Shock, surprise and excitement was written on the faces of spectators during the 2019 Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam which took place in Fernie on Saturday.
The FMB World Tour bronze sanctioned event attracted top athletes from around the country who came out in full force.
From pros pulling double backflips to first-time competitors taking one foot off their pedals, there was enthusiasm for athletes in every category.
Adam Laurin, MC for the evening, said that for him, the camaraderie shown was the highlight of the evening.
“A lot of these riders out here, they’re not sponsored riders, they’re just here for a good time,” said Laurin. “And the support they offer each other to go bigger and do better, the reward is just what they get from each other.
“That’s worth more than any of the money or the prizes.”
Co-organizer Jikke Gyorki said the dirt jumping community is one of the best sports for that.
“The big kids support the little kids, it’s such a positive experience for everybody.”
Gyorki said she was overjoyed to see how many spectators came out to support the 82 athletes that competed. Riders ranged in age from two years old to 30.
This was the first year in many that Wam Bam has been a sanctioned event, and Gyorki said they were able to pull it off thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers and support from sponsors.
In the intermediate category, 13-year-old Jack Feick from Calgary placed first, followed by 10-year-old Cooper Park from Fernie and 8-year-old Fernie youth Theo Favreau.
In the advanced category, 15-year-old Riley Calmer-Adams from Sparwood took top spot, followed by 12-year-old Alex Pickering from Fort Steele and 12-year-old Ben Novecosky from Fernie.
Simon Karrer from Prince George was crowned the winner of the Expert/Pro category, securing a score of 9.100 on the pro line. Liam Baylis from Canmore took second with a close score of 9.000. In third was Soren Farenholtz from Kamloops with a score of 8.323.
Twenty-seven athletes competed in the expert/pro category.
Sparwood’s Riley Calmer-Adams was also crowned winner of the best trick on the mulch line in the kids category. Scott Thornhill from Calgary took best trick in the pro category with a massive double backflip. Thornhill managed to secure sixth place in the pro line competition earlier that night.