Vegas Gets Its Dew

The jumping, screeching and pounding at the Hard Rock Hotel this weekend will be more organized than usual.

From today to Sunday, the Dew Tour -- a nationally respected competition for skateboard, BMX and motocross riders -- makes its first Las Vegas sojourn since launching six years ago.

"It's a real big deal," says Las Vegas native T.J. Lavin, 33, who will compete in the BMX dirt preliminaries tonight and, he hopes, make it to the finals on Friday night. "It's the biggest event for our sport right now for sure."

The seven-figure production will erect unique ramps and tracks on and near the Hard Rock, including a vert (vertical half-pipe ramp) over the beach club pool for BMX and skateboarding tricks. The Joint will get its own skateboard park rising from the floor to the stage. And hundreds of yards of dirt will transform the parking lot for the former Drink/Ice nightclub into courses for BMX and freestyle motocross.

"I really wish they would have had this when I was in my prime," says Lavin, a Durango High School graduate who turned pro when he was 18. "That would have been nice. But it's still great to have it now, and here.

"It's 10 minutes from my house."

The first Las Vegas stop coincides with the first Dew Tour championship. More than $2.5 million in prizes will be awarded to the winners of five Dew Cups, who have competed for points since June. Favorites include No. 1 ranked BMX vert rider Jamie Bestwick and Brazilian skateboard vert star Bob Burnquist. Shaun White -- winner of the snowboarding half-pipe competition in the past two Winter Olympics -- will skateboard Sunday.

"These guys are very serious competitors," says Dew Tour general manager Chris Prybylo. "For them, the biggest pride of the year in action sports is winning our tour."

Lavin is not in the running for a cup -- only for a win in his individual course.

"It's a point system, and mathematically, I'm out of it for sure," he says. "But I've done a lot in sports, so it's not as if I have a lot riding on it.

"It's more of a fun thing for me."

Contact reporter Corey Levitan at clevitan@review journal.com or 702-383-0456.