Red Bull Dirt Conquers, staged in Guadalajara’s Metropolitan Park, first took place in May 2013 on a course designed by one of Mexico’s best known BMX riders Alex ‘Mutante’ Vazquez and master BMX track builder Dave King of X Games fame. The course design sought to reflect all the disciplines of BMX freestyle – Dirt, Park and Street – and featured ramps, handrails, a unique steel capsule and two central mounds.
24 athletes, including TJ Ellis, Ben Hennon, Anthony Napolitan, Michael Beran, Corey Bohan and local boy Daniel Sanchez, were invited to take part in the event, which was a 15,000 spectator sell-out. Despite temperatures nearing 30 degrees, there were some spectacular performances – multiple X Games medallist Ryan Nyquist eventually took the title with a flawless final run, with fellow American AJ Anaya and Brazil’s Leandro Moreira making up the other podium places. Best Trick title went to Mike ‘Hucker’ Clark.
Dirt Conquers returned in April 2014 with a similar format, and once again on a course designed by Vazquez and King. Among the 24 names competing in the second edition were Bohan, Nyquist and Hennon, plus Dennis Enarson, Ryan Guettler, Kevin Peraza, Sebastian Keep, Gary Young, Daniel Dhers and Rob Darden.
American star Peraza took a hard-earned win on the one-of-a-kind, bowled-in dirt course with another American Daniel Sandoval and Canadian Drew Bezanson stepping up alongside him on the podium.