Alright let's start off with a quick rundown of the qualifiers for the finals. These guys will be going to the finals tomorrow. Also tomorrow there will be a best trick contest for everyone. Game on! Also, I'd like to mention that Simpel Session is going huge for the riders and changing the lip on the box jump. I think the riders weren't getting enough pop/height for big tricks so the dudes are just going to make it steeper so the BMX guys can go HUGE for you!

1. Drew Bezanson CAN

2. Garrett Reynolds USA

3. Brett Banasiewicz USA

4. Diogo Canina BRA

5. Harry Main UK

5. Gary Young USA

7. Ben Wallace UK

8. Michael Beran CZE

9. Dan Norvell USA

9. Kevin Kiraly USA

11. Corey Martinez USA

12. Simone Barraco ITA

13. Ben Snowden USA

14. Kiattichai Wanitsakun THA

15. Sergio Layos ESP

15. Rob Darden USA

17. Andres Lainevool EST

18. Leandro Moreira BRA

19. Tony Watkinson UK

20. Mark Webb UK

20. Zack Williams UK

22. Georgy Doremus FRA

23. Andre Jesus BRA

23. Danny Hickerson USA


Drew Bezanson is on top of the game recently. He did the typical whips and flips and spins necessary to get into the finals but also fufanu'd an intense railing. Garrett Reynolds was going huge. He fell quite a few times trying wild shit but got right back up and nailed these things. Ice grind to nose manual down the entire hubba. Feeble up to barspin to manual to barspin attempt. Plenty of barspins to ice grinds and truck drivers and such. He will go BIG tomorrow. Brett "Maddog" took 3rd at 15 years of age. He hit off flip whips, front flips, 3 whips, and pretty much became number one box jumper or quarterpipe rider this morning...



Diogo Canina killed it in the same group as Drew Bezanson. All kinds of whips and spins and creative lines to earn fourth. Harry Main also killed it in the same way though having trouble with the lip tricks. Gary Young had an insanely creative run that earned him high scores without the flips and whips and such. Ben Wallace is a UK rider that is coming up for sure and not only has big tricks, but has them smoother than anyone else. Michael Beran simply went big, without much regard to style or his physical well being. Hucking truck drivers with late tailwhips and such. Dan Norvell was in the number one spot early in the game and did it through a breakthrough performance of flips and spins. Kevin Kiraly also made it to the finals with very quality street riding. Bars to ice. Luc-Es to 180s. Jeez!



Corey Martinez did some amazing rail work like 180 to fakie grinds and luc-Es. Simone Barraco should have scored even higher. Seriously. This young gun seriously put things down. The gap bar to smith was nuts and unexpected. He finished the run off with a flair and other good street moves on the ledges and rails.

Whew. I'm getting tired of this... Let's just end with the hometown hero, ANDRES LAINEVOOL. This kid from Estonia earned a spot in the final for sure. At first it looked like he was just another talented rider from Europe getting his name out there with this contest. He was firing off clean whips and flips and spins. However, at the end, pretty much at the buzzer, he came out with a 900 and landed it! First try insanity. Catfish went nuts on the mic, I fell out of my chair, the local crowd went crazy. Hope to see more from this young stallion tomorrow in the finals...



The contest format was kind of troublesome as some riders weren't used to riding contests and had a lot of dead time in runs and ate up the time of other competitors but the organizers did their best to give everybody a fair shot at two runs each essentially. Riders like Dan Lacey were having trouble with the quick format and couldn't advance due to some falls and lack of time. Riders that couldn't ride were Dennis Enarson, Hoang Tran, and Ty Morrow. It kinda sucks because those are the best riders right there pretty much. Like that could be the podium right there.

Hope this day one update tied you over for the finals and best trick tomorrow. Make sure you tune in to their website to watch it live and if you like what you see book a flight next year because the Simpel Session has a lot more to offer than just the contest I tellz yaz...

(photos from previous simpel sessions...)