This past weekend saw Chase Hawk take the park gold medal at X Games in Austin, his home town. To some it appeared a political statement of sorts, maybe favouritism by the judges. To others it was the greatest gold medal ever won.

So, how did Chase Hawk take the gold, without turning his run into a death defying circus show for blood hungry punters?

It’s 2014 and to win a televised sporting event you’re not only expected to show %100 commitment but wow the crowds with a spectacular show of skill and trickery that only the gods could conjure. Chase Hawk broke the mould. He was committed, believed in himself, his show was spectacular and everyone went nuts with every pump of the transition but…

He didn’t do anything? and they love him for it?

If you were sat there watching his run waiting for something to happen, then you missed it, big time!

One of the most striking images from the weekend. Bear hug from Robbie. Taken from @cultcrew Instagram.

What Chase did was the fundamentals of BMX. He showed the world the roots of our glorious pastime. It was a raw reflection of everything that has ever gone before and has laid the foundations of how every contest in the future will be judged. Foam pits will gather dust as the once thrill seeking kid thinks hard about how he’s doing a trick, and not how many tricks he can get in to accumulate points like some faulty arcade machine.

someone switched off the gravity under the bowl

All the riders who were up against him, who put in hard work to produce some of the most jaw dropping tricks will perhaps think again about how many, and concentrate on how good they can do that one thing. They don’t need to be blessed with incredible style. They just need to figure out how to make their run look like someone switched off the gravity under the bowl. Something Chase Hawk and Austin, Texas have pioneered for generations.