Believe it or not, this was the second-to-last regular-season National in this wild ‘n wacky rebooted 2020 series. That meant we’d witness some mighty intense battles for those last-chance points in NAG and National standings. So, let’s take a look at the major age groups that could possibly capture the National No.1 Amateur title.
13X: Many signs are pointing toward the No.1 Amateur title coming out of the 13X ranks - and FullTilt has two of the leaders. Washington’s Sean Day is holding on to the No.1 spot with a solid 65 point lead over his 10X teammate, Eli Staton, while Cole Frederick sits in the No.6 slot.
The big 13X showdown in Louisville involved not just two FullTilt teammates, but also Answer Factory’s All-Around Champion, “Major” Marshall Gehrke (who by the way, is sitting No.5 in points). Since Marshall ages up right before Grands, this would be one of those rare match-up weekends. For the most part, the battle for the win would come down the two Full Tilt’ers. Speaking with TM Jim Buchanan, he said, “I’ve told them if you can pass the other guy cleanly, go for it. Just, whatever you do, don’t take each other out.” After Louisville, it seems like Sean Day is unbeatable. Frederick, who has just moved up into this class, just couldn’t catch Sean.
14X: It’s everybody’s favorite show to bingewatch these days - and it’s not even on Netflix! The Ronnie and Cedric show held another entertaining episode in Louisville. On Friday, Cedric and Ronnie were coming out of lane one and two, with Kim on the inside. Side-by-side down the first straight, Cedric got an elbow in on his arch-rival, and shut down all of Kim’s momentum.
On Saturday, Cedric did exactly what you’ve gotta do if you want to beat King Ronnie. With a half-a-wheel lead on him, Cedric shut him down ... HARD. It was a move-over often executed by 6 and 7 year old experts; but it worked. Again, Cedric floored his virtual gas-pedal on a jump-infested Louisville track and checked out. By Sunday, all eyes were on the first straight to see if Ronnie would manhandle Cade like a raging WWE wrestler. The two met together at the first jump, only this time, Box’s World Champ just seemed to flick Cedric off of him like a flea. You could almost hear Ronnie mutter, “Get offa me. Not gonna happen today!”
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GOLD CUP NORTH CENTRAL
If there is one good thing about this year’s Covid closures of states and counties, it is that tracks that might not normally have gotten a shot at hosting a National or Gold Cup event, were now given that opportunity.
MID-AMERICA NATIONALS
2ND COMING USA BMX STOPS IN NEBRASKA ...AGAIN.
GOLD CUP SOUTHEAST
This year the DK Bicycles Gold Cup South East Finals were held at one of the fastest BMX tracks in Alabama - Circle City BMX, in Dothan. If trying to claim one of the coveted Gold Cup Plates brought you to Circle City BMX for your first time you might have been surprised when you first saw the track layout.
GOLD CUP SOUTHWEST
When you roll into the local Quiktrip and one of Tucson’s finest looks at your shirt and asks if you know Corben Sharrah, you can only be in one city in America. Often coined as the loudest city in BMX, it doesn’t matter if there is a single fan or a gaggle of Tucsonans, they know how to bring the energy.
GOLD CUP NORTHEAST
With all of the uncertainty in event planning this year, it was not a huge surprise that the DK Bicycles North East Gold Cup Finals shifted locations somewhat last minute. We were very lucky to have it and at a great location, Akron BMX in Akron, Ohio. The Big Red Truck was last here for the 2018 North East Gold Cup Finals, and the track is located in a pretty incredible location.
FALL CLASSIC NATIONALS
JUST OVER THE UTAH BORDER WE’D FIND THE WEST’S LAST STAND FOR 2020
DERBY CITY
It might not have been LaborDay, but the BMX world was anxious to finally return to the longtime Louisville tradition. ...and it was well worth the wait!
1998 HARO Monocque
“Captain America” ShowBike Custom painted by Troy Lee.
HOW TO GROW THE SPORT OF BMX RACING
Are you interested in starting a new track?
SECOND TIMES A CHARM
It just seems like yesterday that we were in Rock Hill for the Carolina Nationals and here we are again.
WHO IS THE KING OF ALL FREAKS- RONNIE OR RAMY?
When Big Ramy was crowned Mr. Olympia last December, it was the first time a man over 250 pounds had held that title in over a decade. At 290 pounds, we hadn’t seen such a mass monster rule the sport since the days of Ronnie and Jay. Ronnie Coleman remains the heaviest man to ever win the Mr. Olympia at a bodyweight of 296 in 2004. Comparisons between the two colossal men, Ramy and Ronnie, soon sprung up everywhere online and in social media. Who is the king of all freaks? To answer that, we sought out the best-qualified men to answer that question: Giles Thomas, Ronnie Coleman himself, and the only man to coach both champions to Mr. Olympia wins, Chad Nicholls.
AUCTION OF A RONNIE VAN ZANT PORTRAIT
MICHAEL CARTELLONE has given his musical talent to many a band in need of a professional drummer. He toured and recorded for acts as varied as Cher, Freddie Mercury, Adrian Belew and John Fogerty. He is the former drummer of ’90s hard rock supergroup Damn Yankees and German metallers Accept, and he is currently the drummer for Southern rock stalwarts Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The Right Move
New shops and showrooms bring exciting opportunities for local designers, makers, and arts organizations to sell their wares to home enthusiasts here and everywhere.
Think Like a Dog, and “Shhh!”
Meemo’s Farm, a prime bird hunting destination in north-central Michigan, was the setting for dog trainer Ronnie Smith’s “Foundation Seminar,” a two-day introduction to the “Silent Command System” of dog training. Participants ranged in experience from those working with their first dogs to professional handlers/guides to veteran trainers with more than 40 years of experience.
WHAT BODYBUILDING IS ALL ABOUT?
Bodybuilding is a highly demanding sport. Disciplined diet, exhaustive exercise, sacrifices in personal matters, and financial demands make the iron sport an extreme one.
BIG IRON
With Big Ronnie Coleman, Eight-Time Mr. Olympia
ENTERTAINMENT
JERSEY SHORE FAMILY VACATION - Thurs., Nov. 19 on MTV
1968 Chevelle SS396 Vintage Drag Test!
As the lights come down, you squeeze the engine toward six grand, slide your leftfoot off the clutch, stab the loud pedal between the last yellow and the green, and bang!— 375 horses (a 425 Performance Rating via NHRA’s new system) launch you off the line for a near record run. Right? Wrong! At least that’s the way it was on every run we made with this month’s drag test vehicle, a ’68 Chevrolet SS396 Chevelle hardtop.”
The Greatest Mr. Olympia MEMORIES
Ron Harris and Giles Thomas have both been to their fair share of Mr. Olympia contests. Which ones stand out most in their minds, and why? For this Olympia Special issue, we got those special memories.
Could Ronnie Have Set World Records in Powerlifting?
The following is an excerpt from an interview Ronnie did with Patrick Bet-David for his Valuetainment YouTube channel in December 2019.