RED BULL BIKE BATTLE 2004 TAKES BALTIMORE BY STORM

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Baltimore, MD – September 19, 2004 – Narrowly avoiding Hurricane Ivan, the third annual Red Bull Bike Battle took Baltimore’s inner harbor by storm today. Thirty-two of the world’s most progressive urban freeriders faced off in head to head competition on a mind-blowing course designed by BMX great Nate Wessel. A hybrid of both natural and man-made obstacles, the course included jumps (dirt & wood), rails, ramps, ledges, wall rides, a BC ladder bridge, and even a car.

That course demanded the competition take a step up, and it did. The "City Of Firsts" witnessed one for the record books – 24-year-old Maryland resident Jim DeChamp stuck the first ever front flip on a mountain bike in competition!

(c) Red Bull / PortmannF

WHIP IT, WHIP IT GOOD

With blue skies above and fierce competition below, 22-year-old University of Vermont student Dave Smutok came out of nowhere to take first prize. Dave landed outrageous tricks including big airs out of the quarter pipes, Superman-seat-grabs over the cab of a tractor trailer, 360s, backflips, and a drop in from a rail 15 feet above onto a 10 foot bowl that the riders had lovingly nicknamed "The Death Drop". Smutok killed it and enjoyed every minute "This was the most fun I’ve ever had on my bike and the best contest. The whole battle idea, head to head, just helps the riding. I think it’s the best setup to do a contest."

Second place went to 17-year-old Reno resident and BMX ripper Paul Basagoitia, who only started riding mountain bikes in the last 3 months. Paul trounced the competition with new school tricks, winning over the judges with big tail whips over the ladder bridge and more. Judge Lars Tribus (2003 mountain bike Masters World Champion) was thoroughly impressed by the magnitude of tricks: "A flip whip! There was so much nastiness unfolding before your very eyes."

As the defending Red Bull Bike Battle 2003 champion, Aaron Chase showed up to play. The 25-year-old resident of New Jersey and Red Bull athlete pulled out an arsenal of technical tricks, and walked away with a third place finish. Judge Ralph Sinisi was blown away: "I gotta say the wall ride that Aaron Chase did over the death channel was the best thing that’s gone on today." The former street BMX rider and owner of Animal BMX is not used to seeing 26 inch wheels handled like they were today "I thought only guys on nice small bikes could do these hot moves, but these folks can do the same if not better over here."

(c) Red Bull / PortmannF

HEAD TO HEAD

Each of the 32 riders competed in one solo sixty-second seating run to decide the competition brackets, then went head to head. Two riders at a time entered the course in a two-minute head-to-head battle, with the best rider from each round advancing until one champion emerged. Competitors were judged in five areas: use of course, magnitude of moves, flow, style, and technical difficulty.

Aaron Chase summed it up with "Today was truly a battle. The weather held out for us, the crowd showed up, everyone was roaring, and the riders were killin’ it, tearin’ it down. Bike Battle is the all out battle. You gotta just throw down the gnarliest thing and hope your score holds up."