) and James Carter (USA) from a bout of influenza at the previous round and intervene in the championship battle. However in Krakow unfortunately David Rinaldo (FRA) and Petr Pilat (CZE) would not be able to contest the 3rd round. The Frenchman and 2013 World Champion was a victim of current airline pilot strikes and the Czech rider suffered a devastating crash in his final practise on Thursday at his home, requiring a flight to hospital. (We are wishing Petr all the very best and a speedy return). With both riders unable to start, it gave our 2015 shooting star, Filip Podmol another starting position but he would dislocate his shoulder on a Tsunami Flip and he wouldn’t make a final spot. Remi Bizouard would also begin his World Championship campaign, and Marcin Lukaszczyk would get his start as the local Polish rider to join the grid but he didn’t have enough in his repertoire to make the final, despite the frenzied cheers from his countrymen. The current World Championship leader, Melero (ESP) wanted to set the direction for his third victory and in qualifying surprised everyone by unleashing his California Roll early and also including Double Grab Flip. It was this surprise that saw him lead qualifying, followed by Adelberg and Podmol. Remi Bizouard, Brice Izzo and Hannes Ackermann were also able to enjoy their first World Championship finals in 2015. Izzo had reason to celebrate by winning the first LifeProof Race & Style Contest of 2015, with a thrilling head to head final where he narrowly took the win from Bianconcini. The Italian Step-up king continued to have a bad day at the office in the Maxxis Highest Air competition after burning out his clutch in the competition. Not being able to continue, left the victory open for Jose Miralles, just edging out Luc Ackermann. In the final, it came to a showdown of body varials. Rob Adelberg finished his new variation of the California Roll to No Hand Lander and securing him a second place podium finish. Then, Libor Podmol unleashed his new body varial, the Volt, however he was unable to hold onto it and crashed, relegating him to 6th place. Melero was pushed to show his hand, with his own version of the California Roll featuring a side-saddle take-off, a huge Double Grab Backflip but it was the Flair on the Quarter pipe that would secure his victory in the final. This marks Melero’s third win in the World Championships and the reigning World Champion is now clearly in the lead with 60 points.
Krakow, March 21, 2015: Two huge days of competitions in Poland ended on Saturday in spectacular fashion at the NIGHT of the JUMPs World Championships, especially with the return of David Rinaldo who was dealt a cruel blow of being stranded at home the previous day, following airline pilot’s strikes. The 2013 World Champion got off to a cold start after arriving only one hour before show-time and missing the official practise, but David was given one test jump per ramp in front of a sold out Krakow Arena before commencing his qualifying run. And what happened next was nothing short of unbelievable. Rinaldo laid down almost all of his huge technical tricks, including one of the biggest Double Hart Attack Flips ever seen. David landed in 4th position and directly into the final, a feat that has never happened before in the history of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championships, with a rider coming into the finals without prior training. But this was not enough for Rinaldo, and in the final the Frenchman shocked the entire competition as he threw down his California Roll and Double Hart Attack Flip in the run, and finishing his run with a second body varial, the “Volt”. After premiering the Volt for the first time in competition, it also impressed the current Championship leader, Maikel Melero. The reigning World Champion had two major mistakes in his final, and had to be satisfied with a 5th place. After testing the “Volt” for the first time yesterday and crashing out of the final, despite slight injuries, Podmol put together a good qualifying run and again reached the final round. But before he could start, there was a special celebration to commemorate the Czech rider’s 100th World Championship competition. The record then seemed to be an additional motivator, and Podmol would again try the Volt in the final. This time he was able to land the trick clean and sealed his 2nd place on the podium. With only Rob Adelberg remaining, the winner from the first round, he was the only rider to intercept David Rinaldo’s party. The Australian showed all of his tricks, including the California Roll, but it was not enough on this day and he finished in a respectable 3rd place. And this concluded the night’s sensation. David Rinaldo came, he saw, he conquered. And all without training. The 13,000 visitors to the sold-out arena in Krakow celebrated the NIGHT of the JUMPs athletes well after the awards ceremony. In the championship standings, Maikel Melero is still in the lead, however the rest of the competition are closer to moving up to him. The FMX Pilots now have a short break before the next event on the coming weekend, where NIGHT of the JUMPs will land in Tours / France for the first time on 28th of March, 2015. After one of the best competitions seen in Krakow, one can only wonder as to what new tricks they can pull out of their hat.
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RIDERS PRESENT 26
TATION 27
HOT OPENING
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HIGHLIGHT ROUND 4
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HANNES ACKERMANN 30
JAMES CARTER 31
LIBOR PODMOL 32
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FILIP PODMOL
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BRICE IZZO 35
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JOSÉ MIRALLES 38
LUC ACKERMANN
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MAIKEL MELERO 40
TOP TRICKS FRIDAY 41
KIDS RACE 42
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Huge crowd for rounds 3+4 of the 2015 FMX World Championship
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LifeProof Race and Style 46
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James Carter and Massimo Bianconcini
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Massimo, JosĂŠ and Brice in an intense final
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PADDOCK Remi and Brice
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LIBOR Congrats to Libor for 100 FMX World Championship competitions
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DAKAR @ NOTJ 2015 Dakar Champion Rafal Sonik as special guest
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QUAD FREESTYLE 58
CROWD is loving the show
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MASSIMO Ready for the Maxxis Highest Air
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Luc Ackermann watching „el Loco“
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Two nights - two winners: Massimo and JosĂŠ
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WINNER
Massimo celebrating his victory
Text klein: Two times identical podium in Berlin: 3rd place Rob Adelberg, 2nd place David Rinaldo, 1st place Maikel Melero
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LIGHT, SOUND 'N' TV
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LUC ACKERMANN Flair
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GIRLS of DIVERSE NIGHT of the JUMPs
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MEXICAN WAVE Time for the final
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BRICE Dead Body
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TOP TRICKS FRIDAY
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HANNES
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REMI BIZOUARD
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SEE LIBORS CRASH
LIBOR crashed the first night at his VOLT attempt.
