My 2009 BMX Racing Season…

So my 2009 racing season didn’t start well and is ending worse.

The first ABA national in January in Reno, NV  I crashed in my pro race and broke my right clavicle again. I probably should have listened to my doctors and not raced, but a passion has its risks. After that I haven’t done much riding since.

It’s now almost the end of the season and I’m barely having my surgery for it coming up in a month. Insurance companies are evil. So I’m already disappointed in my 2010 season because I know it’s going to start out rough, but I’m hoping it gets better and better.

Hopefully by the 2011 season I will be back at the top of my game. When I have my surgery they’re going to cut off the portion of the bone that’s sticking up towards my neck muscle and then put in plates and screws to support the clavicle.

After the surgery I will have at least six months of intense physical therapy which I’m not looking forward to. I’ve always been able to handle the surgeries, it’s the physical therapy that gets to me everytime. On top of that physical therapy I still have to continue with the therapy on my left knee for a tear. Hopefully I won’t need another surgery on that knee because I’ve already had two. I’m not too sure if my knee could handle three surgeries and still be able to race.

Anyways, that’s my little update of the past, present, and future. Even if I won’t be able to ride for a little bit I am still going out to the nationals to support my team and friends so I will see you guys out there. Good luck to everyone trying to get those last minute points.

(Ed. Note: And good luck to you,  Christian!)

32nd NBL GRAND NATIONAL

The 2009 NBL Grand National is scheduled to take place September 4th through the 6th at Derby City BMX in Louisville Kentucky. The track has been groomed and polished and awaits the top riders in BMX to showcase their skills and capture those coveted NBL National #1 plates. Pretty Tough’s very own, Sarah Gross will be competing in the 13 girl division. Sarah is expected to place in the top 5 in the nation.

For those early birds, the weekend starts out with a bang on Wednesday (2nd) with the “Future Stars” Clinic kicking off at 3:00pm. Top Elite pros join the NBL to assist riders in their final preparation for the biggest event of the season. Thursday (3rd) is dawn-to-dusk paid practice with two scheduled practice sessions for each group. Free practice sessions begin on Friday (4th) morning with single sessions scheduled for all groups.

Highlights of the holiday weekend include Friday night’s Last Chance Qualifier (start time 3:00pm) for the Elite Men and Women as well as Super-Ex and Masters. The UGP Open will run in conjunction with the Elite L.C.Q., and puts up over $4,000 in prizes for those qualified Amateurs.

Opening ceremonies begin at 7:30am on Saturday (5th), with the “Grand Daddy” of all BMX races dropping the gate for amateurs at 8:00am. Amateurs will complete the first two rounds on Saturday. Check out your favorite Elite riders on Saturday at the NBL autograph session scheduled for 2:00pm.

Saturday afternoon (4:30pm) is the Big One, the NBL Elite Championship. Elite riders from across the country and around the world will compete for NBL Elite titles. There will be plenty of action with three full rounds of motos, followed up with qualifying rounds and the mains. The Elite Championship podium is scheduled for 7:00pm Saturday evening with awards for the Championship race and Year-End awards.

Sunday continues on with the third round of amateur racing action starting at 8:00am and continuing through the final gate drops in the mains.

BMX Worlds are going LIVE on the internet!

The IMBXFF World Championships 2009, aka the BMX Worlds presented by Rockstar, will be coming to you LIVE for the first time in it’s 25 year history, courtesy of Freecaster.tv.

Freecaster.tv and their partners, Braun Shavers and Nike 6.0, will be bringing you all the action direct from the Cologne Jugendpark from July 11th – 12th. The LIVE webcasts will offer BMX fans a rare opportunity to watch the contests as they unfold in Park, Dirt, Vert, Miniramp and Flatland. With over 300 participants from about 40 nations competing to be crowned “World Champion”, there promises to be an epic battle in every discipline.

“This is the perfect way to celebrate our 25th anniversary” declares an enthusiastic Stephan Prantl, Chief Coordinator of the BMX Worlds “We always have great attendance onsite, and people always check-out our highlights after the event, but to suddenly be able to offer the excitement of LIVE contests to everyone via the internet is a massive leap forward for us”.

