Sport-heute: ReportMix - Dirt Pipe 2011

29. November 2011, 15:56

Dirt Pipe 2011

Story Matt Holmes

Around eight years ago, an idea was sparked that would change the face of BMX dirt jumping events forever: the ever creative minds at Red Bull and a select group of riders brought together the dynamic worlds of snowboard super pipe and the dirt jumping intensity that only BMX can bring to the table. The concept was simple – create a huge dirt half pipe to showcase a new generation of all-round 20 inch riders not content with the current state of linear dirt jump competition setups.-Event: Red Bull Dirt Pipe 2011 Discipline: BMX Vert/Mega Ramp Photocredit: (c) rutgerpauw.com/Red Bull Content Pool Location: Mount Beauty
Country: Australia Exposure date: 02.02.2011.

Zürich, 29.11.11 RED. (mk) While the initial sketches called for a pure vert half pipe upwards of 100 meters in length, it soon became apparent that the majority of dirt riders would simply dismiss such a creation as impossible and all the vert riders would find it way too bumpy and inconsistent compared to their perfectly constructed half pipes. So again, the team put their heads together to somehow make the dream a reality. A small crew flew to Perth to build a trial pipe, utilizing four shipping containers with dirt shaped between their walls. The results proved the concept was go, although a slight downhill grade would be necessary along with the addition of multiple lines and obstacles throughout the pipe to step it up even more.

Fast forward to 2011 and Dirt Pipe evolution was complete thanks to a lot of thinking outside the square along with some serious earth moving! The sheer size of the project brought with it a mountain of challenges to overcome, pulling together a team able to tackle the task at hand being the first step. From the beginning, they had to rethink all trains of thought in terms of digging. This wasn’t three doubles in a row with a berm to build, we’re talking 120 meters of packed and sculpted transitions, lips and landings – all smooth enough to keep a rider’s speed, plus manicured to perfection to allow consistent speed and air.

What resulted is nothing less than inspiring. Utilizing highway building technology and some completely new ways of applying it, the dirt masterpiece was created. All up, three months of excavating, compacting and building up the walls into a rough shape before the final vert and lip shaping began. Its intimidating two meter high walls bristled with wall rides, hips, step ups, drops and street-inspired extensions at times up to four meters high. Add to this a huge roll in tower and massive curved wall ride and you have yourself one hell of a creation that really has to be seen to be appreciated. In a nutshell, Dirt Pipe is by far the most ambitious dirt project to ever be undertaken let alone ridden.

While this event wasn’t the first time some of the riders had visited the red soil of Mt Beauty, the Dirt Pipe, now in its third incarnation, had lost none of its jaw-dropping impact. All riders sighting the pipe for the first time had very similar reactions. Insert your choice of expletive next to any rider looking into the pipe and you’re pretty much on the money. The 40 or so invited riders set to drop in represented a cross section of BMX styles from Australian shores and beyond – not just BMX dirt specialists, but ramp and street riders alike in a mix that was aimed at bringing vastly different riding styles and ways of attacking the massive walls of Dirt Pipe. From the big time event players like Corey Bohan and Anthony Napolitan, to pure dirt technicians Kye Forte from the UK and Californian Mike ‘Hucker’ Clarke, the level of riding talent present was off the scale.

Along with the superstars, New Zealanders Paul Langlands and Jed Mildon were there to represent their style of riding alongside an invited crew of known and unknown Australian shredders keen to make their mark on the event with that big run aimed at blowing away the judging panel, a run which would consist of up to 11 walls or hits, hipping, stepping up, stepping way down, wall riding and carving to the bottom – a far cry from the traditional dirt jump setup and definitely raising the bar for every rider in terms of skills, stamina, consistency and straight up, balls out riding. While nine degrees doesn’t sound like much of a slope, put a massive pipe on a hill with that inclination and you have a recipe for speed. Simply bombing down the guts of the pipe had riders struggling to stop, easily clocking over 60km/h near the bottom. Once you added that kind of acceleration to the air gained from a kicker, it was obvious early on that there were absolutely no problems maintaining speed – keeping it in check was the issue! The sound of squealing brakes became a constant reminder of this, echoing through the valley for the rest of the event.

Thursday’s first practice and qualifying session had just got under way when Mother Nature showed her true power. Cyclone Yasi in far North Queensland proved to be one of the most destructive storms of our generation, dumping a serious band of rain across Australia in its aftermath. Around 150mm of rain landed in the Mt Beauty area alone that afternoon, making the Dirt Pipe more like a huge storm drain than sculpted BMX playground. While all the lips were tarped and everyone took cover, it wasn’t looking good. Everyone intently studied the weather radars for a break in the storm and its damaging effects on the dirt, as the ruts forming in the pipe where huge. While Friday and Saturday’s qualifying were ultimately ruled out, it didn’t stop the assembled riders and crew from having a good time where they could. From the shelter of PK’s Cafe, the discovery of an amazing ridable dam wall, to the puddle covered skate park, Mt Beauty will probably never ever see the level of riding and good times that took place. In some ways, this brought all the riders together in a way the event itself could never have done, breaking the pressure of competition and taking many back to the very essence of why they ride BMX – good times with good friends.

