and the boys didnt let us down, plenty of Jacks was consumed and i can tell ya the whole place smelt like Bob Marleys back room..................Enjoy
Monday, May 18, 2009
LYG Goes to KMK !!!!!!
A few of the Krew got the hookup to roll on down to watch the Kottonmouth Kings tear down the Sands Hotel in Maroochydore
and the boys didnt let us down, plenty of Jacks was consumed and i can tell ya the whole place smelt like Bob Marleys back room..................Enjoy
and the boys didnt let us down, plenty of Jacks was consumed and i can tell ya the whole place smelt like Bob Marleys back room..................Enjoy
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Lance and Levi Show
19-year-old Lance Coury and 17-year-old Levi Sherwood are two of freestyle moto's youngest professionals. Lance has been in the public eye for a bit longer than Levi with appearances in Fuel TV's "Great Ride Open", but Levi Sherwood recently broke into the scene with a vengeance by winning the first round of the 2009 Red Bull X-Fighters series in Mexico City. These two youngins are both supported by Red Bull, so naturally they train together at the newly founded Red Bull compound near Lance's house near Valencia, CA. Lance and Levi quickly became good buds that have a lot in common, including their age and dirt bikes.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Hart Is Back and he's coming to Oz
Long before freestyle motocross was a live televised sport, a small group of racers had enough of the corporate racing scene and just wanted to have fun riding their dirt bikes. One of those riders was Carey Hart. Hart was no slouch on the racetrack, qualifying for numerous Supercross mains in the late 90's, but when the factory support dollars never showed, it was time for a change. This sparked the freestyle movement.
At the 2000 Gravity Games, Hart shocked the world by pulling the first-ever back flip on a full sized dirt bike. While he did not land it perfectly, he changed the sport of FMX forever. Since then, a lot has changed for the FMX icon turned celebrity. I recently caught up with Carey while shooting with him at his MX compound outside of Las Vegas.
You were an innovator for the sport of FMX by introducing the back flip. Since then, you have been in the spotlight for all different reasons, whether it be your club, tattoo shop, or relationship with Pink. What has Carey Hart been up to recently?
It's been a crazy year in general. I made the move from the Palms to the Hard Rock now. We have the Hart and Huntington tattoo shop at the Hard Rock and I also opened my nightclub there, Wasted Space. I've been doing the business thing a lot. It's kind of wearing on me a little bit, but I guess at some point we all have to grow up. That's why I think I am trying to get back on my freestyle bike a lot.
How was the transition from freestyler to full-time business man?
It was a lot more fun being a delinquent dirt bike rider, I can tell you that much. Nah, I am in a very fortunate situation where I am able to do life after motocross, where a lot of guys aren't so lucky. I'm trying to take full advantage of my opportunities and keep myself busy. I've been doing a lot of that.
Next month you are touring with Pink in Australia. How did the collaboration come about?
It's definitely going to be something new to say the least. We recently got back together and we wanted to come up with some ideas where we could build on our relationship and still be able to work. We both came up with this tour idea along with my manager, Steve Astephen. The idea is to do a seven-stop tour in Australia — everywhere from Melbourne to Sydney, to Gold Coast. The show will take place in the parking lot of the stadiums Pink performs at and will last around two to three hours and it's free to the public.
What riders will be jumping with you on tour?
We're trying to figure that out right now. It's going to be a majority of Australian riders, but if everything goes to plan, we are going to try to get Mason and Bilko for the last stop since it doesn't conflict with Crusty Tour. More than anything, it's not to go out and set the world on fire. There is a huge demographic there of people that might not know about FMX. Her [Pink] fans are die-hard fans and might know a little about what I do, but they might not know everything about it. This is a huge opportunity for them to come see what we do.
How long will you be touring down under?
The tour kicks off May 30th and is every weekend till June 20th. You can go on hartandhuntingtontattoo.com, hartandhuntington.com, or handhtour.com to see the tour schedule and details. It is going to be a good time.
Here comes the big question, Carey. Will the fans see you upside down?
You probably will see a back flip, but not from me [laughs]. My whole thing is I love riding, I still love to ride freestyle, and I really don't have anything to prove. I just want to get back out there, ride, and connect with my fan base. It is all for fun. I recently made the switch to the 450 4-stroke so it is a big learning curve, but at the same time it makes it fun again. I'm not trying to set the world on fire or make some big come back. I just want to have fun on my bike with my friends and reconnect with the fans.
One of the first things I noticed was that you are hitting ramps on the 450 4-stroke. How is it jumping the 4-stroke after riding 2-strokes for so many years?
