X Games Ventura 2024 Day 2

The biggest day of X Games Ventura 2024 is a wrap! On the second day of competitions inside Ventura County Fairgrounds & Events Center, our team earned gold medals, shut down entire podiums, and made history with never-been-done tricks.

Overall, the Monster Energy Team claimed 12 Medals (3 Gold, 3 Silver, and 6 Bronze) across BMX, Moto X, and Skateboard disciplines. Way to Unleash the Beast!

Here’s how it all went down for the team at X Games Ventura 2024 on Saturday:

MONSTER ENERGY MEN’S SKATEBOARD STREET BEST TRICK

NYJAH HUSTON CLAIMS GOLD IN FULL PODIUM SWEEP

VIDEO-LEVEL TRICKS: The level of skating in Saturday’s Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick event was off the charts. Whether it’s the new head-to-head elimination format or the vibes in Ventura, the eight finalists showcased state-of-the-art street tricks. And when the dust cleared, the winningest street skater of all time, 29-year-old Nyjah Huston from Laguna Beach, California, claimed the gold medal as his 14th career X Games gold and 22nd medal overall.

Nyjah was definitely on one in Ventura and battled his way to the top by hitting the rail with hammers like switch frontside heelflip tailslide (quarter final), nollie heelflip backside lipslide and frontside nollie heelflip noseblunt slide (semifinal), and nollie heelflip backside tailslide fakie (gold medal battle). With this gold, Huston tied Bob Burnquist for most X Games gold in Skate. Major!

“It’s just sick to be out here skating with the guys. Congrats to everyone out there ripping!” said Huston upon claiming Best Trick gold at X Games Ventura 2024.

Huston now owns 21 X Games medals (14 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze).

FULL PODIUM SWEEP: Monster Energy locked down all three top spots. In the final, Huston faced 17-year-old Filipe Mota from Minas Gerais, Brazil, who walked away with silver as first medal for bangers like bigspin backside hurricane grind and heelflip backside tailslide the rail. Bronze went to no other than 27-year-old Jhancarlos Gonzalez from Bogota, Columbia, who made history as the first Colombian athlete to medal at X Games. History, made at X Games!

BMX DIRT 

BRADY BAKER DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE AND DEFENDS GOLD MEDAL

WHO’S THE ROOKIE NOW? At X Games 2023, 21-year-old Brady Baker from Toms River, New Jersey, made history by clinching gold in his rookie X Games appearance. But defending the medal was the hard part: Only two riders had previously won gold two years in a row (Kyle Baldock and Corey Bohan), so the odds weren’t looking great for Baker.

Unimpressed by historic precedent, Baker through down in Beast Mode on his first run, securing the gold with a flurry of cashroll whip to tabletop, 360 triple tailwhip, backflip double tailwhip, and 720 barspin-catch-barspin on the final hit for 94.33 points. Bam!!!

“It was crazy, last year I was the ultimate rookie. This year I did it again somehow. I did put in the work, but it still feels crazy somehow!” said Monster Energy’s Baker upon clinching gold in BMX Dirt at X Games Ventura 2024.

THIRD RUN’S THE CHARM: Baker was joined on the podium by 27-year-old Mike Varga from Oshawa, Canada, who claimed his bronze medal on the third and final attempt. Putting it all on the line, Varga put down double backflip, 720 no-hander, Cashroll and 720 double tailwhip for 92.00 points. 

“I’ve been looking for this medal for six or seven years. I got fourth a couple times. Now I got the third place, let's see if I can get second or first next year. Just keep sending it!” said Varga.

Varga now owns 5 X Games medals (3 gold, 2 bronze).

MOTO X BEST TRICK

JACKSON STRONG CLAIMS VICTORY AND SETS NEW RECORD

SETTLING THE SCORE: At X Games 2023, 32-year-old Jackson Strong from Lockhart, Australia, walked away with the silver medal in a battle against fellow Aussie Rob Adelberg. And as his opponent cemented himself in first place with an outstanding performance on Saturday night, Strong faced the biggest challenge of his career to secure gold with just one try left.

Putting it all on the line on the last trick of the night, Strong found his victory with a special trick: A fully extended jackhammer frontflip – soaring through the air with feet clinched under the handlebar, upper body fully extended – earned ‘Jacko’ 97.66 points and the victory in Moto X Best Trick.

“That was definitely the biggest one I’ve ever done,” said Strong about his winning trick, adding: “I had to dig really deep to get that… I’m still shaking!”

NEW WORLD RECORD: Strong now has claimed eight gold medals in Moto X Best Trick, setting the record as the rider with most gold medals in a single Moto X discipline. Bravo!

