Ryan Guettler Mark Epstein
Returning Champ: Ryan Guettler
Jun 24 2006 / Los Angeles, CAUpdate: June 24 2006 - BMX Dirt
Ryan Guettler went down hard in Round 1, Heat 2 of today's BMX Dirt contest at the Panasonic Open, and was carried out on a stretcher. The defending Dew Tour overall champ dropped in fast, hit a huge double whip on the first jump, launched a picture-perfect front flip over the second, and went for a tailwhip Superman seat grab on the final hit. It looked clean from our spot on the bleachers, but once he dropped out of sight he slammed hard, face-planting into the dirt.
Ryan Guettler went down hard in Round 1, Heat 2 of today's BMX Dirt contest at the Panasonic Open, and was carried out on a stretcher. The defending Dew Tour overall champ dropped in fast, hit a huge double whip on the first jump, launched a picture-perfect front flip over the second, and went for a tailwhip Superman seat grab on the final hit. It looked clean from our spot on the bleachers, but once he dropped out of sight he slammed hard, face-planting into the dirt.
EMS personnel rushed to the scene and carried him away: We'll post updates on his condition as soon as we have them.
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Update: June 23, 2006
Sorry, Guettler, a nearly perfect run with a 360 drop from the step-down off the upper deck, a front flip in the mix, and a flair pop-off from the vert roundwall just isn’t enough these days. You’ll have to settle for 2nd place.
Guettler was in first place after Round 1 in the finals, with Scotty Cranmer, Josh Harrington, and Dave Mirra close behind. His Round 2 run was looking like a winner too, before a huge 720 over the box sent him over the handlebars. Dave Mirra, up next, stuck the 720 for Guettler but went crashing through a gate on the side of the course shortly after.
That left Scotty Cranmer's dizzying second run on top: Cranmer started things off with a tail whip drop in from the big step-down gap off the top deck, doubled back to the same hit in the other direction for a double-whip step-up, then threw an insane double-whip 360 over the box. Tracking his bike through all those whips was enough to induce vertigo, especially at the speed Cranmer is known for.
Still, 2nd place is perfectly respectable for a man on a mission to win the overal Dew Tour title for the second time in a row: Guettler will need to stay in the mix near the top three throughout the tour, and we have full confidence he'll be back on top soon. That 720 was damn close.
And don't forget: Guettler is also the defending champ in BMX Dirt, still to come here at the Panasonic Open.
Update: June 22, 2006
Ryan Guettler blew up for first place here in Louisville last year, and went on to win the overall Dew Tour titles for both Park and Dirt. A first run score of 90.25 in the third hear of the Park prelims sends him into the Finals in third place; by the time his second run came around, he seemed content to settle... for now.
Third place is cause enough for celebration - Guettler was seen cheerfully hitting the 4th Street scene in downtown Louisville shortly after his run Thursday night - but the Finals promise to be intense: Dave Mirra threw a huge backflip tailwhip in his first Prelim run, then started off his second run with an insane backflip drop-in from the deck over the big vert wall. A score of 93 in the prelims ought to seal the deal, right? Still, even that wasn't enough to beat Morgan Wade's mind-blowing start-to-finish run. BMX Park just got a lot more interesting.
Sorry, Guettler, a nearly perfect run with a 360 drop from the step-down off the upper deck, a front flip in the mix, and a flair pop-off from the vert roundwall just isn’t enough these days. You’ll have to settle for 2nd place.
Guettler was in first place after Round 1 in the finals, with Scotty Cranmer, Josh Harrington, and Dave Mirra close behind. His Round 2 run was looking like a winner too, before a huge 720 over the box sent him over the handlebars. Dave Mirra, up next, stuck the 720 for Guettler but went crashing through a gate on the side of the course shortly after.
That left Scotty Cranmer's dizzying second run on top: Cranmer started things off with a tail whip drop in from the big step-down gap off the top deck, doubled back to the same hit in the other direction for a double-whip step-up, then threw an insane double-whip 360 over the box. Tracking his bike through all those whips was enough to induce vertigo, especially at the speed Cranmer is known for.
Still, 2nd place is perfectly respectable for a man on a mission to win the overal Dew Tour title for the second time in a row: Guettler will need to stay in the mix near the top three throughout the tour, and we have full confidence he'll be back on top soon. That 720 was damn close.
And don't forget: Guettler is also the defending champ in BMX Dirt, still to come here at the Panasonic Open.
– Colin Bane
___________________________________________________________Update: June 22, 2006
Ryan Guettler blew up for first place here in Louisville last year, and went on to win the overall Dew Tour titles for both Park and Dirt. A first run score of 90.25 in the third hear of the Park prelims sends him into the Finals in third place; by the time his second run came around, he seemed content to settle... for now.
Third place is cause enough for celebration - Guettler was seen cheerfully hitting the 4th Street scene in downtown Louisville shortly after his run Thursday night - but the Finals promise to be intense: Dave Mirra threw a huge backflip tailwhip in his first Prelim run, then started off his second run with an insane backflip drop-in from the deck over the big vert wall. A score of 93 in the prelims ought to seal the deal, right? Still, even that wasn't enough to beat Morgan Wade's mind-blowing start-to-finish run. BMX Park just got a lot more interesting.
-Colin Bane
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To be a legend in a sport takes relentless dedication. It takes profound motivation. It takes disciplined commitment. It takes near-supernatural talent. And above all it takes a serious set of steel cajones. So what does it take to win both of the 2005 year-end titles at the Dew Action Sports tour in two disciplines – say, BMX dirt and BMX park, for example? It takes Ryan Guettler, that’s what.
In 2005, Ryan “the saucy Aussie” Guettler put a commanding exclamation point on the end of his dream season with the Dew Tour wins. Here’s a snapshot of his results: First place in Park at the Panasonic Open in Louisville. First place in Dirt and Park at the Right Guard Open in Denver. And first place in Dirt at the Vans Invitational in Portland. Plus, he secured first place finishes at the Asian X-Games, Las Vegas Extreme Thing, The Bike Show in Coventry, England, Mat Hoffman’s CFB, and the Gravity Games.
This guy gets around. Not a whole lot of down-time for Ryan. And it’s been that way ever since he first busted out on the U.S. BMX scene in 2003. Never one to take competition lightly, Ryan chose the X-Games Global Challenge as his U.S. debut. Most would crumble under that kind of pressure, especially in a foreign country. But not Ryan. He placed third. He went on to kick some serious ass at the Gravity Games and Vans Triple Crown events through 2004 and leading up to his mythical 2005 performance.
Ryan has come to be known as the new face of BMX. Lightning fast. Huge, innovative tricks. And able to shred in a variety of disciplines. He’s resourceful in the parks and he goes balls to the wall in dirt. Top it off with his trademark style and grace, and you’ve got one hell of a show. He’s one of just a few riders who have consistently pulled off front flips in Dirt. And he’s persistent about learning sick new tricks like 720 tailwhips and front flip tailwhips.
The Brisbane, Australia native is looking forward to another crazy year in 2006. Already, Ryan’s placed first at the X-Air Competition in Wellington, New Zealand in Dirt and Street; and first at the BMX Games in Sydney for Dirt. He’s also clinched top-ten finishes at the Metro Jam in Toronto, Canada, the Las Vegas Extreme Thing, and Mat Hoffman’s CFB. And that’s just the beginning.
