Chris Doyle with a clicked table over the big set. Doyle was the only rider to place top three in both the Double Cross and the Dirt Jump Comp. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Bethlehem, PA (October 15, 2014) – The TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump Comp was held Sunday, October 5th, at the TRA backyard compound near Bethlehem, PA. Twenty seven riders from around the globe came together for this historic event featuring the return of bicycle motocross racing in its purest form – straight from the trails and fun for all. With top AA pro racers, X Games Gold Medalists, NORA cup legends, street riders, dirt jumpers, park riders, and plenty of core trail riders in attendance, the event was a melting pot of all riding disciplines that left everyone smiling and psyched for the future. Event promoter and TRA founder, Mike Gentilcore explained: “This event brought the riders, media, and industry together to celebrate all things BMX. Together, we accomplished the goal of showing the world that BMX racing is alive and well, bringing it back home to all other forms of riding in the sport.”

The Event:

The TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump comp is a pro-invitational backyard event with a worldwide reach. The event served as an industry collaboration to show what is possible for the future of dirt comps and BMX racing and was made possible with donations from Dan’s Comp, S&M, FIT, Odyssey, United, Empire, Doublecross Bikes, Hyper, SNAFU, Soilworks, Blackman’s Cycle, Axlerad Screen Printing, DKOI Bikes, Indust, Action Wheels, Fab Tech Welding and Repair, and STAY STRONG, as well as TRA’s home crew, the riders of Posh and Catty trails. Coverage of the event was made possible by Red Bull Media House, Transworld Ride BMX, DIG, Elevated Visuals, Sugarcayne, Spintech, and more.

The event featured two contests: The Double Cross, a head-to-head, full on trails BMX race, and the Dirt Jump Comp, a jump contest with a relaxed vibe and high flying action on the same exact course as the Double Cross. Riders were free to compete in one or both contests for a shot at $8,000 in cash prizes, with $4,000 on the line for each contest. But the most important part of the entire event was the vibe and the smiles on the faces of the riders themselves. The riders were happy to share how they felt about the event:

“I’ve been to events around the world, large and small, and I’ve never felt the same vibe that I felt at the TRA event last weekend. Never in my life would I have thought I’d be lining up on a gate next to riders of so many different BMX genres; AA pro racers, dirt jumpers, and street riders alike. What an event, that can bring together so many amazing bike riders from so many backgrounds. I had a great time and I’ll be looking forward to next year’s event!”

Chris Doyle, Kink Bikes

“TRA BMX brought things back to the reason most of us started riding which was to get our wheels of the ground and put smiles on our faces. X Games park gold medalists, Pro dirt jumpers, Street riders, Racers and Backwoods trails legends all came together this weekend to race BMX this past weekend and not one of them left without a smile on their face.”

Van Homan, FIT Bikes

“The TRA Double Cross was the best BMX event I have ever been to. The format was amazing that provided entertaining excitement where anything can and did happen. From everyone I talked to, I know they feel the same way I do, the TRA Double Cross is a must attend event for all people who love BMX.”

Jeremy Ball, Deluxe

“I was just welcomed to a completely new exciting format for BMX and I had the time of my life… The only expressions to be seen from the participants, was an overwhelming smile of joy. Anyone could easily see just how much hard work was put into making this extreme one-off course that was a first of its kind. Immediately BMX Racer’s and BMX freestylers began sharing a comradery that our sport has been lacking the past decade. Here, everyone rode the course together. The TRA race went so smoothly, spectators were fully tuned into the action, and the event amazed everyone with just how first class it became. Looking back over the highlights from my past weekend it amazes me to think this can be a direction the BMX community can leap towards, and truly bring back a passion to the roots of our shared sport, BICYCLE MOTO X.!!! “

Derek Sipkoi, AA Pro, Owner – DKOI Bikes

“Today, BMX is BMX again”.

