After taking the victory on Day 1 for the World Team consisting of Javier Villegas (CHL), Jamie Squibb (ENG) and Josh Sheehan (AUS), the Host Nation Germany with Luc and Hannes Ackermann and Kai Haase were looking to strike back on Saturday. Launching heavy FMX grenades, Kai Haase blew everyone away by stepping up from his first Front Flip to dirt on Friday, to adding a No-Handed combo on the second day to secure the top spot in his Freestyle heat.

The night of competition couldn’t have been scripted any better, with the final decision coming down to the last competition as the tie-breaker. With the Best Trick discipline as the final, it was never going to disappoint. Marc Pinyol landed his first ever Surfer Tsunami Backflip over the long distance in competition for Team Spain while Navas and Rocky landed the first 1-Handed Tandem Backflip in a FMX competition.

Kai Haase busted out the No-Hand Front Flip again and the German MTB Pro, Lukas Knopf landed the Double Backflip in the Stadler MTB Best Trick. But it was the surprise of Josh Sheehan and Luc Ackermann performing for the first time at NIGHT of the JUMPs, the Double Backflip in a Train for both the World Team and Team Germany that sent the audience into hysterics. The crowd demanded more and chanted for an encore to celebrate the 20th season of NIGHT of the JUMPs after witnessing such a close competition.

Germany had won with 437 points, only 2 points in front of the World Team and Team Spain galantly taking 3rd position on the podium for the second round

The FMX legends said: “Huge thanks to the man himself, Roger DeCoster along with Ian Harrison and Ryan Morais for helping me with some new 250cc 2 Strokes!

“I’ve practically bled yellow for the past 28 years and I’m thankful for every day with Suzuki.. But with RM250s being discontinued close to 15 years ago, it’s been getting harder and harder to find bikes and parts. It was time for me to either go 4-Stroke or switch colours.”

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is like the MotoHeadMag Instagram & FaceBook page, share the Facebook post and comment with your name!

Next year, elite competitors in freestyle motocross (FMX), BMX, skate and freestyle scooter will face off not only for a coveted trophy, but more importantly for ultimate bragging rights as a world champion. Tickets are already available at nitroworldgames.com. 

Travis Pastrana, action sports icon and co-creator of the event, said, “With Nitro World Games, our mission was to allow athletes to push their sports to the next level. We wanted to give athletes bigger ramps along with innovative landing technology which allows them to push the envelope and attempt tricks previously thought impossible. To see Nitro World Games thrive after three years in the U.S. and now crossing borders for the first time and coming to Cardiff, Wales, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Nitro World Games Wales 2020 will take over Principality Stadium with five electrifying action sports disciplines, all of which push the limits of gravity. Freestyle Motocross and BMX Best Trick each take big air action to the next level thanks to the world’s biggest and tallest ramps, and both have been fan favorites since the event’s inception. Also a fixture is BMX Best Triple Hit, requiring a singular combination of aerial agility and technical consistency necessary to land three tricks in quick succession. Skate Vert, a recent addition to Nitro World Games, will see top athletes take on the halfpipe, and rounding out the event is Scooter Best Trick, featuring one of action sports’ fastest growing disciplines and the biggest ramp used in competition. And with weekend ticket packages starting at 45 Pounds, Nitro World Games offers fans the opportunity to see the best in action sports, all at a great price.

Remeber, to be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is like the MotoHeadMag Instagram & FaceBook page, share the Facebook post and comment with your name! We’ll pick a winner in the new year.

Prior to the final of the 2019 NIGHT of the JUMPs World Tour on December 14^th at Sofia in Bulgaria, NIGHT of the JUMPs announces that FIM and NIGHT of the JUMPs split ways with immediate effect.  So, the official FIM Freestyle MX World Championship is no longer part of the NIGHT of the JUMPs World Tour.

In addition, NIGHT of the JUMPs is announcing the first events for 2020 many more will follow. Featuring rounds in Germany, Switzerland and overseas the series will expand to many more overseas destinations.  Within its 20^th year the NIGHT of the JUMPs series escapes limitations and is free to move forward.

“With the best riders, the biggest events, a global presence and a 20-year history of pushing the sport; what more could you need for a real World Tour Championship?” Steve Sommerfeld Sports Manager of the NIGHT of the JUMPs

Entering its 20^th season, NIGHT of the JUMPs continues to thrive and build upon its vision of a series as a global platform for the leading action sport of Freestyle Motocross.

