Gavin Bottger Battles Keegan Palmer For Men’s Park Final Win | RSEO PDX 2026

Gavin Bottger. Photo: Ballard

It all came down to the last run of the event when Gavin Bottger stole the win (and the $20,000 in prize money) from Rockstar’s Keegan Palmer (after the two already exchanged the lead once prior), but they stood side by side waiting for the scores to drop and celebrated the result together.

Pagie Heyn and Gavin. Photo: Durso

All of the top 10 skaters turned it way up in the Men’s Park Final for their three 45-second runs in the bowl on Sunday at the 2026 Rockstar Energy Open alongside the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.

Gavin’s final run was madness until the very end. It started out with a frontside air in the corner, then a gap into crooked grind transfer out, a frontside grab pop over the spine, frontside tailslide, an alley-oop stalefish, frontside one-foot ollie over the channel, crooked grind to fakie, fakie frontside nosegrind to fakie, Cab disaster, 540 alley-oop frontside air, and his signature body varial Indy 360 to fakie over the hip to end it.

Keegan Palmer. Photo: Ballard

Keegan was slapping his tail on the coping before Gavin’s run to fire his friend up, and was back at it cracking the coping after Gavin’s show-stopping ender trick. 

“That’s what it’s all about,” Gavin said of the support from his friend and rival. “I mean, if any of us win or get the podium, it's awesome for all of us because we're all friends, and that's how skating is. It's not supposed to be super competitive and envious.”

Keegan didn’t complete his third and final run but had earned a temporary lead with his second. His best run went frontside air over the channel, backside lipslide up the extension, slob Japan air over the hip, kickflip lien air, frontside noseblunt, 50-50 off the extension, backside 540, and finished off with a frontside ollie.

Gavin and Keegs. Photo: Ballard

“I’m just excited to be out here having a good battle,” Keegan said. “Me and Gavin have been doing contests against each other since we were little kids, so it's always gonna be a good time—it's always gonna be fun. I knew it as soon as he did that last trick that he’d won it. You know, that's just how it goes. I'm happy! The way I see it, this whole weekend has been a win. Like, bro, the energy! Portland brings such good energy into the bowl. It's such a good time! I love it.”

Rounding out the podium was Spain’s Egoitz Bijueska making his RSEO debut. Egoitz showed he has it all from the huge tricks mixed in with some tech, and all of it at full speed for a full pull. He seemingly effortlessly landed a backside tailslide shuv-it on the pool coping corner mid run and an absolutely massive heelflip frontside air over the channel he sent it the night previously as a highlight in the Dickies Park Best Trick Jam.

Egoitz Bijueska. Photo: Ballard

Liam Pace turned 26 today, and after taking the win in the Dickies Best Trick Cash Jam the day before, too. Liam let it all hang out but landed his Best Trick winning late shuv over a massive gap mid run, but he ended up coming off before the job was done to cost him a podium result.

Joining in on the festivities all weekend from the webcast booth to testing out the courses, Rockstar’s BMX legend team rider Dennis Enarson was on deck to hand out the trophies after the contest was settled..

“I love the Rockstar Open. I come out every year for it, and I love this city. I love the street and park skaters, and I love hanging out with my skate family. They remind me of all my BMX friends, and it's become this little side family,” said Dennis, who was clearly feeling the love. “I love these dudes! It's awesome, and oh my God, this event, how cool this event is, motivates me to do my best in BMX to make a BMX event as cool as this.”

Rockstar Pro BMX rider Dennis Enarson with podium winners Keegan Palmer, Gavin Bottger and Egoitz Bijueska. Photo: Dillon

Men’s Park Final Results

1.) Gavin Bottger, 92.00
2.) Keegan Palmer, 90.33
3.) Egoitz Bijueska, 85.00
4.) Keefer Wilson, 83.00
5.) Roman Pabich, 78.33
6.) Liam Pace, 73.33
7.) Tom Schaar, 72.66
8.) Kieran Woolley, 70.33
9.) Yuro Nagahara, 69.00
10.) Tommy Calvert, 62.00