X Games LA 2012: Day 3 Recap

Posted on July 1, 2012 by ChuckTaylor

11am is never too early to blow minds.

Before I get to that, Linkin Park played a private invite-only show for athletes and other peeps with connections last night. As rad as this weekend has been, so devastated I missed out.

Anyway, the BMX Park Final started bright and early. It was just a little too hot for 10am and the riders weren’t giving us much. Drew Bezanson seemed to be the only guy going H.A.M. in the heats. Once the finals (6 riders) started around 11, they brought it. All of them. Nyquist, Banasiewicz and Gary Young Too. Pat Casey? Hottest bike on the track. It was Scotty Cranmer that ended up with the gold in what was a legit final. It was at that moment, that for the uninitiated, you realised Park was so much more fun than Street. The pace is faster and way more unpredictable because you don’t know where they’re going next.

You may have heard about the Hotwheels Double Loop. It was so sick I don’t even wanna talk about it. Just watch:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Y8tmRYYiA&w=640&h=400]

The Skateboard Park Final followed the same formula as the BMX. Lackluster heats but killer final. Pedro Barros and Ben Hatchell were a cut above the rest though. It was neck-and-neck throughout. Right at the end when Pedro had the gold in his grasp, the judges gave everybody one more run and every bro went hard. Hatchell stole the gold momentarily only for Pedro to come through in the clutch with a score good enough to win it all.

Out of the sun and in the comfort of the <sponsors name> Theatre, the BMX Vert Final was underway. I was a little late because my boy MURS was putting on a free show. MURS is better than your favourite rapper. Just admit it. It was clear from the beginning that Jamie Bestwick came to ball. Only one other rider beat his worst score of the finals and that’s because Bestwick phoned that one in. It was crazy to see this guy at the top of his game. I found out later that this turned into his sixth straight BMX Vert gold. Ball so hard.

There was also a couple of women’s Moto X comps. Google the results if you want to find out what happened there.

Moto X Speed & Style was a roller coaster of emotions. In a comp that pitted two riders against each other, they raced the course as fast as possible yet in the best style with huge tricks. Speed & Style. It was interesting, but not until the semi finals when Nate Adams and Edgar Torronteras were neck-and-neck did it get crazy. They went up for their tricks at the same time, massive air, next to each other doing the same flip as if they had previously planned it. The crowd was about to erupt. Then Torronteras failed to land and in the process, messed himself up real bad. The crowd went deadly silent and he was stretchered off. It’s moments like these you realise just how fucking dangerous these sports are. It also makes you appreciate how fucking good they are at it. Mike Mason was the eventual winner of that comp.

In the Skateboard Vert, PLG narrowly edged out Bucky Lasek for the gold after a tie-breaker swung his way. Pierre-Luc Gagnon, another 6 time Vert gold medalist. Wow.

Only one day of this epic weekend remains… it’s getting emotional.

Check out the videos below of Cranmar’s BMX Park Gold, Pedro’s Skateboard Park Gold, Vince Byron’s BMX Vert Silver and Bucky Lasek’s Skateboard Vert Silver.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEhm3Z3Jjm4&w=640&h=400]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab22tDeirjI&w=640&h=400]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjDn1j_QfE4&w=640&h=400]