In 2020, the series retains many of its well-known favorite events in Berlin, Munich, Basel, Cologne and China, but is also in negotiation with promoters from all habitable continents of the world in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North and South America which will increase the international appearance and also giving more international riders their chance at competing at the World Tour Championship

NIGHT of the JUMPs will continue producing high end TV production while also keeping the loyal fanbase up to date with important and creative social media footage while improving on the more than several million digital touchpoints and increasing the number of events and visitors.

With the new series comes new opportunities and NIGHT of the JUMPs will be able to move quicker to demands and be more creative with requests from partners all over the world.

Furthermore, NIGHT of the JUMPs is able to include the new Freeride MX World Tour – which will be established in mid 2020. This completes the package of NIGHT of the JUMPs with the very technical and innovative aspect of Freestyle Motocross competitions, combining with the roots of the sport and display of pure style of Freeriding in a series which is attractive for Television and Social Media, leading to more events and a wider selection of World Class riders to reach a more global fanbase.

Three teams competed against each other in the fourth Freestyle of Nations competition in a bid to collect points for their team in various disciplines of Freestyle MX. The 2017 Freestyle of Nations winner was Team Overseas and in 2019, the team was made up with the most experience of all teams including Pat Bowden from Australia, Adam Jones from the USA and Jamie Squibb from England with the goal to recapture their title.  The 2018 reigning champions, Team Germany put together their best riders available with the brothers Luc and Hannes Ackermann and Kai Haase. The third team to compete was Czech Republic, with Petr Pilat, Matej Cesak and Filip Podmol.

One of the first contests of the evening was Best Whip where Kai Haase narrowly took full points for Team Germany over Jamie Squibb from Team Overseas who really took the fight to the German and also Matej Cesak in third position.

Each of the nine riders put together their best Freestyle MX run with seven tricks plus the Double Up where the riders could score up to 100 points.  In the first heat, it was the same riders from Best Whip going against each other, and again Kai Haase just pipped the Englishman for the win and relegated Matej Cesak to third position. The second heat was a turn-around for Team Overseas when they won with Adam Jones‘ clinical display of perfection as he landed his Cliffhanger and Deadbody Flip in front of Petr Pilat for Team Czech and Hannes Ackermann in Team Germany. In the third heat, Filip Podmol made a valiant effort to thwart the charging of Pat Bowden and Luc Ackermann. After Ackermann’s crash on the Hart Attack Flip, he managed to finish his run with a Front Flip but it wasn’t enough to win over Pat Bowden with 95 points, and back to 90 points for Ackermann.

Team Germany took the full points on offer for the Synchro Contest when Hannes Ackermann and Kai Haase wowed the local German crowd with their tricks performed in sync. Pat Bowden and Adam Jones demonstrated the biggest tricks in the Synchro contest with side by side Cliffhanger and Tsunami Flips but it wasn’t enough to capture the full 100 points.

The competition was close coming into the final discipline of the night, Best Trick.  To throw a spanner in the mix, each nation‘s captain was able to choose their favourite of the Mountain Bike riders, to join their nation to compete for the Best Trick points. Team Czech Republics leader, Petr Pilat displayed technicality in his attempt with a Side-saddle take-off Flip all the way through to Side-saddle landing. Filip Podmol stomped a huge Tsunami Flip landing to set the final points of the nights competition. Continuing on with the Backflip Combo’s, Team Overseas‘ Pat Bowden landed one of the longest held Cliffhanger Backflips ever witnessed, while Adam Jones showed one of the cleanest Deadbody Backflips.  Even those tricks weren’t enough to win, as only the ‚Best Trick‘ is to be counted. 

Hannes Ackermann put it all on the line for Team Germany when he attempted a No Handed Front Flip, but unfortunately come up half a metre short and was driven hard into the ground with a spectacular crash. It was all on Luc Ackermann’s shoulders to seal a win for Team Germany and after witnessing his brother suffer a huge crash, Luc overcame the pressure to land his Double Backflip on the last jump of the night to take the win in Best Trick and also to win the overall Freestyle of Nations competition.

NIGHT of the JUMPs World Tour in 2019 is inching its way towards crowning a new World Champion. The next event on the World Tour calendar will be in Wuhan, China at the end of November, before the Grand Final in Sofia, Bulgaria where NIGHT of the JUMPs will crown the new World Champion. Looking forward into the year 2020, the new World Championship season will start at NIGHT of the JUMPs in Berlin on 21st and 22nd of February in the Mercedes Benz Arena.