Jason Lonergan, Posh Local / Dirt Jump Comp Contest Judge

The Course:

With an epic course by Dirtsculpt’s Dave King, the creative force behind BMX contests such as ESPN’s X-Games, Red Bull’s Dirt Conquers, and more, the action was all trails with nonstop downhill action. A motorcycle motocross style gate sent riders off a drop-in platform with a quarter-crank that would propel them through the entire downhill run. Three bowled sets sent riders over a massive scrub roller and into the first turn shark fin. Coming off the shark fin, riders encountered the tilted roof jump, dropping into a large bowl and stepping up onto a left-hand downhill roller berm. Around the berm, riders picked up speed and bomb-dropped into a gravity chasm 10 ft deep and 43 feet across, blasting them up and over a 30 ft set with a spined-out landing and into a high speed sweeping last turn that sent the riders up over the last set to the finish line. Designed as a modern, radical departure from conventional BMX racing, the course was also a return to the fundamentals of BMX in that it was all about trail skills. AA Pro and 2nd place Double Cross finisher, Steven Cisar, commented : “You wanted to push it a little bit harder, and go a little bit faster, but you really can’t because you need to stay focused on the backsides and make sure you catch those”. The course resulted in an entire event of action-packed, start-to-finish battles with plenty of passing and come-from-behind moves. It also showed that a racetrack and dirt jump course can be designed as one. Most importantly, it proved that riders from all disciplines and all ages, from AA Pros like Derek Sipkoi to Street legends like Van Homan, and 40-something trail riders to 13-year old young guns like Hyper’s Eddie Rovi, could all compete on the same course in a form of BMX racing that is truly for everyone.

The Double Cross:

The Double Cross portion of the event featured 26 riders from around the world and represented the most diverse group of riders ever brought together for a BMX race event. BMX legend Darryl Nau handled the opening ceremonies. Super stoked and a long time BMX race fan, Darryl electrified the crowd as the first round qualifiers ran all the contestants against each other in head-to-head, random motos. The 2nd place finishers from the first round were then run in a second chance qualifier, with sudden-death semis all the way until the main event. To keep the rider count even, a wildcard draw was possible based on close finishes. This kept the action full of surprises and full-bore the finish line in every moto. As the field narrowed to the final 8 riders, run-off motos were run to determine the places of the remaining riders. While clipless pedals and carbon fiber equipment were strictly prohibited, riders were free to ride brakeless and encouraged to run any color number plate they desired in a nod to both modern times and the classic days of BMX racing.

The 1st round went down with Matt Kelty, Mark Potoczny, Jeremy Kaht,, Evan Eisenhard, Ryan “Z-Man” Zielinski, Brandon Dosch, Eddie Rovi, Victor Behm, Steven Cisar, Brandon Grimm, Lois Delfino, Jeremy Ball, and Scotty Cranmer all transferring directly to round 2.

The second chance qualifier saw the elimination of a few more great riders, including FIT’s Justin Inman who took advantage of the modernized race rules by racing brakeless, perfectly in control at all times, in a close second to Chris Doyle. It also saw some wild action from Nicholi Rogatkin as he wowed the crowd with a front flip attempt over the banger set on his way to a 2nd place against east coast trail staple, Jon Lynn.

With Van Homan, Jon Lynn, Alex Anthony, Chris Doyle, Aaron Ross, and Derek Sipkoi now transferring on, the sudden-death semi’s started bombing the hillside.

