Monster Rules X Games Shanghai 2019

The Monster Energy team’s medal run started on Saturday with freestyle motocross team rider Strong claiming the gold medal in Moto X Best Trick. Strong had been battling a leg injury for the past year and was freshly back in the saddle in Shanghai. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old from Lockhart, Australia cemented his status as the most successful Moto X Best Trick competitor in X Games history by claiming his fifth X Games gold medal with a highly technical front flip no-hander over the 75-feet gap. Strong already made motocross history by landing the first in-competition front flip in 2011 at X Games XVII in Los Angeles and now holds eight total medals, including a bronze from Snowmobile Best Trick. Welcome back, Jacko!

The run for hardware continued when the action moved to the massive 73-feet Mega Ramp for BMX Big Air. Starting from a 59-feet roll-in, BMX riders sent their best aerials over the kicker gap in the structure’s middle – optionally clearing a 50-feet or 63-feet gap – before finishing their runs with massive aerials on the 27-feet quarterpipe.

In a highly competitive finals session, Monster Energy team rider James Foster, who won BMX Big Air at X Games Minneapolis in 2017 and 2018, posted a perfect run on his third attempt: Starting from the top of the roll-in, Foster sent a huge no-handed backflip – taking his hands off the bike’s handlebar in mid-air – over the big gap, followed by a massive, 17’ 3”-high quadruple tailwhip on the 27-feet quarterpipe for 87.66 points and a strong bronze medal finish.

The second day of X Games Shanghai was all about skateboarding with Monster Energy taking back-to-back gold medals. Men’s Skateboard Street saw Huston go blow-for-blow with an elite field of the world’s best street skaters. After taking a heavy slam on his first run, it all came down to the third and final attempt for Huston, who thrives on high-pressure situations. Rising to the occasion, Huston put together a perfect routine on the final run of the contest, featuring technical highlights like overcrook the rainbow rail and nollie heelflip nosebluntslide the big rail for 94.00 points and the gold medal. The walk-off victory marked the tenth Skateboard Street gold medal for the 24-year old who has been competing at X Games since age 11, and is also the current Street League Skateboarding World Champion.

Closing out an eventful weekend in Shanghai, 18-year-old rookie pro Wood faced the world Skateboard Big Air elite on the Mega Ramp on Sunday evening. Mostly known for his Skateboard Park terrain talent, Wood had been putting in some Mega Ramp training sessions and came to Shanghai with a surprise move up his sleeve: On his very first run in the finals, Wood unveiled a massive backside body varial 720 over the big gap – a trick never seen before in competition – right into an 18-feet high varial Mc Twist on the huge quarterpipe for a 90.33-point score. The surprise victory marks the third X Games medal for Wood, who took back-to-back Big Air bronze at X Games Minneapolis and Sidney 2018.

Now that the first X Games Shanghai is a wrap, an inaugural X Games China winter event is already slated for late November to early December this year. Over in the United States, the action continues with X Games Minneapolis from July 31 – August 4, 2019 when Huston, Strong, and Wood defend their gold medals from Shanghai 2019. Make sure to tune in!