Tickets for all NIGHT of the JUMPs are available at www.nightofthejumps.com

FACTS

NIGHT of the JUMPs – Freestyle of Nations

Hamburg, 20. September 2019

Results Overall

1. Team Germany    L. Ackermann, H. Ackermann, K. Haase                      549 Points

2. Team Overseas    P. Bowden (AUS), A. Jones (USA), J. Squibb (GBR)        507 Points

3. Team Czech        P. Pilat, F. Podmol, M. Cesak                                    434 Points

More than 100 of the best athletes in sport’s most extreme disciplines will gather in Cardiff next spring when the world’s preeminent action sports competition takes place for the first time ever outside the U.S. Global sport and entertainment leaders Nitro Circus and Live Nation have partnered with Visit Wales, Principality Stadium and Cardiff Council to bring Nitro World Games Wales 2020 to Cardiff on the Bank Holiday weekend, 23^rd and 24^th May. Next year, elite competitors in freestyle motocross (FMX), BMX, skate and freestyle scooter will face off not only for a coveted trophy, but more importantly for ultimate bragging rights as a world champion. Tickets are available starting this Friday, 14 June at 10AM BST at nitroworldgames.com. 

Travis Pastrana, action sports icon and co-creator of the event, said, “With Nitro World Games, our mission was to allow athletes to push their sports to the next level. We wanted to give athletes bigger ramps along with innovative landing technology which allows them to push the envelope and attempt tricks previously thought impossible. To see Nitro World Games thrive after three years in the U.S. and now crossing borders for the first time and coming to Cardiff, Wales, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Nitro World Games Wales 2020 will take over Principality Stadium with five electrifying action sports disciplines, all of which push the limits of gravity. Freestyle Motocross and BMX Best Trick each take big air action to the next level thanks to the world’s biggest and tallest ramps, and both have been fan favorites since the event’s inception. Also a fixture is BMX Best Triple Hit, requiring a singular combination of aerial agility and technical consistency necessary to land three tricks in quick succession. Skate Vert, a recent addition to Nitro World Games, will see top athletes take on the halfpipe, and rounding out the event is Scooter Best Trick, featuring one of action sports’ fastest growing disciplines and the biggest ramp used in competition. And with weekend ticket packages starting at 45 Pounds, Nitro World Games offers fans the opportunity to see the best in action sports, all at a great price (final ticket prices also include additional charges and fees)

 “With its abundance of world class downhill trails and surf breaks and a nationwide network of passionate adventure and action sports fans, Wales is the perfect home for Nitro World Games”, said a spokesman for the stadium. “Cardiff boasts an impressive history of marquee live sport events including the UEFA Champions League Final and the Rugby World Cup at Principality Stadium. We’re honoured to now become part of this rich history and we can’t wait for Nitro World Games to make its international debut here next year.”  

Lord Elis-Thomas Welsh Government Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said: “I’m delighted that the Nitro World Games are coming to Wales in 2020. This will be the first time the games have been hosted outside the U.S. and is another historic milestone for Wales and a reflection of our growing reputation as an outstanding events destination.   

“Many of the world’s leading action sports athletes will compete in the unique atmosphere of the Principality Stadium, and I’m sure their gravity-defying tricks will provide the tens of thousands of spectators with a breath-taking experience.”

Andy Copping, Live Nation’s Executive President of UK Touring said, “We look forward to welcoming this prestigious global action sports event to the U.K. for the first time ever and cannot wait for fans and spectators to descend to Cardiff which is a fantastic host city. Nitro World Games will showcase some of the finest athletes being pushed to their limits, we hope this inspires a generation. Live Nation are thrilled to be contributing to the international success story of the Nitro World Games”

Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Peter Bradbury said: “Cardiff has successfully hosted sports events of all shapes and sizes, from football, to rugby, cricket, sailing, cycling and more – but the all-action experience of the Nitro World Games looks sure to bring something that little bit different to the city.  There’s always a warm welcome for visitors here in the Welsh capital and we’re looking forward to showing action-sports fans exactly why events and Cardiff work so well together.”

While the world-class competition will have attendees on the edge of their seats, there will be plenty of action happening outside the stadium as well. After cheering on the athletes and their spectacular successes, fans can share that celebratory spirit by enjoying the wide variety of live entertainment and great food Cardiff has to offer. Over the course of the holiday weekend, Nitro World Games Wales will become a vibrant festival of sport and culture. Further announcements regarding the fan experience are coming soon.

