2006 San Jose Dew Tour- Toyota Challenge Greg Weatherall © Lat34

Cranmer Wins Park Finals

Despite stiff competition Cranmer triumphs over Nyquist and Dhers

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After Saturday’s intense BMX Park Prelims at the Dew Action Sports Tour Toyota Challenge in San Jose, it was hard to imagine that Sunday’s Finals could get any better. Well, they did. All 12 of the finalists came out swinging with explosive power, but in the end it was Scotty Cranmer who knocked out the competition.

Cranmer accepted his trophy amidst a sea of screaming girls making it hard to even hear the announcer congratulate him on his performance. Cranmer’s winning run that scored a 93.75 was blur of tailwhips and giant airs. He started off with a gigantic no-hand front flip flair up the big step-up, followed shortly by a double tailwhip to tire tap on the mini ramp. He pulled several more double tailwhips (including a picture perfect 360 double whip) on portions of the course that would be impossible for mere mortals to do so.

Not surprisingly, Ryan Nyquist and Daniel Dhers were also in the top three. The crowd erupted in cacophonous applause for local homeboy Nyquist who threw down what appeared to be an unbeatable first run that included a backflip double barspin and 360 to barspin off the curved wall ride. Nyquist, who scored a 93.5, is still riding without an ACL.

Daniel Dhers, the Venezuelan phenom, rounded out the top three spots with a super powerful run highlighted by textbook double whips, a no-hand flair on the quarter pipe and an unbelievable 360 x-up to tailwhip that blew away everyone in attendance. Somehow, his 92 score wasn’t enough though. 

In fact, Dhers' score bumps him down to 2nd overall in the points standings. Cranmer's win puts him on top overall now. And Nyquist got bumped down from 2nd to 3rd overall. The three Dew Tour leaders are all within only 14 points of each other, so the final leg of the Dew Tour in Orlando is sure to be off the charts.

Gary Young, Steven McCann and Alistair Whitton filled in the top 6 positions in Sunday’s Finals in San Jose, all with big runs. Young pulled a huge 360 transfer from the center box to the step-up on the side that must have been 15 feet away. McCann pulled a no-hand to turndown 720 that still has the other riders scratching their heads. And Whitton put together a super aggressive run with a beautiful no-hand backflip on the center box and a giant iron monkey up the big step-up. 

All the riders put their hearts and souls in to Sunday’s Finals, but perhaps none more than the ever-smiling Austin Coleman who finished 7th in Sunday’s Finals. The boy has style and really puts it all on the line. He pulled off his first no-hand flair in Saturday’s Prelims and he landed at least two more in the Finals. We may be witnessing Coleman breaking through and taking his ability to the next level, which could make him a regular contender for the podium from now on.