2016 Austin X Games: BMX Vert Final Coverage

Competition Locale and Half-Pipe Dimensions

For the 2016 X Games BMX Vert Final, we turn our collective attention to Austin, Texas, where all the action is. At the BMX Vert Final, competitors and athletes have been flying high and training hard on their bikes for a long time in preparation for a chance to compete at this elite level.

The display of BMX expertise at this Final round event was simply astonishing, as it was quite clear how dedicated each and every one of these riders is to their sport and to victory. As anyone with even a basic level of BMX knowledge will be fully aware of, the stakes of riding competitively against other professional BMX riders in a full sized professional half pipe, which is well over ten feet tall, are indeed quite high.

This is to say that all of the competitors know full well that they must push the envelope during their half pipe runs, but they also know that the risk of potentially fatal injury is such that being somewhat conservative is also a goal if possible. The half pipe in Austin is a massive build, and it has been allowing BMX athletes to fly well above the coping on their runs through the half pipe and in doing so are able to achieve simply massive hang time. The immense size of the half pipe is a major factor in what makes this event so especially exciting to watch for spectators, fans of the sport, and judges alike.

BMX Vert Final Overview

Essentially, the way the 2016 Austin X Games BMX Vert Final round is set up, is in such a way so that each competitor can have multiple heats in the half pipe in order to have several chances to prove their skills to the judges. By having multiple heats in the pipe, a competitor is not limited to only run since in such a case it would be highly likely that a competitor could suffer a fluke and therefore his judgment and scoring would not accurately reflect ability level. Heats are not extremely long, but they do provide a good opportunity for each respective BMX competitor to hit a few good tricks and earn a decent score with the judges.

Competitors, Final Round Scores, and Ranking

1^st Place – GOLD - Jamie Bestwick:

Coming in at the 1^st Place spot in the 2016 Austin X Games BMX Vert Final, Jamie Bestwick nailed an incredible final round performance, which earned him the remarkably high score he finished out with. In his best, Top Run scoring value, Bestwick was able to attain a 90.66 that to nobody’s surprise, ended up earning him the gold medal in the event. His insane air and hang time, coupled with precision in the execution of his chosen tricks were likely major components in the overall equation which allowed Jamie Bestwick to take home the gold.

2^nd Place – SILVER - Simon Tabron:

Although earning 2^nd place may sting for the hypercompetitive personalities among us, it has to be recognized that this was no easy feat for Simon Tabron to achieve at the BMX Vert Final event. With a Top Run best overall performance scoring of 86.00, Tabron may have lost to Bestwick by a solid margin, but at the same time these two titans were neck and neck for a time.

It is clear to see that Simon Tabron and Jamie Bestwick are definitely BMX athletes to watch moving forward, since it appears that a kind of rivalry may potentially be brewing between them. It is likely that this win of the Silver at the BMX Vert Final is likely to propel Simon Tabron into his next competitions, and should be a good morale booster in his career.  His effortless coping slides and easy-riding style have certainly been earning him major kudos as of late, and this 2^nd place finish is definitely more proof of that.

3^rd Place – BRONZE - Dennis McCoy:

In 3^rd place at the 2016 Austin X Games BMX Vert Final was Dennis McCoy. McCoy was a close runner up to 2^nd place finisher Simon Tabron, given that the margin between the two competitors was barely two points at the end of the final. With a Top Run best round scoring of 84.00, Dennis McCoy barely beat out the 4^th place finisher Mykel Larrin for 3^rd, since Larrin came in with an 83.00 for his best round scoring.

While Dennis won the Bronze by a slim margin, he did so with some serious style and grace. Dennis was able to hit some big spins out of the half pipe, and this was sure to have been a major factor in the judge’s overall decision. Given that massive spins out of the pipe can be very risky on BMX bikes, it is clear that Dennis was willing to go “all-in” for the purpose of finishing well at the conclusion of this prestigious 2016 Austin BMX Vert Final event.