Sanctioned Freeride Event Brings World Tour Points, Prize Purses and Big Air to Bellingham
The Northwest Tune-Up festival announces the debut of the Freestyle Showdown, presented by Lazer. This bronze-level FMB sanctioned competition will bring elite freeride action to the three-day bike and music festival in Bellingham, on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Sanctioned by the Freeride Mountain Bike Association, the event offers World Tour points in the Open Women’s and Men’s categories—marking a major step up from the festival’s previous amateur-level dirt jump event. As a bronze-level event, it offers rising athletes a stepping stone to higher-tier competitions like Crankworx or Red Bull Rampage qualifiers.
The Northwest Tune-Up Freestyle Showdown will take place at the Waterfront Bike Park within the festival grounds. The course—designed and constructed by Shire Built, a Pacific Northwest team known for their progressive freeride terrain—features expert-level gap jumps intended to showcase creativity, control and amplitude. Athletes will have two judged runs, with the best run counting toward final results. Scoring will be based on trick difficulty, execution, flow, use of course, amplitude and overall impression.
The event will be emceed by professional freerider Cam McCaul, with guest judges, live DJ music from the Red Bull War Wagon and a full crowd experience right on Bellingham’s downtown waterfront. The event is expected to draw a mix of regional pros and emerging talent from across the West and British Columbia.
Competition Categories
Prize Purses
Grom - 1st: $250 / 2nd: $150 / 3rd: $100
Building the Future of Biking
“The addition of an FMB-certified event puts Bellingham on the freeride competition map,” said 2025 festival emcee and professional mountain biker Cam McCaul. “It’s a great opportunity for athletes climbing the ranks—and for younger riders to get valuable experience on a real competition stage.”
Northwest Tune-Up’s FMB Freestyle Showdown aims to expand access to certified events in North America, increase female participation and evolve into a silver- or gold-level FMB event in future years. Bellingham’s deep roots in mountain biking and history of nurturing high-level youth talent, the dedicated Grom category helps create a pipeline for the next generation of freeriders.
Preliminary Schedule
Location: Waterfront Bike Park at 1100 Granary Ave., Bellingham, WA
Spectating is free and open to the public. All times PT and are subject to change.
Thursday, July 10 – Practice Day
● 12:00–4:00 PM: Open Practice (Unofficial)
Friday, July 11 – Practice Day
● 9:00–11:00 AM: Rider Check-In
● 9:00 AM–1:00 PM / 3:00–6:00 PM: Open Practice
Saturday, July 12 – Competition Day
● 9:00 AM–12:00 PM: Open Practice
● 12:45–2:00 PM: Grom Competition
● 2:30–3:15 PM: Women’s Finals
● 3:30–5:00 PM: Men’s Finals
● Podiums immediately following finals
About Northwest Tune-Up
Northwest Tune-Up is a three-day, community-forward festival that unites world-class mountain biking, live music and craft beer on Bellingham’s waterfront. Ride the trails, harness the adrenaline and catch a stacked lineup of artists that keep the momentum going. With local food, great music and a community that lives to ride, Northwest Tune-Up is more than just a festival—it’s a celebration of the sport and culture that fuels the Pacific Northwest.
Northwest Tune-Up 2025 returns for its fourth year, July 11–13, 2025. For more festival information, visit www.nwtuneup.com.