It's been pretty gnarly, actually. I made the change because I still ride freestyle, but it's more on my time for fun or sponsors. I'm not trying to push it anymore like Mason or those guys are, but I wanted to get in a situation where I'm comfortable. With the Honda 250 2-stroke being outdated and so far behind in technology, I am going to go kicking and screaming at some point to make the switch. Everyone is going to have to because there won't be 2-strokes around 10 years from now. I might as well make the switch now, especially before this tour.
I've been hearing horror stories from Mason and Twitch about how they get roached-out 2-strokes overseas and it's getting dangerous. For me, if I make the transition and get comfortable on the 450, I can ride a brand new bike every time I go somewhere. For me it was more of a safety thing in the long run and I love coming out here to ride with my supercross team. With the way the tracks are built these days, it's difficult to ride a supercross track on a 2-stroke. They've changed a lot over the past few years. Between supermoto, supercross, and freestyle, it makes more sense for me to be on the 450 4-stroke all the time.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Anzac's are taking over the World of FMX
By Tes Sewell
There has been a quiet invasion happening in the world of FMX. An invasion so insidious that few may have noticed it, but I fear that now it may be too late to avert.
A couple of years ago, my concern was that those pesky Euros were going to come storming into the Americas and that, once they figured out the big dirt courses here, they would be an unstoppable force. We had some notable visits from riders like France's Manu Troux and Germany's Busty Wolter. Troux executed what is still probably one of the most epic bike ejections of all time at an event in Colorado Springs and went home with a broken femur. Wolter also hit the eject button (I think in Wooster, Mass maybe) and lawn darted into the step up face that was already cut into the back of a landing.
So, we sent these guys home with new, shiny crutches and could never quite figure out why Europe's best at the time (Edgar Torronterras) would not come out to play?
Just about the same time, this new kid appeared on the scene. His name was Dayne Kinnaird and he was just a little bit easier to understand than the Frenchie and the German. Through sign language and some napkin drawings we began to understand that he was from an island nation in the far south called, Australia. Kinnaird also got a bit banged up, but was undaunted and made some calls home from the hospital, to a small phone box on the edge of Sydney Harbor, from where notes were written on the back of Victoria Bitter beer mats and then flown by bush plane to other young Aussie hopefuls.
That's where it all started. The blood in the water of the shark tank of Australian FMX. A few then ventured over, we got Urek and the Hall brothers and eventually Robbie Maddison. They came and settled and started slowly chipping away at their Inland Empire lifestyles, most of them eventually becoming adopted by the Metal Mulisha. Brian Deegan's Freestyle Crustycross exchange program has now created one of the most significant forces in the world of freestyle. This has never been more evident than in the past few weeks of competition.
March 27. A 17-year-old kid rides onto the big stage of the Red Bull X-Fighters kick-off event in Mexico City and crushes the competition. Competition that included X-Fighters Champion, Mat Rebeaud and the King of the Bullrings himself, Dany Torres. The kid was Levi Sherwood and he came from the "other" island nation in the far south; New Zealand.
April 18. A new Team FMX event is held in Rincon, just East of San Diego, in the heart of FMX country. There are two teams — one from Nevada, featuring standouts like Mike Mason and Matt Buyten and one from 'SoCal'. Of the four members on the 'SoCal' team, only ONE was actually from Southern California, Jeff 'Ox' Kargola. The other three riders were all from — you guessed it — Australia!
Team 'SoCal' crushed the competition with some amazing riding from the three Aussies, Blake "Bilko" Williams, Cameron Sinclair and another young breakout star called Robbie Adelberg. We have known about Bilko for some time, but Sinclair's first US event was last year at the LG FMX Champs, after which he gained notoriety by consistently double flipping his dirt bike during the Crusty Tour. Sinclair then went into the Mexico City event and took fourth place, even though he was unable to do a double flip in competition.
And where did Adelberg come from? Well, turns out that he is a protégé of another well-known Aussie Robbie — none other than Mr. Maddison, the 'fly longer, jump higher' star of ESPN's New Year's Eve celebrations. I decided to get together with my mate Maddo and ask him about things from an Australian perspective:
The Aussies seem really strong these days and it seems like every time we turn around there is another young kid ready to compete at an International level. How many of these kids are there Down Under?
There is a wealth of talent in Australia, every kid has the dream of coming to America to make it as a top pro. The thing that makes Aussies seem so bad-ass is that we understand that coming out here requires a high level of riding, so every time a kid gets on a motorcycle, it is to become the next Nate Adams, not just enjoy the passion or to get a new sponsor. The level of riding in Aus and NZ is the same as out here, but before a kid makes a move to America they make sure they have something to flaunt. They make sure that they have something up their sleeve, land here knowing that they are here to do a job, and confident they have the tools to do it...