“We always strive to make the BMX Masters better every year, in an effort to keep the contest fresh for the riders and their sponsors” adds Robert Möller, the Partnership Manager “Having a LIVE feed from the event adds a new dimension for everyone involved. The riders have an opportunity to increase their exposure amongst a larger audience, whilst the brands benefit from increased reach of the event in a very innovative and high quality way”.

“The BMX Worlds will mark another first for Freecaster.tv too” announced Raymond Dulieu, CEO and Founder of Freecaster.tv. “We have been managing LIVE web casts for nearly 2 years now, but this is the first time we will be responsible for the entire TV production of an event, from the cameras and cameramen, right through to the end product appearing on computer screens around the globe. These are exciting times and we look forward to delivering a great show”

Direct Link: http://freecaster.tv/live/bmx/1007939/bmx-worlds-09-live-webcast

Tune in to the BMX Masters LIVE

Saturday July 11 GMT+2

* 16:45 – 17:00 Studio
* 17:00 – 18:30 Flatland Pro Finals
* 18:30 – 19:30 Studio
* 19:30 – 20:30 Miniramp Pro Finals
* 21:00 – 22:00 Dirt Pro Finals

Sunday July 12 GMT+2

* 13:00 – 13:30 Studio
* 13:30 – 14:30 Park Pro Finals
* 14:30 – 16:00 Studio
* 16:00 – 17:00 Vert Pro Finals
* 17:00 – 17:30 Studio

Active Life: Extreme Challenge

This summer, Namco Bandai Games brings the asphalt, the mountain and the crystal blue waters of the Pacific to your living room – BMX riding and all your favorite extreme sports are in a new video game for Nintendo Wii!

Bet you never thought you’d be scaling the cliffs of the Grand Canyon from home. But working in tandem with the Active Life floor mat and Wii remote, you’ll be climbing the “virtual crag” in no time – no need to lug a rope or rally a belay partner to conquer.

Pump up the adrenaline with this and a dozen other extreme sports activities in Active Life: Extreme Challenge – from base jumping to street luging through San Francisco, snowboarding and BMX riding to kite-surfing. When you can’t make it outside to get your extreme thrills, this active game is one way to get your heart pumping (you may even break a sweat!), and rally your friends for a little friendly competition.

Active Life: Extreme Challenge launches later this summer.

BFF: Bicycle Film Festival

What do you get when you combine the worldwide cycling community (and some devoted sponsors) with movies, parties, musical performances and art exhibits ? You get The Bicycle Film Festival – an annual event that celebrates all things bicycle.

The 9th Bicycle Film Festival returns this summer and organizers don’t plan to leave anyone out. From tall bike jousting, track bikes, BMX, alleycats, critical mass, bike polo, cycling to recumbent, they’re into all styles of bikes and biking.

The mission is to bring together all aspects of bicycling to advocate its ability to transport us in many ways.

The fest kicks off this weekend in New York where, for the next four days, festival-goers will be burdened with the task of picking and choosing which one of the many events they want to go to.

Bikes Rock at the South Street Seaport where there will be bands, parades, street games and more.  The Joy Ride is a cycling odyssey between four Soho galleries where riders view a specially curated multimedia exhibit inspired by the bicycle.

Each day will also feature different viewings of film shorts about the bicycle. Subjects range from building bikes to celebrating bikes to bike journeys. There will be a few world premieres of feature length films, including ‘Where Are You Go,’ about the world’s longest bike race around Africa, ‘I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes,’ chronicling the 15 year reign of a beloved DIY bike apparel company, and ‘The Third Wheel,’ about the Pedicab industry.

The BFF is going on around the nation and in Japan, Australia, and Europe so be sure to check out the site for updated info and must-see exhibits in your city!

Check out the trailer for this year’s festival:

Next X: Disney TV taps into extreme sports

Disney and ESPN have come together to bring you “NEXT X”, a reality series for kids where five  extreme athletes guide five up and comers by teaching them how to hone their technical skills and confidence to possibly become the next action sports superstar.  Chris Cole, Scotty Cranmer, Billy Marks, Lincoln Ueda, and Van Homan are the guys who will mentor five lucky individuals.

Why no girls? Not really sure since there are plenty of action sports athletes who are female.  Just look at some of the girls who’ve rocked ESPN’s X Games like Elissa Steamer, Cara-Beth Burnside, Lauren Perkins, Mimi Knoop or Lyn-Z Adams.   And there are plenty of young girls who are kicking butt and would benefit from some mentoring from these pros.

