Jackson Strong wins X Games Best Trick with front-flip

The Moto X Best Trick contest at X Games 17 went down on Thursday, with Australian riders dominating the competition. Jackson “Jacko” Strong landed the first-ever competition front flip, spinning slightly off-axis on his way to winning Moto X Best Trick. Strong beat out his fellow Australians Cam Sinclair and Josh Sheehan, who took second and third, respectively. Sinclair landed a nac-nac double backflip variation and Sheehan landed his first competition double backflip.

Travis Pastrana, whose much-hyped rodeo 720 was expected to be a highlight of the competition, crashed in his first run and crashed again in a rebate run immediately afterward, putting the rest of his “Pastranathon” weekend — which was also scheduled to include competition in Moto X Freestyle, a NASCAR debut, and X Games Rally events — in jeopardy. Pastrana left the Staples Center with the X Games medical team and went to the hospital for X-rays.

Mark Monea went down hard on a no-handed front flip variation in run one, attempting to best Strong’s front flip, and did not take his second run.