X Games Ventura 2024
70th Edition of World’s Premier Action Sports Spectacle to Showcase 150 of the Best Skateboard, BMX, Moto X, and Skateboard Athletes at Ventura County Fairgrounds & Events Center from June 28-30
Prepare for the best edition of Summer X Games ever! Known as the world’s leading showcase in action sports competition, X Games Ventura 2024 will stoke fans across the globe, with 150 elite athletes competing in 19 medal events at Ventura County Fairgrounds & Events Center from June 28-30, 2024.
Monster Energy, the official energy drink partner of X Games, is ready to send its team of world-class athletes in competitive Skateboarding, BMX, and Moto X to Summer X Games Ventura 2024. This release announces the official line-up of competing athletes for the event, ready to Unleash the Beast.
Summer X Games Ventura 2024 presented by SONIC marks the 70th edition of X Games since the event’s inception in 1995. For three days, the global sports action community will focus on Ventura County Fairgrounds & Events Center for history-making sports performances and full-fledged festival experiences featuring fan activations alongside special musical guest performances headlined by Kaskade and Wiz Khalifa.
X Games Ventura 2024 will feature 150 athletes from 21 countries competing for 57 medals in 19 events across three sports. The contest will elevate women’s action sports by introducing two new medaled disciplines: Prepare for the debut of Women’s BMX Park and Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick in Ventura. Maintaining the highest level of riding, X Games California is contested as an invite-only event reserved for multiple-time X Games medalists and highly competitive newcomers.
All competitions will be live-streamed on YouTube and Twitch, as well as broadcast during specific windows on ABC/ESPN2. Also, look forward to special live episodes of the sports and pop culture podcast UNLEASHED with The Dingo, Danny, and Brittney, Fueled by Monster Energy, streamed on Twitch from behind the scenes at X Games Ventura on June 28 from noon to 1 p.m. PT, June 29 from 11 a.m. to noon PT, and June 30 from noon to 1 p.m. PT.
As the official energy drink sponsor of X Games Ventura 2024, Monster Energy is ready to bring the stoke with a stacked team of riders, including defending X Games gold medalists, action sports icons, and upcoming rookies. Look out for the following Monster Energy athletes at X Games Ventura 2024:
The big weekend inside the Ventura County Fairgrounds & Events Center kicks off on Friday with the brand-new Women’s BMX Park contest. In this new medal event, look for 28-year-old Olympic athlete Macarena Perez Grasset from Chile, with several silver medal finishes in global BMX competitions under her belt. She will face heat from the youngest rider in the field, 18-year-old Monster Army rider Nene Naito from Kanagawaken Chigasaki, Japan, fresh off a third-place finish in the 2024 Japan Cup Nagoya. Also look for reigning German champ Kim Lea Mueller from Remscheid in this debut event where anything can happen.
Next, prepare for a classic discipline contested since the very first edition of X Games – and it’s having a massive renaissance! The Men’s Skateboard Vert final will feature last year’s bronze medalist Moto Shibata from Osaka, Japan, looking to expand on his seven X Games medals. Also shooting for the top spot, eleven-time X Games medalist Tom Schaar from Malibu has been stoking the fires of modern-day vert skating and comes in hot after winning the vert event at Tampa Pro 2024.
For yet another epic showdown, the BMX Street final promises a rematch between last year’s gold medalist Kevin Peraza from Tucson, Arizona, and silver medalist Boyd Hilder from Gold Coast, Australia, who also took gold in the event at X Games Japan 2023. Challengers for the throne also include German tech powerhouse and multiple X Games medalist Felix Prangenberg, Australian X Games gold medalist Lewis Mills, and UK rider Jordan Godwin, looking for his debut X Games medal. Don’t miss it!