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But the Czech Ninja showed „COJONES“ and sticked it on day two.
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A great run put Libor on 2nd place on day two
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ROB ADELBERG
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Rob spinning his California Roll
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Runner up on Friday
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Third place on Saturday
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MAIKEL starting his Cafifornia Roll with a side saddle take off
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California Roll
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Double Grab Flip
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The Flair won Maikel another round on Friday
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DAVID RINALDO came straight from the airport and entered competition without any practice ...
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HIGHLIGHTS DAVID
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... premiered his Volt in a competition ...
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... and showed one of the biggest Double Grab Flips ever.
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No Practice - No Problem! David Rinaldo came, he saw and he conquered.
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Top three Friday Night: 3rd place Remi 1st place Maikel 2nd place Rob
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RESULTS KRAKOW ROUND#3 FIM Freestyle MX World Championship 2015 OVERALL 1. Maikel Melero 2. Rob Adelberg 3. Remi Bizouard 4. Brice Izzo 5. Hannes Ackermann 6. Libor Podmol 7. Luc Ackermann 8. James Carter 9. Jose Miralles 10. Marcin Lukaszczyk 11. Filip Podmol FINAL 1. Maikel Melero 2. Rob Adelberg 3. Remi Bizouard 4. Brice Izzo 5. Hannes Ackermann 6. Libor Podmol HIGHEST AIR 1. Jose Miralles 2. Luc Ackermann 3. M. Bianconcini
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ESP AUS FRA FRA GER
20 18 16 14 12
Points Points Points Points Points
CZE GER USA ESP POL CZE
10 Points 9 Points 8 Points 7 Points 6 Points 5 Points
ESP AUS FRA FRA GER
406.0 400.0 373.0 359.0 340.0
CZE
324.0
ESP GER ITA
7,0 m 6,5 m 0,0 m
RESULTS KRAKOW ROUND#4 FIM Freestyle MX World Championship 2015 OVERALL 1. David Rinaldo 2. Libor Podmol 3. Rob Adelberg 4. Remi Bizouard 5. Maikel Melero 6. Brice Izzo 7. Hannes Ackermann 8. Jose Miralles 9. James Carter 10. Luc Ackermann 11. Marcin Lukaszczyk
FRA CZE AUS FRA ESP FRA GER
20 Points 18 Points 16 Points 14 Points 12 Points 10 Points 9 Points
ESP USA GER POL
8 7 6 5
FINAL 1. David Rinaldo 2. Libor Podmol 3. Rob Adelberg 4. Remi Bizouard 5. Maikel Melero 6. Brice Izzo
FRA CZE AUS FRA ESP FRA
412.0 407.0 401.0 366.0 361.0 354.0
HIGHEST AIR 1. M. Bianconcini 2. Jose Miralles
ITA ESP
8,0 m 7,5 m
Points Points Points Points
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FIM FREESTYLE MX WORLD CH (OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER 4 ROUNDS)
The riders who compete in all World Championsh result at the end of the year. All other results ar FIM World Championship ranking 2015. PLACE
NAME
NAT.
ROUND 1
ROUND 2
ROUND 3
ROUND 4
BERLIN
BERLIN
KRAKOW
KRAKOW
20
(12)
1
MAIKEL MELERO
ESP
20
20
2
DAVID RINALDO
FRA
18
18
3
ROB ADELBERG
AUS
16
16
18
(16)
4
LIBOR PODMOL
CZE
14
14
(10)
18
5
BRICE IZZO
FRA
(5)
7
14
10
6
REMI BIZOUARD
FRA
16
14
7
LUC ACKERMANN
GER
8
10
9
(6)
8
JOSE MIRALLES
ESP
10
8
(7)
8
9
PERT PILAT
CZE
12
12
10
FILIP PODMOL
CZE
9
9
11
JAMES CARTER
USA
7
12
HANNES ACKERMANN
GER
13
KAI HAASE
GER
14
MARCIN LUKASZCZYK
POL
6
20
5 8
7
12
9
6
5
6
MAXXIS HIGHEST AIR CHAMPI (OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER 4 ROUNDS)
PLACE
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NAME
NAT.
ROUND 1
ROUND 2
ROUND 3
ROUND 4
BERLIN
BERLIN
KRAKOW
KRAKOW
1
MASSIMO BIANCONCINI
ITA
5.0
5.0
1.0
5.0
2
JOSE MIRALLES
ESP
1.0
1.0
5.0
3.0
3
KAI HAASE
GER
3.0
3.0
4
LUC ACKERMANN
GER
3.0
HAMPIONSHIP 2015
hip rounds in 2015 drop their lowest re taken into account for the overall
TOTAL ALL RESULTS
72 56 66 56 36 30 33 33 24 23 22 21 12 11
IONSHIP 2015
TOTAL 16 10 6 3
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