DownUnderGround 2025 – Melbourne Flatland BMX at IMAX

Melbourne’s IMAX spot hosted the 18th running of the DownUnderGround (DUG) Australian BMX Flatland Championships on 6th December 2025. Known for its long history in the city and tight-knit flatland community, DUG continues to bring riders together year after year. This year saw a beginner class added, welcoming newcomers alongside the seasoned pros, and showing the depth of talent and enthusiasm in Australian flatland.

Gonzalo Bellanti making that jump from one side of the bike to the other, a difficult combo switch. Gonzalo rode with power and flow to take the win in the open class and the championship title once again.

The weather the day before was hot, way hot, but in true Melbourne form it started to rain on competition day. It didn’t shut the event down because the IMAX spot is under cover, which is exactly why DUG has called it home for so many years. Riders, friends, and fans rolled in undeterred, ready to throw down their best tricks. When the rain hit during the day, the crew came together and moved one of the planter boxes to open up a bigger rideable space. Flatland riders don’t do “cancelled” they adapt. The smaller setup made the whole event feel more intimate, bringing riders closer to the crowd and even pulling in random spectators who had no idea what they were watching but couldn’t stop staring. That’s DUG, pure BMX culture.

It was also awesome to see a beginners division on the day. It gave newer riders a real entry point into the scene, and it delivered some standout moments. Edwin Habibillah took the win with a confident run and even dropped a rad superman-style move, laying out over the seat with a leg up while holding the front pegs. That trick had people doing the classic flatland nod of approval. Airlie Heselwood travelled all the way from North Queensland to compete and took second, which is a massive effort and exactly what this event is about.

Expert was stacked with riders who know what they’re doing and came ready to battle. Philllip Frueh took first with clean combos and some seriously satisfying flatland tech, including a cross foot half backer that looked way too smooth for how hard it actually is. Shaun Jarvis had a rough first run, but cleaned it up in runs two and three to lock in second. Kevin Filmer rounded out third and it was genuinely great to see him jump in and throw down some funky chickens in his run, bringing that classic flavour that makes flatland so fun to watch. Paul Knox was in the mix too, but unfortunately bunged up his knee right before the comp started. Even though it took him out of contention, it was still good to see him there and ready to compete.

Clockwise from top left – Airlie Heselwood travelled all the way from north Queensland to attend the competition and compete in the beginners class and, currently the youngest flatland rider in Australia, we hope he will progress and take up the open class in a few years. – Edwin Habibillah took the win in the beginners class with moves like this rad superman inspired move. – Kevin Filmer has been in the Melbourne flatland scene for many years, it was great to see him rolling and laying down this lawnmower. – Shaun Jarvis has been to every DownUnderGround due to he is the organizer, Minimal riding time and warm up taking the 2nd place in the expert class. – More photos can be found here.

Clockwise from top left – Philllip Frueh did hard combos and took 1st place in the expert class. – Two classics,  Grant Cruise and the decade 4th in the open class. – Lee Kirkman had a few too many touches and took home the 3rd place in opens. Lee is a phenomenal rider and to see his progression in flatland excel has been great to watch. – Second place in the opens was Bagus Hadid. This cliffhanger helped him on his way to secure that spot. – More photos can be found here.

Open was full send, as expected. Gonzalo Bellanti took the win riding in true Gonz form, doing what Gonz does, and making it look effortless while everyone else just tries to survive their run. Bagus Hadid took second and landed the no-handed rolling backyard, which is one of those tricks that looks impossible until you see it done properly, then you realise it’s still impossible. Lee Kirkman claimed third with strong combos and good riding throughout, but a few too many touches kept his score just shy of the top. Grant Cruise, Melbourne flatland royalty, was also on form doing all the things that are Grant, but again, a few extra touches kept the scores a little lower than what we usually see from him.

From start to finish, the 2025 DownUnderGround competition celebrated the creativity, resilience, and community of Australian flatland BMX. Riders pushed their limits, inspired each other, and engaged the crowd, reminding everyone why DUG has remained a Melbourne institution for 18 years. With tricks landed, slams endured, and pure stoke all around, this year’s event reinforced the spirit of flatland BMX and set the scene for another exciting year ahead.

DounUnderGround Flatland Competition – Official Results – 6th December 2025
Beginners – 1st Edwin Habibillah, 2nd Airlie Heselwood
Expert  – 1st Philllip Frueh, 2nd Shaun Jarvis, 3rd Kevin Filmer, 4th Paul Knox
Open  – 1st Gonzalo Bellanti, 2nd Bagus Hadid, 3rd Lee Kirkman, 4th Grant Cruise