An estimated 41,700 spectators packed the L.A.Coliseum to watch the competition, and there's probably never been such a large congregation of muscle trucks, tattoo sleeves and piercing in South Central L.A. Stars in the stands, such as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, gave the crowed some rockstar flavor. And a flip-off between Travis Pastrana and Brian Deegan gave rockstar flavor to the amazing competition. Before the comp, the hottest news was the withdrawal of Tommie Clowers and Mike Metzger. The announcement threatened to overshadow the comp because Metzger is the defending champ, and his backflip-backflip sequence at the '02 X Games is one of the most famous tricks in FMX history. Metzger said he suffered a concussion a week earlier and did not feel comfortable during practice. But stunning competition conveniently makes fans forget who is absent. And the competition Saturday night was certainly stunning. The backflip was first launched two years ago, and both riders and fans have wondered what would top it. Over the past couple of weeks, rumor spread through the Moto X world that Pastrana and several others had landed what we're calling the off-axis 360 in a foam pit. But could it be landed on dirt? Deegan answered the question with his final run. More on his trick in a second. For the X Games, the ghosts of Olympics past were buried in the Coliseum under 6,000 square yards of dirt, piled into jumps ranging from 12 to 15 feet in height, launching the riders as far as 75 feet. Highlights of the prelims included 18-year-old Myles Richmond throwing huge tailwhips, and Beau Bamburg packing his run with a Hart attack, near-perfect kiss of death, backflip, coffin and no-handed seat grab. The audience rewarded Bamburg with a roar, so he pulled a backflip after the horn sounded, starting a trend of adding a trick after the 90-second routine was up. This trend would become a significant factor in the contest. Throughout the night, the crowd favorites were obviously Deegan and Pastrana, who finished sixth and second in the prelims. Nate Adams stole the prelim show with a super-tech, near-flawless run that included a backflip heel clicker over a 75-foot gap. Nate Adams would also play a significant role in the finals. With just one run in the finals, every trick mattered. Deegan performed a solid run, but he decided to make the most of his run by adding an extra minute to the end. He got the crowd roaring with his backflip over a 75-foot gap, then he rolled to the corner of the course, obviously setting up for something big. The horn had long blown when he hit the 45-foot kicker. He pulled backward and spun, and he landed sideways on the ramp, meaning his 360 was more like a 270. But he rode away. Whether or not the trick would count in the judges minds was yet to be determined, but anyone who saw the trick knew that FMX had taken a huge leap forward from the backflip era. Deegan scored 93 points, but had to watch while Travis Pastrana and Nate Adams, the top two finishers in the prelims, took their runs. "I have always been the second guy to do stuff," said Deegan, " but tonight, I was like, I am going to be the first guy to pull a move. So I practiced about 10 in the foam pit and pulled five. I was like, I am ready." Four riders later, Pastrana rolled to the top of the ramp. The rumors were strong that he had the 360 as well. He also has a torn ACL in his knee and will undergo surgery next week. Pastrana started his run with an insanely huge backflip, but everyone knew he needed more — a lot more. Pastrana raced around the track like a sparrow on speed, roosting out of the corners as if he couldn't wait to hit the next jump. Then just as the horn sounded to end his run, Pastrana attempted the Deegan-trumper, the second 360 of the night. He fell on his landing, but jumped back on his bike, ripped around the course, and pulled the trick again, this time landing it cleanly. Did the trick count? Only the judges know. What is known is that he scored 94.67 points, which moved him past Deegan and into first place. "It was a gnarly, gnarly course," said Pastrana with a grin. "But it's the X Games. Everything is steeper, bigger, crazier, but what can you expect, we're at the L.A. Coliseum and I didn't die." But Pastrana and Deegan weren't the end of the freestyle madness. Watching the flip-off inspired Nate Adams, the final rider of the night, and he pulled every trick in the book: backflip heel click followed by a coffin, scorpion-rock solid combo and a 75-foot backflip. His run was technically brilliant, and the judges gave him 94.75 points, pushing Deegan to third, but leaving Pastrana in the top spot for the fourth time in four X Games dating back to 1999. Notes The girls from Playboy Team Extreme who appeared in the Eco-Challenge were spotted hanging out in the press area with wakeboarder Shane Bonifay. Both Nate Adams and Kenny Bartram have landed over 1,000 backflips in the last year. Mike Metzger was wearing head-to-toe Zoo York because Echo Unlimited (his sponsor) recently bought the core skate company. Cary Hart's foam pit that Travis Pastrana practiced his 360 in last week cost $50,000 to build. Metzger says he has $80,000 worth of foam in his recently built pit. Dayne Kinnaird crashed hard in the practice session and chose not to compete in the Freestyle event. Cary Hart's dad, a veteran Moto X track builder, helped construct the freestyle course, even though his son chose not to compete. Quotes "After sustaining a concussion last week, it's a better choice for me not to ride, especially because supermoto is a lot more fun for me right now," -- Mike Metzger "I came down here and did what I wanted to do. I don't have no flip. I am not no Travis Pastrana or Nate Adams and I know how the judging works." -- Matt Buyten "I am so scared to go out there. I sat here looking at these jumps for like three hours yesterday. I am not doing that 90-footer, but I'll do the rest of the course." - Kenny Bartram "No one until tonight had ever tried this trick over dirt and the fact that both of us landed this is amazing." - Travis Pastrana "The 360 feels like a backflip, but doesn't feel quite right." - Brian Deegan "I didn't die man, I didn't die." - Travis Pastrana, after the event was over |
| Pastrana Still Unbeaten Saturday, August 16 By Shanti Sosienski EXPN.com |
| News flash for those who missed the X Games Freestyle Motocross event on Saturday night: the backflip is out, the 360 is in. |