Round 2 featured some legendary battles including Redline’s Brandon Dosch who just barely edged out a hard-charging Derek Sipkoi. Victor Behm threw some big style after taking advantage of GHP’s Ryan “Z-Man” Zielinski’s slip on the gate, only to find Z-man right on his tail at the finish. In one moto, the big set swallowed up Hyper’s Scott Cranmer who had a big lead on Deluxe’s Jeremy Ball after Jeremy cased to a stop. Having also lost momentum himself, Scott was trying to run and drag his bike over the top of the big set just when Jeremy was able to get back rolling and blast overhead. But Scott still stole the show by faking a pass-out at the top of the big landing, giving everyone a laugh as he rolled back down into the chasm and Jeremy cruised in for the win. But perhaps no round was more surreal than the historic matchup of Kink’s Chris Doyle and FIT ‘s Van Homan. Spectators and riders alike, including Chris and Van, were captivated with ear to ear smiles as they took in this legendary showdown. Everyone was overjoyed and in almost complete disbelief that they were about to witness Chris Doyle and Van Homan go head to head in a modern-day, pro BMX race. The gate dropped and cheers erupted as Chris and Van battled side by side all the way around the entire course. Pulling away on the bomb drop, Doyle sent a table over the banger set while Van Homan ended up on the ground going for the last turn pass, still smiling ear to ear. The crowd roared knowing they had just witnessed a historic moment in BMX racing history.

Rounds 3 and 4 saw top contenders Steven Cisar, Derek Sipkoi, Brandon Dosch, Matt Kelty, and Victor Behm all transferring closer to the main event. All the while, the crowd cheered for a hard-charging Chris Doyle who placed 2nd in both rounds but was wildcarded forward by staying on the gas for close seconds. In an epic round 4 moto, Doyle was in the lead as Dosch cased to a near stop on the 1st straight. But Dosch came back with killer scrubs over the roof gap and step up into the roller berm, setting up a pass for the win over the banger set into to the last turn. The crowd went wild as Doyle charged back hard for a last straight photo-finish at the line. With Dosch commanding leads like a seasoned AA racer, many thought he was destined for the overall win, but in the semi-final round 5, Dosch went down hard in the last turn leaving him with 4th place and Doyle with the 3rd. Run-off rounds were then run to determine the 5th through 8th place finishes with S&M’s Evan Eisenhard earning 7th and Deluxe’s Jeremy Ball in 8th. Meanwhile, current AA Pro, Derek Sipkoi came in 5th by edging out former NBL #1 Pro, Matt Kelty, who took 6th.

Round 5 saw Redline’s Brandon Dosch earn 4th as he went down hard in a close moto against Victor Behm. With a painfully sprained wrist, it looked for sure that Brandon was done for the day. Meanwhile, Avent /Bombshell’s Steven Cisar edged out Kink’s Chris Doyle leaving Doyle with a 3rd and a big smile on the podium.

The air was charged as the main event set up in the gate. Underdog Victor Behm, two-time Red Bull Berm Burners champ, lined up against seasoned AA Pro Steven Cisar, who was a career favorite for many riders in the event. When the gate dropped everyone was on their feet as Steven and Victor battled head to head down the 1st straight. With his flamboyant, hard pumping style, Behm whipped a table out of the shark fin that just might have been the key to holding off Cisar who was right on Behm’s tail. Trying to find a line under Behm, Cisar caught a wheel on the shark fin landing, slowing him just enough to not make the roof jump. The rest of the run was victory lap for Victor Behm, who blasted big air over the banger and ghost rode the finish line, overcome with joy and blown away that he had just beaten one of his own AA pro racing heroes.

The Dirt Jump Comp:

With the crowd still hyped up from the Double Cross main event, 13 riders took to the hill to compete in the Dirt Jump Comp. Each rider took three runs with their best scores counted to determine the top 8 riders. Posh Trail’s main caretaker and BMX legend, Jason “J-Bone” Lonergan, shared judging duties with Catty Woods favorites Marky “T” Tomasic and Axlerad’s Matt Trieval. The vibe of the Dirt Jump Comp was fun and free, with the crowd cheering on a diverse group of riders with even more diverse riding styles.

