AUGUST 30, 2005
This is what Dusty looks like airing 25 feet above a 27 foot jump on a BMX bike.
Jeff Zielinski photo
Whistler, BC, hosted Red Bull Elevation this past weekend, with the world’s best BMX riders facing off on a dirt jump course built with the help of Canadian BMX icon Jay Miron. The list of BMX talent was huge, with riders like Ryan Nyquist, Cory Nastazio and Stephen Murray in the mix. If you added up all the X Games gold medals and top prizes claimed by the international competitors, it was a who’s who of the BMX world. So what does this have to do with Canadian motocross? Well, our own MX2 West Champ Dusty Klatt was the only Canadian rider to qualify for Sunday’s main event and Klatt’s huge airs and solid riding turned more than a few heads among the established BMX crowd. "Straight up as it gets - Dusty Klatt stepped up big time,” said Miron about Klatt’s Whistler ride. “He totally deserved his spot in the final. He was jumping the big set so high I couldn't believe it.” Red Bull Canada’s Jaimeson Keegan also had some kudos for Klatt; “I think it was clear to everyone that he went bigger and cleaner than just about everyone at the comp,” said Keegan. “Who knows what will happen if this guy adds some more technical ability to his dirt jumping?”
James Lissimore photo
As for Klatt, he was still grinning away Monday. “It’s the second BMX comp that I’ve ever entered and it’s the biggest one for sure,” said Klatt. What was it like riding with his childhood idols? “I was nervous for sure when I showed up,” said Klatt. “Practice was a little scary on Thursday but after I got my jumps dialed in, I was having an awesome time. I got to meet so many of my idols. I was grinning the whole weekend. I got to talk to a lot of them and they made me feel right at home.”
Klatt will be competing in another BMX comp this coming weekend in Vancouver and then it’s time to get ready for the Montreal Supercross, where he’ll be riding the MX1 class only. With all these BMX competitions on Klatt’s resume, would he ever consider trading his motocross bike for a bike with no engine?
“I wouldn’t go that far I don’t think,” said Klatt. “If I wasn’t riding my dirt bike, I would be riding BMX just like last weekend. I love BMX just as much as my dirt bike. They are both my life really. I would like to do more events; there just aren’t a lot of dirt comps here in Canada. I’m hoping they have this event here next year so I can be a little more ready.”
James Lissimore photo
Red Bull Elevation
Final Results
1st Ryan Nyquist 97.4
2nd Corey Bohan 95.2
3rd Luke Parslow 95.2
4th Chris Doyle 94.9
5th James Foster 94.4
6th Colin MacKay 89.8
7th Darren Read 88.8
8th Allan Cooke 88.0
9th Cory Nastazio 87.7
10th Romauld Noirot 83.4
11th Ryan Sher 83.4
12th Paul Kitner 82.5
13th Stephen Murray 82.4
14th Dusty Klatt 79.4
15th Gary Young 72.6
16th Heath Pinter 72.5
For more information visit www.redbullelevation.com