Do you think that Australian riding style is different to American FMX ? style?
I would say the Aussie style is to go big. There is not a lot of money in our sport in Australia so there is a constant battle to one up each other at any time to try and be the number one guy. This creates a super competitive vibe on and off the bike, so kids get used to having to step it up. They get tunnel vision on where they want to take their riding level to.
So, how long 'til a kid from Oz or NZ wins an X Games Gold medal?
Well, Bilko and Myself have been here for a few years chasing this dream. The only problem with X Games is that the judging is so far behind the sport that it is unfair and not reflective of the true circumstances. I felt I was in with a chance of a gold medal last year but was beaten in a heat even though I did more tricks and gnarlier ones than the guy I went head to head with. As soon as the sport stops being judged off popularity and gets judged off what is happening on course, I think a foreigner may be in contention to steal the throne.
There has been a quiet invasion happening in the world of FMX. An invasion so insidious that few may have noticed it, but I fear that now it may be too late to avert.
A couple of years ago, my concern was that those pesky Euros were going to come storming into the Americas and that, once they figured out the big dirt courses here, they would be an unstoppable force. We had some notable visits from riders like France's Manu Troux and Germany's Busty Wolter. Troux executed what is still probably one of the most epic bike ejections of all time at an event in Colorado Springs and went home with a broken femur. Wolter also hit the eject button (I think in Wooster, Mass maybe) and lawn darted into the step up face that was already cut into the back of a landing.
So, we sent these guys home with new, shiny crutches and could never quite figure out why Europe's best at the time (Edgar Torronterras) would not come out to play?
Just about the same time, this new kid appeared on the scene. His name was Dayne Kinnaird and he was just a little bit easier to understand than the Frenchie and the German. Through sign language and some napkin drawings we began to understand that he was from an island nation in the far south called, Australia. Kinnaird also got a bit banged up, but was undaunted and made some calls home from the hospital, to a small phone box on the edge of Sydney Harbor, from where notes were written on the back of Victoria Bitter beer mats and then flown by bush plane to other young Aussie hopefuls.
That's where it all started. The blood in the water of the shark tank of Australian FMX. A few then ventured over, we got Urek and the Hall brothers and eventually Robbie Maddison. They came and settled and started slowly chipping away at their Inland Empire lifestyles, most of them eventually becoming adopted by the Metal Mulisha. Brian Deegan's Freestyle Crustycross exchange program has now created one of the most significant forces in the world of freestyle. This has never been more evident than in the past few weeks of competition.
March 27. A 17-year-old kid rides onto the big stage of the Red Bull X-Fighters kick-off event in Mexico City and crushes the competition. Competition that included X-Fighters Champion, Mat Rebeaud and the King of the Bullrings himself, Dany Torres. The kid was Levi Sherwood and he came from the "other" island nation in the far south; New Zealand.
April 18. A new Team FMX event is held in Rincon, just East of San Diego, in the heart of FMX country. There are two teams — one from Nevada, featuring standouts like Mike Mason and Matt Buyten and one from 'SoCal'. Of the four members on the 'SoCal' team, only ONE was actually from Southern California, Jeff 'Ox' Kargola. The other three riders were all from — you guessed it — Australia!
Team 'SoCal' crushed the competition with some amazing riding from the three Aussies, Blake "Bilko" Williams, Cameron Sinclair and another young breakout star called Robbie Adelberg. We have known about Bilko for some time, but Sinclair's first US event was last year at the LG FMX Champs, after which he gained notoriety by consistently double flipping his dirt bike during the Crusty Tour. Sinclair then went into the Mexico City event and took fourth place, even though he was unable to do a double flip in competition.
And where did Adelberg come from? Well, turns out that he is a protégé of another well-known Aussie Robbie — none other than Mr. Maddison, the 'fly longer, jump higher' star of ESPN's New Year's Eve celebrations. I decided to get together with my mate Maddo and ask him about things from an Australian perspective:
The Aussies seem really strong these days and it seems like every time we turn around there is another young kid ready to compete at an International level. How many of these kids are there Down Under?
There is a wealth of talent in Australia, every kid has the dream of coming to America to make it as a top pro. The thing that makes Aussies seem so bad-ass is that we understand that coming out here requires a high level of riding, so every time a kid gets on a motorcycle, it is to become the next Nate Adams, not just enjoy the passion or to get a new sponsor. The level of riding in Aus and NZ is the same as out here, but before a kid makes a move to America they make sure they have something to flaunt. They make sure that they have something up their sleeve, land here knowing that they are here to do a job, and confident they have the tools to do it...
Do you think that Australian riding style is different to American FMX ? style?
