ROUND Five:

Salt lake City, utah

PRESENTED BY:

WORDS: tonyd / PHOTOS: Kyle Carlson

So Vans has a skate park in Salt Lake City, Utah. Some of the best riders in the series are based out of Salt Lake City. Vans is a sponsor of the USA BMX Freestyle series. It all sort of makes sense, right? The answer was, yes! It made absolute sense. Nestled close to a hillside that housed the state’s capital and all the amenities a modern downtown area could provide, this Round 5 stop of the raddest Amateur Freestyle BMX series was borderline perfect. Amazing weather, an awesome street course to stay active on and a contest course that brought out creative lines...this Vans Pro Skate Park location was one for the record books.

Shall we return next year? We vote yes. -tonyd.

RIGHT: Huffy Bicycles has reentered the building! Ohio’s Huck Kurinsky has attracted the one-time leader of BMX brands back to competition and the sport couldn’t be happier. Huck continued his dominance with another first place.

ABOVE: The local shredd Elijah Prieto joined in on some fun at the Vans Pro Skatepark in Salt Lake City. His sixth place finish wasn’t a true measure of how good he rode.

TOP RIGHT: One of the best to ever do it, Ryan Mills, drove up from Las Vegas to put on a clinic on how to pull some amazing runs. Thanks for the tutorial dude.

BOTTOM RIGHT: One famous announcer (Hint: his name is Andrew Fox) calls this trick the bar-babies. We have no idea what he means by that but we’ll just have to take his word for it. Trick performed by the gypsy, Reuben Barlow.

ABOVE: ....read comment #1 again. This is a continuation of that vibe. Multiply this by 20 or so and welcome to a USA BMX Freestyle event.

ABOVE: ....read comment #1 again. This is a continuation of that vibe. Multiply this by 20 or so and welcome to a USA BMX Freestyle event.

LEFT: Arguably the best looking trick in the sport of Freestyle BMX....Thank you TJ Ettinger for keeping its status high.

LEFT: Arguably the best looking trick in the sport of Freestyle BMX....Thank you TJ Ettinger for keeping its status high.

FYI- TJ is an amazing rider and placed third in Expert.

FYI- TJ is an amazing rider and placed third in Expert.

The Ride Sooner, have fun series, is charging through the country with only two more stops until the Grand Finalé in Tulsa, OK. As the USA BMX x Stacyc World Championship series made its way through Desoto, TX and Charlotte, NC, it became clear the series for the young rippers has become a family affair as parents and race fans watch the new crop of riders develop their skills and prepare for the championship battles. The battles are getting incredibly tight in the 5Yr 16eDrive class, where Kaeson Banks and Rowen Cetkosky are only a single point apart after Stop 5 of the series. Up two classes to the 7-yearolds, Greyson Mogensen is running away with the class and putting his hometown of Waukesha, WI, on the map at 20 points ahead of second place.

In the early 2000s, Andy Buckworth was a young Australian BMX rider with a dream. In 2023, he owns a home in Southern California with an epic trophy room and a skatepark in the backyard. How’d he get from point A to point B? Let’s find out…

When did you first come to the United States?

In 2007. I came to America to go to Woodward.

Did you plan on staying longterm?

From that trip, I was offered to return to Woodward in 2008 and stay as long as I needed.

Did you feel like being in the United States was something you needed to do to meet your BMX goals?

I knew that if I was going to make a career out of riding my bike, it would have to be in the United States. At that time, Australia didn’t have the BMX infrastructure.

When you were broke, how did you make it work?

Because I was living at Woodward Camp, my costs of living were extremely low. I also worked a couple of jobs in Australia before returning in 2008 and my family would occasionally send me small amounts of money as I needed it. It wasn’t glamorous, but we made it work!

At what point did you decide you wanted to stay in the USA longterm?

The goal was to stay in America from about 2009 onward. After Woodward, I was living with Daniel Dhers in Greenville and I knew that I needed to remain in the US to make this dream happen.

When exactly did things start really working out for you?

I was invited to participate in the Nitro Circus Live tour in 2009. That’s when I was able to save money and start establishing myself. Then, I was fortunate enough to sign with Monster Energy in early 2010. How difficult was it to navigate the immigration and taxation processes?

I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by a lot of amazing people that have assisted me along the way. Don’t get me wrong - there have bene plenty of mistakes and stressful situations, but we got there in the end!

Today, how exactly do you make a living?

I ride for Monster Energy, Wienerschnitzel, Bylt Basics, ODI Grips, Free Agent, Ethika, 100%, and Melin. I found that branching out into nonendemic companies and partnerships has been the key to sustaining a living in BMX. I think it’s important to see relationships with companies as partnerships and not just as free money for riding my bike. What you can do for the brand is equally as important as what the brand can do for you.

It’s 2023. You own a nice home in Southern California and have a legit skatepark in your backyard. Did you ever think this was possible?

My sole passion in life is riding my bike, so having the ramp in the backyard is truly a blessing. It’s been a lot of hard work - both on the bike and on the phone tending to relationships. Anything is possible if you work hard!

