Monster Energy’s Athletes Pumped For Opening Round of 2007 Dew Tour
June 21, 2007, 9:55am
Big summer of action sports for Monster Energy athletes kicks off this weekend in Baltimore, Md., with the Panasonic Open Round of the ’07 Dew Tour
CORONA, Calif., (June 20, 2007) – “Bigger. Better. Faster.” That’s the tag line for this summer’s rip-roarin’ Dew Tour, a five round summer action sports extravaganza showcasing the world’s top athletes in skateboarding, freestyle BMX and FMX. And of those marquee athletes representing countries from all over the world, it’s expected that Monster Energy’s core contingent representing at the Dew Tour will again take home the lion’s share of medals.
Opening with the skaters, Monster’s iconic “M-claw” logo will no doubt dance across television screens coast to coast – from the Skate Park rails to high above the coping on the Skate Vert ramp – featuring a host of Monster-backed past gold medal winners all vying for the overall championships.
In the Skate Park division Monster Energy’s Jereme Rogers (2nd overall in ’06) was the only athlete in the division to podium in all five events – winning both the Right Guard Open in Denver and the Playstation Pro in Orlando. Rogers, and east coast ripper (Boston), is the odds-on favorite to unseed two-time champions Ryan Scheckler in the Skate Park Finals.
Also wicking it up in the Park will be Monster’s Greg Lutzka. A 2005 podium finisher (3rd overall), Lutzka’s one of a select few skaters – including Rogers – who have the ability to beat Scheckler. Last year Lutzka finished 6th overall, scoring podium finishes at Portland (Van Invitational) and San Jose (Toyota Challenge).
High atop the Skate Park scene on the vert ramp, Monster Energy is trumpeting the return of 2005 Skate Vert runner up, Pierre Luc “PLG” Gagnon. The Canadian vert specialist is coming off a broken patella last summer that knocked him out of two rounds. Still, PLG man’d up and made the podium at the last round (3rd @ Orlando), foreshadowing what many expect will be another great run at division champion Bucky Lasek.
Joining PLG on the vert deck will be Frenchman Jean Postec. A riding buddy of skate/snow great Shawn White, Postec blazed onto the national vert skate screen on last year’s Dew Tour, scoring a podium finish at Portland, along with three other top ten finishes – good enough for an impressive 5th place overall.
And rounding out Monster’s Skate Vert crew will be fan-favorite Jake Brown (2005 Transworld “Vert Skater of the Year”). Known for going big – and paying the consequences – Brown is always a threat to knock anyone of the top ten riders down a notch if he doesn’t knock himself out in the process. Watch for Brown to improve upon his 18th place overall finish last on last year’s Dew Tour.
Same ramps, different toys, the Monster-backed BMX Army will again be led by Golden Boy Dave Mirra. The most decorated BMX athlete of all time who, last year, was injured bad in a BMX Park final crash in Denver, is no doubt looking for revenge against longtime rival Ryan Nyquist (3rd BMX Park ’06), fellow Hansen’s Beverage Company-backed athlete Scotty Cranmer (2nd ’06) and defending BMX Park champ Daniel Dhers.
Also looking for 2007 Dew Tour redemption will be Monster’s Ryan Guettler. The 2005 double winner (BMX Park & Dirt) didn’t have his A-game going last summer quite the way he did in his epic ’05 gold/gold campaign, but still managed a win in BMX Dirt at San Jose and a 2nd place podium finish in BMX Park at Louisville, Ky., last year. Guettler’s top overall finish was a 5th in BMX Dirt and word on the streets is he plans on coming back screaming mad in order to regain his ’05 greatness.
Joining Mirra and Guettler on the Park/Dirt bikes will be veteran TJ Lavin. A former X Games gold medalist in BMX Dirt, Lavin is still one of the most recognizable athletes on the tour. His top finish last year was a 6th at Louisville. And new to the Monster team is Mike Spinner, a teammate of Mirra’s on Mirraco Bikes. The heralded amateur stuck a mind-bending 720 whip at last year’s Free Flow Tour round at Portland (in conjunction with the Dew Tour) and earned himself a spot with the BMX Park pros in Orlando. There Spinner didn’t disappoint, finishing an impressive 12th overall against the world’s best at age 19!
On the rollout deck of the vert ramp will be a familiar name to BMX fans – and new to the Monster Energy BMX Army – two-time defending Dew Tour BMX Vert gold medalist Jamie Bestwick. With the ink not even dry on his contract with Monster yet, look for a release from Monster HQ here soon announcing his appointment to the team. Noteworthy: Last year Bestwick was nearly perfect on the vert ramp, scoring four 1st place finishes and a 2nd for 475 points – a Dew Tour BMX Vert scoring record that’s going to be tough to beat. Bestwick also won the Dew Tour BMX Vert in ’05 with 400 points.
Finally, on the FMX jumps, you won’t be able to swing a dead cat without hitting a helmet emblazoned with the Monster logo – especially if you’re around the podium. New to Team Monster at the Dew Tour in another Bestwick-like coupe is defending Dew Tour FMX gold medalist Nate Adams. Retuning star Adam Jones (3rd @ Portland last year, 5th overall) and Monster’s pretty much got the FMX event covered – not unlike the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team has going in motocross!