The project was filmed at the sprawling action sports oasis of Camp Woodward in the Mojave Desert in Tehachapi, California and will be broadcast over the next two months, culminating in a half-hour television special, with one amateur participant chosen for a showcase in the next X-Games.

Hopefully, Disney and ESPN will feature some action sports girls in the near future. In the meantime, check out the press release the show.

“Next X,” a reality series for kids developed by Disney XD in collaboration with ESPN, features five of the world’s top professional BMX and skateboarding athletes as they mentor young amateurs in their chosen sport, teaching them how to hone their technical skills, build their confidence and inspire them to become better athletes. The story is told through eight short-form episodes, culminating with a half-hour television special that will feature highlights from X Games 15.

The series will star professional action sports athletes Chris Cole (skateboard), Scotty Cranmer (BMX), Billy Marks (skateboard), Lincoln Ueda (skateboard) and Van Homan (BMX).  The five up-and-coming action sports athletes are 12-year-old Ian Bradley, a BMX amateur from New Hampshire; 11-year-old Matty Cranmer, a BMX amateur from New Jersey; 12-year-old Mitchie Brusco, an amateur skateboarder from Washington; 9-year-old Tom Schaar, an advanced skateboarder from California and 11-year-old Micah Wu, an amateur skateboarder from Kentucky.

In conjunction with the premiere of “Next X,” Disney XD.com will debut “X-clusives,” special webisodes that delve further into the young athletes’ experiences while training with their mentors.  The webisodes include new behind-the-scenes footage, in-depth athlete interviews, a high jump competition, extended one-on-one training sessions, skateboard and BMX safety tips and outtakes of all the action.  Disney XD.com users are also invited to play five exclusive action sports-themed online games developed by ESPN and Disney.com starting Monday, June 29.  Gamers can test their motocross, rally car, BMX and skateboarding skills.

“X Games on Disney XD,”  a series of four individual 60 second programs, features X Games athletes, event highlights and some of the best action-packed moments from the X Games.

Hosted by ESPN and E! Entertainment anchor Sal Masekela, all four episodes will focus on specific aspects of the X Games. Episode 1 will air July 13 and will feature historical look backs at the X Games debuts of current legends Shaun White, Travis Pastrana and Ryan Sheckler. Episode 2 will air July 20, prior to X Games 15, and will highlight what to watch for at this year’s X Games. Episodes 3 & 4 will air the two weeks after X Games 15, August 5 and August 10, and both episodes will be highlight oriented from the event.

Win a scholarship to Windells Action Sports Camp!

A lot of students are assigned a “personal essay” as the final English assignment of the year. For some kids,  the paper morphs into the essay they submit as part of their college application. Others embark on a period of journaling as a road to personal development.

If you like action sports,  your writing can also turn into a way to ride scot-free this summer.

Tim Windell, owner of Windells Camp, has started a writing contest for a chance to win a free session at the “Funnest Place on Earth.” One deserving kid will receive an all-inclusive week at Windells Camp including instruction, food, prizes, supervision, video review, camp activities and more – without paying a dime.

If you don’t already know about Windells,  you should.  Based in Mt. Hood, Oregon, where year-round, natural snow beckons, Windells is a non-stop, camp fun experience. It’s also  a place where beginners and experts fine-tune their skills and rub elbows with their favorite pros.  There are girls-only sessions and an innovative assortment of snowboard, skateboard, freeski and BMX parks with super pipes, rails and jumps.

Tons of the best female professional snowboarders have spent time at Windells, as both campers and coaches. Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, Molly Aguirre, Tara Dakides, Clair Bidez, Alexis Waite, Hana Beaman…the list goes on and on of women who have benefited from sessions at Windells, gaining confidence and skills on the mountain as well as having fun and making friends back at camp.

If your interest is piqued,  this could be your golden ticket. Just show your creativity, honesty, and personality.

“We are not looking for the best writer in terms of grammar and punctuation,” says Windell. “We just want to pick the person who will benefit the most from camp – It goes without saying the camp will benefit from the kid as well.”

All submissions will be read and considered for the contest. The rules are simple: Submit a 1-3 page essay stating why you need the camp and why the camp needs you.

Submissions should be emailed directly to Tim at tim@windells.com who will decide which shredder is most deserving of a free ride. 

