Jamie Bestwick

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   Hometown:

2. Jamie Bestwick

   Tyler, TX. It’s about 90 miles east of Dallas. My local park is Noble Young Park. It was the first free, public skatepark in Texas.

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   Birthday:

4. Jamie Bestwick

   July 13, 1983

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   Sponsors:

6. Jamie Bestwick

   Mutiny Bikes, SNAFU, Riff Raff, Empire BMX, Etnies, UGP, and Bell

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   Years riding freestyle:

8. Jamie Bestwick

   I started riding in 1997, so eight years. A long time ago I went to a Sprocket Jockey show at the Texas State Fair, and my brothers had BMX bikes and we’d always ride around. Then I bought a “trick bike” in 1997 and started trying tricks. Favorite place to ride: I don’t know. There are a lot of different places that are fun to ride. I just like riding anywhere, pretty much.

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   Favorite type of riding:

10. Jamie Bestwick

    Probably ramps and stuff. Wood stuff, because it’s more forgiving than cement (laughs). I started off riding flatland in front of my house, and then they built a skatepark in Tyler so I started riding there. I still ride a little bit of flatland, do some hang-fives… I ain’t scared.

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    Favorite title or contest:

12. Jamie Bestwick

    I had a lot of contests at the Metro Jams. They’re laid back and really fun. The Worlds was really fun for the same reason, just a good atmosphere to ride in. Everything was laid back, nothing was really strict, and everyone who was there was really into it so it was fun.

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    Favorite place to ride:

14. Jamie Bestwick

    Bondi Beach in Australia or Woodward Camp.

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    Favorite type of riding:

16. Jamie Bestwick

    My favorite is trails, but I love to ride vert every now then…

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    Hobbies off the bike:

18. Jamie Bestwick

    Riding motorcycles [road], taking photographs, and eating food.

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    Favorite people to ride with:

20. Jamie Bestwick

    Keith McElheiny, Alistair Whitton, and Steve McCann.

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    Titles won:

22. Jamie Bestwick

    Multiple World Championships, X Games, and Gravity Games Gold Medals.

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    Favorite title won:

24. Jamie Bestwick

    It’s been fun winning different things, but it’s not like I’m after bragging rights. I get more psyched on pulling a hard trick than any title. The one contest that does stick out, though, would be the ‘99 Gravity Games, because I quit my job a week later.

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    Craziest place BMX has taken you:

26. Jamie Bestwick

    Two laps around Valencia GP track in Spain on the back of Randy Mamola’s [GP legend] full-on race bike, and he went flat-out. I basically had to sign my life away to get the ride. Down the straight-aways we were going around 190mph, but that wasn’t that bad. We took some of the corners around 120mph, and I was about a foot off the floor.

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    What get's you movivated to ride:

28. Jamie Bestwick

    I just like riding my BMX bike.

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    Bell Moment:

30. Jamie Bestwick

    Ten years ago at a demo I did on a beach, I did a no-hander on a shady ramp, hung up, and went straight over the bars to flat. I put a six-inch split in my helmet, but thanks to the helmet, I didn’t even get knocked out.

Check It

Bestwick's pro model helmet the Faction, featuring a custom-designed graphic by legendary skate artist Jimbo Phillips.

• Bio