Boyd Hilder Takes First Place in Pro BMX Street at Simple Session 2023
The best of two worlds! Monster Energy BMX and skateboarding team riders claim victories in Pro BMX and Pro Skateboard disciplines at the Simple Session 23 contest in Tallinn, Estonia.
In the 23rd edition of the iconic action sports and music showcase, 27-year-old Boyd Hilder from Queensland, Australia, took first place in Pro BMX Street. Also rising to the podium in Estonia, 27-year-old Jordan Godwin from Newport, United Kingdom, claimed third place in the heated final.
Keeping the wins coming for team Monster Energy, the Pro Skateboard Street competition saw 13-year-old Monster Army rider Julian Agliardi from Long Beach, California, take first place in an upset victory.
From September 23–24, 2023, Simple Session 23 attracted more than 100 of the world’s best BMX and skateboard athletes to Põhjala Factory in Tallinn. The event venue is a former rubber factory transformed into a sports and culture center with an updated street course for this year’s contest.
For the past 23 years, Simple Session has featured some of the biggest names in action sports in a festival atmosphere. The now world-renowned event series was started in the year 2000 by brothers Risto and Mario Kalmre, and Piret Kull.
In this weekend’s Pro BMX Street event, Monster Energy’s Boyd Hilder dropped in as the winner from last year’s competition. Maintaining his momentum, the 27-year-old Australian put together a flawless run in the final. Tricks including 270 footplant over the hip, over tooth up the rail, nosepress on the quarterpipe, fastplant over the sub rail, huge flip over the hip, downside tailwhip transfer, a barspin to wallride to tailwhip out, feeble to hard 360 out of the ledge, and a full sprint across the course to a massive wallride pop out transfer. Hilder scored in at 90.33 points and took his second consecutive win at Simple Session.
“I managed to pull off all my favorite tricks, and they all landed perfectly, so I’m thrilled with my runs,” said Monster Energy’s Hilder upon winning at Simple Session 23.
The team’s podium run continued with 27-year-old British rider Jordan Godwin taking third place. Stringing together technical moves like Smith grind to 180 ice grind 180, tooth to crank arm 360 on the out rail, a super stylish seatgrab one-handed x-up transfer, and an un-luc-e to hard 180 earned Godwin 87.5 points for third place.
In the Pro Skateboard Street final, the story of the weekend was 13-year-old Monster Army rider Julian Agliardi from Long Beach, California, claiming the top spot among a field of seasoned A-listers.
During his highest-scoring second run, young Agliardi put together kickflip frontside boardslide fakie the flat rail, foot plant the wallride, 360 kickflip the gap to bank, backside Smith grind the rail, frontside tailslide and kickflip backside 50-50 the tall ledge, Caballerial lipslide fakie the rail, and frontside feeble kickflip out the flat bar for the win.
“I didn’t expect to earn such high marks. But in that second run, I went all out, executing all the tricks I had in mind, even summoning the courage to pull off a 50-50 kickflip on my back atop a towering box,” said Agliardi upon winning Pro Skateboard Street at Simple Session 23. Definitely keep an eye on this young ripper with the huge bag of tricks!