Newcastle will play host to the opening round of the Qashqai Urban Challenge this weekend, as the world’s top freeriders embark on a Europe-wide competition tour. Each of the five rounds has a different theme – North Shore, dirt, street, park, big air – so the overall winner will definitely be an all-rounder.
Expect to see all sorts of new moves in Newcastle – all the riders have been working on new stuff and the Qashqai Challenge is likely to see the first public airing of those winter freeride projects. All the big names will be riding – Aaron Chase, Cam McCaul, Kyle Strait, Darren Berrecloth, Paul Basagoitia et al. A core group of riders will be doing the full tour, with plenty of others dipping in and out of individual events. At Newcastle, British riders Gee Atherton, Chris Smith and Sam Pilgrim will be flying the UK flag.
The action takes place at Newcastle’s Centre For Life in Times Square on Friday (from 10am) and Saturday (from 9am). And it’s “open access”, which means free. Got to be worth a look if you’re in the area…
Want the full tour dates?
- 4/5 May – Centre For Life, Newcastle, UK (North Shore)
- 11/12 May – Piazza Duca d’Aosta, Milan, Italy (dirt)
- 18/19 May – Azca Street, Madrid, Spain (street)
- 25/26 May – Mediapark, Cologne, Germany (park)
- 22/23 June – La Villette, Paris, France (big air)
And if you’re wondering what a Qashqai is, it’s a Nissan car. Other event sponsors include Vans, Swatch, Oakley and Dakine. Find out more at www.nissan-qashqaichallenge.com.
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