San Jose – Thirty feet or more above the ground, upside down and clinging to a bicycle or skateboard is a nightmare for most people. For the athletes at the Dew Action Sports Tour participating in the Toyota Challenge in San Jose this weekend, it is a way of life.
The event starts today at the HP Pavilion and runs through Sunday. There were still tickets available Wednesday evening for single events or a weekend pass.
Inside the HP Pavilion ramps, rails, ledges and other obstacles tower over the seats. There is a 80-foot long, 15-foot, 6-inch half pipe the skateboarders, including 11-year-old Nyjah Huston, third in the standings and 16-year-old points leader Ryan Sheckler, will use to compete.
The skateboarders will demonstrate their ability to “go big” as they maneuver over, onto, through and above the course. They will seek to impress the judges with their skill, creativity and use of the course to string together different tricks within the time limit.
Outside the HP Pavilion, parking spaces have been transformed into a complex bike park where BMX riders will compete. This park is where the riders will try to spin, flip and utilize ramps and ledges to put together a smooth combination of tricks in an effort to get points from the judges.
Of special note among the BMX riders is Gilroy native Chad Kagy, currently second in the BMX Vert point standings.
Kagy use to ride with the “Riders of Gilroy” at Christmas Hill Park and remembers those days fondly at his website www.chadkagy.com. Kagy is looking forward to performing so close to his home town, and said of all the events on his schedule “there’s no way I would miss this competition.”
In addition to the bike park outside, a dirt course has been created where the FMX or Freestyle Motocross competition will be held. In this event, riders on 250cc bikes use metal take-off ramps and dirt landings to launch themselves high into the air while performing combinations of flips, twists and grabs to impress the judges.
This is the second to last stop for the tour, and in many of the events the points race is close. Each athlete will be looking to get the points necessary to make the finals and compete for an additional $1,000,000 prize pool.
