**ROUND 1 - REPORT, PHOTOS & VIDEO**

 

Every year as the first round gets closer, the weather seems to go from being awesome to horrendous just days before the first event. Well this year was no different!  The 3 days leading up to Round 1 were totally drenched out by the constant downpours from the skies.  The trails had luckily been tarped up by the quick thinking guys at Holdshott trails, however the constant rain had us worrying whether or not it was going to be dry enough for the comp the next day.

In true Holdshott fashion the following day the sun was blazing and by 10.30am the trails were dry and ready for action. The rain had done one to another county leaving us with a hot but breezy day.

Before we knew it riders were launching off the start drop and seeing who could and who couldn’t get through the trails.  A few of the open riders seemed to struggle at first (the same as last year) over the big hip but in no time at all they seemed to have it dialled and all the riders seemed to be happy with the line choice.

 

Open practice kicked off and with 19 riders in the mix you could see the regular DWUK riders starting to worry about what the New Faces were pulling off and whether or not they were going to get the podium spot they had arrived with the intention of taking.

A lot of the open riders seemed to flow their way through the trails without much tricking then send some big banger trick on the last.

As Open Qualifier’s started the riders stood at the roll in and you could see them trying to get there run set out in their head so they could get through to the final. Sam Hunniset, who had no practice before qualifying, struggled on his first run through but then pulled an awesome run with real smooth 360’s and a tailwhip only to have a nightmare 3rd run. Tim Peckham’s lunatic style shone through as he was boosting flips way higher than all the other riders and Tristan Bushnell had really upped his game from last year determined to shut down the opposition on his home trails..

19 was whittled down to 10 with Liam Tuite, Sam Hunniset, Ben Nolan, Andy Crawford, Joe Aldridge, Jack Ambler, Jack Cardy, Tim Peckham, Darren Eastall and Tristan Bushnell all going through to the final.

 

With Sam Reynolds (Polygon/Monster), Matt Jones (Saracen/Lazer), Daryl Brown (Bulls Bikes) and last years overall pro winner Ray Samson (DMR Bikes/Morvelo) (All FMBA Riders) at the comp it was pretty certain that there was going to be some big tricks going off. All the new up and coming pro riders were out to show the big guns that they have what it takes to ride alongside them throwing their trick bags wide open before qualifiers had even started.

With Quallies underway (16 Down to 9, Not sure why 9 you’ll have to ask the MC Dylan Stone) . Sam Reynolds was first up 360ing the drop but not the only one to do it as Ryan Nangle, Matt Jones and a few others; whilst Sharky B (Daryl Brown) took the barspin approach off the drop. The youngest rider in the category Dylan Grell Desol decided it was time to get the job done and get himself through to the final with a nice 720, a slowmo Frontflip and smooth 360’s.  2012 open champion (now full Spank rider) Freddy Pulman didn’t seem to have much luck as he bent his bars over his leg when taking a bit of a stack and Rob Welch seemed to have bad luck too when his forks snapped half way through the trails after coming up short on the 3rd firing him in to the biggest Scorpion chin grind that’s been seen since Chopper ate chippings at Bike Radar. Luckily Rob got back up on his feet and walked away from it with just a few grazes. Last years winner Ray Samson (DMR Bikes) seemed to be on form pulling one of the smoothest flipwhips seen in a long time.

With 16 riders down to 9 it was Tom Cardy (Dartmoor), Dylan Grell Desol (identiti), Tom Reynolds (Specialized UK), Matt Scott (Deity), Ryan Nangle (Marzocchi), Daryl Brown (Bulls Bikes), Matt Jones (Saracen), Ray Samson (DMR Bikes) and Polygon rider Sam Reynolds were through to the final.

After a burger or two provided by the Mandry’s (Mrs Mandry to be precise) the finalists in open hit the trails for their practice before the start of the final.

With the 10 open finalists all warmed up and ready for action the tricks began to flow. Ben Nolan was showing he’s not just a one trick pony pulling clean tuck’s, Cereal Boxes and floaty 360’s as was Joe Aldridge with his huge underflips. Darren Eastall put together a few stylish runs with barspins and 360’s but it was Andy Crawfords 3’s, Jack Amblers double Truckdriver and Tristan Bushnells double Tailwhip that had impressed the spectators and the judges. 1st Andy Crawford 2nd Jack Ambler 3rd Tristan Bushnell 4th Sam Hunniset 5th Jack Cardy

After 30mins of riding the Pro Riders we ready to see who was going to take the top 3 podium spots and the cash that was waiting in the prize envelopes. Again the 360’s were being thrown off the drop and the hip jump, that in open the riders had just been jumping, became a trick jump to the pro riders and tailwhips, barspins and huge whips were being layed down by nearly every rider. Tom Cardy came out fighting throwing down 720’s, huge flips and 3whips whilst Ray Samson hit out with the no hander flips, tailwhips and flipwhips. Young Dylan Grell Desol had the crowd going with his smooth Decade as did Ryan Nangle and Matt Scott with their Truckdrivers. Tom Reynolds (Sam’s younger brother) was showing he had what it takes to mix it up with his older Bro by popping 7’s, 3whips and nice backflips but it wasent enough to take it from 3 of the FMB World Tour riders as Matt Jones Super flips, Daryl Browns Double Trucks and barspin to x-up and Sam Reynolds huge truck to X-up and 360 backflip took first second and third. 1st Sam Reynolds 2nd Daryl Brown 3rd Matt Jones 4th R (Dawg) Nangle 5th Ray Samson 6th Tom Cardy 7th Matt Scott 8th Tom Reynolds 9th Dylan Grell Desol

Holdshott always seems to be an awesome place with an awesome atmosphere that the riders, the dirt wars crew and the spectators all seem to love, year in year out. Huge thanks to the Mandrys family, The Holdshott trail Crew, Olly Wilkins @ DMR Bikes, All our Sponsors and The Dirt Wars Crew for making such an awesome event happen for the third year running. See you all at P.O.R.C on the 29th of June 2014 for Round 2.