Epic conditions today brought about some of the most progressive cable riding ever seen at the Orlando Watersports Complex during the final day of the Byerly Toe Jam presented by O’Neill.
16 riders in head-to-head battles competed until Nick Taylor and Reed Hansen were left in a two-man final showdown. Under azure Florida skies, Taylor threw down a crushing first run that included a barrage of big spins and an absolute mastery of OWC’s rails and kickers. Taylor ended his run with a huge switch judo 180 off the O’Neill kicker, followed by a frontside bigger spin. Not to be outdone, Hansen imitated Taylor’s frontside big spin off the picnic table for his first trick (switch), then threw down a 360 shove, varial flip, frontside flip, switch toeside frontside big spin off the kicker, and just missed a 360 flip for his final trick — it was enough to put Hansen over the top in the cable finals, and his consistency throughout the entire tour won him the 2008 Byerly Toe Jam title, along with some spending cash and a brand-new Sea Doo Wake Edition PWC.
Winners of the weekend’s events were announced after the cable finals. Hansen won the rail park, boat and cable finals, making him only the second rider in Toe Jam history to ever win three of the weekend’s events, Brandon Thomas having pioneered the feat. “I’d like to thank all my sponsors and everyone who helped me get here,” said Hansen. “I couldn’t be happier.”
During Friday night’s Best Trick winch jam at the Orlando Watersports Complex, 16 riders sessioned two long rails into OWC’s lake all night long. Ben Horan was on top for the longest with a backside nose slide shove until the finals when Clint Tompkins knocked it out with a back lip 270 shove to take the win. Horan earned second, and Reed Hansen came in third with a massive backside 180 out of the pool.