I would say the Aussie style is to go big. There is not a lot of money in our sport in Australia so there is a constant battle to one up each other at any time to try and be the number one guy. This creates a super competitive vibe on and off the bike, so kids get used to having to step it up. They get tunnel vision on where they want to take their riding level to.
So, how long 'til a kid from Oz or NZ wins an X Games Gold medal?
Well, Bilko and Myself have been here for a few years chasing this dream. The only problem with X Games is that the judging is so far behind the sport that it is unfair and not reflective of the true circumstances. I felt I was in with a chance of a gold medal last year but was beaten in a heat even though I did more tricks and gnarlier ones than the guy I went head to head with. As soon as the sport stops being judged off popularity and gets judged off what is happening on course, I think a foreigner may be in contention to steal the throne.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Pastrana - Worlds smallest flip
Latest DC Ad shows TP doing possibly the smalllest flip on a Big Bike
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Do You Want backstage Passes to watch these Guy's ???
We have 4 Backstage Passes to The Perth Metro's City Gig on The 30th of April to give away.
All you have to do to be in the running is get Instore to LYG before Next Wednesday at 12 Midday and Spend $200 on KMK gear !!
The 4 winners will be contacted on Wednesday afternoon, this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity !!!!!!!!!
Ohh yeah i also forget to mention they are being supported be Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, SEN DOG FROM FUKING CYPRESS HILL
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Rob Adelberg - Next Big Thing
Interview - Ryan Leyba
20-year-old Rob Adelberg is the latest young Australian making his way into the American FMX scene and with loads of style and talent and a stamp of approval from Robbie "Maddo" Maddison, he's got everything he needs to make it to the top.
I caught up with Rob after his first contest on US soil to find out what makes the Australian's so damn awesome, where he's been staying and riding and who his biggest competition is. Sorry for the crappy quality...
20-year-old Rob Adelberg is the latest young Australian making his way into the American FMX scene and with loads of style and talent and a stamp of approval from Robbie "Maddo" Maddison, he's got everything he needs to make it to the top.
I caught up with Rob after his first contest on US soil to find out what makes the Australian's so damn awesome, where he's been staying and riding and who his biggest competition is. Sorry for the crappy quality...
Monday, April 20, 2009
What's Next ????????
Chuck Carothers gets the new training harness going
Can you explain exactly what's going on in the photos you posted on freestylemtx.com? How did you get a hold of the device and what are you trying to accomplish with it?
Travis Pastrana introduced me to the device, but I just haven't had many ideas on what to do with it. It's really cool and I think it can help push our sport like the foam pit did.
So, you got the device with no specific trick in mind, but it looks like you've finally come up with something that you're set on landing.
Yeah, I was lying in bed and the idea came to me kind of just like my Carolla did. The idea wasn't to just do it in the harness, but I could actually see the motions and how I could make them work on a real setup.
Since getting the harness contraption, has your mind been racing 24/7 with new ideas?
[laughs] It did for a while, but I've had that thing for a few years now and haven't used it much. I need to see something work in my mind before I know where to begin with it, but I've finally figured something out. It gets pretty uncomfortable after hanging in it for a while, so it's not like I just mess around until I figure something out. That would be painful. [laughs]
So, you're not quite letting the cat out of the bag, but you're giving us a peek. Tell us more about your take on that.
Well, I've never really had the option to let the cat out of the bag too early, because I've always been last minute on working on new tricks. I thought it would be good to get people thinking. I want to push myself and others. And I work good under pressure — if people expect something of me, I feel I need to give it to them.
Travis Pastrana introduced me to the device, but I just haven't had many ideas on what to do with it. It's really cool and I think it can help push our sport like the foam pit did.
So, you got the device with no specific trick in mind, but it looks like you've finally come up with something that you're set on landing.
Yeah, I was lying in bed and the idea came to me kind of just like my Carolla did. The idea wasn't to just do it in the harness, but I could actually see the motions and how I could make them work on a real setup.
Since getting the harness contraption, has your mind been racing 24/7 with new ideas?
[laughs] It did for a while, but I've had that thing for a few years now and haven't used it much. I need to see something work in my mind before I know where to begin with it, but I've finally figured something out. It gets pretty uncomfortable after hanging in it for a while, so it's not like I just mess around until I figure something out. That would be painful. [laughs]
So, you're not quite letting the cat out of the bag, but you're giving us a peek. Tell us more about your take on that.
Well, I've never really had the option to let the cat out of the bag too early, because I've always been last minute on working on new tricks. I thought it would be good to get people thinking. I want to push myself and others. And I work good under pressure — if people expect something of me, I feel I need to give it to them.
