Jamie Bestwick racked up four straight wins in Vert on last year's Dew Tour, earning the year-end title and the $75,000 that came with the Cup. A month before the 2006 Tour kicked off this year, he went in for emergency surgery to have two vertebrae in his neck fused, and doctors recommended that Jamie hang up the bike for good. With that plaguing his thoughts and a new family to think about, Jamie weathered the storm and returned triumphantly to the vert ramp. We found him in the Athlete Lounge and discussed his return to the U.K. after seven years in the U.S., the painful ordeal with his neck, his son Samuel and his plans for the future.

Q: How long have you lived in State College, Pennsylvania?
A: I moved there in '99. It was always our plan to buy a house back in England, and we finally decided to do it last year. When my son came along, it made it an even better thing to do, because now my parents and Kerrys parents can see their grandson a bit more.

I just want to be in different places. I feel Ive become sort of grounded to Woodward, which is not a bad thing, Woodward is a phenomenal place and Im forever in its debt, but Ive come to a stage where I just want to travel a bit more. Riding for Etnies gives me the opportunity to do that. Theyre always open to traveling to different spots to film or just ride and hang out. Im going to base out of England and travel to all the contests. I want to go to a lot more European events; I miss going to the World Championships.

Q: How did the arrival of your son, Samuel, change your life?
A: Everybody was saying that when my son came along, a lot of things would change. I won't be going gung-ho on my bike and Ill have to calm down, stuff like that. I've probably tried more gnarly stuff since he's been here. We've done this great thing and now he's here, he's walking around and making his noises and I'm just really proud. I took him with me the other day while I was riding, and every time I popped out onto the deck, he'd give me a high five. I was like, "Well, that run wasnt too good," but either way, he was all high fives. I just figure, "All right, if he's stoked, I'm stoked." That just keeps me enthusiastic to keep riding.

Q: What prompted your neck surgery?
A: Over the years, I've always had the feeling of having a trapped nerve in my back, like when you crick your neck. Id go to the chiropractor and that would relieve the pain temporarily. Earlier this year, I was lifting weights in the gym and felt something pop and it really hurt. I saw a chiropractor and got it sorted, but it wouldn't go away. I changed chiropractors and the new guy put me in so much pain it was unbelievable. That started the sequence of events that ended with me being rushed into the hospital for emergency surgery. A disc had fragmented and trapped the nerve that runs into all the muscles in the back of my left arm and into my chest. I had about six months' worth of atrophy in about two weeks; the muscle just stopped working.

When I came out of the surgery, the doctor said that now would be a good time to stop riding. My C6 and C7 vertebrae were fused together, and he told me that C5 could last a while or it could go tomorrow. I listened to what he said and thought, "Yeah, maybe it is time." I went home to England; I figured being around Woodward wouldnt do me any good, because I'd want to be riding all the time. I just hung out with family and friends and came to a few conclusions. There is other stuff I want to do in my life, but Im so addicted to BMX. How can I stop riding? You know your body's not going to last forever and you want to do right by it, but riding is like a drug. I can't give it up; I can't give up riding into a vert ramp as fast as I can. I just came to the conclusion that I was getting back on my bike, and if it works out, great, and if it doesnt, at least I gave it a shot.

It was definitely the worst injury I've ever had in my life, because the pain was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before.

Q: Do you think you can get the title again this year?
A: It's going to be hard; everybody stepped up their game in the off-season. Unfortunately for me, I took two months off in the most important time of the year, leading up to the first contest. I'm scrambling extra hard just to get the tricks back that I had before I took the time off. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year; I'm not predicting any outcomes, but I can definitely say that every contest is going to be a big battle.

Q: You mentioned that there are other things you'd like to do eventually; can you let us in on any of them?
A: I really want to be a photographer. I've said that for a number of years, but the problem is that with being really good on a bike and entering all these contests, photography takes second place. It's hard to pick up the camera when you have so many responsibilities and duties involving your bike. While I was in England, I made a few contacts with people who gave me job opportunities in the photography industry; I've got my first wedding to shoot at the end of the year. It's my sister's wedding; I figure if you're going to start anywhere, you may as well start with the hardest one. You can always blag everybody else, but I've got to take some good pictures since it's family. It's something I'd really like to be a part of a lot more. Its rewards are different than BMX, but at the end of the day the idea is still the same. Photographers are looking for perfection every time, and I think thats what competitors are looking for too, so its a good marriage.