Monster Energy Atletes PLG, Jones & Bestwick Win AST Dew Tour Titles
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - CORONA, Calif., (Oct. 20, 2008) – Oh man, did Monster Energy athletes absolutely KILL IT at the final AST Dew Tour stop in Orlando (Fla.) this past week/weekend or what? Three Orlando stop wins cemented three overall Dew Cup victories in one of the biggest competitions of the year for Monster Energy athletes.
Everyone at Monster Energy HQ sends out a big “High Five” to the ’08 Dew Cup champions: Pierre Luc “PLG” Gagnon (Skate Vert), Jamie Bestwick (BMX Vert) and Adam Jones (FMX).
PLG
Entering Orlando the PLG faithful were hoping he could make up a couple points on red hot vert vet Andy McDonald to take over the third and final overall Skate Vert podium spot. But those close to PLG knew that if he skated up to his ability and put down the same runs that won him X Games 14, the Maloof Money Cup and Tampa Pro this summer – and caught a break in the numbers put up by the leaders heading into Orlando (Bucky Lasek & Bob Burnquist) – PLG would have a shot at the overall Dew Cup.
Well, the planets lined up and all the aforementioned stuff came true – PLG’s the 2008 Dew Cup winner, his first overall AST Dew Tour Skate Vert championship since the series was conceived in 2005.
“I’ve just been working really hard, skating every day,” said Monster Energy’s Gagnon. “You know, what we do on a skateboard, it’s not something you learn overnight, it’s not something where you get into it and it pays off right away. I’ve been doing this for like 19 or 20 years, and everything I’ve learned, all the work I’ve put into it to get the experience and the confidence… it just finally came together this year. I’m so stoked. We’re going to party tonight.”
PLG put up big numbers on all three of his runs, the clincher coming on his third run where he combined two 720s, a switch heelflip and 360 flip to fakie. The run scored a 96.0, which AST Dew Tour officials noted was one of the highest-scoring runs ever in the four-year existence of the competition series.
BESTWICK
Easily the most heated athlete-vs-athlete competition this summer was between buddies Bestwick and Chad Kagy. The two did more to raise the competition bar of their sport than any other Dew Tour athletes all
summer long. Toe-to-toe, tooth-and-nail – call it what you want – but these two heavies banged out some of the most exciting rides ever in the sport and drove the judges nuts who had to score them. In the end
it was Monster Energy’s Bestwick winning four out of five Dew Tour BMX Vert overalls – including Orlando – to win the Dew Cup, an unprecedented fourth-straight Dew Cup (the most in AST Dew Tour history) for Bestwick.
“I think the best part of our rivalry is that it helped elevate everyone’s game, which did a great deal to add to the overall validity of the sport of BMX Vert and kept it in the forefront of popularity with action sports fans across the board,” said Bestwick. “I’m pleased to have won and would also like to congratulate Chad on a very fine season. This is something neither of us will forget anytime soon.”
After Kagy put down what could have been a gold medal run anywhere/anytime, Bestwick, as he has all season, stepped up to the challenge and threw down only as he can – alley oop seat grab, topside no-footed
can-can, 540 invert – and solidified his effort with a opposite flair to fastplant opposite flair, garnering himself a clean 94.0 score and the Orlando win.
JONES
Up to the last couple years, 2006-’07, Monster Energy’s Nate Adams had a lock on the overall FMX Dew Cup. That all came to a screeching halt this past weekend as the AST Dew Tour King of FMX torch was passed from Adams to his Monster Energy teammate, Adam Jones.
With a lightning attack on the Orlando FMX ramps that featured several core flip variations (stripper, turntable and kiss of death), Jones overcame some sketchy winds to score a 93.67 – good enough for 1st
place. Coupled with his win at Salt Lake City and a solid 6th place finish at Baltimore, Jones was able take the overall FMX Dew Cup a by 30 points over Robbie Maddison, 265-235.
“This is right up there,” said Jones. “I won a very big, very prestigious event today, and also won the championship at the same time. I tried to tell myself I didn’t feel any pressure, but I felt a fair bit of pressure.”
For the record Monster Energy athletes won every Dew Tour FMX round (Blake “Bilko” Williams winning Baltimore, Md.) and had three of its guys place in the top seven – Adams 5th, Williams 7th. And that stat
would have been even better had Williams not been injured for Orlando and come away with zero points.
Also putting up a podium finish at Orlando was Monster Energy skater Greg Lutzka. The California transplant skated to a podium 3rd place finish in Skate Park – his second AST Dew Tour podium finish of the summer (Portland, Ore.) – which earned him 4th overall in the Skate Park Dew Cup.
Noteworthy: Monster Energy’s Mike Spinner wrapped up a highly successful summer that saw him finish 2nd place three times in BMX Park, and held onto that spot in the Dew Cup chase with a 9th at Orlando…Ryan Guettler capped off an excellent season in both BMX Park and BMX Dirt in which he finished in 7th place overall in both disciplines…Dave Mirra returned to BMX Park action and absolutely killed it in the prelims, scoring a 90.67 to qualify in 1st place for the finals. Monster Energy’s dual sport (BMX & rally) star continued
to ride excellent and placed 5th overall in the finals – his highest placing of the year…And Monster Energy’s young vert star, Alex Perelson, wound up 12th overall in Skate Vert.
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it AST Dew Tour, insane distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Everybody runnin’ the M-claw logo on the ’08 AST Dew Tour dug ‘em royally – so
will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com
Press Release
- October 20 2008 | 69 views
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