Mike Spinner Racks Up First Win Of Season After Injury In ‘09

Clearly, Mike Spinner is off the injured list after pulling his first 1080 turndown in a comp and winning the Park Finals on Saturday at the Nike 6.0 BMX Open in Chicago.

Spinner’s first run put him in the lead and was strong enough to fend off the challenges put out by Daniel Dhers, in 2nd, Garrett Reynolds, in 3rd, and all the young guns that were killing it during both rounds of the 12-man final.

But in the end, it was Spinner who held the trophy at the top of the podium. After recovering from a torn ACL during the 2009 season, he was stoked with his winning run.

L to R – Daniel Dhers, 2nd; Mike Spinner, 1st; Garrett Reynolds, 3rd

“I did the quad whip and I was like, ‘Alright, sweet, I did it,’ ” Spinner said. “I got up, did 3 to box backwards, aired the 1080 turndown. And I landed dialed. I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ “

He kept it going with a triple whip, 810, and when the buzzer ran out he celebrated his first-ever 1080 turndown in a comp. “When I pulled that run I was like, whoah, I could get top three, yeah!” Spinner said. “It’s on, 2010!  I’m back!”

“I hate calling myself out because I know Daniel Dhers is one of the most consistent dudes out there, but I will be working super hard in my backyard.” -Mike Spinner

This is only his second Dew Tour win, but he said this could be his Dew Cup year.

“I hate calling myself out because I know Daniel Dhers is one of the most consistent dudes out there, but I will be working super hard in my backyard,” Spinner said.

Dhers himself was surprised Spinner won after watching him struggle through the event’s qualifying rounds.

“I definitely didn’t see this one coming,” Dhers said. “He got injured last year, and I know he was riding, but I saw him riding prelims and he barely made it in. But I guess the course suited him well. He had a couple hits for the box jump, which is his main thing. And he brought out the quad whip, and the 10 turndown, and it’s good to see he’s not slacking, he’s actually putting in work.”

         

Dhers wasn’t slacking either, with a second-place run that included a 720 no hander, another 720 variation, a tuck flair, 3 double whip on the box backwards, an alley oop 7 to spine, a flair over the table and a doublewhip to finish things off.

He struggled himself last season, but said he’s back on track.

“I’m looking forward this year to just be more consistent,” Dhers said. “I feel like last year I started it off like in my mind and my body. This year I feel good. I feel like I practiced a lot through my offseason and I feel consistent. So as long as my body feels good and I do the right thing, I feel like I’ll be consistent through the year.”

Reigning Dew Cup champ Reynolds couldn’t even believe the riding that was going down in Chicago, and was surprised he even made it on the podium in third.

“If I tried one of those tricks I’d be straight in the hospital,” he said. “That’s pretty much all I have to say. I was seeing stuff that I wouldn’t even imagine even thinking of trying in a dream.”

         
Andy Buckworth 360 Double Whip                         Pat Casey Triple Whip

There was a crop of new kids killing it in the Finals, including 16-year-old Patrick Casey, from Yorba Linda, CA and 20-year-old Australian Andrew Buckworth. Those guys were turning heads for sure, and finished 8th and 10th, respectively.

“The weather was a huge factor in how everyone was riding,” Buckworth said. “It was super windy, and we were dodging the rain and the storms. But as far as the course was concerned, I really liked it. It was really tight and fast, and I like the course despite the elements not being on our side.”

“All the newer dudes, they threw it down and they held it down. It was wild to see the level of BMX today.” -Garrett Reynolds

The top pros took notice regardless of the weather.

“Pat Casey, I’ve been loving watching him,” Spinner said. “And Andy Buckworth. Those dudes are nuts. It was definitely cool to watch them ride, it’s awesome to see new faces.”

         
Garrett Reynolds 360 Tabletop                              Ryan Nyquist Nothing

Reynolds agreed, and said, “All the newer dudes, they threw it down and they held it down. It was wild to see the level of BMX today.”

There’s a busy schedule ahead for the riders, with X Games next weekend and then straight into the Nike 6.0 HB BMX Pro. Gary Young headed straight to Chicago from practicing on the X Games course and finished sixth in the event. Now he’s back to L.A. for more practice in the Superpark discipline, where he finished third last year.

“X Games course is so much fun,” Young said. “It’s all concrete. It’s just a bunch of bowls that connect into each other, and it’s really fast and really fun. The skate guys say it’s a little bit more bike, and I felt like it was a little bit more skate. It’s going to be a good contest either way.”

After X Games and the Huntington Beach event, it’s back to Dew Tour with the Wendy’s Invitational from August 12-15. For Dew Tour ticket info, click here.

FINAL RESULTS

1. Mike Spinner, 92.50
2. Daniel Dhers, 92.13
3. Garrett Reynolds, 91.63
4. Mark Webb, 91.38
5. Ryan Nyquist, 90.88

For Dew Tour coverage of the event, and links to the full results from the competition, click here.