Trey Wood Claims Bronze in Skateboard Big Air at X Games Sydney 2018

Trey Wood took out third place in the Skateboard Big Air event today at X Games Sydney 2018 at Spotless Stadium inside Sydney Olympic Park. Facing the world elite of Mega Ramp skateboarders, the 18-year-old from Queen Creek, Arizona landed a highly technical run for a strong third-place finish at the first X Games on Australian soil.

Wood came into today’s Skateboard Big Air final as a top contender after causing a major upset by winning bronze, his first X Games medal, at X Games Minneapolis in July this year. Wasting no time on the outdoor Mega Ramp with its 70-foot gap and 28-foot quarterpipe, Wood landed a perfect run on his second attempt: a flawless mute 720 over the big gap followed by a massive 19.7-foot-high backside 540, which secured an 86.66 point score and an early lead.

Then the level of difficulty exploded. South Carolina’s Clay Kreiner posted the day’s highest air to take over the top spot, only to find himself leapfrogged by Brazil’s Rony Gomes. The pressure was on Wood, who reached deep into his bag of tricks to up the ante on his third attempt: Following his perfect mute 720 over the big gap with a huge backside varial 540 on the quarterpipe increased his score to 91.33 points and a strong third place finish, as New York’s Elliot Sloan clinched the win on his final attempt.

Also stoking the crowd in Sydney today was Wood’s Monster Energy teammate and hometown hero Jake Brown. An icon of Big Air skateboarding at age 44, the Australian stepped to the challenge in his 22nd X Games appearance with six X Games medals under his belt, including two Big Air gold. Proving why he is considered one of the sport’s trailblazers, Brown pulled an extremely rare Indy backflip over the big gap, followed by a 18.11-foot-high mute 540 on the big quarterpipe.