Jared Souney © Lat34
Jamie Bestwick, Dew Cup Champ
Oct 16 2006 / Orlando, FL
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In addition to the Dew Cup and its $75,000 prize, he’ll take home $15,000 today for winning the PlayStation Pro, and another $25,000 for the overall 2006 Dew Tour championship title.
After his big win in BMX Vert, Bestwick sat down for an exclusive Lat34 interview to discuss his miraculous recovery from spinal surgery and dispel rumors of his retirement.
Lat34: You won every event on the Dew Tour except the Panasonic Open in Louisville, where you only got 2nd. Why are you such a slacker?
JB: Well, the 2nd place finish in Louisville was due to me going in for a spinal fusion surgery and only having a couple days worth of practice after I’d spent two months off my bike. So for me, Louisville was probably the best result, really, of the year, because if I hadn’t done so well there then I’m not sure how the rest of the year would have gone. I used that great second place finish to launch my riding back into gear and make the challenge with myself to really go for the Dew Tour this year.
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Lat34: Spinal fusion? It’s amazing to be able to come back from something like that at all.
JB: It is! When I stop and think about all the pain and the agony I was in, it’s quite phenomenal that I made such a quick turnaround time. It was against doctor’s orders: They told me I should quit, and they didn’t really want me doing anything for three months. But sometimes you just have to roll the dice. I took a chance in Louisville, it paid off, and like I said, that just kick-started everything.
Lat34: Chad Kagy, Kevin Robinson, Simon Tabron – these guys haven’t made it easy for you! Is it just me, or did BMX really blow up big this year?
JB: I think it really blew up. Just look at the footage from the contests: phenomenal tricks are coming out every week. Look at Dennis McCoy. He’s 39 years old and did the highest 900 of the night in the Finals, just put together a spectacular run. Not only have you got the three names that you mentioned, but you’ve got people like Francisco Zurita, a newcomer who’s coming in blasting an incredible style. You’ve got Jimmy Walker from Chicago, a phenomenal rider, super-consistent. There’s always Koji Kraft in there for pure energy and fun – his drive is incredible. You’re right: nobody makes it easy. But in the same respect, I don’t make it easy on anybody else! We’re all in the same position, gunning for the same spot, so it’s in our best interest to ride to the best of our abilities.
Lat34: How much rivalry is there?
JB: A lot! There’s a lot at stake and we all want to win. We all want to do the best we can, and everybody wants to walk away with the Dew Cup. It’s a very prestigious title and this is a prestigious tour. This is the best tour in action sports: In just two years it’s stamped its mark on action sports as the premier pro tour. A lot of people want to win it, because it’s a great title to have.
Lat34: Is there anyone in particular who pushes you and fuels that competition and rivalry?
JB: Chad and Kevin are always gunning for me! Simon travels all the way from England and just rides amazing. I just look at everybody and keep an eye on things that are going on, and hope that I can be equally consistent with my hard tricks when it comes time for me to ride.
Lat34: You mentioned the prestige. There’s also a lot of money attached to this. This weekend you cleaned up pretty well. Have you converted the figure into British pounds or Euros yet?
JB: You can’t really think about the money too much. It’s a nice bonus and this is how I make my living, but you know what? In 20 years time, I’m going to be able to look back and show people that I was the champion at this time, and say, “This is a trophy that put my name in history,” whereas you can’t really do that with a bank balance. “See that row of numbers there? Yep, that came from when I won this contest.” It doesn’t really carry the same weight. You look at people like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan – it’s not about the money, it’s about the titles. It’s about having the chance to say, “I’m the best at what I do.” I’m the best in my sport at this moment in time. I am the Dew Cup champion. That carries more weight than any check will.
Lat34: It’s great to see you out there holding your trophy with your kid. How is fatherhood treating you?
JB: It’s great. He is just my little champion. He loves the bikes, he loves skateboards, and he loves motorbikes. I see this stuff every day, but it’s great to bring him here and see him get so excited, pointing stuff out. When he gets excited about somebody doing an air on a skateboard or jumping a motorbike, I’m excited for him! I can see it in his eyes that he has some sort of passion in there. I’m not sure what he’ll do when he gets older. My wife’s leaning towards him being a skateboarder! We’ll see.
Lat34: It seems like there’s been Bestwick retirement rumors floating around all year.
JB: No! The doctor told me it would be a good time to retire after I went for spinal fusion. But the talk of retirement all came from me riding at the X Games. Especially after this year, I had a few problems with riding that contest and I just felt that maybe I should step out from the X Games. But I said that last year too, so who knows? There’s no talk of really retiring, so anybody who thinks I’m going to get of the way should know: I will be here next year, trying to get my Cup back.
Lat34: You’re already looking forward to Dew Tour, year three?
JB: I love coming to these events and being a part of the Dew Tour. I want to see this thing grow, and I want to be a part of it growing.
