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BMX VERT
Patrick G. Cain
Lerner Publications Company Minneapolis
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Copyright 2013 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except
for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Lerner Publications Company
A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A.
Website address: www.lernerbooks.com
Content Consultant: Cody York, professional BMX photographer
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cain, Patrick G
BMX vert / by Patrick G. Cain.
p. cm. (Extreme summer sports zone)
Includes index.
ISBN 9781467707503 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper)
ISBN 9781512417555 (Audisee ISBN)
1. Bicycle motocrossJuvenile literature. I. Title.
GV1049.3.C35 2013
796.622dc23
2012033888
Manufactured in the United States of America
1 PP 12/31/12
Photo credits: The images in this book are used with the permission of: Backgrounds: Jeff Gross/
Getty Images, ,
25, ; ISC Images & Archives/Getty Images,
8; Getty Images, ; George
Olsson/iStockphoto, ; Ben Haslam/Haslam Photography/
Shutterstock Images,
Front cover: Jeff Gross/Getty Images; RTimages/Shutterstock.com (background).
Main body text set in Folio Std Light 11/17.
Typeface provided by Adobe Systems.
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TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
]
CHAPTER FOUR
WHAT IS BMX VERT?
BMX VERT BEGINS
THE GEAR AND THE STUNTS
BECOMING A CHAMPION
The Breakdown of a BMX Bike
Glossary
For More Information
Index
About the Author
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CHAPTER
ONE
I t was the night of the 2012 X Games BMX vert
(vertical) competition, and vert rider Jamie
Bestwick was ready
to make history.
Bestwick
was a legend in the BMX
world. He had won the gold
medal in the X Games vert
competition every year
since 2007. But Bestwick
was 40 years old. That was
unusually old for an action
sports star. He was the
oldest vert competitor in the finals. He hadnt even won his qualifying
heat. He came in second to rider Simon Tabron. Everyone wondered if
Bestwick would be able to keep up his medal run.
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Jamie Bestwick
competes at the
2012 X Games.
THE X GAMES
ESPN has hosted an extreme sports competition known as
the X Games every year since 1995. BMX vert was featured
in the original competition. It has been a part of the Summer
X Games ever since. Like in the Olympic Games, X Games
athletes compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals. X
Games athletes also win prize money. Most fans see the
X Games as the most important action sports event of
the year. Many vert competitors work for months trying to
perfect a trick or a run. Because of this, many new tricks are
performed at the X Games every year.
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JAMIE BESTWICK
Jamie Bestwick took a big
chance when he decided to
become a professional vert rider.
Bestwick was born and raised in
England. Eventually he got a job
working for a British company
that repaired airplane engines.
But Bestwick had always loved
bikes. And he was great at riding
them. He decided to quit his job.
He then moved to the United
States to try to become a pro
BMX vert rider. This was a risky
move. Fortunately it was the