Mannheim erupts with 2-wheel Action Sports Show-down

Before more than 6,000 action sports and motocross fans could get in to watch the madness inside the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany for the 4th round of competition between Team Spain, Czech and World, wild scenes had already taken place during the training session where the World Team which should have had one of the best teams ever announced. Between the top 3 riders, they had World Champions, X Games Gold Medallists, Nitro World Games Winner, Red Bull X-Fighters winners, X-Knights, Xpilots and FMX Gladiator Games winners. However, Harry Bink who won the 2022 Nitro World Games and 1 or 3 riders to ever land a Triple Backflip, crashed out before the competition started when he under-rotated a Double Backflip in training only 6 days after winning a Bronze Medal at X Games with a Double Backflip McFritz (One-hand Nac). The injured Bink was unable to compete and was replaced at the last minute by the Czech rider and debutant in NIGHT of the JUMPs competition, Pepa Aron. Starting the competition, Team Spain took the opening lead with the the FMX legend, Dany Torres winning the first group of Freestyle with a huge run of tricks including a Double Hart Backflip and finishing with a clean Rock Solid Backflip in the Double-Up. The NOTJ Debutant, Pepa Aron who was drafted into the World Team had a great start to his FMX competition career but had a huge crash falling from a height of 12 metres and lucky to save himself on the BigAirBag when his bike was only in first gear on the run-up and not having the speed to make the full 21 metre distance. The Czech whipmaster, Matej Cesak looked to seal up his 3rd Best Whip trophy of 2023 at his first appearance in Mannheim. Up against David Rinaldo’s huge turn downs and racer whips, Matej needed his upside down signature whip to take the win. In the second round of Freestyle, Spain again took the lead when Marc Pinyol lit the fuse on a full run of variety including his Scorpion Tsunami Flip, Front Flip and California Roll on one of the hardest run-ups to get speed for that particular trick. The World Team made up some points when David Rinaldo landed a clean Tsunami Flip, Barhop Flip, Double Grab flip and Holy Grab to Rock Solid which was only enough for 2nd place. In the synchro competition, all teams struggled to have the 2 riders jump simultaneously, but with the biggest tricks in their repertoire, the World Team took the win with X Games Gold Medallists and World Champions each, Luc Ackermann and David Rinaldo. In Freestyle Heat No. 3, the five-time World Champion Maikel Melero from Spain landed everything in a spectacular run. Tsunami Flip, California Roll, Front Flip, Seatgrab Indy Flip plus a No-Hand Front Flip as a double-up trick. If the World Team was to claw back enough points to fight for the win, it was up to the German FMX World Champion and X Games winner Luc Ackermann to knock the Spanish champion off the top of the individual ranking. When he was the only athlete to jump over the quarter ramp and landed the flair and completed his run with a double backflip, there was no stopping him. The crowd in the SAP Arena went wild. With 94 points, Luc took the solo win for the night and also extended his lead in the 2023 World Tour Ranking of the NIGHT of the JUMPs to 80 points and thus has the best chance of winning the Tour Championship in Zurich. Maikel Melero is in second place (68 points), followed by Filip Podmol (52 points). Finally, Luc Ackermann was able to win the Best Trick competition together with David Rinaldo and MTB rider Szymon Godziek (POL). However, it wasn’t enough, with 4th Round of Freestyle of Nations victory going to the Czech Republic Team, ahead of Team Spain and the World Team in 3rd place with one of the tightest races in Freestyle of Nations history! The final round of the 2023 NIGHT of the JUMPs season will take place on September 9 in Zurich. Then it will be decided who will be the overall winner of the World Tour Ranking 2023.