Since 2016, Nitro World Games has revolutionized action sports competition. With a mix of exciting, adrenaline-charged events, huge big air formats and innovative ramp design, it has given top athletes from across the globe the opportunity to reach ever greater heights and achieve breathtaking world’s firsts. Groundbreaking accomplishments – such as Gregg Duffy’s motorcycle double frontlfip and Harry Bink’s frontflip rock solid — have redefined what’s possible while captivating fans of all ages.

BMX icon TJ Lavin has proclaimed, “Nitro World Games is definitely stepping up their game. In my opinion, this is probably the new series to be the champion of.” Now, just three years from its beginnings as a one-day contest, Nitro World Games has grown into a truly global event as it leaves American shores for the first time.

Created by Nitro Circus and action sports icon Travis Pastrana, Nitro World Games pushes the limits of action sports competition. Featuring new big air formats, breakthrough ramp technology and innovative judging criteria, Nitro World Games shifted the landscape for both athletes and the industry alike in its 2016 debut and Nitro Circus’ global livestream reached a hungry audience worldwide. Then the 2018 addition of Nitro Rallycross and Moto Quarterpipe broke new ground once again, as Nitro World Games moved into motorsports for the first time and introduced the largest moto quarterpipe ever seen in competition.

Now established as a premium brand in the United States, Nitro World Games is expanding internationally with the addition of Nitro World Games Wales 2020. Coming to world-renowned Principality Stadium in May 2020, look for more records to fall as the boundaries of speed and gravity are pushed further still.  For more information head to NitroWorldGames.com

Kicking off 20 November, 2018 at Birmingham Arena, and ending in London five days later via Manchester and Glasgow, Nitro Circus: You Got This will visit 10 cities in six countries across the continent. Tickets are on sale now at: http://nitrocircus.com/tour/

“Nitro Circus is turning me loose! With You Got This, I’m putting all of my best – and worst – ideas into one huge show. Everything I’ve ever wanted to see live, we’re taking on the road,” Pastrana says. “Expect bigger, brand-new ramps and even more ridiculous stunts. It’s going to be unreal. Look out, though. There might be a few rough landings.”

Nitro Circus: You Got This will feature Travis Pastrana along with the best athletes in FMX, BMX, Scooter and Inline, including multiple X Games medalists and several Nitro World Games champions. Pastrana will lead this all-star international roster as they attempt both never before seen tricks and undoubtedly ill-advised stunts in an audacious all-new production complete with huge new ramps and outrageous contraptions. This show will be wide open, with more thrills, more excitement and more irreverence than ever before.

“You Got This is more than a tour, it’s a mindset,” Pastrana explains. “As Nitro’s ringleader, one of my jobs is to inspire guys to push themselves to go further, farther and faster than they thought they could. Sometimes, maybe more than they should! It’s a challenge, no doubt. But one we live for.”

The racers are busy fettling their machines in anticipation of the gate dropping for the first race, whilst the impressive line-up of world-class AX FMXers are getting ready to show off their high-air whips, tricks and crazy antics.

Spaniard Edgar Torronteras, widely acknowledged as the pioneer of FMX, is back for 2018! A firm fave with fans up and down the country, in Europe and beyond, ET’s popularity has grown to almost god-like status. His all-round ability to throw down super-polished tricks on his bike and then run the show with his unique take on beat-boxing, is legendary.

Joining ET in the arena will be Petr Pilat, the long-limbed uber-smooth Czech giant and master of the tandem back-flip; multi-award-winning back-flipper from Germany Luc Ackerman, Aussie-ace Ryan Brown, Gilles Dejong, Christian Kleiner and the all-Brit and fearless AX Freestyle MX Crew of Nez Parker, Dan Whitby, Sansom Eaton and Arran Powley.

The guys will again be headlining, and delighting AX audiences. They’ll twist, whip and flip their bodies and machines through three incredible sets, some 60’ above the arena floor, with one purpose in mind, and that’s to entertain what is expected to be a capacity and raucous Manchester crowd.

Arena doors open at 6.00pm and show-goers can spend time on the concourse checking out the all-new-for-2018 AX merchandise and grabbing a star for an autograph and picture. The Show itself gets into full volume from 7.00pm.

To catch the Manchester Arena action this weekend, call the Box Office on 0844 847 8000 or visit www.manchester-arena.com

For further Arenacross information, visit www.arenacrossuk.com