Kink’s Chris Doyle ripped up the course in classic Doyle style with big turndown three’s and three tables inverted for all they were worth. His third place finish also made him the only rider to podium in both of the Double Cross and Dirt Jump Comp. X Games Park Gold Medalist and Hyper rider, Scott Cranmer, placed a strong second by utilizing the entire downhill course, including tailwhips over the large scrub roller and blasting some of the only tricks of the contest off the roof jump gap. But the comeback story of the event, after a hard crash in the Double Cross that would have ended any other rider’s day, was a victorious Brandon Dosch. Tailwhipping onto the roof jump and spinning his Redline with the only 360 of the contest over the bomb drop, Brandon blasted straight into a big double tail whip over the banger set for a well-deserved 1st place finish. The rest of the field laid down some great moves with Deluxe’s Jeremy Ball showing smooth trail style and big three’s for a solid 4th. Australian FIT rider Chris Harti blasted big airs for 5th place while Deluxe’s Mark Potoczny threw down with some classic trail style for 6th. Meanwhile, Olish Farms rider and Double Cross winner, Victor Behm showed versatility as both a racer and jumper with a 7th, while 2014 TRA Grindlab Jam Dirt and Park winner, Jordan Prince, blasted big no handers and huge three’s for 8th place with style that had everyone taking note.

The Awards:

The day ended with the awards ceremony in which $8,000 in donated cash awards were presented to the top 8 finishers in each event by TRA founder, Mike Gentilcore. Contest announcer and voice of TRA, Darryl Nau, followed up with some warm words and explained that the event that Mike organized was over 20 years in the making, from the days of the Bethlehem crew BMX racing and long summers at the trails including Black Track, State College, Posh, Nam, and Catty. There was a feeling of oneness in the air with riders from all disciplines of the sport sharing in a BMX event that was uniquely special and fun for both the riders and spectators alike.

As the sun went down, the session went on to dusk, with BMX legends getting in some final laps on the downhill course and younger riders sessioning the 30,000 sq ft pump track next to it. With BMXers from all ages and genres of the sport pumped on what they had witnessed, the 2014 TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump comp has everyone psyched for the future of BMX dirt events.

2014 TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump Comp Results:

Double Cross:

1. Victor Behm – $1000
2. Steven Cisar – $850
3. Chris Doyle – $700
4. Brandon Dosch -$550
5. Derek Sipkoi – $350
6. Matt Kelty – $250
7. Evan Eisenhard – $200
8. Jeremy Ball – $100

Dirt Jump Comp:

1. Brandon Dosch – $1000
2. Scott Cranmer – $850
3. Chris Doyle – $700
4. Jeremy Ball – $550
5. Chris Harti – $350
6. Mark Potoczny – $250
7. Victor Behm – $200
8. Jordan Prince- $100

The 2014 TRA BMX Double Cross Podium – Victor Behm (1st), Steven Cisar (2nd) and Chris Doyle (3rd)
Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

The 2014 TRA BMX Double Cross Podium – Brandon Dosch (1st), Scott Cranmer (2nd), and Chris Doyle (3rd)
Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Van Homan with a turndown over the big set. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Not your average racetrack – Scotty Cranmer spins the bars the first straight while Jeremy Ball floats a three on the second straight. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Chris Doyle, inverted turndown three. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Jordan Prince was invited to the comp after his double win at the 2014 TRA Grindlab jam. With moves like this tuck no hander at height, he fit right in with some of the world’s best. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Mike Gonzalez and Aaron Ross rip it up during Friday’s practice session. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Deluxe’s Mark Potoczny, Pittsburgh represent. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Legendary BMX Race History: Chris Doyle vs Van Homan. Historic Shot: Chris Denman

The TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump Comp course layout…another epic creation by Dirtsculpt’s Dave King. Photo: Troy Zeigler / Elevated Visuals

Victor Behm and Jeremy Kaht drop in from the motocross inspired starting gate. Photo: Eric Silver

Scott Cranmer throwing a backflip over the banger set for 2nd place in the Dirt Jump Comp. He had an awesome time racing too, throwing big smiles all day long. Photo: Eric Silver