Closing out an epic first day at X Games Ventura 2024, get ready for spectacular aerials in the Moto X Best Whip final. Stakes are high as last year’s bronze medalist Julien Vanstippen from Ophain, Belgium, who throws down the most stylish whips in an elite field. Also competing is twelve-time X Games medalist Axell Hodges, hungry for his first gold in the discipline. And could this be the year for Japan’s Genki Watanabe to level up from silver to gold medal status in Best Whip? Make sure to tune in on Friday night at X Games Ventura 2024!
Saturday will be the most active day at X Games Ventura 2024, with a total of nine medal events – that’s 27 medals in one day – on the line. When the Women’s Skateboard Street final kicks off, the main story is about the previous year’s silver medalist Liz Akama from Miyagi, Japan, shooting for her first gold medal in the discipline. Her competition includes Olympic prospect Jazmin Alvarez from Medellin, Colombia, making her X Games debut with a bag of heavy rail tricks. Tune in for a next-level final!
Speaking of next level, Monster Energy heads into Men’s Skateboard Park with a full squad: Leading the charge, previous year’s bronze medalist Tom Schaar has been storming podiums on the international park skating circuit. In close pursuit, watch out for certified X Games gold medalists Liam Pace, Kieran Woolley, Trey Wood, bringing skills to the battle. And never rule out Thrasher magazine Skater of the Year and X Games silver medalist Grant Taylor and all-terrain destroyer Jake Yanko in this explosive session! Make sure and also watch out for Yam Bahar and Luiz Francisco.
Keeping the intensity high, the Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick event will see the winningest street skater of all time, Nyjah Huston, looking to improve on 2023’s bronze medal in the discipline. With 21 X Games medals(!) to his name, Huston faces heat from the likes of reigning 2023 SLS Super Crown World Champion Giovanni Vianna from Brazil, alongside Japanese tech skating prodigy Daiki Ikeda, who earned a surprise silver medal in his rookie X Games appearance at Chiba 2022. The best-trick format also suits Colombia’s Jhancarlos Gonzalez, as proven by his win in the discipline at Tampa Am 2022. It’s going to be lit!
Further raising the stoke level at X Games Ventura, the BMX Dirt event will feature a heavy Monster Energy squad. The man to beat will be 21-year-old Monster Army rider Brady Baker after making history in 2023 by clinching gold in his rookie X Games appearance. Will history repeat itself? Not if certified BMX Dirt beasts get their way, including A-listers such as Ryan Williams, Andy Buckworth, Mike Varga, Jaie Toohey, Bryce Tryon, and Daniel Sandoval. They’re not the only ones posting clean tricks on dirt terrain: Watch out for Monster Army young guns Kaden Stone and Gustavo Baloloka in the mix, alongside Brazilian BMX icon Leandro Moreira, for an unforgettable throwdown.
For another unforgettable event, look no further than the second brand-new discipline making a debut at X Games Ventura 2024: The Women’s Skateboard Street Best Trick final will showcase bar-raising tricks from the world’s top street skaters. In this field, Japan’s Liz Akama has the creativity and trick repertoire to go all the way up in this premiere event.
Keeping the focus on outstanding technical feats, the Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick comes with a score to settle: At X Games California 2023, Monster Army rider Arisa Trew claimed double gold in Skateboard Vert and Skateboard Park… but left the Best Trick session empty handed. It’s safe to say that the award-winning rider who just dropped the first women’s 900-degree aerial and(!) switch McTwist will pop into the session hungry for precious metal!
Rounding out a trio of highest-scoring trick sessions, the Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick promises a complete wild card as previous years’ silver medalist Moto Shibata unveil their latest trick creations. Shibata will go blow-for-blow against progressive powerhouse Tom Schaar in a no-holds-barred progression session. Only at X Games!
A day of high-stakes finals also includes the Men’s BMX Park event, where previous year’s gold medalist Jose Torres is the rider to beat. Close competition will come from 2023’s silver medal finisher Kevin Peraza and BMX icon Daniel Sandoval looking for his eighth X Games medal. The Monster Energy squad also boasts heavy hitters including two-time X Games silver medalist Justin Dowell, alongside certified park challengers such as Boyd Hilder and Bryce Tryon looking to take the gold. Don’t miss it!
