FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 23 | Page 55

FARM JAM 2018 £ Tyler Bereman squeezing the last out of the retreating sun Andrew Jackson stole the show with a completely blind backflip over the hill to a landing he couldn’t see. It came as such a surprise that none of the 15+ photographers and filmers managed to get footage of it. Then on the last jump of the day, Jackson’s good mate Stuart Ewing attempted the same move. But he rotated too slowly and crashed hard - he was lucky to walk away with nothing more than a couple of bruises for his efforts. Comp Day As seems to have become the norm for Farm Jam, the event day dawned as a moody, dull day with a thick layer of grey cloud. Hardly ideal for photographers, but at least the wind was nothing more than a slight breeze. Due to the earlier rough weather, only a couple of riders had had an opportunity to sample the flowing dirt-focused FMX compound prior to event day, but after a solid practice session as the crowds poured through the sheep gates, everyone was fired up for the contest proper. No-one was more fired up than Andrew Jackson, however. It was obvious from the very first session that the understated 24-year-old had worked his arse off over the past two years. While his inside-out whips and perfectly executed upright tricks were all on-point, it was his silky- smooth Underflips and his ability to consistently flip a long-and-low dirt-to-dirt double that really caught everyone’s attention and earned him a memorable Farm Jam victory. After keeping fairly quiet in the hills the previous day, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see Sheeny come out swinging in the FMX comp. While none of the jumps were suited to his trademark Double Flips and 360s, Sheeny gathered a head of steam as the comp wore on, chucking his signature Ruler Flips and Double Grab Flips to finish second behind Jackson, while also claiming the Best Trick award. Tyler Bereman and Lewis Woods combined to put on a hell of a show for the 5,000-strong crowd that turned up to witness the action, and apart from a hairy moment where Bereman over-jumped the freestyle set-up and had to partially ghostie his bike off the second step-up, the pair rode flawlessly and seemed to feed off each other’s energy. It was no surprise at the end of the day when Bereman picked up Best Whip and Woods was voted to have the Best Style. That’s a Wrap With the awards dished out, bellies full of quality farm-cooked food and the beers starting to flow freely, it was time to sit back and reflect on two days of riding that surely would have to go down as some of the defining moments in Farm Jam’s 11-year history. his first-ever trip down under. “Man, I couldn’t be more stoked to have had the opportunity to come and ride here,” he grins. “The vibe, atmosphere, the friendliness and positive attitudes of the Frew brothers, the beautiful countryside and the jumps are all on point. But I think the thing that stands out for me is the fact that this is truly an event that’s ‘by the riders, for the riders’. It’s easily the best, most unique event I’ve ever attended.” With Bereman already singing Farm Jam’s praises and his videos going viral, international interest in the 2020 FMX events are already at an all-time high. “Twitch, Carey Hart, Jarryd McNeill, Axel