Bestwick pulls out the win in Denver. Jared Souney © 2006 Lat34
The End of an Era?
Aug 16 2006 / PortlandJamie Bestwick is arguably the best BMX Vert rider of all time. It's not just his trick repertoire, which includes 900s and 540 variations including the barspin to turndown 540, it's also his longevity, smoothness and competitive consistency that have made Bestwick a top dog in Vert over the past ten years. And despite suffering the worst injury of his career this spring and having emergency spinal surgery to fuse together two of his vertebrae, he still managed to ride away with a win at the Denver Dew Tour stop, and a respectable silver at the X Games.
But all good things must come to an end, and after the Vert competition at X earlier this month, Bestwick announced that he is officially retiring from the X Games. Rumors of Bestwick's retirement have been spreading through the industry all season. He recently purchased a house in Darbyshire, England, and has been spending as much time as possible there. He's also packed up his belongings to move his family from his home in Pennsylvania to Great Britain, where he plans to pursue photography and let his body heal from the years of abuse he has put it through.Even with the X Games announcement, Bestwick isn't going to just quit right away. He is currently ranked first on the Dew Tour overall standings and a seasoned competitor like Bestwick would obviously like to go out on top. The Portland stop is the first event after X Games, and Bestwick's name is officially on the registered list.
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The only question is if he will be able to hold on for the rest of the season. So far he has been strong and consistent, if only a little bit cautious while recovering from his injury. But clearly there is nothing that would be a better end to Bestwick's competitive career than a few more wins and the $75,000 bonus to start the next chapter of his life.
Of course, he faces some tough competition. Namely, Chad Kagy, who just defeated Bestwick at X with a run that included two brand new tricks, and who became the first person other than Dave Mirra or Bestwick to win Vert gold in ten years.
With three events left in the Dew Tour season, the end is in sight, but Bestwick will need to throw out some serious bangers to solidify it as a winning season. Of course, anyone who's ever seen him ride knows it's possible, and no matter what happens it should be an exciting end to his competitive career.
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