May 6, 2005 (Brussels, Belgium) – The all new Braun Spine was launched on Saturday 19th February 2005 in Köln, Germany. Measuring 24m long by 10.5m wide, the Braun Spine is the World’s largest mobile miniramp.

The launch follows months of intense development between Kjerag, Braun’s strategic youth marketing agency, and Spielbetrieb, the organisers of several BMX World Championships in Germany. The launch event provided a select group of riders, including current World Miniramp Champion Patrick Gross (DEU), with the first opportunity to try out the Braun Spine before it heads out on a the all new Braun cruZer Tour.

“When I saw the Braun Spine for the first time I was stoked at how big that thing is… and it’s transportable, that’s crazy” says Patrick. “The quarters on each side have perfect transitions and the platform is big enough for people who ride and people who barbeque(!) at the same time… so let’s just say I’m looking forward to hanging out with the Braun Spine and getting to know it better!”.

The Braun cruZer Tour
The Braun cruZer Tour is a brand new series of six BMX miniramp contests taking place across Europe in 2005. Hosted exclusively on the Braun Spine, the Braun cruZer Tour will kick-off at the UK Bike Show, Stoneleigh (GBR) from 1st-3rd April. “The ramp looks unbelievable!!!!!!” says multiple World and X Games Champion, Ryan Nyquist. “I can’t wait to ride it at the UK Bike Show 2005.”

An A-list of International Pro riders such as Patrick Gross (DEU), Anthony Pill (GBR) and Ronnie Surridge (GBR) have already committed to competing at each leg of the Tour and registration is now open for each event. “I’m really looking forward to the Braun cruZer Tour” says Ronnie. “Spine mini has always been one of my favourite things to ride and I’m sure the tour is going to be a lot of fun for the riders and the spectators”.

The Braun cruZer Tour is a series of six Pro-Am contests, of which the four best contest results count towards the overall Tour ranking. Each contest has a Pro prize purse of EUR 3,000. The overall “Braun cruZer Tour Champion” will receive a brand new Suzuki Jimny 4×4. The rider who throws down the “Braun cruZer Tour Best Trick” will receive a sponsorship deal with Lazer helmets.

Riders must register through the event organizers of each individual event. These events are able to make up the Braun cruZer Tour because contest continuity is assured by the presence of the Braun Spine.

Braun cruZer Tour Dates
1. UK Bike Show, Stoneleigh (GBR) – 1st to 3rd April
2. Italia Surf Expo, Rome (ITA) – 17th to 19th June
3. Suzuki BMX Masters, K̦ln (DEU) Р23th to 26th June
4. NASS, Shepton Mallet (GBR) — 8th to 10th July
5. King of Concrete, Southsea (GBR) – 26th to 28th August
6. IFMA Bike Challenge, K̦ln (DEU) Р15th to 18th September

In addition to the contests, a series of demos will also be held at the following major rock festivals:

– Heineken Jammin, Imola (ITA) – 10th to 12th June
РEurock̩ennes, Belfort (FRA) Р1st to 3rd July
– V Festival, Strattfordshire (GBR) – 19th to 21st August

Riders Confirmed So Far
– Patrick Gross (DEU): super stylish and technical rider who’s also the current Pro Miniramp World Champion.
– Anthony Pill (GBR): very strong miniramp rider, known for his impressive hand-plants and flairs.
– Ronnie Surridge (GBR):one of the most talented riders on the scene, his specials include 360 inverts over the spine.
– Mark Webb (GBR): up and coming rider with unique style and flow. His penchant for the most difficult technical tricks makes him one to watch out for.
– Barry Kohnen (NED): this guy grabs more BMX Air Miles than most. Always pushing to get higher and higher out of the ramp.
– Markus Fischer (DEU): long standing BMX hero, established and respected by all for his lip and frontwheel tricks.

Braun
Braun, the world’s leading foil shaver manufacturer, is actively supporting BMX across Europe. BMX defines progression in creativity, style and expression – qualities that reflect the design and innovation values of the new Braun cruZer3, a shaver, styler and trimmer all in one.

Partners
Suzuki, adidas, Lazer
Website
www.cruzertour.com

Video Clip
If you’d like to host a link to the Braun cruZer Tour launch event video, simply copy and paste the following HTML code into your web page:

Watch the World’s Largest Mobile Miniramp being Launched

Free BMX Video Content
Want to host a direct link to all the video action from the Braun cruZer Tour and the International BMX scene, free of charge? Simply allocate a 125×125 pixel area on your homepage and link it to:

http://btn.freecaster.com/sports/bmx/125×125/bmx125x125.swf (English Version)

The links launch a static, unbranded, flash button that is regularly updated to maintain the freshest BMX video content on your web site.