What advice would you have to any riders chasing the American dream?

Work hard, love what you do, and don’t give up!

You’re basically a veteran of the game at this point, but you’re still pushing your riding and placing well at major events. How much longer do you want to do this?

BMX is my passion and I don’t foresee quitting anytime soon.

I’ll keep doing this as long as my body allows it.

Do you plan on staying in the United States when you’re done riding at the highest level?

Over the past 13 years, the United States has become my home. I love this country and I love the opportunities it has given me. I’ve established a tight network of friends here that almost feel like family. I foresee my future being in America.

Do you have any goals you want to check off the list before the ride is over or are you content?

I’m constantly thinking up new ideas and goals, but lately I’ve been taking a lot of pride in assisting younger riders and helping them navigate the early stages of professionalism.

What’s next?

I’m very content at where I am - touring with Nitro Circus and competing in dirt events. For the immediate future, I don’t see much changing!

Hayden Passanisi (gate two) and Brady King (gate four) battled all weekend in 13 Expert. Passanisi left with two wins, King with one.

Reese Halle (882) dusted himself off after a Sunday slide-out to secure a spot in the 17-20X Main, along with Brendan Felser (3).

The 2023 BMX Canada Limestone Nationals at Kingston BMX left the Ontario BMX community buzzing. Being the first event of the year in Ontario, the riders, families, and volunteers were fired up from the first gate drop. Riders from all over the continent gathered to showcase their skills on the challenging track.

I could feel the community vibes from the moment I walked up to the sign-up shack at Kingston BMX. Corie and Teresa greeted everyone with a smile as riders signed up for practice on Thursday, and their energy spread to every volunteer at KBMX. Even while raking the track during a Sunday morning rain delay, everyone had a smile on their face.

The good vibes encouraged the riders to push a little harder, and when the track was slippery on Sunday morning, riders jumped right back up when they went down.

KBMX has a steep starting hill, and the first jump comes up fast. It’s all downhill from there, and riders accelerate all the way to the finish line. Many riders’ days were made or ruined in the last few feet.

The pro section saw a lot of action, as several riders wanted to take advantage of the inside line and a little air time. Marshall Warner and Max Meinel deserve a shoutout for their impressive performance in the 11 Expert class, skying out the big doubles side-by-side.

The Ontario locals deserve props as well. Taylor Hunt from Welland and Innes Chatterton from Cornwall took home some first place hardware in the cruiser class, along with 7 Expert Mason Solc from Kingston. Zakary Kaiser from Greely put on a clinic all weekend in 15 Expert, and Gary Quill from Brampton played tour guide for the 51-55 Experts.

The competition was intense, with riders of all levels putting on a show for the enthusiastic crowd. Evan Menditto was performing every lap. He walked away with a Pro/Am win, a Cruiser win, and a 17-20 Expert win, but he faced stiff competition from riders like Brandon Bredeweg and Reese Halle in 17-20 Expert. Bredeweg took home two wins and a second for

Ssquared, propelling the team to three wins on the weekend. The 17-20 cruiser battles were also heated, with Ryan Bramer and Max Marshall winning a day each.

The Limestone Nationals saw various riders walk away with wins in nearly every class, a testament to the track and the changing conditions. It wasn’t easy to stay consistent, Factory Answer’s Kylee Niederberger had a stellar weekend, going six for six between cruiser and class. Zeronine’s Peyton Pulaski put up a heck of a fight in cruiser all three days, but she would have to settle for three seconds to compliment her 17-20 Women’s Expert wins.

Alpha’s Matthew Barone also put the pieces together all three days, leaving with a trio of wins in 14 Expert despite a significant challenge from Gavin Menditto.

Overall, the Limestone Nationals epitomized the Northeast BMX culture, with riders displaying their showmanship, camaraderie, and love for the sport, even in the mud. The event left everyone anticipating what’s to come for the BMX community in Ontario.

Words by: Riley Pennucci / Photos by: James Pennucci hat better way to spend your fourth of July weekend than being at The Stars and Stripes National at South Park BMX. And of course, in typical South Park fashion it rained. A lot. On Day 2 there was a rain delay during the second round for around an hour. However, on Sunday, there was only a one moto transfer, and it rained all day on Sunday. The track maintained itself pretty well until the semis when the third straight got very slippery. The Amateur side of the third straight was the first to get slippery. So at around 13 Expert they started to take the pro set, and for a while it worked. If you went the amateur side, then most likely you were going to slide out, but then at some point the pro-set had also begun to cause riders to fall. Throughout the end of semis, it didn’t matter which side of the third straight you took, because it was a gamble either way. There were even some motos, like 16 Experts’ semi, where pretty much the whole rack would fall at some point throughout the last two straights, no matter which side you chose to take.

On Friday at the Stars and Stripes National the women’s ProAm podium saw Sadie Herrera in First, Devin Murphy in second, and Isabella Nelson in third. On Saturday, the women’s Pro-Am podium was Devin Murphy in first Isabella Nelson in Second and Mia Custer in third

The Men’s Pro-Ams podium on Friday was Ruben Garcia in first, Gavin Stazetski in second and Nick Dawson in third. On Saturday the podium was Ruben Garcia in first, Nick Dawson in second and Nolan Cardwell in third.

