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Always a top contender at the Park Lines BMX Tournament, we caught up with Dylan van Belkum to get his thoughts on the 2022 event, and more…
Full name: Dylan van Belkum
Hometown: Rynfield, Benoni
Years riding: +-10yrs
Sponsors: Tings Tattoo Studio, East Side Barbers and Techmatic.
How would you best sum up your experience at Park Lines 2022?
The 2022 Park Lines event was an absolute blast. It was a perfect example of a community sticking together, helping each other out and just having a ball of a time with all sorts of characters, from street riders to park riders, no one was left out.
What was your highlight moment of the day, and why?
I would say my highlight was Malcolm Peters lending me his back wheel to help me land my trick in Best Trick, because it shows how the BMX community sticks together even when we are competing against each other.
Coming into the contest, what were your expectations and were they reached?
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect but I was blown away by the sheer number of riders that pitched up. There has not been such a big turnout in a long time. The whole vibe surrounding the day was beyond my expectations, it brought that BMX family feeling back to Local BMX.
What was it like to ride the legendary Stoneridge park again?
I can’t begin to explain the feelings I got riding Stoneridge again, my old stomping ground from years back. Being able to ride the park again was like reliving my beginner years of riding, just with bigger tricks now.
Which riders impressed you the most?
This is a tough one, everyone rode hard on the day. If I had to choose, I would say Matty (Duffy). He pushed through an injury and still pulled the hip flip in his run (which he learnt the day before).
What do you feel an event like Park Lines does for BMX in South Africa and where would you like to see it go?
I feel Park Lines brings the BMX community together, it exposes new riders and kids in the crowd to BMXing at its best. I would love to see Park Lines get bigger, not just in spectators but riders as well.
What would you like to see added to the next Park Lines BMX Tournament?
I would love to see two Park Lines events a year or maybe a Park Lines custom park!
What’s next for Dylan van Belkum?
That’s a good question. Definitely more Backflips, maybe an edit?! Only time will tell.
Any shout-outs?
Firstly a huge shout out to Ryan/ LW Mag for giving back to BMX. Being able to temporarily open a park that was meant to be destroyed is something not many can pull off.
I would also like to shout out my sponsors for having my back during these events as well as outside of events.
Lastly, I’d like to give a shout out to all the riders that helped me get my bike working to land the 270 Flip. Greg (Illingworth) planted the seed early on Friday’s practice and I couldn’t sleep that night just thinking about it. Being able to pull it was a next level feeling and it wouldn’t have happened without some help.
#ParkLines BMX Tournament presented by LW Mag and Dragon Energy in association with Dickies, Garmin, GoPro, Mongoose Bikes and Willards.
Photos by Eric Palmer.
