Akraix Hosts Pro/Am Big Air Bash

EnricoPavia

• August 10 2009
• 5,699 views
• 3 comments

Greetings once again! Wow have things gotten interesting lately. As most of you probably already know, we held our first annual “Pro/Am Big Air Bash” last week. I can’t even begin to tell you how big of success the event was!  The grandstands were packed, the Amateur contest was INSANE, and everyone left the show with their money’s worth. I’m just glad everyone stayed safe and it’s over, all that stress putting this event on probably took a good ten years off my life!! Haha j/k

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The week before the bash, Brother Jon, Austin Wilson, and I traveled to Mobile, Alabama, for a new “experimental” show format for one of our biggest promoters. We had three quads, eight dirt bikes, and six BMX riders. We had spent two and a half days just getting our timing right (mostly because the dirt bike riders are clueless) and when it all came together it was pure madness! It was pretty incredible to look around and see BMX guys upside down, dirt bikes flipping behind me, meanwhile trying to dodge objects on our oh-so-small floor area. The crowd and management loved it, especially our quad performance, so we should be looking good to getting a great 2010 schedule!

Now on to the big air bash.  Aside from being completely overwhelmed with everything I had to get ready to make this event happen, we came into this event with pretty high expectations. The weather was looking to be not so good for the show, but thankfully everything cleared out just in time and the conditions were epic. We had 13 entries for the Amateur competition, but after our long sessions of practice, only nine were able to compete. Surprisingly we didn’t have too many crashes, and the ones that did crash were not seriously injured. That in itself is an accomplishment. That many riders riding a new ramp for the first time, anything could happen, so I’m happy everyone stayed safe.

I can’t say enough how awesome these guys rode come showtime. Tricks that guys like myself would  struggle with, our top amateurs were doing consistent and clean! The crowd loved it and the riders were definitely using their energy to go bigger than ever. Everyone just seemed to drive off of each other, and it made the contest exciting for everyone. When the results came back, James Meusch took first place winning $1,000 and a set of PEP PB1 Shocks, Jason Borg second with $750 and full set of Rath Racing Aluminum products, and third went to Tyler Nelson winning $350 and a set of Go4itgraphics. Best trick of the night went to James Meusch for doing a holy grab, to rock solid, to no hander lander (Basically he floated with no hands the entire trick, it was incredible!). James took down an extra $500 for that as well.

Winter X-games silver medalist Justin Hoyer, Jon Guetter, and myself went out after the amateur competition was done and slayed Redwood Falls! It’s hard to hype up our segments after watching the amateurs, but the crowd just seemed to get more fired up as the night went on. Justin and Jon both flipped, and we brought the Am’s back out for a jam session. Trains, side by side synchronized tricks, every rider just nonstop action, brought the crowd to their feet and the place was getting loud. It was quite the show, definitely one of my top 5 ride sessions just seeing all the excitement in the new riders. At the end of the show, Jon and Justin busted out two side-by-side backflips and the place erupted. You just have to be at these events to really understand how insane these shows really are.

The Web site is almost completed, the new clothing line is released, and we are already working on 2010. Fallout Reloaded will be completed this winter, and it’s looking like we’re back on track to having another successful year. This week we head to Billings Montana for Montana State Fair, and maybe a little vacation to Australia afterwards?? Anyways, BIG thanks to Wayne from PEP, Jen and Daryl Rath, Fishers ATV world, KKCK, Justin from Go4itgraphics, Warnert Racing, everyone from Can-Am BRP, all my amateur riders, and to all the others that helped make our event an epic success. I could not have done this without you guys. Thank you so much!

Derek Guetter

Pro/Am Big Air Bash Freestyle Finals

1. James Meusch
2. Jason Borg
3. Tyler Nelson
4. DJ Coffin
5. Zach Wallinger
6. Reed Hanson
7. Andy Nelson
8. Gabe Moulden
9. Travis Traut

Best Trick

1. James M
2. DJ Coffin