“One of my favorite competitions in Australia” Sam Grace
Sam Grace floting well above coping in the 12 foot deep end of the Scarborough bowl – Photo Cooper Brownlie
The 2024 Groundswell BMX Bowl Battle was one of the best events Scarborough Beach has seen take place in the iconic Bowl. With the backdrop of the Groundswell Festival and perfect weather conditions, the day was set to be a super rad one. Riders and fans gathered for an epic display of talent, flow, and progression. The Groundswell BMX Bowl Battle followed a unique battle format competition. Each competitor had two qualifying runs, where they were scored on difficulty, diversity, and consistency. These scores determined the rider’s placement in the battle round order. The battle finals were nothing short of epic. In this stage, riders had to either battle their way to the top or defend their position against challengers. The format started with the 6th place rider taking on the 5th place rider. Each competitor had alternating 30-second runs, and the judges would vote on who performed best. The winner advanced to challenge the next rider up the rankings. This intense head-to-head format continued until the top qualifier faced their challenger in the final showdown.
In the Rad class, it was Bianca Martin who qualified in the top spot after a closely contested qualifying round. It was fantastic to see two young riders, Ziggy Ellis and Logan Knibbs, participate in the event. Both riders were 5 and 6 respectively and needed some help getting out of the bowl, but their enthusiasm and potential were evident. We look forward to seeing them riding and ripping it up next year! Additionally, it was great to see Salvia Hogan return to the Groundswell BMX Bowl Battle, adding to the excitement. The competition in the Rad class was fierce, with any of the top three riders having the potential to take the win. In the battle round between Jayce Blakers and Billy Gibson, it was incredibly close, with the judges taking time to deliberate and vote on who would advance to challenge Bianca Martin. A narrow two-to-one vote in favor of Billy sent him into the final battle. The final showdown between Bianca Martin and Billy Gibson was electric. Bianca showcased incredible high airs and smooth flow, captivating the judges and the crowd. Billy gave it his all, trying to take the win, but Bianca held her ground and edged him out in a nail-biting finish. Congratulations to Bianca on the well-deserved win!
Cockwise from top left – Freestyle Now team member Jayce Blakers showing his flow with this air the 6 foot end. – Billy Gibson took the 2nd place, with moves like this air over the hip. – Bianca Martin airing the 10 foot end took the win with some super rad skills. – Logan Knibbs bringing the stoke celebrating his run.
The winner of the 2024 Groundswell BMX bowl battle Chris James snt the biggest indi seat grabs the bowl has ever seen – Photo by Cooper Brownlie
The Raddest class saw an incredible showdown. In the qualifying rounds, the 2023 winner Sam Grace had secured the top spot, while three-time BMX Bowl Battle winner Luke Tooze qualified in 4th place. With standout riders from the East Coast, Sam Grace, Jayden Fuller, and Chris James, this was shaping up to be one of the best battle competitions we have ever seen. The battle finals began with Ben Gately taking on Brad Evans. Both riders know the Scarborough Beach bowl well, with Ben showing off smooth and fast lines while Brad delivered rad airs and epic grinds. After an intense round, it was Ben who came out on top, advancing to face Luke Tooze. Ben brought his trademark manual lines to the next battle, but they were no match for Luke’s speed and massive airs. Luke’s enormous griz air in the deep end had the crowd roaring, securing his win and setting up a battle against East Coast rider Jayden Fuller. Jayden wowed with high airs and double tricks, including his signature double euro airs. Luke put up a strong fight, but a fall on a tire slide may have cost him. Jayden’s smooth and high-energy performance carried him through to the next round against fellow Colony BMX teammate Chris James.
Clockwise from top left – Brad Evans is a regular at the Scarborough bowl, he know all the lines and knows how to air the 12 foot deep end. – Jayden Fuller came to the Groundswell BMX bowl battle with all of his flow and style and showed it all, 3rd place. – Ben Gately another regular at the Scarborough bowl, has some awesome skills, with rad manuals and high airs. – Chris James with an awe-inspiring flare over the waterfall – Find the full album of photos on our facebook page here
Luke Tooze has the best Griz airs, a crowd favorite for sure, Luke is a 3 time Groundswell BMX bowl battle winner, this year an honorable 4th was his end result
Jayden tried his best with smooth lines and high airs, but Chris James was on another level. Chris powered through the bowl with massive indy seat grabs, lookbacks, tail whips, and one of the biggest barrel roll/backflip transfers ever seen. (Check the video highlights!) It was a unanimous 3-0 vote in favor of Chris, setting the stage for the final battle against the 2023 champion, Sam Grace. The final battle between Chris James and Sam Grace was a showdown for the ages. Chris set the stage with an epic run, delivering speed, power, and precision. Sam followed with his trademark style, massive airs, backflip drop-ins, and a foot jam to fakie in the deep end. Unfortunately, Sam struggled with consistency on some fakie tricks, missing key moments like front flip fakies and fakie bar spins. Had he nailed them, the result might have been different. In the end, Chris’s speed, tricks, and flawless execution gave him the edge. The judges took their time deliberating, it was that close, but ultimately crowned Chris James the winner of the 2024 Groundswell BMX Bowl Battle.
A massive thank you to The Groundswell festival and The City of Stirling for their support for making this event happen and to our competition supporters Colony BMX, Local BMX and Sneaky Wholefoods . Freestyle Now is proud to continue fostering the BMX community and inspiring the next generation.
Stay tuned for more exhilarating skatepark competitions as Freestyle Now continues to celebrate the passion and skill of our incredible action sports community. Freestyle Now is dedicated to delivering high-energy events and inspiring communities. From thrilling stunt shows to engaging coaching sessions and well-managed competitions, we promote active and healthy lifestyles while pushing the boundaries of action sports. Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated on our latest news, events, and behind-the-scenes action. For booking inquiries or to learn more about Freestyle Now, please contact us directly. Be sure to check our coming events page for information on future competitions and other events, and explore our past competition page to look back on all the exciting action from previous events.
We would like to thank our partner, Right By You. Rightbyyou.org.au is a mental health resource made for young people, by young people. There is easy to understand, useful information on the website if you or your friends are in a mental health crisis situation. Head to rightbyyou.org.au if you need to help a friend or yourself today.
Groundswell BMX Bowl Battle Competition Official Results – 5th October 2024
BMX Rad – 1st Bianca Martin, 2nd Billy Gibson, 3rd Jayce Blakers, 4th Salvia Hogan, 5th Ziggy Ellis, 6th Logan Knibbs
BMX Raddest – 1st Chris James, 2nd Samuel James, 3rd Jayden Fuller, 4th Luke Tooze, 5th Ben Gately, 6th Bradley Evans