Strong now owns 16 X Games medals (8 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze).

BINK EXPANDS HIS COLLECTION: Never rule out 30-year-old Harry Bink from Canberra, Australia. The X Games veteran clinched his spot on an all-Australian podium on his first attempt: A perfectly executed double backflip earned 91.00 points and the bronze medal at X Games Ventura 2024. With eight gold medals in Moto X Best Trick, Strong set a new historic record as the rider with most gold medals in a single Moto X discipline. 

Bink now owns three X Games medals, all of them bronze.

WOMEN’S SKATEBOARD STREET

LIZ AKAMA SECURES SILVER MEDAL

ALL-JAPANESE PODIUM: As the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street final got underway, the battle for the top focused on three Japanese riders. Coming in as the top qualifier, 15-year-old Monster Energy rider Liz Akama from Miyagi, Japan had the tricks to clinch the gold, but could not lock in standouts like her technical Barley Grind in a perfect run. 

On the strength of her first run, Akama took home the silver medal. She earned 85.66 points for frontside feeble grind the big rail, frontside Smith grind the box, frontside tailslide the quarter pipe, frontside 270 switch frontside boardslide the rainbow rail, frontside bigspin varial the Euro gap, and backside Smith grind the big rail. She would also take another shot at X Games medals in Saturday’s Best Trick event.

MEN’S BMX PARK

PERAZA SOARS TO SILVER MEDAL, JOSE TORRES CLINCHES BRONZE

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN: You can never predict the outcome of Men’s BMX Park at X Games. But you can always count on crowd-favorite Kevin Peraza from Tucson, Arizona, putting on a special show with a big smile. And just like that, the new dad earned the silver medal after already claiming BMX Street gold on Friday.

In his highest-scoring second run, Peraza put together superman seat grab, truckdriver to unturndown, 360 double downside tailwhip, big wallride, can-can, flair tailwhip, high one-handed tabletop, big pocket air, and a technical flair 180 over the box jump for 91.00 points and the silver medal. 

“So much wind, playing with the elements. Making it happen was so much for all of us but glad that no one was injured. That was a rough one, so hyped!” said Peraza.

Peraza now owns 10 X Games medals (6 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze).

TORRES PUTS DOWN BANGING RUN: Peraza was joined on the podium by 2023’s gold medalist, 29-year-old Jose Torres from Cordoba, Argentina, who came through in Run 3 by landing massive moves such as backflip double tailwhip and manual on the awning to barspin for 90.66 points and the bronze medal. Way to get it on the last attempt!

“I was so happy to be invited, it's such a dream to be here in X Games that I could not miss the contest. I was dealing with an injury but I'm happy to end up with this result!” said Monster Energy’s Torres on earning bronze on Saturday.

Torres now owns 3 X Games medals (1 gold, 2 bronze).

MONSTER ENERGY WOMEN’S SKATEBOARD STREET BEST TRICK

LIZ AKAMA GETS TECH TO CLAIM BRONZE

RAISING THE BAR: The level of technical riding escalated in the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Best Trick contest. Eight international riders threw down their best tricks down the 10-stair rail. And when the dust cleared, Japan’s Liz Akama secured bronze as her second medal at X Games Ventura 2024.

After battling to secure a highly technical trick on the massive rail, Akama stuck the landing on a technical frontside 270 switch frontside boardslide the big rail to edge into third place.

Akama now owns 5 X Games medals (3 silver, 2 bronze).

MEN’S SKATEBOARD VERT BEST TRICK

EDOUARD DAMESTOY CLAIMS BRONZE WITH BURLY MOVE

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: History was in the air, as spectators cheered for the Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick final. In an epic progression session, riders stoked the crowd with never-been-done tricks on the 14-feet-tall halfpipe. Straight out the gate, 26-year-old Edouard Damestoy from Bordeaux, France put down a zinger to secure his spot on the podium.

Damestoy finessed a burly frontside rodeo 720 – approaching the wall forward and spinning into a fakie landing – for the bronze medal in the highly competitive session. Banging!

Damestoy now owns 4 X Games medals (3 gold, 1 bronze).

HISTORY, AFTER THE BUZZER: Sometimes never-been-done tricks can take some extra time. Case in point: Tony Hawk’s historic 900-degree air at X Games 1999; among other feats. So it’s no surprise previous year’s silver medalist Moto Shibata took an extra attempt to make history. Cheered on by the crowd, the Japanese style icon landed a never-been-done frontside front foot impossible 540 lien air that blew everyone’s mind (including commentator Tony Hawk). No medal, though, as the historic move happened after time…