Dew Tour: Bestwick relishes pressure

No one was more thrilled when Chad Kagy landed his version of a breath-taking trick than competitor Jamie Bestwick.

"That is pressure that I need," said Bestwick, who topped Kagy's second-place performance with some high-flying, crowd-pleasing stunts of his own in winning his fourth Dew Tour competition of the year on Sunday at the EnergySolutions Arena. "I was looking for that kind of pressure ... I need it so I can stand up here on the top step."

Bestwick isn't just riding for another trophy or paycheck. He's riding himself into the history books.

"This fifth Dew Tour (in Orlando) means a lot to me because I'll be setting Dew Tour history," said Bestwick who has won every Dew Tour competition this season so far. "It will be very, very special to me."

Bestwick topped Kagy's thrilling performance with a 93.38 run that included several tricks that brought the crowd to its feet. Steven McCann, 26, finished third with 91.13 points. Kagy stoked the competitive fire, when on his second and final run, he landed his version of a Flair, with a double tail whip, a trick he said he has never managed to land in a competition.

"I was just lucky I stayed on my wheels," said Kagy, who scored a 92.13 just a few minutes before Bestwick offered his final run. "It's always a good show if you make Jamie work hard ... He's got a perfect season going."

Kagy said that as good as it felt to land that trick and finish a top-notch run, it wasn't good enough just a few minutes later.

"I knew he beat me as soon as he finished," said Kagy. "I wasn't as smooth as he was. I dragged my feet a little."

Bestwick was grateful to Kagy for raising the bar during the competition's second run.

"He pushed me all the way," said Bestwick, 38. "I don't want to think that I can just take a contest."

Both men said they decide what tricks to use in a competition based on what forces them to evolve as riders instead of what might win them points with an audience.

"I, personally, like to do the hardest thing I can," said Kagy. "I never let myself go easy. I feel like I can't do my best taking it easy and this is all about personal progress for me."

Bestwick said he looks first for technical difficulty when creating tricks and designing a run.

"If I just did what the crowd wants, I'd get dead last," he said, smiling. "It's all about the tricks and how they link together smoothly. It's about me going big and just doing hard stuff."

He tries to design a run with originality in mind.

"I try and be original and do my own riding," he said. "I want to go big and be super smooth."

The Dew Tour finished up with an FMX Jam Session Sunday afternoon. The final stop on the tour is in Orlando next month where Bestwick will likely be crowned Dew Cup champion. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether he completes the tour's first — and only — perfect season.

e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com