Stacked Lineup Headed to Nike 6.0 BMX Open

Dew Cup champs Garrett Reynolds, Jamie Bestwick and Ryan Nyquist will join a field of nearly 200 BMX’ers from 11 different countries at this week’s Nike 6.0 BMX Open. The Dew Tour’s first and only BMX-specific event of the season returns to Chicago July 23 and 24 at Soldier Field South Festival Lot for competitions in dirt, park and vert.

Reynolds letting loose on the park course

All eyes will be on BMX park competitor Drew Bezanson this season. The 21-year-old Canadian rider has been on a tear in 2010, winning the JoMo Pro and just killing it in all the comps he’s entered this year. Even reigning Dew Cup champ Reynolds said his bets are on Bezanson taking the Cup this season. But Daniel Dhers is still gunning for that elusive perfect season, after nearly achieving it in ’08 and falling short at the season finale when he finished second to Nyquist.

With legends such as Dave Mirra in the mix, you never know when he’ll pull a move like his air traffic controller to take the title. This too may be the year for up-and-comer Brett Banasiewicz, 15, last season’s youngest athlete who has some of the hardest tricks on lockdown and finds unthinkable lines to use them in. Reynolds, Mirra and Dhers are seeded directly into the finals as the top three park riders of last season, and wildcards Mike Spinner and Scotty Cranmer will be competing for a spot to join them.

Bestwick starting the season off on the right foot

For BMX vert, five-time Dew Cup champ Jamie Bestwick is one of the rare breeds that gets better as he ages and shows no sign of slowing down. But that won’t stop the ever-competitive Chad Kagy from gunning for it, and he’s been riding the Nitro Circus in the off-season to stay on top of his game and improve upon his second place standings. And although Australian triple-threat Steven McCann finished the vert season in top-three, he’ll still searching for an event win and this season may finally be his chance to top the vert podium. There’s a lot of guys that compete in both park and dirt, but few do all three. This year Nyquist will also be a triple-threat when he jumps back into vert competition for the first time since 2000. The vert wildcards are Austin Coleman and Zack Warden.

Nyquist barspins like the best of them

BMX dirt top-three riders Nyquist, Brandon Dosch and TJ Ellis are seeded into the finals while Diogo Canina and James Foster will be competing for a spot on Tour as the wildcards. Dosch was hot on the heels of Nyquist all season, and Ellis really came into his own last season after steadily making his mark over the years, so it could be anyone’s win really. Dennis Enarson has officially put high school behind him, and after sporadic Dew Tour dirt wins over the years, he’s about due for his next one. Australian Luke Parslow can never be counted out either, and with a dirt course in his own backyard, he may have a few new tricks he’s saving for this season.

Tickets are on sale now, starting at $15. To get your tickets, click here. For more information on the Nike 6.0 BMX Open event, including the competition schedule, click here.