CATCHING UP WITH JAMIE

It’s been a few weeks since Levi’s® BMX Pro Jamie Bestwick made history in Orlando, winning his fifth consecutive Dew Tour and becoming the first rider in action sports history to capture the elusive, undefeated, perfect season. We caught up with Jamie to see what’s been going on since his big win.

Jamie, congrats on the big win in Orlando. How does your fifth consecutive Dew Cup feel? It feels awesome! It still hasn’t sunk in yet. I am stoked on this past season in so many ways and winning for the fifth time is the icing on the cake.

The competition level in vert has really stepped up this season, but you’ve still managed to write Dew Tour history by capturing the perfect season. What did it take to pull it off? Well, I got off to a great start in China. A new Dew Tour ramp made things great, you could really blast the bigger ramp and I loved it. Going in to Chicago it was quite tense as it was the start of the tour and everyone had their big tricks lined up and ready to go. I fell in my first run, first trick so I just started to laugh. At that moment I had seen just how serious I was taking things and decided to just chill out and go as high as I could. The X Games were awesome this year. I really had a great time riding, even with the crash, and then backing it up in Salt Lake; that was a big one. I think it was one of my best days as I was so tired from running around the Dew Tour doing all my jobs and also taking a big crash. Orlando was always going to be tight, everyone kept going on about the season and I tried to keep it to the back of my mind. It wasn’t the prettiest sight on the ramp, that’s just how it goes sometimes.

Who do you view as your greatest competition when you’re all dropping in at the contests? While there are many great riders on the ramp the contest is between yourself, it’s all on you to go out and ride at you best while the world watches. It’s so easy to do when you’re at home or out with friends riding, but when the lights are on it becomes a different game altogether, it’s a test and you either meet your expectations or you don’t.

Where do you think the future of vert riding is headed? Bigger ramps, bigger tricks, etc.? I think the tricks are going to get bigger, there are tricks that people haven’t brought out yet, as certain contest formats just don’t allow the riders the opportunity to really put it all on the line.

What are you looking forward to the most from next contest season? Another potential X Games Gold, Dew Cup #6, or both? I am just looking forward to going out there and having a great year of riding. I definitely want to change things up for next year, and winning another Dew Cup or  X Games would be great, but for now I’m going enjoy the rest of this year, celebrate my success, and ride my bike.

What’s your favorite thing about being a member of the Levi’s® BMX Pro Team? Who do you think is the most underrated member of the team? My favorite thing about the team is the team! We have such a great group of guys, even Kathy too!  Ha-ha. We have a very strong line up and it covers all sides of BMX and our program is setting trends inside our sport that is beneficial to the riders. It’s so much more than just a pair of jeans and only Levi’s® team members get to experience that. The most underrated would be Jeremiah Smith, the fact that the run of the contests haven’t gone his way should not take away from the fact that he is one of the worlds best riders, he sets the bar for brakeless riders and has some of the wildest moves out there. When Jeremiah gets it right he will light the world on fire!

How’s you Levi’s® mix edit coming along? What can we expect from you: Perhaps more trails, rails, and street? I got one coming up and Will and I will be out soon enough filming; it will be different from my usual edit.

What motivates you to go so high and flow so effortlessly on the vert ramp? I have so much when when I ride like this, it’s the best feeling in the world when you go high and just float around, I have always been inspired by riders who are smooth and graceful in the air. It leaves a far better impression on people than landing in a heap near the bottom of the ramp. But then again?

What’s next for Jamie Bestwick? Motorbike racing! Now that I have some time I can go enter a couple of races before the racing season ends. I am looking forward to some winter riding sessions and going snowboarding with Jeremiah Smith.

Since you’ve won your fifth Dew Cup and made BMX history yet again, is there anyone that you’d like to thank? Of course big shout out to my Levi’s® team members for their support, Kathy for being on deaths door in Orlando and still sticking around to watch. All my great sponsors, David at MX Edge/JGR, Shorty and the guys at Miller Motorsports, Trevor at Third Hand, Woodward Camp, and my great family.