Risk versus Reward with FMX Redemption on the cards in Mannheim

May 20th, 2023 will be a night to remember for the motorsport and action sports fans of Mannheim in Germany with the return of NIGHT of the JUMPs after a full five year wait to bring the world’s best FMX riders to the SAP Arena for one huge night of FMX, BMX, MTB and Scooter competition.

With one of the best line-ups we’ve seen from the 3 teams competing in the Freestyle of Nations series, the 4th Round of competition will see the winners from Round 3, Team Spain go up against the first team to win in 2023, Team Czech and the World Team featuring the local legend, World Champion and X Games Gold medallist, Luc Ackermann and two legends to support him for a potential win.

The World Team will see Luc Ackermann as the Captain of the team.  The FMX Terminator from Germany is one of the most unique riders in the world with a huge bag of tricks and the uncanny ability to throw his KTM 450 around like it’s a toy in the sandpit.  Luc Ackermann will lead two of the best riders in FMX and Best Trick Competition with David Rinaldo, also a former World Champion and X Games Gold Medallist who invented the Backflip Body Varial, Malakai Flip and the Bobby Spin varial.

And rounding out the World Team of 3, is the Triple Backflipping Wizard from Australia and Nitro World Games Champion, Harry Bink.  Harry is flying directly from X Games Japan last weekend where he scored a Bronze Medal for the Double Backflip One-Handed-Nac and is looking for redemption after his huge crash in Munich at Round 3, which coincidentally happened when attempting the Single Backflip One-Handed-Nac!

The Spanish Team who are looking for their second win of the season, have enlisted one of FMX’s greats! Dany Torres will return to NIGHT of the JUMPs and riding for the first time in NOTJ history on a Yamaha YZ250 after making the switch from KTM. The Red Bull X-Fighters Champion will be joined by the 5-time World Champion and captain of the team, Maikel Melero.  Rounding out one of the toughest teams to beat is Marc Pinyol, the inventer of the Inside Roll and rider who always comes with something new to surprise the crowd, and judges!

The Czech team will be looking to repeat their success from the first round of competition where they took the win in Berlin on Day 1 and with the same line-up that won it. Petr Pilat, the former European Champion will be joined by Filip Podmol who just came off a huge win at X-Pilots a few weeks ago and will be looking to cement his credentials in Mannheim with another win.  With Matej Cesak as the Best Whip rider and will look for another win after blowing his KTM300sx up in Berlin, Team Czech is looking strong for a win again in Mannheim.

In addition to the Freestyle Contest, in which the riders unleash their best eight tricks in 90 seconds, all riders will fly through the arena at the same time in the Best Whip Contest. In the Synchro Competition, each nation provides two athletes who throw down their hardest tricks as synchronously as possible. And in the Best Trick Contest, a rider from each country will try to land their hardest trick for the final and all important points of the night. The team with the most points at the end is the new Freestyle of Nations Team Champion.

More hits are already set for Mountain Bike, BMX and Scooter riders. The FMX teams are each completed by pedal power, who also collects points for the respective team in the Best Trick competition. Szymon Godziek, who took silver at the Red Bull Rampage in the USA, travels to Mannheim from Poland. As the icing on the cake, Scooter World Champion Richard Zelinkacomes to the NIGHT of the JUMPs. The Czech scooter star is the first to have the “360 double buss to double buss” and will throw himself down from the 10 meter high tower in Mannheim to show the craziest tricks.

Over 300 NIGHT of the JUMPs® events worldwide in front of over three million enthusiastic fans in 22 years. Records, spectacular stunts and trick premieres non-stop. On May 20, 2023, it's finally that time again with breakneck tricks on two wheels at breathtaking heights under the roof of the SAP Arena. There was no freestyle motocross in Mannheim for almost 2,000 days. To celebrate the comeback, the NIGHT of the JUMPs will premiere the Freestyle of Nations in the city of squares.

Tickets are available from 51.25 euros plus fees at all advance booking offices and at: https://www.eventim.de/event/night-of-the-jumps-freestyle-mx-world-tourchampionship-series-23-sap- arena-15229550/

The LiveStream will feature Live Chat with Fans on YouTube.  Join the stream and chat with the riders directly in the break here: https://youtube.com/live/9tLnn2OGrcg

NIGHT of the JUMPs

• May 20th 2023
• SAP Arena
• Mannheim / Germany

 

• Team World
  • Luc Ackermann
  • Harry Bink
  • David Rinaldo

• Team Spain
  • Maikel Melero
  • Dany Torres
  • Marc Pinyol

• Team Czech Republic
  • Petr Pilat
  • Filip Podmol
  • Matej Cesak