FMX Insider No.12: X Games 2014

Welcome to our brand new weekly web-exclusive column, Transmoto‘s FMX Insider. Penned each week by South Australian rider, Ben Heidrich, the FMX Insider will present the story-behind-the-stories of the Aussie and international freestyle motocross scenes. 

Here’s everything you need to know about what went down in the moto divisions at this year’s X Games…

MOTO X BEST WHIP

Gold: Tom Parsons

Silver: Jeremy Stenberg

Bronze: Josh Hansen

After taking out last year’s Monster Energy Cup Dirt Shark Best Whip Contest, Tom Parsons graced the skies of Austin, Texas with his unbelievable upside down whips. The competition, with its controversial fan-based voting system has been a let down to various riders in previous years. Parsons taking 33-percent of the votes just went to show his insane whip style was unbeatable and scored a well-deserved first place. Crowd favourite and former Gold medalist, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, followed with a Silver medal and Josh Hansen scored the Bronze.

MOTO X FREESTYLE: CANCELLED

Moto X Freestyle at X Games Austin, scheduled to take place on Saturday night was postponed, and then canceled due to a severe weather warning. The decision was made by the X Games organisers – high winds can be risky for freestyle motocross riders who perform Backflip variations and other tricks.

This isn’t the first time the Moto X Freestyle event at X Games has been canceled due to weather. Last year, it was also canceled at X Games Munich and X Games Barcelona, due to rain and wind. “People were getting warmed up as the wind started dying but then it picked up again,” said X-Fighters Gold medalist, Australia’s Josh Sheehan. “The comp was going to be a tough one with what tricks people had lined up!” Japan’s Taka Higashino was working on a new special combo that he first debuted at the Red Bull X-Fighters event in Japan earlier this year.

X Games Gold medalist, Australia’s Jackson Strong, spoke on the event. “It sucks too see the biggest event of the year for FMX get canceled, but the tricks we do on dirt bikes these days are dangerous enough without factoring in the rough elements,” he said. “Hopefully next year we can have some better weather, or a more sheltered location.”

MOTO X SPEED & STYLE

Gold: Mike Mason

Silver: Blake Williams

Bronze: Jarryd McNeil

Mike Mason and Australian rider, Blake “Bilko” Williams went head-to-head for Gold in Moto X Speed & Style. Mason came through with Gold, whilst Williams walked away with a Silver medal. The win gave Mason his fourth Speed & Style Gold and seventh X Games medal. Mason said the riders all had to tone down their tricks due to heavy wind conditions in the area.

“I got to go against Bilko in the finals and that’s fun,” Mason said. “He’s been one of my good friends for a long time, so we had a blast.”

Jarryd McNeil from Australia won the Bronze medal match against Kris Foster in his first-ever Speed & Style event. “Originally I was only an alternate for Best Whip,” said McNeil. “A couple of days before X Games a rider pulled out then the day before another pulled out due to injury. While driving there I found out I was first alternate. Then in practice the wind was pretty bad and unfortunately caught Javier Villegas, so I took his spot.” A month before X Games, McNeil was back in Australia riding the Nitro Circus Live Tour. “It felt great being my first time in Speed & Style and coming home with a Bronze medal,” McNeil continued. “There’s definitely some tough competition and I had some great races.”

To watch McNeil’s run, click here.

MOTO X STEP UP

Gold: Ronnie Renner

Silver: Bryce Hudson

Bronze: Libor Podmol

Ronnie Renner, an X Games Step Up veteran, earned his sixth Gold medal whilst riding his sixteenth X games in Austin, Texas. Renner made it over 30 feet and then 32 feet after his three top competitors were eliminated. Both Renner and Bryce Hudson comfortably cleared the bar after it was raised to 33 feet and 6 inches. In the last round, Renner was able to beat Hudson by clearing 34 feet, taking out the 2014 X Games Gold in Step Up.