If it sounds too much like school, or you’ve got writer’s block, Windells has posted tips and an example of how to craft the essay on its website at http://www.windells.com/tag/scholarship.

So get crackin’ — entries must be sent to received by midnight on June 15th, 2009.

Florida State Championship race report

The 2009 Florida State Championship was hosted on May 16th in the City of Sarasota. The track was fast and somewhat technical, making for some great racing! The Championship race is the biggest state race in the nation and we had just under 200 motos hitting the charts.

The girl classes were on fire and leading the packs in the mains were Elite Woman, Mariana Pajon, amateur riders, Kinley Buelvas, Lauren Lanzilotta, Lauren Whitlow, Emily Tatum, Stephanie Lajoie, Rachelle Youtzy, Bianca Dean, Kaitlyn Sheehan, Kathleen Jenkins, Aryanna Wilfork, and Melissa Gremal. There were many other pretty tough girls that were sweeping their classes and placed an awesome 2nd place in their mains.

Our very own Pretty Tough rider Sarah Gross was one of those girls. She is #2 in the State of Florida on both her 20 inch and 24 inch bicycles. Sarah says, “I plan on training the entire summer so I could hopefully take home a top 5 plate at the NBL Grand Nationals this year in September.”

Along with her state awards, Sarah received a special Presidents Cup award for placing 1st for our Florida team at the 2008 Presidents Cup that was held back in December. Only a handful of girls had the honor of receiving this award.

Final results for the 2009 Florida State BMX Championships can be found on www.floridabmx.com

Alise Post wins for team Redline in Bakersfield

In Women’s Pro BMX, Redline’s Alise Post also took the Saturday win – with a 1-2-3 in her mains. After Dom Daniels crashed in the first main while trying to swoop underneath The Beast in turn two, and then backing it up with a strong second in main #2, the win was all Post’s to win or lose. Her consistency paid off with a big check and a spot on the top rung of the podium. This too, was Post’s first win of the season.

On Sunday, Alise “The Beast” was on fire. With newly found confidence from weeks at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Redline’s new gal won the overall, again – this time with an 8-1-1 in the three main events.

“I blew it in the first one,” texted Alise. “But won the next two in some great races.” Two wins – and her first “double” in Redline colors, will definitely come in handy in the ABA’s Pro Women point chase.

BMX: Big things in store for Brooke “Insane” Crain

Big things are in store for Brooke “Insane” Crain, a 15-year-old Visalian whose goal, as a newly-minted professional motocross rider, is to compete at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Crain is the reigning girls’ 14-16 amateur national champion, and in January she placed third and second in her first two pro-level women’s BMX motocross races in Reno, Nev. — earning paychecks of $120 and $180.

“It’s a start,” the Mt. Whitney High School student said.

After the first two events of the 2009 season, the Reno event and the Sooner Nationals (Jan. 23-25 in Guthrie, OK), Crain sits third in the standings.  With a bunch of fresh faces in the ladies PRO class battling vets like Alise Post and Dominique Daniels this year, it should be an exciting season.

“Insane” Crain’s nickname stems from her aggressive, no-nonsense approach to the sport. She’s already beaten Samantha Cools, a member of the Canadian Olympic team that competed in Beijing in 2008, and is one of four women invited to attend a Feb. 1-6 camp in Chula Vista, where the U.S. national BMX team trains.

To get a better feel for international competition, Crain will compete in the World BMX Championships in Australia, said her father, Todd Crain.

Race tips

Most BMX races are won or lost at the starting gate, Brooke Crain advises.

“If you get good, clean starts, you’re going to be right in there,” she said. “If the start is not fast and clean, that’s trouble.”

Another key to winning BMX races: Keeping your cool, Crain said.

“If you stay relaxed,” she said, “you’re going to be so much better than everyone else.”

Finessing jumps

Of course, it does take athleticism. Crain’s 5-foot-3, 105-pound frame seems frail compared to some of the top competitors out there, but she does have an advantage.

“Most of the top riders are power riders, and they weigh as much as 130 or 140 pounds,” Todd Crain said.

“Brooke uses finesse, and with tracks putting in higher jumps, that favors the finesse rider.”

She’ll do just fine as a pro, said Richard Bunt, owner of the Clayborn factory team that signed her to a contract.

“We want to grow the women’s side of the professional division,” Bunt said. “Brooke Crain will go far to accomplishing that.”

We’ll be watching!!

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