Are you slated to ride Best Trick in X Games or are you hoping that the hype from this trick will reserve you a spot?
I don't plan on just hyping this trick up for a spot at X — I plan on completing it for a spot.
Do you like the way X Games is invite only, or do you feel that it should be taken back to how it was before with qualifiers? Back when everyone had to earn their spot.
There should be qualifiers for sure! The invite only format is lame and it also needs to go back to 16 rider fields. There are always more than 10 riders that deserve a spot a X.
Do you think the politics have kept a lot of guys out that should've been competing?
Definitely. I also think Best Trick at X Games should be like how the Best Trick at the X-Fighters in Madrid was. Each rider gets three jumps total. They do two flip tricks and the judges take the highest score of the two and then each rider would do one non-flip trick that would be averaged with the others. I'm not so against the one big trick riders that have been around, but I think the sport needs to be pushed in other ways besides just upside down. If you make everyone do one non-flip trick, many more tricks would be added to the sport.
In your post, you mentioned that you want to remind people that you're still a rider and not just a web monkey. Do you feel that sometimes people forget that you're an X Games gold medalist?
Yeah, I don't expect greatness from my medal, but I just think that a lot of people think that I'm a one-trick wonder they think I'm washed up, but that's not the case.
Well, I definitely know that you're not a one-trick wonder, but how important is it to you to show other people that you're not a one-trick wonder?
It's really not that important to me. It used to be, but then injuries held me back and I pretty much got over it. I used to want to prove myself, but I'm happy with my riding now, so it's all good.
What keeps you pushing the boundries of what can be done on a motorcycle if it's not to prove that you're not a one-trick wonder?
I would say it's still the adrenaline I get from it all. I love my riding my bike and I especially love riding in front of big crowds, but there's no rush like landing a new trick and I want that feeling again.
Let's do a quick word association, Transworld style:
X Games — Gold
Best Trick Gold Medal — Awesome
Fear — Excitement
Injury — Sucks
Victory — Happiness
Future — Unknown
I don't plan on just hyping this trick up for a spot at X — I plan on completing it for a spot.
Do you like the way X Games is invite only, or do you feel that it should be taken back to how it was before with qualifiers? Back when everyone had to earn their spot.
There should be qualifiers for sure! The invite only format is lame and it also needs to go back to 16 rider fields. There are always more than 10 riders that deserve a spot a X.
Do you think the politics have kept a lot of guys out that should've been competing?
Definitely. I also think Best Trick at X Games should be like how the Best Trick at the X-Fighters in Madrid was. Each rider gets three jumps total. They do two flip tricks and the judges take the highest score of the two and then each rider would do one non-flip trick that would be averaged with the others. I'm not so against the one big trick riders that have been around, but I think the sport needs to be pushed in other ways besides just upside down. If you make everyone do one non-flip trick, many more tricks would be added to the sport.
In your post, you mentioned that you want to remind people that you're still a rider and not just a web monkey. Do you feel that sometimes people forget that you're an X Games gold medalist?
Yeah, I don't expect greatness from my medal, but I just think that a lot of people think that I'm a one-trick wonder they think I'm washed up, but that's not the case.
Well, I definitely know that you're not a one-trick wonder, but how important is it to you to show other people that you're not a one-trick wonder?
It's really not that important to me. It used to be, but then injuries held me back and I pretty much got over it. I used to want to prove myself, but I'm happy with my riding now, so it's all good.
What keeps you pushing the boundries of what can be done on a motorcycle if it's not to prove that you're not a one-trick wonder?
I would say it's still the adrenaline I get from it all. I love my riding my bike and I especially love riding in front of big crowds, but there's no rush like landing a new trick and I want that feeling again.
Let's do a quick word association, Transworld style:
X Games — Gold
Best Trick Gold Medal — Awesome
Fear — Excitement
Injury — Sucks
Victory — Happiness
Future — Unknown
Monday, April 6, 2009
Todd Potter gives his helmet a LUSK Makeover
The other day Todd Potter came home with his brand spankin' new, freshly painted Shoei VFX-W helmet. Potter's long time helmet painter and friend, Jim Smith, went to town on the helmet with some extremely detailed artwork. Unlike most helmets today that feature random multi-colored asymmetrical designs, this helmet is a piece of art with a lot of thought and emotion put into it. The recent tragic loss of Jeremy Lusk was the inspiration behind Todd's new lid. Todd wanted something he could remember Jeremy by, while spreading his legacy to anyone that might catch a glimpse of him wearing it.
