SALT LAKE CITY — Six months after Jamie Bestwick thought his BMX career was over, he showed the world not just how dominant he is in the sport he loves, but also how resilient.
In January, Bestwick crashed on his BMX bike near his home in Pennsylvania, fracturing his skull and shattering his eye sockets.
In July, the native of a small town in England accomplished a feat only two other athletes have managed when he won his fifth straight X Games gold medal.
The feat was impressive, not just because the 40-year-old Bestwick proved he is still a dominant force in a dynamic sport, but also because he showed, once again, that following your heart pays off.
The husband and father also illustrated why he remains a fan favorite — aside from his dominant riding — when he accepted the honor with the same grace, modesty and generosity toward his competition that has defined his 20-year career in action sports.
"It's not just me who rides this bike," Bestwick said in a television interview after the win. "In January, I never thought I'd ride my bike again after all the accidents I had. So I've got to thank my wife, Carrie, she's really got me back to full fitness. And all of the doctors — man what a final!"
And then he lists the men who pushed him, including Steve McCann, who made a little history of his own during the X Games final. He landed a trick that only one other person has ever accomplished — a no-handed 900.
Bestwick has shown remarkable staying power after winning his first world championship two decades ago. Not only does he now own eight X Games gold medals, he has won nearly every Dew Tour competition in the past five years and every overall BMX Vert title.
And just a week before he claimed X Games gold, he won the first stop on the Dew Tour with a thrilling 93.75 to 92.13 victory over Chad Kagy, who was unable to compete at X Games due to injuries.
Bestwick's passion was born when his father bought him a bike at age 10.
"I played soccer and ran track, but I couldn't quite get the same buzz that I did from BMX," said Bestwick.
He could have easily ended up somewhere other than the podium of the X Games and the Dew Tour were it not for persistence and passion for a sport that many dismissed.
Bestwick was working full time for a company that repaired engines for major airlines in England.
"It was a really tough decision," said Bestwick. "To give up everything you know — a great job, a great career — to follow something that for me was always a hobby. BMX riding was a dream for me, and I always wanted to be a professional rider. I just could never find the capacity to make a living, and I had responsibilities."
Then Alli Sports created the Dew Tour. Instead of a one-shot championship at the X Games, action sports athletes had the chance to compete in a series of events and at the end of the tour, win an overall title. The Dew Tour has expanded to winter sports and has coincided, and likely contributed to, the rise in popularity of action sports.
"It gave me a place where I can come and compete and earn money to pay my bills and make my way in life," said Bestwick, who will compete in Salt Lake City's Dew Tour stop Sept. 8-11 at EnergySolutions Arena. "It's given me a whole new platform to perform on and led to opportunities that I never imagined."
Those include working as a commentator for NBC and involvement in the course that will be used in the 2012 London Olympics.
Bestwick comes to Salt Lake's Toyota Challenge with just a bit of pressure on his shoulders. Not only did he win the first stop of this year's Dew Tour, Utah's stop is sponsored by one of the companies that he rides for — Toyota.
"There is a lot of pressure," said Bestwick. "I obviously want to defend (the Dew Cup) well — I have expectations on myself too. I want to ride the best I can and put on a great show."
He said in addition to earning a few more wins, he is constantly working hard to innovate in a sport that is driven by daredevils.
"The younger kids are the ones who are pushing the sport," he said. "I'm just so grateful to be on the ramp and sharing that ramp with the best riders in the world. I love competing. I love new challenges. And it's a challenge to stay ahead in this sport." Bestwick has seen others give up the sport for more mainstream jobs, but he is glad to still be riding his bike with the same passion he did at age 10.
"It's the most exciting thing I've ever done," he said. "It fulfills me the most. I still feel there is value there today. It's such a fun and exciting sport."
Email: adonaldson@desnews.com
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