WCMX athletes rode the Dew Tour Street course in an exhibition event this year, after being grouped in with the Adaptive Skateboard Street and Adaptive Skateboard Park fields in 2021. The split is part of a push to define specific disciplines in adaptive action sports for international events, potentially including future Paralympics events.
The sport, inspired by BMX, skateboarding, and motocross, incorporates some of the tricks from each of those sports as well as some wheelchair specific tricks.
Two-time Dew Tour Adaptive Street winner Tia Pearl joined Kim Woozy and Vern Laird in the commentary booth for the event: Pearl, who primarily competes in skateboarding events using arm crutches, previously competed in WCMX events and had deep knowledge about the sport, the athletes, and the equipment: several riders in the Dew Tour field were riding WCMX-specific equipment that they either invented themselves or have modified extensively to withstand the wear and tear of skatepark riding.
Tony “TONE” Thogmartin opened his best run with a jump down the Euro gap step-down into the Dew Tour logo ramp out of the 9-stair set. A former snowboarder and skateboarder, with roots in the legendary Badlands skate scene, he was wearing a Badlands Boardshop t-shirt and riding a modified Colours Wheelchair. He’s part of an organization called SoCal WCMX that has been promoting the sport in California and beyond.
Nathan Rocuskie did a firecracker down the double stair set in his best run, followed by gap-to-manual-to-step-down on the Mountain Dew pallet pallet feature, then a one-wheel 360, all in Run 1. He attempted a long 50-50 across the Tech Deck ledge in Run 2. The former motocross racer says he was inspired to try WCMX by watching Nitro Circus star Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, who competed in the Adaptive Park event at Dew Tour in 2021.
Cheyenne Mesa, the only woman in the exhibition event, did a firecracker down the double set, and a drop down the Euro gap step-down into Dew Tour logo ramp down the 9-stair set in her best run. She lives in Chico, California and has become one of the most recognizable names in WCMX in recent years, from participating in core skateboarding events like Ladies Day at the Berrics.
Jonathan Stark had a great one-wheel 360 and a one-wheel firecracker down the double set stairs, a bump-to-gap-to-Mountain Dew pallet step-down. In Run 2 he fell attempting a stylish layback to fakie on the quarterpipe. At it for more than a decade, and also a competitor in adaptive motocross racing, the rider from Pittsburgh is one of the pioneers of WCMX riding.
Jerry Diaz landed a bomb drop-in to open each of his runs, straight into a stylish one-armed tweak shifty air step-up jump, then a gap-to-step-down on the Mountain Dew pallet. In Run 2 he added a great no-handed rock-to-fakie on the quarterpipe with his fingers laced behind his helmet, then turned around for a no-handed firecracker down the double set stairs. He’s from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and rides for Box Wheelchairs. He recently completed a degree in industrial welding and is known for modifying his own wheelchairs.
Dew Tour and partners including Toyota and Adaptive Action Sports have been leaders in bringing adaptive contests to both summer and winter events, and have been supporting a push for inclusion of action sports in the Paralympics by creating a framework for top-tier events on pro-level courses.
Sound off in the comments below!