Kyle Loza's New Trick - The Bike Flip
We've been hearing the rumors for a while, but we now have hard proof that two-time X Games Best Trick gold medalist Kyle Loza has indeed been perfecting the Bike Flip at his private training facility in Orange County, California. According to reliable sources, Kyle has been working on the trick for over two and a half years and is aiming to throw it at X Games 15 in Los Angeles.
Here is the Pic of the Bike Flip, its hard to make it out but one thing we know is its going to be insane knowing Loza.
Just like the development of any new trick, Loza has had to overcome hurdles to perfect the technical maneuver. According to our sources, the hardest part of perfecting the trick has been getting the bike to pull a full rotation and figuring out how to land straight. As far as bike modifications go, nothing too extreme is required out of his YZ250 except a shaved down front brake lever, which allows the bike to rotate without hitting his wrist. Loza's biggest hurdle in completing the trick is just figuring out the last ten percent. At this time, he has 90% of the trick of the trick dialed, but if he's going to throw it down at Summer X Games 15, he'll need to have it at least 95% dialed. That last 10% could be very difficult for him to figure out.
So what is a Bike Flip? It's hard to explain, but let's try. When a rider pulls a backflip off a jump, both the bike and the rider make the flip rotation as one cohesive unit. But, with the Bike Flip, the bike makes the backflip rotation while the rider stays right side up, loosely holding on to the bike as it flips. The Bike Flip is actually a BMX trick and it has never been pulled on a dirt bike. To the best of my knowledge, Kyle Loza is the first and only person to ever attempt the Bike Flip. According to sources that have seen Loza pull the trick live, when done correctly, the Bike Flip looks like the worst crash they've ever seen.
Something that should be noted is that compared to both The Volt and the Electric Doom(two tricks that he invented that have won him gold medals in Best Trick), Loza is further along with the Bike Flip in relation to an X Games event as he has been with tricks in the past. It wasn't until three weeks before the 2007 X Games that Loza pulled the Volt to dirt and he didn't pull the Electric Doom to dirt until the day of the Moto X World Championships in San Diego.
Though pulling a Bike Flip on a full-sized motocross bike may seem impossible, Kyle Loza is once again proving that the word impossible doesn't even exist in his solar system. I'm told that video of Loza's Bike Flip will be available on Monster Energy's website within the month, but if you stay tuned to ESPN FMX, you'll undoubtedly see the footage here as well. Like I've said before, 2009 is going to be an amazing year for freestyle motocross.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Levi Sherwood wins X Fighters in Mexico City
By: Ryan Leyba
I cannot believe what I just witnessed. 17-year-old New Zealander Levi Sherwood just won the first round of the Red Bull X-Fighters. In his first major contest, Levi went head to head with reigning X-Fighters champion Mat Rebeaud and emerged victorious. Levi impressed every single spectator in the stadium with his insane extension and one-of-a-kind style. Tonight, Levi made FMX history and there has never been a better time to be a fan of the sport. If I'm not mistaken, Levi is the youngest rider to win a Red Bull X-Fighters event.
Finishing an impressive second place was Eigo Sato of Japan. This wasn't Eigo's first time riding Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City, but it was his first time placing in the top three. Eigo busted out all of his tricks with his signature style, but in the end, it wasn't enough to beat Sherwood.
Mat Rebeaud rounded out the top three, with a good run, but not one of his best. We all know what Mat Rebeaud is capable of and tonight, there seemed to be a bit something missing from his tricks. Regardless, Mat killed the course, getting in more hits than most and ending up with a solid third.
I just want to congratulate both Levi and Eigo for putting in such impressive runs and throwing a wrench in the spokes of the Red Bull X-Fighters results. What an awesome event. More to come. I'm going to bed. Adios! For more information, photos and videos check out redbullxfighters.com
'09 Red Bull X-Fighters Mexico City Final Results
1. Levi Sherwood — NZL
2. Eigo Sato — JPA
3. Mat Rebeaud — CH
4. Cameron Sinclair — AUS
5. Thomas Pages — FRA
6. Andre Villa — NOR
7. Adam Jones — USA
8. Jeff Fehr — CAN
9. Dany Torres — ESP
10. Petr Pilat — CZE
11. Johann Nungary — MEX
Checkout the vid of the Final
I cannot believe what I just witnessed. 17-year-old New Zealander Levi Sherwood just won the first round of the Red Bull X-Fighters. In his first major contest, Levi went head to head with reigning X-Fighters champion Mat Rebeaud and emerged victorious. Levi impressed every single spectator in the stadium with his insane extension and one-of-a-kind style. Tonight, Levi made FMX history and there has never been a better time to be a fan of the sport. If I'm not mistaken, Levi is the youngest rider to win a Red Bull X-Fighters event.