In 8 & Under Girls Cruiser Amelia Dowdy won all three days. Sawyer Smith won all three days of 9-10 Girls Cruiser. In 11-12 Girls Cruiser Sophia Tilly won the first two days but on Sunday Isabella George won after Tilly slid out in the last turn. Camryn Searfoss won all three days of 13-14 Girls Cruiser. Taya Boecker won Friday in 15-16 Girls Cruiser and Kylee Niederberger won the last two days. In 17-20 Women Cruiser Lauren Johnson won Friday and Mila Kelly won Saturday and Sunday. Madison Jackson won 21-30 cruiser Friday and Saturday. In 31-35 womens cruiser Erin Jones won Friday and Saturday and Taylor Bensinger won Sunday. Amanda Warner won the first day of 36-40 Womens Cruiser and Daniella Cifuentes won Saturday and Sunday. Sarah Cugler won all three days of 41-45 Womens Cruiser. In 46-50 cruiser Elizabeth C Bays won Friday and Sonia Badanik won the second two days. Susie Levan won all three days of 51-55 Cruiser.

Damien Reyes won Friday, 7 & Under Cruiser and Tucker Casssidy won Saturday and Sunday. Alessio Improta won Friday and Sunday in 8 Cruiser and Ronan Eddy won Saturday. Jaxon Cravenho won all three days of 9 Cruiser. In 10 Cruiser Jackson Stauffer won all three days. Jacob Theisen won Friday of 11 Cruiser and Marshall Warner won Saturday and Sunday. In 12 Cruiser Lucas Theisen won Friday and Saturday, but on Sunday, Ace Laack won. Mikey Tonkovich won 13 Cruiser Friday and Sunday but on Saturday Dorian Carreiro won. Gavin Menditto won all three days of 14 Cruiser. In 15 Cruiser CJ Cariaso won all three days. In the 16 Cruiser class a different winner each day with Max Marshall winning on Friday Sean Nicosia on Saturday and Alex Robinson on Sunday. Andrew Herrera won Friday in 17-20 Cruiser and Ryan Bramer won on Saturday and Sunday. Brian Thierwechter won 21-25 Cruiser on Saturday and Sunday. In 26-30 Cruiser Thomas Missal won on Friday. Justin Markie won Friday and Sunday, but on Saturday Jeremy Knapper took the win. Brenden Looby won Friday and Sunday of 36-40 Cruiser, however, David Dermatis won on Saturday. In 41-45 Cruiser Chris Monasmith won Friday and Sunday, but Chris Cariaso won on Saturday. Cory Skinner won friday and Sunday of 46-50 Cruiser and Christopher Diaz won on Sunday. Jim Bramer won all three won after taking the pro set. Isabella Nelson won all three days of 17-20 Women Expert. In 21-30 Women Expert Devin Murphy won all three days.

Erin Jones won 31-40 Women Expert on Friday and Saturday. Chrissy Piper won all three days of 41-50 Women Expert. In 51 & over Womens Expert Susie Levan won all three days.

Chase Reynolds won Friday of 6 Expert. In 7 Expert Mason Scholten won all three days. Ronan Eddy won Friday and Saturday of 8 Expert and Easton Long won on Sunday. Coye Weidner won all three days of 9 Expert. In 10 Expert Preston George won all three days. Noah Williams won all three days of 11 Expert. Sean Lehew won Friday of 12 Expert and Lucas Theisen won the next two days.

Hayden Passanisi won Friday and Sunday of 13 Expert, but on Saturday Passanisi and first place rider Evan Douglass crashed giving Brady King the win. Gavin Menditto won 14 Expert on Friday and Saturday but on the third day Mathew

Barone took the win. In 15 Expert Tommy Bruney won Friday and Saturday, but on Sunday Carson Nuhn won after Bruney slid out in the last turn. The 16 Expert had a different winner everyday with Matthew Werts winning the first day Bryce Blumer winning the second and Max Marshall winning the third. Gavin Stazetski won the first two days of 17-20 Expert, but on Sunday Andrew Herrera won. Ronan Weber won all three days of 21-25 Expert.

In 26-35 Expert Nick Dawson won all three days. Brenden Looby won the first two days of 36-40 Expert but Dave Hall won on Thursday. Benjamin Powell won Friday and Sunday of 41-45 Expert and Austin Kelly won on Saturday. Travis Turesson won all three days of 46-50 Expert. Billy Griggs won the first two days of 51-55 Expert and Andy Currie won on Sunday. In 56 & over Expert Charlie Williams won Friday and Sunday, but on Saturday Robert Raymonde won.

South Park’s first straight gives photographers some great pack shots especially when Philip Ramsey

This is what we could only guess is a life lesson, from father to son, about the grip he is going to need to dominate the competition.

Kylee Niederberger

WOWed the weekend with her big pro set sends on both bikes through her impressive 15-16x Girl weekend.