For a spectacular finale, Saturday in Ventura will conclude with the Moto X Best Trick competition. The main story will see last year’s silver medal finisher Jackson Strong from Lockhart, Australia, looking to claim his eighth gold medal at X Games. He will battle FMX icons such as two-time bronze medalist Harry Bink and Australian Ben Richards in a showcase for the next level in modern freestyle motocross. Spectacular!
The final day of X Games Ventura 2024 will start on a high note with the competitive Women’s Skateboard Park final. The rider to beat: No other than Monster Army rider Arisa Trew after clinching gold in the event in 2023 and collecting medals and trophies across the globe ever since. Trew’s competition includes the previous year’s bronze medalist and Olympic hopeful Grace Marhoefer. Also competing is Monster Energy’s Japanese team rider Cocona Hiraki, who owns X Games gold and Olympic silver, and Mami Tezuka, who holds X Games silver and bronze in the event. Rounding out the roster, young upstart Ruby Lilley has earned X Games silver at X Games Chiba 2023, and style icon Lizzie Armanto owns gold, silver, and bronze in the discipline. We’re all set for a history-making showdown!
On that note, get ready for a showdown of BMX innovators in the Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick event. Will defending X Games gold medalist Kevin Peraza up the ante with a groundbreaking trick once again? Or will 2023’s bronze medal finisher Daniel Sandoval have the final word? It’s anyone’s guess in a premium field replete with the raw talent of Ryan Williams, winner of BMX Park Best Trick at X Games Japan 2023, and three-time X Games gold medalist in Best Trick, Mike Varga from Canada. And with wildcards such as Brady Baker (BMX Dirt gold medalist) and Boyd Hilder (BMX Street gold winner) bringing their skills to the battle, all the pieces are in place for a legendary session.
Get ready for more legendary feats in the highly anticipated Men’s Skateboard Street final, a true classic contested at X Games from day one since 1995. Top contenders include 2023’s silver medalist and Olympic athlete Kelvin Hoefler from Brazil, looking to expand his count of seven X Games medals (2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). There’s also a score to settle: At X Games California 2023, Nyjah Huston finished outside the podium but has been back in the winner’s circle with a first-place finish at SLS Apex 02 in Las Vegas. Expect heavy competition from young X Games silver medalist Daiki Ikeda. Don’t count out a set of young riders still hungry for their first X Games medal, including Brazil’s Giovanni Vianna and Filipe Mota as well as Colombia’s Jhancarlos Gonzalez. And don’t forget Atlanta’s Grant Taylor. This will be one for the history books!
History will also be written in the Women’s Skateboard Vert final on Sunday when previous year’s gold medalist Arisa Trew from Palm Beach, Australia, faces a heavy line-up of the world’s best female halfpipe skaters. Top contenders include 2023 bronze medalist, 17-year-old Monster Army recruit Asahi Kaihara from Osaka, Japan.
The roar of dirt bike engines will return one last time at X Games Ventura 2024 in the Moto X QuarterPipe High Air final. Expect a battle for new records when twelve-time X Games medalist Axell Hodges returns to improve on his silver medal in the discipline from X Games 2022. Anything can happen at X Games Ventura!
Wrapping up the 70th edition of X Games with a bang, BMX Dirt Best Trick will be contested for the third time in X Games history. The man to beat is clearly 2023’s gold medal winner, nine-time X Games medalist Ryan Williams from Sunshine Coast, Australia. Also, remember last year’s upset story: Young Monster Army rider Kaden Stone from Corona, California, clinched the silver medal with a never-been-done trick. It’s wide open this time when a squad of BMX trailblazers joins the session, replete with Mike Varga, Brady Baker, Jaie Toohey, and Andy Buckworth, winner of the event’s first edition in 2021. A worthy finale to an epic weekend for action sports in Ventura!
Make sure to watch X Games Ventura 2024 from June 28-30 when the Monster Energy team steps up, ready to Unleash the Beast!