ABERDEEN EXCHANGE BMX's $25k PRO/AM

Filed under General on September 14, 2013 | Comment(s)

THE BMX JINX
       I've always been a firm believer in jinxing yourself and those around you. Whether it's the guy next to you on the plane saying "looks like we're going to be on time" (only to sit on the Tarmac for an hour), to the ultimate weather jinx of saying the R, T or L word. You never say those words prior to or at a race or you'll soon face the consequences of having those big drops of liquid falling, the big boom from the sky and bolts of electricity will strike your announcers tower. Jinx!
Over the past thirty years, I've learned this well and seen it happen many a time.
       Once of the best lesson I learned about jinxing was on one of my first dates with my wife-to-be.  We were out for a drive, zooming around a winding highway in Washington when I made the statement "Man, my truck handles like a race car."  Sure enough, I spun out and did a couple of Ricky Bobby-like 360's in the next turn.
       The biggest BMX jinx, of course, is the infamous "One last jump/one last lap" declaration. Everybody is familiar with this one. You can think it. but you should never say it out loud ...unless you want to slam hard or flip the gate. A friend of mine in Seattle would substitute it with telling us "2 more laps, skip the last."

Which brings me to my trip to Aberdeen, SouthDakota for their annual big-bucks Pro-Am. Seated on the plane, some dude had to declare to all surrounding passengers that we were ahead of schedule and would leave the gate on time. Really?! Did he not know the rule of jinx?  Thus, we sat in those hardback Delta seats for the next 47 minutes before leaving the gate. Next time, he'll know better.
       Back when I got my tickets, Aberdeen's track operator Kyle Oswald told me that I didn't have much time between layovers and would have to book it to make it to the dinky crop duster that would fly me in to Aberdeen. Did he jinx me?! Maybe.
Luckily, the Minnesota airport has those speed-walker sidewalks that all of us BMXers love, and I walked right up as they were boarding. Aboard the plane, the lady sitting next to me told me about the quaint little town of Aberdeen. For some reason, she thought the place was more famous for its phaesant hunting than it was for it's BMX track.
       She was wrong.

Once landed in the 2-gate terminal, it would've been impossible to get lost in the baggage claim. The conveyor belt that rolled out the luggage was about the size of two hottubs. You've gotta love it! As Kyle would proudly tell me later - "You're now in the middle of nowhere."
        The town of Aberdeen is almost like Mayberry USA; where you expect to see Barney Fife as the Deputy Sherriff and everything is still in black and white. 
        The Aberdeen track is literally located smack-dab in the middle of the town. With a fairly small population of 26k, Aberdeen BMX was about to put up one dollar per person for their famous Pro/Am. This would be the first weekend that this race wouldn't be held on Labor Day - and it was tied in to their State Championship Final (which would be held on Sunday).

Walking in to the track facility, I really was in awe. PULL magazine had done a "That Track" article on Aberdeen awhile back, but you never get the "real" picture of a place until you've seen it in person. At the entrance gates, you are greeted by a track sign. Not your "usual" track sign - but a huge, whopping billboard that declares their track motto and theme: "It's SHOW time!" Along the backside of their bleachers are rows and rows of track sponsors. I think even a Nascar marketing VP  would be impressed. There are even signs from out of state companies! Together, these folks play a big part in why Aberdeen Exchange BMX is able to gather up such big bucks every year for this Pro/Am spectacular.
         And then there's the track itself. Is it six or seven straights? I lost count. It all begins with a individual-laned Progate at the start, with perhaps the largest starting lights I've ever seen. The entire track is covered in fresh soil-tac, and looks as smooth as glass. The first and second turns are 90-degree leftys, with plenty of room for some swooping. The third stretch, on the back-9, is jam-packed with some huge, challenging obstacles. A triple, a double and a really large camel. From there, the track winds back and forth and back and forth, for a grand total of 1,372 feet long. They told me that it's not unusual for riders to run out of gas by the time they reach the sixth turn.

         For Friday night, I hung out incognito and sat in the stands watching the racing - wanting to see what their "It's SHOW time" theme was all about. The stands were packed with spectators and the Aberdeen crew put on a great show that felt like it's own mini-national. From the crankin' intro themes for the mains to Kyle's exciting announcing, to having a dance-off with about 50 little kids led by Dominque Daniels filling the first straightaway, the night was all about FUN.
         As I was leaving the track Friday night, Kyle mentioned that "R" word that us USA BMX staffers never speak of. He's more of a realist, and told me he doesn't believe in those BMX jinxes - "If it happens, we deal with it."  Walking to my car, I ran in to Tim Daniels - who also dared say outloud that "R" word that ends with "ain."  Whoa ... I knew right then what I was going to wake up to Saturday morning.

