Monster Energy Recon AZ & OH
I jumped in midway through the 2026 Monster Energy Recon contest tour, at the Premises Skatepark in Tucson AZ and Chenga World Skatepark, OH, both were a great time!
Firstly, Premesis, although the numbers for pro mens category were considerably less compared to last year, it gave certain riders a chance to shine and earn all important UCI points. Smaller numbers also made for more of a fun ‘session’ vibe, vs a hectic practice time, and allowed more room for the ammeters to mingle alongside their idols, so the overall experience was a family vibe. I enjoyed having some free time to ride with the youngsters and get to know some new faces in the girls ammeter group, uplifting the next generation. The presence of Scotty & Matty Cranmer also elevated the event, as they hosted fun inclusive activities for all, and filmed their own YouTube video.
Premises is one of my favourite parks to ride, the ramps are a friendly size, and the tight layout keeps you on your toes; setting out a run with no dead airs or trick repetitions here is particularly challenging, and likely to be the separator at the highest level of riding. The owners & locals also make it such a good time, I always feel a big, warm welcome and excitement for some good bike riding. Whilst I felt my run from the previous year was stronger, I tried some new things and switched up my line, and overall had a great time, getting to explore some more of Tucson and sesh with my East Coast homies that pulled up. The women’s podium ended up as Charlie Berry in 3rd, myself in 2nd and Hannah Roberts in 1st, and mens was Jake Rutkowitz 1st, Matty Cranmer 2nd and Victor Peraza 3rd.
Chenga World was close to home, edging just into the east near Cleveland Ohio this event brought some new nationalities to the tour, including Russia, Canada and South America. I also got to see many of my friends in the pro and ammeter groups since it was easier for them to travel to, and gave them the opportunity to ride Chenga, a legendary US skatepark that is quite deceiving compared to social media. It’s a challenging park, with various ramp sizes and untraditional lines it certainly took me by surprise the first time I rode it. They did make some updates specifically for this event by switching a steep quarter for a hip & quarter to steep bank, which was super exciting and really did enhance the flow of the lines. We got to enjoy the show watching local heroes Nick Bruce and Justin Dowell demonstrate the hidden gaps and just how far you can push this park. I also loved seeing Irek Rizaev return to the UCI scene, with one of the biggest smiles in Bmx! Plus a special shout out to Caden Parker for riding one of his best events, and becoming the crowd favourite with his unique tricks and style. That’s my friend! Chenga podium; Justin 1st, Nick 2nd and Irek 3rd, Myself 1st, Charlie Berry 2nd.
The final stop of Recon will be at COR Park in Salt Lake, I’m excited for an excuse to finally get to ride this park, and experience what seams like an emerging hub for cycling in the USA.
