Photos by Aaron Zwaal
Story: Bart de Jong.
Flatland BMX took over the square in front of Museum Helmond on Saturday as part of the Urban Matterz weekend. The F(L)ATBMX Battle brought eight invited riders together for a one-on-one knockout contest, with the riders battling their way through the bracket until only one remained.
The concept was simple: eight riders, head-to-head battles and no UCI points or pressure. Just BMX, creativity and a good time.
The opening round saw some interesting match-ups. Keegan Moreno Alves (TTO) took the win over Jorrit van Drumpt (NED), while Barre Neirynck (BEL) advanced past Gino “Aborigino Sandino” Stuart (NED). Juan Niebles (COL) defeated Dez Maarsen (NED) and Sietse van Berkel (NED) transferred after his battle with Gilles van de Sompel (BEL).
Keegan, locked in Cliffhanger mode.
That left Keegan, Barre, Juan and Sietse in the semi finals. Keegan continued his run by beating Barre, while Sietse took the win against Juan to set up a final between the Dutchman and the Trinidad & Tobago rider.
The battle for third place went to Juan Niebles, leaving Barre Neirynck in fourth. Then it was time for the final. Sietse van Berkel kept his composure and put together enough to take the win over Keegan Moreno Alves, becoming the first F(L)ATBMX Battle winner in Helmond.
Juan, ripping his way onto the podium.
But the competition was only part of the show.
Between the battles, Urban Matterz kept the crowd entertained with a full programme of side activities. MCs McGyver and Rickz delivered a special rap performance, using newly produced beats for their own material before finishing with an impressive freestyle session. The crowd supplied random words and the two MCs immediately turned them into rhymes. It was one of those moments that worked perfectly with the atmosphere of the day.
Unity 8 Dancegroup brought both the Specials and the Little Females to the platform for a dance performance, while a Footdown game provided plenty of laughs and some serious last-man-standing action.
There was also an old-school BMX jam circle, with riders throwing down for fun and even judges Frank Lukas from Germany and Francois Desgain from Belgium joining the session. DJ Seepman kept the Red Bull Sound Car rolling throughout the day with a steady soundtrack.
The official judging panel for the F(L)ATBMX Battle consisted of Jason Plourde (CAN), Robert Moeller (GER) and Frank Lukas (GER). With eight riders coming from different parts of the scene, the judges had plenty of creative riding to watch as the bracket progressed.
Sieste Van Berkel, on the way to taking the win.
To close things out, the event finished with a “Cash For Tricks” session. Riders had one final opportunity to pull out some moves and get rewarded with actual cash for their efforts. A fitting way to finish a day that was never meant to be just another BMX contest.
The F(L)ATBMX Battle was part of the wider Urban Matterz programme in Helmond, bringing BMX together with hip-hop, dance, graffiti and other elements of urban culture. Right next to the BMX action, Museum Helmond hosted an exhibition dedicated to graffiti and the urban scene of Helmond. The exhibition will remain on display at the museum for the coming months.
Barre and Jorrit.
For one Saturday, the square in front of Museum Helmond became a meeting point for flatland riders, old-school BMXers, dancers, MCs, graffiti fans and the local urban scene. Eight riders came to battle for the win, but the day ended up being about a lot more than who stood on top of the podium.