Sheckler and Bezanson win Simpel Session 11, webcast breaks record

Last weekend, a total of 370,000 viewers from across the world watched 170 top pro riders from 30 countries competing LIVE in one of the most anticipated and international BMX and skateboarding events of the year – the annual Simpel Session, taking place for the 11th time on 5-6 of February in Tallinn, European Capital of Culture 2011.

The two-day Simpel Session 11 skateboarding and BMX contest peaked on Sunday, February 6th, with X-Games 2010 pro street gold and one of the most successful comp skaters of all time Ryan Sheckler (USA) winning the skateboarding finals, and Canadian BMX-rider Drew Bezanson taking his second consecutive BMX street gold in Simpel Session.

“Ryan Sheckler flew around the 1/2 BMX style arena course with smooth lines and big stylish speedy transfers and tech moves in the skate zone. He did a massive speedy kick flip transfer perfect in his last run to get the best score of the weekend,” commented Dave Duncan, skate announcer of Simpel Session 11.

The 17-year-old miniramp and street World Champ in 2009 Axel Cruysberghs (BEL), although qualifing 1st to the finals, came second after Sheckler. The current European skate champion, also 17-year-old Nassim Guammaz from the Netherlands, had a great run for the bronze. For the first time and for the next three years, the results awarded at Simpel Session will translate into ranking points in World Cup Skateboarding (http://www.wcsk8.com) point series, together with Asian X-Games and European Mystic Cup results.

During the Snickers Best Trick event Sheckler pulled an amazing high speed ollie up to the highest big rail and landed a fronside bluntslide to backside flip out to fakie, winning the side comp in addition to his skate gold. Lukas Danek (CZE) also pulled a kickflip to front board on that same 4′ high rail that was very risky and technical, and Maders Apse (LAT) did a frontside feeble to fakie on the same big round flat rail.

In BMX, the Nate Wessel designed course generated some really unique riding, both in ramp and street side. In the finals, Dennis Enarson (USA) was using the course like his backyard, with new lines and tricks, placing third. Brett “Maddog” Brett Banasiewicz (USA) drove the crowd bananas with many big tricks, but had to give it up for Bezanson in the end, winning his second Simpel Session silver. ?Drew Bezanson pulled the biggest tailwhip gap we saw all weekend, an insane bars to icepick on the judges table barrier, not to mention many other big boy stunts, all that served this humble Canadian his second SS gold medal,“ said Simpel Session main organiser Risto Kalmre.

Simpel Session, already considered as one of the most progressive events in the BMX history, saw tons of new tricks being invented and many epic maneuvers pulled this year – Brett Banasiewicz’s nohander cashroll, Ondra Slez´s huge double decade, Dan Lacie’s 360 to over ice on a downside rail and Daniel Wedemeijer’s biggest fufanu ever pulled in the contest. Also, Ryan Taylor came close to pulling a huge flair double barspin.

On the side, Ty Morrow (USA) proved he has still got the biggest pop in BMX, winning the Red Bull Bunnyhop Jam in front of Alex Kennedy (GBR) with 117cm (roughly 46 inches). In the best trick railjam contest, Chad Kerley (USA) took the cake with a nice combo to top them all – up ledge, to icepick on the flat rail, to manual, to barspin-to-icepick the down rail.

Simpel Session 11 took place as the first highlight event of the European Capital of Culture Tallinn 2011 programme on 5-6 of February 2011 in Tallinn, Estonia. Several side events such as film screenings and photo exhibitions ran with the event, as well as a 4-day party program, which broke every audience record of Simpel Session parties so far.

Simpel Session also launched a clothing line this year in collaboration with a couple of rider-designers (Soy Panday, Travis Collier) and New Era, available for online order at http://shop.session.ee

In August 2011, Simpel Session crew will for the second time hold a summertime BMX-contest in Helsinki main square – the Stadi Summer Session. Simpel Session 12 is yet to be announced. Check out http://www.simpelsession.com to get the latest updates on both events.

Pictures and story: Simpel Session.