        Sure enough, Saturday arrived too soon - and so did those "R" clouds, which were still drizzling when I got there. A small gathering of Pros were by the gate, hoping to practice, but we were on rain delay for at least an hour or so. Joey the Bomb told me that he planned to go home with the title belt, and Denzel Stein described the track in one word: "LONG." Tanner Sebesta, Brandon Elmore and Denzel had made the long drive to Aberdeen, and were ready to rock - as was Illinois' Olijuwon Davis and the latest American import from Australia - Dk's Anthony Dean. 

         Although there were only three groups of Pro/Am, with a almost 1,400 foot long track, it'd seem to these guys as if they'd raced 16th's, 8th's and 1/4 mains. By the time the final-8 lined up in the custom ProGate, the field had been narroed down to the fastest AA-pros in the BMX biz. Lane choice, due to the fairly short first straightaway and 90-degree first turn, would be VERY important. Beacuse of the oncoming risk of rain, the decision was made to run the Pro/Am quicker than planned and to make the long-track seem even longer, there wouldn't be much receovery time between each final.

         First main: Redline's Stein got off to a good start and did his best to hold off the pressure from Anthony Dean and Upshaw. Meanwhile, toward the back of the pack, Nic Long was found himself in last place and dodged the untimely carnage of The Bomb; who'd unexpectedly exploded in turn four.
         Second main: With one less rider in the gate, it was again a factor of lane choice - and S-Squared's new double-A pro Tanner Sebesta out-snapped all and got to the 90-degree turn first. They were tight going in to turn two, and just about to hit the turbo button down the jump-infested third straight, when Denzel - winner of the first main, was bumped off course and detoured to the right. Out front, Anthony Dean again put on the pressure and 
         Third main: Nic and his carbon Haro were having trouble with the timing of the gate - until now. Finally, Long showed us what he's made of and led Anthony Dean all the way to the line. But Upshaw and Sebesta were right there in the top-4, and Nic's win would only add him up enough points for a 4th place overall.  
          For Dk's Anthony Dean - who'd just moved to San Diego and was mooching a room from Tyler Brown, his consistency paid off with the $5-large payday. We are guessing that TB-316 will start charging him rent from here on out. 

        For the Lady's Pro/Am, there was only one gate - which meant three mains would decide the overall. Could any of these girls match Dominque Daniel's sheer power? We'd soon find out. The answer seemed like a "No" after the first two rounds, as 3-D did the same as she'd done last year - dominating the field of amateur girls. But just when it seemed as if she were stealing candy from the six other "kids" - disaster struck as they entered the second turn in the final main of their day. Daniels turned too sharp and automatically ejected over the bars, sliding out in front of a hard-charging pack who were intent on catching the 5-time No.1 Girl Pro. Suddenly, they'd all piled up in a giant heap, and it was a mad scramble to get to their feet and bikes. South Dakota local Sayne Lier was the fastest to dodge the wreckage and get around them, and suddenly found herself in the lead. Another Aberdeen local - Emily Mundahl, suddenly realized she was in 2nd place and did her best to hold off the charge of Kaos' Mika Shaw. Meanwhile, Daniels was back up and starting to weave thru the traffic like she were late for class and driving on the I-10 in rush hour traffic. Going in to the last turn, trying to make up a place or two, Dom went down - again.
         With two 2nds already under her belt, Shaw's third place score would be enough to out-do Dominques 1-1-7. Now, she'd win herself a NEW belt - as well as a cool $1,500. 

REULTS: 

WOMENS PRO/AM
1. Mika Shaw
2. Dominique Daniels
3. Shayne Lier
4. Katilyn Larson
5. Bailee Enlow
6. Emily Mundahl 
7. Alison Tate 

MENS PRO/AM
1. Anthony Dean (Dk)
2. Jeffrey Upshaw (Kuwahara)
3. Tanner Sebesta (S-squared)
4. Nic Long (Haro)
5. Elliott McGrath (Space for Rent)
6. Denzel Stein (Redline) 
7. Olijuwan Davis (Morphine Ind.)
8. Joey the Bomb (Doublecross)

So, I suppose you could say that the moral of this story is to avoid the use of the "R" word, or not. Often, mother nature doesn't care either way and will do whatever she pleases. But if you ask me - you should never say the word "rain" before or at a race - or it surely will.

Ahhhhh ... I just said it; didn't I?!  
Oh well.