This summer Oakley is set to be the official sponsor of the Red Bull Empire of Dirt, the world’s first BMX Dirt Slopestyle contest. The event is the brainchild of Oakley UK’s HTT rider Kye Forte and combines influences from each of the BMX styles to create one unholy new discipline guaranteed to challenge the very best on the planet. The slopestyle event will take place in Newton Abbot, Devon, England on the 15th and 16th of June.

“The aim of the Empire of Dirt is to bring together all different aspects of BMX in one contest; to really challenge the rider’s versatility,” says Kye Forte, Newton Abbot local and top UK rider. “We also want to make the week surrounding the event totally memorable – both for the riding, and the social scene – putting Devon on the global BMX map.”

The monstrous Dirt course will take over a month to build, swallow thousands of tons of dirt and will feature an epic dirt superpipe, huge double jumps, and technical street obstacles, including rails, boxes and wall rides. Like a true slopestyle course, traditionally found in freestyle snowboarding, the course has been designed to offer riders multiple lines, and infinite ways to showcase their skills, and link new combinations of tricks.

If the course wasn’t enough to inspire a frenzy of riding creativity – the riders list will top it off: only the best in the world are invited to ride the Red Bull course. 35 riders – representing the cream of dirt, street and ramp BMX, will come to Newton Abbot, Devon, including Oakley’s Ali Whitton and Josh Harrington.

Check back for results, images and video footage of this insane BMX contest in a few weeks!

Confirmed Riders:

Alex Dropsey:  FRA
Ali Whitton: UK
Antony Napolitan: USA
Bas Keep: UK
Brian Foster: USA
Chase Hawk: USA
Chris Doyle: USA
Corey Bohan: AUS
Gary Young: USA
Heath Pinter: USA
Joe Rich: USA
Josh Harrington: USA
Kye Forte: UK
Leo Forte:UK
Liam Elthan: UK
Martin Murray: UK
Mike Aitken: USA
Mitch Yates: USA
Owain Clegg: UK
Robin Fenlon: UK
Romuald "Bibi" Noirot: FRA
Ruben Alcantara: ESP
Ryan Guettler: USA
Ryan Sher: USA
Taj Mehilic: USA