Vert ramps and BMX courses were not part of the original plan following the construction of M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park and Camden Yards.
But, that’s exactly what will dominate the parking lots of the city’s football and baseball stadiums this weekend as a new era of sports invades Charm City.
The AST Dew Tour, which is entering its third year, has arrived in Baltimore for the first time, bringing the world’s largest traveling action sports competition with it.
“The first event I ever ran was a sideshow at Universal Studios Florida where you might stop by on your way and check out the guys on the vert ramp,” AST Dew Tour president and general manager Wade Martin said, reminiscing on the rise of action sports over the last decade. “Now we are taking up about a million square feet and hopefully we’ll have 50,000 people here.”
The Panasonic Open is the first of five stops for the Dew Tour this summer. At each city, competitors in five events earn points toward capturing the Dew Cup presented to the athlete with the most points in their discipline.
Think the PGA Tour except replace clubs with skateboards and khakis with worn jeans with holes in the knees.
Along with skate vert and skate park events, BMX riders will compete on the expanded vert ramp and on the park course. Freestyle motocross riders will fly around the dirt track on the north side of the M&T Bank Stadium.
Adding to the experience for the riders will be that every event is outdoors for the first time.
“To have it outside is something that a lot of the athletes are looking forward to,” two-time Dew Cup champion BMX rider Jamie Bestwick said. “Now we have BMX vert and BMX street [outside] and have been able to utilize the space we have even more.”
Competition begins at 2:30 p.m. today when freestyle motocross begins their preliminary runs.
BMX vert preliminaries begin at 3 p.m. while the skateboard park begins at 4 p.m. Skateboard vert and BMX dirt preliminaries begin at 7 p.m.
BMX dirt finals begin at 5 p.m. Friday while the skateboard park wraps up competition at 7:30 p.m. Also, the skateboard and BMX vert competitions conclude Saturday at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively. BMX park holds its final competition at 1 p.m. Sunday while freestyle motocross brings the weekend to an end at 3:45 p.m.