Finishing an impressive second place was Eigo Sato of Japan. This wasn't Eigo's first time riding Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City, but it was his first time placing in the top three. Eigo busted out all of his tricks with his signature style, but in the end, it wasn't enough to beat Sherwood.
Mat Rebeaud rounded out the top three, with a good run, but not one of his best. We all know what Mat Rebeaud is capable of and tonight, there seemed to be a bit something missing from his tricks. Regardless, Mat killed the course, getting in more hits than most and ending up with a solid third.
I just want to congratulate both Levi and Eigo for putting in such impressive runs and throwing a wrench in the spokes of the Red Bull X-Fighters results. What an awesome event. More to come. I'm going to bed. Adios! For more information, photos and videos check out redbullxfighters.com
'09 Red Bull X-Fighters Mexico City Final Results
1. Levi Sherwood — NZL
2. Eigo Sato — JPA
3. Mat Rebeaud — CH
4. Cameron Sinclair — AUS
5. Thomas Pages — FRA
6. Andre Villa — NOR
7. Adam Jones — USA
8. Jeff Fehr — CAN
9. Dany Torres — ESP
10. Petr Pilat — CZE
11. Johann Nungary — MEX
Checkout the vid of the Final
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ad's - Love em or Hate em !
The first ad that I know you'll be pumped on is this DC ad of Travis Pastrana ripping across a swimming pool on his RM. I'm guessing this took place in another country, because there is no way you could get away with this in America. Unfortunately, due to size restrictions, I wasn't able to show the entire ad, but there's a DC logo in the bottom right corner. What makes this ad crazy is that we don't know how it turned out. It seems like by the time he got to the other side of the pool, his front tire would be buried so deep in the water that he would nose into the edge of the pool and fly over the bars. Actually, he probably did and we'll be seeing it on MTV's Nitro Circus in a future episode. I guess we'll have to wait and see though — I've been known to be completely wrong with my predictions...
The second ad I'm really pumped on is this Alpinestars ad. I've always been a big fan of clean and simple design and this ad definitely possesses that, but what makes it really dope is the black and white photo of Twitch and the Jeremy Lusk tribute on the left. I think that it's really cool that people are still paying tribute to one of the sports greatest. Good on ya Alpinestars.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
X-Fighters - Adam Jones talks about the possibility of being married to the Octa-Mom, not getting sick in Mexico, smelly armpits and Gossip Girl.
Interview by Ryan Leyba
X Games gold medalist Adam Jones will be riding the first round of the Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City this weekend. Jones got the last-minute invite to fill Robbie Maddison's spot, and although it won't be his first time to Mexico City, it will be his first time competing in a Red Bull X-Fighters event. We caught up with Jones to see how stoked he is to ride the event, and then our interview kind of went all over the map.
So, how'd you get invited to the first round of Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City?
My manager Jimmy Button emailed me while I was riding the Crusty Tour in New Zealand. He was like, "Do you want to ride the X-Fighters in Mexico City?" and I was like, "Awe sh*t! Mexico City's, like, 18 million feet up there and bikes run terrible — I don't know, I'll get back to you." But, I thought about it and the Dew Tour is getting cut back to three rounds and contests are pretty far and few between now, so I told him I'd do it. Then he talked to Tes and all those guys who run it and now it's on.
Are you just in for Mexico City or are you riding the entire series? It seems like a really lucrative and prestigious series for the top guys to ride.
I think right now I'm just in for Mexico City. I'm sure they have guys that are seated for the entire series, but they're probably waiting until after the first round to see how everybody does, so hopefully I can go there and ride well. I mean, I've never ridden any of their contests — I don't know if they're cool or fun or what, but it's another contest and another way to get out there and show myself.
Yeah, they seem like really dope contests with rowdy crowds.
Yeah, I'm stoked to ride it, but I'm not looking forward to going back to Mexico City after last time. I got messed up during Mexico X Games.
What happened? What's your new plan of attack, as far as your eating goes, while down there?
Um, I don't know. I'm hoping we're at one of those really fancy hotels that boil the water and have good restaurants, you know? After last time, I think I'm just gonna find one good place to eat and stick to it — I was hurting so bad. I was diarrheaing every seven minutes. [laughs]
Enough poo talk. Dude, I've been watching MTV and VH1 with my chick and all of the sudden you pop up on the screen in that Axe commercial. What's it feel like to be on such a mainstream commercial?
I actually don't really watch regular TV too much, so I've only seen it a couple times. I'm either watching movies or dirty channels. Just kidding. I barely ever watch TV, but Dara and I were watching Most Amazing Videos or something like that—just to see if the commercial would come on—and it did. It was pretty crazy, but since then our TV has been playing nothing but Sponge Bob and Tom and Jerry, and I don't think they're going to play too many Axe commercials between those.
