Monster Energy’s Ishod Wair Takes Gold in Men’s Skateboard Street at X Games Norway 2019
Oslo, Norway (PRWEB) September 01, 2019 -- He finally did it! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Ishod Wair on taking the gold medal – his first career X Games gold – at X Games Norway 2019 today. In front of a high-energy crowd at Telenor Arena in Oslo, the 27-year-old from Bordentown, New Jersey, put together a perfect technical run to claim the top spot in the Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street event. Joining him on the podium, 25-year-old Kelvin Hoefler from São Paulo, Brazil, walked away with a strong bronze-medal finish.
Now in its fourth year and supported by Monster Energy as the official drink sponsor, X Games Norway showcased a unique mixture of action sports in today’s ten-hour event: The world’s best athletes across Ski, Snowboard, Skateboard and – for the first time at X Games Norway – Freestyle Motocross disciplines battled for X Games medals at Telenor Arena in front of a live audience and connected viewers worldwide.
The skateboard action focused on a state-of-the-art street course in a unique hexagonal design: Built around a centerpiece stage featuring several ledges, stair sets and the tallest handrails in X Games history, the street course was lined by banks, quarterpipes and wallride obstacles around the perimeter. This rich variety of obstacles offered the world’s best street skateboarders a chance to go burly and technical – or both!
Wair qualified into the eight-rider final session in second place. Although Wair’s name hardly comes up when discussing podium threats in contests, something about Scandinavia – considering his reign as the MVP of the annual Copenhagen CPH Open contest – puts the otherwise free-flowing rider into the contest zone.
When the time for Wair’s first run arrived, he commenced to put down a perfect line well past the buzzer: backside wallie off the Hubba ledge and an unconventional wallie the handrail into bank, backside noseblunt and blunt kickflip the quarterpipe, kickflip backside lipslide the handrail, nollie heelflip and frontside half Cab kickflip over the hip, 360 flip fakie and kickflip fakie the quarterpipe, backside Smith grind the A-frame rail and a switch frontside kickflip the bump after the clock earned Wair an 82.00-point score and the gold medal.
“I was just trying to have a good time, thinking ‘whatever happens, happens.’ I was in a good mood and it ended up working out,” said Ishod Wair upon winning Men’s Skateboard Street Gold at X Games Norway.
Today’s gold medal has been a long time coming for Wair. Considered a true “skater’s skater,” the New Jersey local is known for letting his talent shine in the streets rather than the contest arena. His signature mixture of technical mastery and burly stunts have been recognized by Thrasher Magazine’s coveted ‘Skater of the Year’ award in 2013.
But let’s not forget that Wair has also had his moments in skate competitions: In 2016, he claimed Skateboard Street bronze at X Games Austin and has won the legendary CPH Open street contest in Copenhagen in 2017 and 2019. Now the star of the Real Skateboards and Nike SB teams can also add X Games gold to his merits.
Joining Wair on the podium, Brazilian tech skating powerhouse and Monster Energy teammate Kelvin Hoefler did not get the flawless run he wanted, but showcased enough difficult tricks to claim a bronze medal. He strung together a perfect Caballerial backside tailslide fakie the Hubba, long backside 180 nosegrind the bank-to-ledge, frontside tailslide up the Euro Gap ledge, kickflip backside lipslide the tall handrail, switch frontside bluntslide the A-frame and nollie backside 360 up the Euro Gap, but lost the handle on a Caballerial lipslide down the big rail. Finishing at 79.00 points, Kelvin walked away with a strong bronze medal finish, his fifth career X Games medal (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze).
Over in today’s Women’s Skateboard Street competition, Brazilian skateboarding prodigy Rayssa Leal made her debut as the latest Monster Energy team rider. Known for taking on burly handrails and gaps far beyond her age class, Leal came to Norway as a top contender for the podium after claiming an upset victory at the SLS World Tour stop in Los Angeles in July and winning Far’n High in France in May.
In today’s finals, Leal landed impressive moves such as frontside lipslide on the tall rail, backside Smith grind the Hubba, backside lipslide the bump to rail, and frontside bluntslide and frontside feeble the A-frame rail. But she stepped off her board and could not get the perfect run she wanted, therefore settling for fourth place. Look forward to seeing more from Leal as one of skateboarding’s rising stars at the upcoming SLS 2019 World Championships from September 19-22 in São Paulo, Brazil.
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X Games fans in the United States who missed the action today can tune in tomorrow: The entire broadcast will re-air on Sunday, September 1, on the ESPN News channel starting at 7:00 AM EST. Additionally, ABC Television will air highlights coverage as part of the World of X Games series, kicking off with ‘Best of Ski & Snowboard at X Games Norway 2019’ on September 8 at 2:00 PM EST, followed by ‘Best of Skateboard & Moto X at X Games Norway 2019’ on September 15 at 2:30 PM EST.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive content from X Games Norway 2019 including photos, videos, and contest results. Follow Monster Energy on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks in Oslo.
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com.
Kim Dresser, Indie Agency Inc., http://www.indiepragency.com, +1 (949) 300-5546, [email protected]
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