Back in the summer of 1995, I had just completed 6th grade at Lascassas. At that time, ESPN showed preview shows of sports like skateboarding, BMX and Street Luge for this upcoming Olympic-like event called the Extreme Games. When the first edition started later that summer, I was hooked. Fifteen years later, I can’t believe they have lasted this long.
Throughout those 15 years, sports and athletes have come and gone. Only two sports, skateboarding and BMX, and four competitors, skateboarders Andy MacDonald, Bob Burnquist and Rune Glifberg and BMX rider Dennis McCoy, have been a part of all of them.
Back in 2000, I attended the X Games qualifier in the parking lot of the Titans football stadium. The weather that weekend was terrible, but I was stoked to be in attendance. I stood in the front row of the vert ramp and saw one of the greatest BMX riders of all-time, Mat Hoffman, work his magic. I also received autographs from MacDonald and BMX rider Ryan Nyquist.
Starting July 30, Los Angeles will host the best athletes in four different sports: skateboarding, BMX, Moto X and Rally Car Racing for four action packed days of competition.
I don’t mean to go back in time, but I used to eat, drink and sleep the X Games. This is coming from a guy who doesn’t skateboard or ride a bike. However, they are still important enough that this will be the only action sports event I will watch this summer. I’m glad that ESPN gives it enough respect to give the event its own version of “SportsCenter,” called “X Center,” and all of the events are now televised live. I know there is the “Dew Tour” on NBC and MTV, but I have a hard time viewing the show.
However, I have compiled my list of the top 15 moments of X Games history. This list is different from the one on ESPN’s website, since it only includes moments from the four current sports mentioned above. Remember, this is only my opinion and please excuse my man crush on the double backfilp.
Top 15 X Games Moments: (in no particular order):
1. Tony Hawk lands the first ever 900 on a skateboard (1999) This feat turned the X Games from a nice made-for-TV competition during the middle of the summer to the mainstream. It took Hawk 11 tries before he landed it.
2. Travis Pastrana scored 99 and puts his bike into the water (1999)
1999 was the first year motorcycles were allowed at the X Games. Then 15 years old, Pastrana brought new tricks and received the highest score ever. Later, he decided to ride his motorcycle into the San Francisco Pier.
3. Dave Mirra does first double backfilp on a bike (2000)
The legend kept growing as he won the BMX park contest for his ninth gold medal.
4. Skateboard goes back to its roots (2001) Skateboarders were allowed to perform at the Philadelphia City Hall Plaza legally for the first time. Hometown hero Kerry Getz won the event. The next day, the police went back to writing tickets for skating at the complex.
5. Stephen Murray does first double backfilp on dirt (2001) Murray won gold after pulling off the trick for the first time in the BMX Dirt event. However, at a 2007 Dew Tour stop, he became paralyzed and is still recovering from those injuries.
6. Bob Burnquist perfect skateboard run (2001) Burnquist used a vast array of technical tricks to earn the highest score ever in an X Games skateboard vert contest.
7. Mike Metzger goes back-to-back (2002) Freestyle motocross rider does the first ever back-to-back backfilps in a Moto X contest.
8. Hoffman wins Vert with a broken foot (1996) and nails no-handed 900 (2002) BMX star Mat Hoffman, who created more tricks on a bike than anybody in history, took home the gold on a broken foot at X Games Two. Six years later, he landed a no-handed 900 for the first time on a bike.
9. McGrath and Buyten duel in Moto X Step Up (2004) In an event that resembles a track and field pole vault with a motorcycle. Both riders went back and forth trying to clear 33 feet, 6 inches in a jump-off that took nine attempts. During the contest, Matt Buyten dislocated his right shoulder twice and then popped it back in. One of the greatest Supercross racers of all-time, Jeremy McGrath won his first X Games gold.
10. Pastrana and rally car legend go toe-to-toe (2006) Travis Pastrana traded in his motorcycle for a rally car and led with one driver left, Colin McCrae. McCrae was one jump away from gold, but he flipped the car. Pastrana won the gold.
11. Pastrana does double backfilp on motorcycle (2006) Travis Pastrana does the double back for the first time ever on a motorcycle during the Moto X Best Trick event.
12. Brown gets up after horrible fall (2007) Skateboarder Jake Brown takes a terrible slam from the top of quarterpipe during the Big Air. His fall makes national news, but after being looked at by the medical team, he gets up under his own power.
13. Dansie says bye to opponent, says hello to the hay bale (1996) Street Luge Dual competition: Lee Dansie passes newcomer Biker Sherlock in early round action and waves good-bye. Dansie, however, hits the hay bale and Sherlock took the win, and he later won gold in the Mass (four-man) event. Street Luge was an X Games event from 1995 – 2001.
14.Four-way tie in Snowboard Big Air (1998) During the summer, X Games Four hosted a snowboard contest in San Diego. After the final round, four snowboarders were tied for first place. Kevin Jones won the gold in the jump-off. Big Air Snowboarding was at Summer X from 1997 – 1999. It is still an event at Winter X.
15. Khris does double backfilp on in-line skates (2001) Aggressive In-Liner Taig Khris completed the first double backfilp on in-line skates during the vert event. Aggressive In-Line lasted from 1995 – 2004.