Have you had any girls come up to you and try to smell your pits?
Yeah, all the time. I'll just be reaching for something at Walmart and then all of the sudden there's a bunch of hot babes sniffing my armpits. It's kind of a pain now, but it comes with the territory, you know?
I want to switch gears for a second and get a little serious. How has losing Jeremy Lusk affected your riding?
It's definitely made the riders think a lot more, you know? Like realize how gnarly what we do really is. I guess we've always known that we can die riding a dirt bike. We said that it was going to happen, but we never really thought it was going to happen, you know? When it did, everybody was like "Whoa ... it's real. We really gotta worry about that now."
It was really tough. We had a show the next day in New Zealand and it was really tough to ride because everybody who knew Jeremy was an emotional wreck and on top of that, the new fear put inside of us made it really tough to ride. But I'm trying not to let it really affect me. I'm actually riding really good lately. It's not that I ever want to forget Jeremy and not have his memory with me, it's just that you can die doing anything — you can die crossing the street or driving. I mean how many people die in car accidents every day? And it's not like we quit driving.
I'm always going to remember Jeremy and who he was, but I want to remember him like that. I want to remember the good times. I don't want the only thing I think about him to be that he died riding a dirt bike. If we were to stop riding for fear of what could happen, then we would stop living before we die.
Do you think Jeremy's loss will slow the progression of the sport?
I don't know. Maybe a little bit. I think all it's going to do is make the guys that are huckers realize that there's always going to be another event. If I'm not feeling a trick, I'm going to back out and survive to ride another day. I think a lot of guys are going to realize that any, one contest isn't the most important thing in the world.
Some guys might slow down a little bit. For instance, right before this happened, I ordered a sh*tload of foam for Miller's foam pit because I was going to try and learn the double flip, because it seems to be the cool new thing. I mean, I still have the foam, but after Lusk's accident it was one of those things where I just said "Eh, I'll still push hard, but I don't know if I want to double flip anymore."
Speaking of hucking big new tricks, X Games is inching closer and one of the only ways to win Best Trick is to pull something new and huge. Do you have anything in mind or do you feel like everything has been done already?
Yeah, I mean, I've got something in my mind, but it sucks saying it because if you don't pull it everybody thinks you're an exaggerator for claiming it. I have some ideas — actually I have ONE idea and it's something I'd for sure have to be in the foam pit for. So I don't know, we'll see if it works or not. Just so everybody knows, I'm not trying to be a tough guy — I really want to try it. If I don't show up to X Games with it then it means that I weeded my Oakleys trying it in the foam pit and gave up on it. [laughs]
I'm actually having more fun learning regular tricks right now, rather then learning a stupid new backflip variation. Yesterday I learned no-handed Shaolins, which we haven't seen in a long time. Mason and I were having a really good session and we were getting kind of tired towards the end of the day and he was like "Go try some no-handed shaolins!" and I was all "No way dude, are you kidding me? I'm not wasting my time on that." But then he convinced me and I went out and tried them and actually got some pretty big ones.
You had a chance to ride with Levi Sherwood in New Zealand, what do you think of him?
Dude, that kid is so sick. He has the most ridiculous extension. He has rad style, he's smooth and he knows how to ride. That kid really really impresses me, I like riding with him a lot. He's super mellow and not arrogant or cocky at all. He doesn't think what he's doing is awesome, you know? I kind of wish he'd move to Nevada, because riding with somebody who's young and full of energy and rubbery and stuff like that — I need to ride with somebody like that just to spark the fire inside of me sometimes.
Speaking of kids, your first boy is due soon, right? What would you do if you're wife becomes the next Octa-Mom and has eight babies?
Well, I'm pretty sure that if she was going to have eight babies, the doctor would have given us a heads up. I don't know man, hopefully there's only one baby in there. Maybe there are eight little babies, but if that's the case, they're gonna be pretty small because my wife Dara is barely even showing.
[laughs] Do you have any names picked out?
Yeah, we were going to go with Blair, which we picked a while ago. But then we found out that somebody has officially changed Blair to a full-on girl's name [laughs]. I didn't know any girls named Blair growing up, but I knew a bunch of guys named Blair, so I feel like it should be a guys name. It was probably some dumb celebrity who named their girl Blair and now everybody wants to name their little girls Blair, so I don't know.
Not to be a total dork, but I watch Gossip Girl with my chick and one of the main chicks is named Blair Waldorf.
Well that's probably why everybody wants to name their girls Blair... freakin' Gossip Girl. Now I gotta pick a new name and I was really set on Blair.
What about Blade?
Why don't I just call him Wesley Snipes? [laughs]