Chris Doyle leads Van Homan off the roof jump. Photo: Eric Silver

Deluxe’s Jeremy Ball and Sunday’s Aaron Ross battle side by side over the Bomb drop. Photo: Eric Silver

Nicholi Rogatkin ended this moto with the day’s only front flip over the banger set. Photo: Eric Silver

Van Homan and Chris Doyle, legends and smiles at the 2014 TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump Comp. Photo: Eric Silver

Chris Harti and Van Homan showing the crowd how tight the FIT BMX race team really rolls. Photo: Eric Silver

Double Cross winner, Victor Behm, and his daughter, Autumn, hanging out with DKOI Bikes Founder and TRA Event Sponsor, Derek Sipkoi. Both Victor and Autumn ended up on the podium at the end of the day. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

FIT’s Chris Harti inverts this one-footed table for all its worth. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Steven Cisar leads Chris Doyle out of the shark fin. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Remember when you could run any color number plate you wanted? City Boy Jon Lynn says those days are back with TRA. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

The official voice of TRA, BMX Legend Darryl Nau. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Redline’s Brandon Dosch gets his Bicycle Supercross on – AMA style, of course. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

S&M’s Evan Eisenhard doubled as quinea pig during Dirtsculpt’s course build, while Dave Best took on TRA’s assistant event manager duties. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Event promoter and TRA CEO, Mike Gentilcore, holds the rider’s meeting – “no clips, no carbon fiber, but brakeless riders WILL be allowed. Ready, set…have fun!” Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

FIT’s Justin Inman raced the TRA downhill course brakeless, and in perfect control, almost catching Chris Doyle on the last straight…and he did it all with an old-school one-footed start. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Deluxe’s Jeremy Ball clicks a turndown over the bomb drop. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

United’s Jimmy Rushmore, all smiles and good times, all the time. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Busting out the race goggles – Standard’s Jeremy Kaht chases down Brandon Grimm. Bicycle Motocross. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Jeremy Kaht trailing Evan Eisenhard. No cranking out of this 1st turn. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Former #1 NBL AA Pro Matt Kelty enjoying the future of BMX racing. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Brandon Dosch pulled out all the stops chasing down Chris Doyle, scrubbing moto-style over the roof jump and step up to make for one of the most epic passes of the event. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

TRA BMX – For the riders, by the riders! Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Hanging out in the pits – Steven Cisar, Alex Anthony, Ryan Z-man Zielinski, and Derek Sipkoi. As owner of DKOI Bikes, Sipkoi was both a competitor and sponsor of the event. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

The TRA Moto Girls – all motocross, all the time. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Aaron Ross, all smiles. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Hyper’s Eddie Rovi was the youngest rider to rip it up at the event. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Vinnie Mannino – Racer turned park rider now turned racer again, throwing a front flip. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

GHP’s Ryan Z-Man Zielinski has been a die-hard racer for years, spinning threes in his motos and running BMX pedals all his life. Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Contest Judge and Posh local, Jason Lonergan, was 9 years old when TRA’s Mike Gentilcore was 12. They raced at an independent BMX track called Louise Moore Park in Bethlehem, PA. Jason’s dad, Chris (right center), ran the track, which was sponsored by Actions Wheels Bike Shop owner Larry D’Amelio (right). Over 30 years later, this crew is still at it, running independent races as TRA, and sponsored by Action Wheels. Photo: Connie Lonergan (Louise Moore Park BMX mom).

TRA’s Mike Gentilcore is smiling because BMX racing is back! Photo: Al Cayne / Sugarcayne.com

Black Track Locals. Rick Harvilla (right) is a motocross rider, old school BMXer, and legendary trail pioneer. He’s also been Mike Gentilcore’s #1 trail building influence since the late 70’s. Rick still rides, builds trails, and always will!

With the 2014 TRA Double Cross and Dirt Jump Comp in the history books, TRA founder and event promoter, Mike Gentilcore, takes in some sunset laps on his backyard Double Cross course to celebrate the success of an epic event that was years in the making.