Riders and bikes flew through the air flipping, turning and sometimes preparing for falls at the second annual Red Bull Bike Battle at City Hall Plaza Saturday.
Riders showcased their technical abilities, creativity and stylistic expertise on a course that combined an urban landscape with imported obstacles, including a Honda Accord. The competition brought 32 top mountain bike riders from five countries to demonstrate their biggest and most impressive stunts.
“It’s pushing the sport,” said Seth Lolli, a 24-year-old competitor and Northeastern University alumnus.
“It’s brilliant,” said Adam Titley, an onlooker and competitive biker from London.
Titley said it was great to see different styles all combined into one competition — from “proper urban riding” to trials and more BMX-style riding.
“It just seems like there are new riders coming out of nowhere. They’re unbelievable,” said Luke Dobie, a spectator from Georgetown, Mass., and a downhill bike racer.
With hundreds of spectators encircling the pit where City Hall Plaza’s fountain used to be, the competitors successfully completed “superman seat-grabs,” “downside foot -plants” off ramps, “360 transfers,” “tailwhips” and “step-up suicide no-handers,” among other stunts.
To create the urban “free ride” cycling course, event coordinators added concrete highway partitions, dirt jumps, a ladder bridge and ramps. Riders also repeatedly “bunny hopped” on the “Boss’s Car,” bouncing on just the front tire of their bikes on the roof, hood and even the quickly cracked and eventually shattered windshield.
Red Bull media relations manager Piney Kahn said the company Bull was attracted to City Hall Plaza for the same reasons that often lure local bikers. The plaza’s deep steps descending into a multi-leveled pit is an urban bikers’ dream, Kahn said.
“This is such a perfect location for the riders to ride in,” Kahn said.
But onlookers said having a bike event in City Hall Plaza is ironic because police usually throw out bikers.
“I’ve been booted out of here,” Dobie said. “It’s cool to see guys riding in here and not getting booted.”
The five judges had the best seats, elevated about 50 feet overlooking the biking area.
Each competitor faced a qualifying round and four elimination rounds, which included a two-minute round with two riders trying to outdo each other. They determined the winners of the all-day event based on the riders’ use of the course, the magnitude of their moves and their technical precision, flow and style.
The judges awarded Aaron Chase, a 24-year-old from Belmont, N.H., with the first place trophy and check for $2,500. Second place and $1,500 went to Kurt Voreis, 29, of Alta Loma, Calif. Shaums March, 29, of Squamish, Canada took home $1,000 and the third prize trophy.
The cheers from the audience, the play-by-play announcing by two MCs and the music provided by DJ Malay contributed to a loud event.
But when Jim DeChamp, a 22-year-old competitor from Annapolis, Md., went hurdling through the air with his bike already on the ground after a stunt, the whole plaza went silent. Medics, who were on-site throughout the competition, came out to examine the still DeChamp. DeChamp stood after a few moments and walked off the course with the help of two other riders as the crowd went wild.
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