Monster Energy Athletes Claim Win and Podium Spots at X Games Chiba 2024

Epic final day of X Games Japan! Monster Energy congratulates its BMX, Moto X, and Skateboard athletes on an excellent performance at X Games Chiba 2024. On the final day of competitions inside Makuhari Messe stadium, Monster Energy riders claimed a total of eight medals (three gold, four silver, and one bronze) across five contest events in the 71st edition of X Games.

The highly anticipated Men’s Skateboard Park final saw 25-year-old Tom Schaar win his first X Games gold medal in the discipline. In the BMX Park Best Trick event, 30-year-old Daniel Sandoval from Corona, California, claimed his first career gold medal in the discipline. The Women’s Skateboard Park competition saw 14-year-old Monster Army rider Arisa Trew from Palm Beach, Australia, claim her third consecutive gold medal in the discipline.

Here’s the recap of how Sunday unfolded for Monster Energy athletes at X Games Chiba 2024:

Men’s Skateboard Park: Monster Energy’s Tom Schaar Claims Gold, Kieran Woolley Silver

The Monster Energy team’s medal run started in the Men’s Skateboard Park final. The story of the day: 25- year-old Tom Schaar from Malibu, California, already owned 13 X Games medals coming into the event, including two gold, but had never won a Skateboard Park event at X Games. That was about to change!

In his second run, Schaar soared above the competition by putting together heelflip Indy the extension, backside lipslide, frontside stalefish 360 over box, backside Ollie, huge tailgrab 540, frontside feeble grind the corner, kickflip Indy over the box, 5-0 grind the hip, transfer to frontside nosegrind extension, alley-oop kickflip Indy over hip, frontside tailslide, kickflip Indy fakie, and Caballerial Losi grind for 90.66 points and his first X Games gold medal in Men’s Skateboard Park.

After already claiming bronze in Saturday’s Skateboard Vert final at X Games Chiba 2024, Schaar now owns 14 X Games medals (three gold, four silver, and seven bronze).

Schaar was joined on the podium by 20-year-old Kieran Woolley from Kiama Downs, Australia, in the silver medal position. In his highest-scoring run, Woolley put together an Indy nosebone the extension, backside tailgrab 360 the box, kickflip Indy the deep end, transfer to backside 5-0 grind, alley-oop frontside 5-0 grind, frontside invert, gap up backside lipslide the extension, backside Smith grind, ollie transfer the channel, frontside feeble grind, rail wallie the rail over the box, frontside blunt the extension, frontside nosegrind the tall box, and invert backside revert for 88.33 points and second place.

Woolley now owns three X Games medals (one gold and two silver).

BMX Park Best Trick: Daniel Sandoval Takes Gold Medal, Jeremy Malott Claims Silver

Continuing the wins, the BMX Park Best Trick competition saw 30-year-old Daniel Sandoval from Corona, California, edge ahead of the pack with an innovative trick. In the 30-minute jam session, Sandoval blasted a huge flair double whip to late barspin on the quarter pipe to claim the gold medal as his career-first in the discipline.

“I’ve been trying to chase the Park Best Trick gold medal for a while. It’s been a struggle since my first invite to the event, so I’m happy to finally secure it and get first,” said Monster Energy’s Sandoval upon claiming the gold medal at X Games Chiba 2024.

Sandoval now owns nine X Games medals (three gold, one silver, and five bronze).

Also rising to the podium, 27-year-old Jeremy Malott from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, stoked the crowd with a technical banger: On his fifth attempt, Malott put down a perfect 180 double tailwhip to late barspin over the box backward for the silver medal.

“The Best Trick event here at Chiba 2024 was absolutely insane; everyone was sending it. It was such a back- and-forth battle, watching the scores change after every attempt, so I'm thankful that my last attempt got me the silver medal,” said Malott at X Games Chiba 2024.

Malott now owns three X Games medals (one silver and two bronze).

Women’s Skateboard Park: Monster Army Rider Arisa Trew Takes Third Consecutive Gold

The Women’s Skateboard Park competition saw 14-year-old Monster Army rider Arisa Trew from Palm Beach, Australia, compete as the favorite after claiming gold in the discipline at X Games Ventura 2024 and X Games California 2023.

Dropping in as the first-place qualifier, Trew was sitting in second place until her final attempt, marking the last run of the entire contest. Putting together a backside air the extension, body varial 540, frontside Smith grind the corner, backside air over the box, front crooked grind fakie, switch backside air over the box, fakie mute 360, kickflip Indy, gap to frontside lipslide the extension, McTwist on volcano, mute air, Indy 360 to fakie, and switch backside air earned Trew 91.66 points, and her third consecutive gold medal in the discipline.

Trew now owns five X Games gold medals.

Skateboard Vert Best Trick: Moto Shibata Takes Silver with Contest-First Trick

Outstanding performances continued in the Skateboard Vert Best Trick event. In the 30-minute jam session on the giant halfpipe inside Makuhari Messe stadium, the world’s best vertical skateboarders pushed the envelope with never-been-landed tricks.

Putting down a contest-first landed trick, 28-year-old Moto Shibata from Osaka, Japan, took the silver medal in the event. His front foot impossible Lien 540 – combining a one-and-a-half rotation with a board varial around the foot – stoked the crowd and judges, earning Shibata second place at X Games Chiba 2024.

Shibata now owns nine X Games medals (one gold, seven silver, and one bronze).

Moto X Best Trick: Jackson Strong Earns Silver Medal, Taka Higashino Claims Bronze

The crowd at X Games Japan celebrated more epic moves in the Moto X Best Trick event. After gusting winds on Saturday caused the event to be postponed, riders were firing off their most creative moves over the massive jump on Sunday.

When the dust settled, 32-year-old Jackson Strong from Lockhart, Australia, walked away with the silver medal in the event. A perfectly poised Cliffhanger frontflip earned Strong 94.00 points and second place.

“I probably fell short a little bit of what I wanted to and thought I had a little bit more in the tank. It was a little hard with practice and the weather. But I’m not making excuses and will do better next time,” said Monster Energy’s Strong upon claiming the silver medal at X Games Chiba 2024.

Strong now owns 17 X Games medals (eight gold, six silver, and three bronze).

In front of a hometown crowd of Japanese fans, 39-year-old style icon Taka Higashino rose to the podium in third place. Making his 20th X Games appearance, Higashino put down a stylish Rock Solid backflip to earn a score of 86.00 points and the bronze medal.

“It was crazy with the weather. We had to wait all week with just a little bit of practice. And then Harry [Bink] had a big crash on the final warmup. So we almost stopped the competition. But luckily, everyone was safe,” said Higashino.

Higashino now owns six X Games medals (three gold, one silver, two bronze).

And that’s a wrap! Over the course of X Games Chiba 2024, the Monster Energy team claimed a total of 11 X Games medals (three gold, four silver, and four bronze).