While many would have simply walked away and abandoned the event after the torrential rain that the previous three days brought, the Dirt Pipe crew were confident all the damage could be rectified. By early afternoon on the Monday, all signs of tropical cyclone Yasi were gone, as was any trace of the rain damage to the pipe thanks to some seriously hard work. The real heroes of the reconstructive surgery were the build team and Jack Cotterell, creator of the pipe and a straight-up genius in an excavator. His gentle caress of the fertile soil brought the pipe back to its former glory, aided by many a Red Bull employee and rider alike with shovel in hand.

With the majority of riders sticking around to see this event through, everyone padded up and prepared to ride in what would be the only practice session on pipe. The UK’s Kye Forte signature flow made it look too easy for all in attendance, while local shredders Dean Manson and Chris Harti stepped up their game and altitude, not going for the biggest tricks but with more straight-up trail style than should be allowed. Queensland’s Chris Courtenay exorcised his demons, especially those that haunted him from his horror crash at the previous Dirt Pipe event. Obviously unfazed, he threw his technical skills into the pipe with multiple trick airs and an amazing foot jam on the vert wall, showing versatility and precision on terrain possibly more suited to mountain bikes. Red Bull’s Anthony Napolitan and obvious Dirt Pipe favorite Corey Bohan made a late appearance to showcase their world-class riding in the dying light, bringing a little taste of what they would be throwing down in the following day’s jam.

Waking up early Tuesday morning to bluebird skies, it was the kind of morning Mt Beauty is renowned for. Red Bull’s Dirt Pipe was finally all systems go. And much like the rescued pipe itself, the format of the competition day was somewhat re-engineered, ultimately running around three mini events during the day. With riders working together, the Train Jam was something special, bringing an amazing amount of trail skills, trust and talent into the mix. Clint Bensley and Lee Kirkman were hungry for the $2000 up for grabs, and not content with simply following the leader down the pipes they got their crossover lines going in full effect. Both threw big moves at insane speeds in a performance that would earn them the winner-take-all dollars, along with setting the bar for the main event.

The SkullCandy Wall Ride jam brought the street skills and innovation of modern day BMX to the pipe. With judges looking for best use of the wall ride that perched itself high above the dirt transitions of the pipe, riders would carve the wooden wall up to 4m above the flat bottom before re-entering. The ensuing session was heated to say the least. Ultimately it was San Diego’s Gary Young who took the win with a bar spin onto the wall, followed by a completely unexpected tail whip off the wall back into the pipe. This definitely got the assembled crew on their feet.

With the warm-up events done and dusted, it was time for the real deal – the single best run by the rider with the most style, flow, speed and huge tricks on this epic dirt creation. The ensuing one-hour jam brought out the best in all those that braved the weekend’s floods. With an international cast of BMX’s elite in attendance, the pipe was to bear witness to some of the most fluid and off-the-hook riding BMX has seen. However it was young Wangaratta rider Chris Henderson who stepped up the most in front of many of his idols, ultimately surpassing many of them. His fluid style, adaptability and all-or-nothing attitude brought him close to the podium places with a solid fourth place and proved that the talent base in Australia’s riding scene is virtually endless. Now you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has more fun on a BMX, be it in a car park or four meters above the ground than Mike ‘Hucker’ Clarke. The US resident was bringing his brand of Californian fun to the Victorian high country. With huge airs and ridiculous transfers never complete without a smile, his big runs earned him a solid third place.

But it was to be the crew from down under even Australia that shined brightest. Unfazed by the superstar caliber of riders present, it was the pair of New Zealand riders that rode above and beyond anyone’s expectations. Hamilton resident Paul Langlands muscled his way down the pipe’s multiple walls, kickers and chutes with big moves including a backflip tail whip and some huge step down moves. And unlike many, he rode for the entire hour session, his second place earned with more than his fair share of blood, sweat and dirt.

While the hour session format allowed riders to constantly up the ante or throw the odd run away, Jed Mildon’s first run may have been the one that took him the win. Tricking every wall and hit on the pipe in an amazing run that included a huge 360, tuck no hander, a step down front-flip and his now signature hip-flip transfer line, he proved that nice guys can come first. Jed put the icing on the cake with what may have been the biggest flip ever seen on Australian soil over the bottom hip – so big, so slow and so smooth. His mix of 100% commitment, complete focus and incredible toughness even after some of the day’s most bell-ringing crashes made a massive statement to all who witnessed. Gary Young put it well to Jed after his final run “You scared the hell out of me every time you rode but it was amazing.” To say Jed is the toughest rider in BMX is an understatement and there couldn’t be a more deserving winner.

The Dirt Pipe concept, while controversial at first, is now more than proven as the next level of BMX dirt course design. Add to this riding that showcased a new generation of 20-inch superstars and you have one hugely successful weekend. One that defied the wrath of Mother Nature and was nothing short of a blast for all involved. To watch the progression over the event days was staggering. A massive thanks go out to all involved, especially Mitch and his family for hosting the pipe, the crew at Red Bull, the Pipe diggers, all the riders and of course the incredible hospitality of all in Mt Beauty, which as the name suggests is one of the world’s most beautiful places. The Dirt Pipe was as revolutionary as it was visionary, and without a doubt continues the amazing evolution of BMX both in Australia and abroad.

Matt Holmes

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