If you’d read down this far you get an “A+” – nice going. And you also get a link to read some more about the Dew Tour – www.dewtour.com
CORONA, Calif., (June 20, 2007) – “Bigger. Better. Faster.” That’s the tag line for this summer’s rip-roarin’ Dew Tour, a five round summer action sports extravaganza showcasing the world’s top athletes in skateboarding, freestyle BMX and FMX. And of those marquee athletes representing countries from all over the world, it’s expected that Monster Energy’s core contingent representing at the Dew Tour will again take home the lion’s share of medals.
Opening with the skaters, Monster’s iconic “M-claw” logo will no doubt dance across television screens coast to coast – from the Skate Park rails to high above the coping on the Skate Vert ramp – featuring a host of Monster-backed past gold medal winners all vying for the overall championships.
In the Skate Park division Monster Energy’s Jereme Rogers (2nd overall in ’06) was the only athlete in the division to podium in all five events – winning both the Right Guard Open in Denver and the Playstation Pro in Orlando. Rogers, and east coast ripper (Boston), is the odds-on favorite to unseed two-time champions Ryan Scheckler in the Skate Park Finals.
Also wicking it up in the Park will be Monster’s Greg Lutzka. A 2005 podium finisher (3rd overall), Lutzka’s one of a select few skaters – including Rogers – who have the ability to beat Scheckler. Last year Lutzka finished 6th overall, scoring podium finishes at Portland (Van Invitational) and San Jose (Toyota Challenge).
High atop the Skate Park scene on the vert ramp, Monster Energy is trumpeting the return of 2005 Skate Vert runner up, Pierre Luc “PLG” Gagnon. The Canadian vert specialist is coming off a broken patella last summer that knocked him out of two rounds. Still, PLG man’d up and made the podium at the last round (3rd @ Orlando), foreshadowing what many expect will be another great run at division champion Bucky Lasek.
Joining PLG on the vert deck will be Frenchman Jean Postec. A riding buddy of skate/snow great Shawn White, Postec blazed onto the national vert skate screen on last year’s Dew Tour, scoring a podium finish at Portland, along with three other top ten finishes – good enough for an impressive 5th place overall.
And rounding out Monster’s Skate Vert crew will be fan-favorite Jake Brown (2005 Transworld “Vert Skater of the Year”). Known for going big – and paying the consequences – Brown is always a threat to knock anyone of the top ten riders down a notch if he doesn’t knock himself out in the process. Watch for Brown to improve upon his 18th place overall finish last on last year’s Dew Tour.
Same ramps, different toys, the Monster-backed BMX Army will again be led by Golden Boy Dave Mirra. The most decorated BMX athlete of all time who, last year, was injured bad in a BMX Park final crash in Denver, is no doubt looking for revenge against longtime rival Ryan Nyquist (3rd BMX Park ’06), fellow Hansen’s Beverage Company-backed athlete Scotty Cranmer (2nd ’06) and defending BMX Park champ Daniel Dhers.
Also looking for 2007 Dew Tour redemption will be Monster’s Ryan Guettler. The 2005 double winner (BMX Park & Dirt) didn’t have his A-game going last summer quite the way he did in his epic ’05 gold/gold campaign, but still managed a win in BMX Dirt at San Jose and a 2nd place podium finish in BMX Park at Louisville, Ky., last year. Guettler’s top overall finish was a 5th in BMX Dirt and word on the streets is he plans on coming back screaming mad in order to regain his ’05 greatness.
Joining Mirra and Guettler on the Park/Dirt bikes will be veteran TJ Lavin. A former X Games gold medalist in BMX Dirt, Lavin is still one of the most recognizable athletes on the tour. His top finish last year was a 6th at Louisville. And new to the Monster team is Mike Spinner, a teammate of Mirra’s on Mirraco Bikes. The heralded amateur stuck a mind-bending 720 whip at last year’s Free Flow Tour round at Portland (in conjunction with the Dew Tour) and earned himself a spot with the BMX Park pros in Orlando. There Spinner didn’t disappoint, finishing an impressive 12th overall against the world’s best at age 19!
On the rollout deck of the vert ramp will be a familiar name to BMX fans – and new to the Monster Energy BMX Army – two-time defending Dew Tour BMX Vert gold medalist Jamie Bestwick. With the ink not even dry on his contract with Monster yet, look for a release from Monster HQ here soon announcing his appointment to the team. Noteworthy: Last year Bestwick was nearly perfect on the vert ramp, scoring four 1st place finishes and a 2nd for 475 points – a Dew Tour BMX Vert scoring record that’s going to be tough to beat. Bestwick also won the Dew Tour BMX Vert in ’05 with 400 points.
Finally, on the FMX jumps, you won’t be able to swing a dead cat without hitting a helmet emblazoned with the Monster logo – especially if you’re around the podium. New to Team Monster at the Dew Tour in another Bestwick-like coupe is defending Dew Tour FMX gold medalist Nate Adams. Retuning star Adam Jones (3rd @ Portland last year, 5th overall) and Monster’s pretty much got the FMX event covered – not unlike the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team has going in motocross!
If you’d read down this far you get an “A+” – nice going. And you also get a link to read some more about the Dew Tour – www.dewtour.com
