Next weekend, all eyes will be on Berlin for the Freestyle Motocross World Championship. This fixture in early March has now become a regular date on the city’s sporting calendar, as NIGHT of the JUMPs stages a double bill of Grand Prix events in the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship. Fans attending the o2 World arena this year can look forward to the most spectacular NIGHT of the JUMPs of all time: Petr Pilat will attempt the first ever Tandemflip in the context of a Freestyle World Championship event; Australian FMX supergirl Emma McFerran intends to become the first woman in NIGHT of the JUMPS history to perform a backflip; and Massimo Bianconcini will be aiming to smash the existing world record in the Maxxis Highest Air Contest. Meanwhile, local favourite Kai Haase will be hoping for his best world championship result so far and to win the side contests as he did in the season opener at Kaunas – he can certainly rely on the support of the Berlin fans.
The star attraction will, of course, be reigning world champion Remi Bizouard (FRA) who was in stunning form in the season opener, taking an immediate lead in the 2013 standings. 360s, Rulerflip, Cliffhanger and Hart Attack Backflip – the title holder is on fire and will be in no mood to let his lead slip in Berlin.
The other riders will be equally intent on stopping another runaway campaign. Heading up the challenge will be Libor Podmol (CZE) who had to settle for third podium spot in Kaunas behind Bizouard and Torres; Berlin presents a double opportunity for him to get his season going.
Two other contenders for the honours re entering the World Championship fray for the first time this weekend: Gabriel Villegas (CHL), brother of Javier who won the title in 2011 is aiming to establish a reputation in his own right; Rich Kearns (USA), who is making his debut appearance at NIGHT of the JUMPs, will be hoping that his Dead Body Flip – a trick premiere in this series – will be good enough to get him onto the podium.
The German freestyle contingent should be well and truly motivated by the partisan home crowd: Berlin-born Kai Haase is aiming for his first ever World Championship final while Hannes Ackermann (GER), now recovered from a nasty injury, is setting his sights a little higher – a podium finish if he can rise to his full potential.
David Rinaldo (FRA) made it into the final in Kaunas but slipped up with a couple of dead sailors, so he will be hoping to compensate for that in Berlin by laying on his Double Seatgrab Trick and new trick combos.
Petr Pilat (CZE) improved on his qualifying run in Kaunas to take fourth place; this time, he is planning a dazzling display of backflip combos to finish even higher. Also in the line up for next weekend are the championship runners-up from 2009 and 2010 – Jose Miralles (ESP) and Brice Izzo (FRA). Either of these two is capable of outstanding performances on the night and can never be ruled out of contention for a podium spot.
As always, the programme for both evenings contains plenty of other attractions. In addition to the MAXXIS Highest Air and ROCKWELL Time Best Whip contests, the Stadler Zweiradcenter MTB and Dirt Jump Show will be entertaining the fans. In the two regular sideshow events, 15-year-old German prodigy Luc Ackermann will be competing against the world’s top freestyle motocross riders. Another highlight of the evening will be the first backflip in the history of NIGHT of the JUMPS by a female rider – Australia’s Emma McFerran. The German capital is once again the focus of World Championship action and promises the most sensational NIGHT of the JUMPS so far staged.
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