Monster Energy congratulates its team of BMX and skateboard athletes on claiming medals in key events on the first day of X Games 2022 in Southern California.
VISTA, Calif., July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Monster Energy congratulates its team of BMX and skateboard athletes on claiming medals in key events on the first day of X Games 2022 in Southern California. On Wednesday, vertical BMX and Skate disciplines were contested at the private "Sloanyard" facility in Vista, California, in a closed-to-the-public setting.
In the highly competitive Skateboard Vert Best Trick final, 33-year-old Monster Energy rider Elliot Sloan from New York City, took home X Games gold on the strength of innovative tricks. The first-ever BMX MegaPark event saw 28-year-old Pat Casey from Riverside, California, claim silver as his fifth X Games medal. Rounding out an epic day at the high-end Sloanyard facility, event host Sloan earned silver in the high stakes Skateboard MegaPark final.
The 65th edition of X Games is closed to the public with no spectators in attendance and broadcast live to global audiences. Medal events are contested at three unique athlete training facilities around Southern California: Monster Energy's Sloan hosted Skateboard Vert competitions and the first MegaPark ramp at X Games for Skateboard and BMX competitions in his "Sloanyard" on Wednesday. On July 21, Axell Hodges opens his legendary "Slayground" compound for Moto X competitions, plus BMX Dirt. From July 22-24, the California Training Facility (CATF) will feature Skateboard and BMX competitions in Street and Park.
Viewers from across the globe get to witness X Games history written by the world elite in BMX, Moto X, and Skateboarding. More than 110 athletes from 14 countries will compete for a total of 57 medals across 19 medal disciplines. Next to 18 live events, X Games 2022 will also crown medalists in the Skateboard Real Street Best Trick video contest.
Here's how the action unfolded on Day 1 of X Games 2022 for team Monster Energy:
Skateboard Vert Best Trick: Monster Energy's Elliot Sloan Takes Gold at the Sloanyard
The world's biggest action sports spectacle kicked off on Wednesday morning with two Skateboard Vert events at the Sloanyard created by 14-time X Games medalist Elliot Sloan. The backyard facility's original halfpipe was built in 2013 according to exact specs from the X Games Vert ramp (14 feet tall, 50 feet wide, with two feet of vert). Since then, Sloan has upgraded the ramp to a total width of 100 feet with the addition of vertical extensions, corners, launch ramps, as well as a channel and bank section for creative transfers.
The one-of-a-kind halfpipe provided the perfect backdrop for the world's best halfpipe skateboarders to showcase the level of progression in the sport. The evolution became apparent in the Skateboard Vert Best Trick final, with six skateboarders trying their most unique trick creations in a 20-minute jam session.
When all was said and done, it was the host himself, Monster Energy's Elliot Sloan who brought down the house with the trick of the day: A perfect frontside Caballerial heelflip varial melon over the channel earned Sloan the gold medal in Vert Best Trick in his own backyard. Earlier in the session, Sloan also landed his signature fakie heelflip 720 Indy in front of a global audience on live stream.
"It's amazing! I had so much pressure on me the last couple of weeks. It feels amazing to get this one and the day's not over," said Monster Energy's Sloan upon winning Vert Best Trick gold at X Games 2022.
Wednesday's gold medal is already Sloan's sixth gold at an X Games. Born and raised in New York City, Sloan earned his first X Games gold in the Big Air discipline in 2013. He has since joined the elite field of Mega Ramp innovators and owns three gold medals in Skateboard Big Air.
Also sending big tricks in the Best Trick session, Japanese style icon and Monster Energy rider Moto Shibata brought his unique blend of style and technical finesse to X Games 2022. Fresh off a silver-medal finish at X Games Chiba 2022, the 26-year-old from Osaka, Japan, put down a perfect front foot impossible lien to tail in Best Trick to stoke the crowd and judges.
Earlier on Wednesday in the Skateboard Vert final, 'host with the most' Sloan finished closely outside the podium. Throughout the session, Sloan put together near-perfect runs and only missed the final trick: Starting with a huge frontside nosebone, he followed with an Indy 540, frontside stalefish, kickflip Indy on the extension, frontside tailgrab nosebone, frontside heelflip grab, melon 540, Indy air to fakie and a near-make fakie heelflip 720 Indy on the final wall. Sloan had to settle for fourth place with Jimmy Wilkins taking the gold medal.
BMX Mega Park: Monster Energy's Pat Casey Walks Away with Silver in Discipline's Premiere
When the action moved into the BMX Mega Park discipline, riders had a chance to attack all features of the Sloanyard compound in their runs. Dropping in from a 30-foot roll-in, BMXers launched over a 35-foot right-side gap jump, followed by a 20-foot-tall quarterpipe, a 27-foot roller jump and into an 18-foot-tall quarterpipe.
This marked the first time for BMX Mega Park to be contested at an X Games and eight of the world's best riders were on deck to put on historic performances. Five of the finalists hailed from the United States, three from Australia. In a 30-minute jam session, riders took turns trying to put down the ultimate line across the stacked Sloanyard course.
After a heavy session, 28-year-old Pat Casey from Riverside, California, walked away with the silver medal for a powerful run covering the entire course. After taking a slam on his first run, he found his groove on Run 2: Casey opened by throwing a tailwhip Cash Roll over the big gap, followed by barspin to tuck no-hander on the quarterpipe, 360 double tailwhip over the gap, and barspin to tailwhip on the final quarterpipe for second place.
Wednesday's silver medal raises Casey's X Games medal count to five medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze). In 2021, Casey became the first rider to compete in five disciplines at a single X Games. He is looking to repeat the feat at X Games 2022 by competing in BMX MegaPark, Dirt, Park Best Trick, as well as Moto X 110s. Stay tuned!
Skateboard MegaPark: Monster Energy's Sloan Takes Silver in Down-to-the-Wire Final
Rounding out an epic day at the Sloanyard, the Skateboard MegaPark contest set out to push the boundaries of technical vert skating. Event host Elliot Sloan started construction on the technical ramp set-up in 2016 and finished construction in 2020. Since then, the compound has served as the backdrop of numerous video parts and was long overdue to host a world-class competition.
Speaking of world-class, the field of eight Skateboard MegaPark finalists included several X Games gold medalists. When the 30-minute jam session got underway, spectators across the globe were treated to the next level of technical vert skating in this brand-new discipline.
Facing heat from France's Edouard Damestoy, Sloan was having trouble stringing the perfect line together. But he finally found it with a strong run: backside tailgrab 720 over the gap, huge tailgrab 540 on the quarterpipe, tailgrab 540 over the second gap and a Caballerial 720 Indy on the final wall earned Sloan the silver medal in a dramatic final.
With Wednesday's silver medal in Skateboard MegaPark, Sloan now owns 15 X Games medals (6 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze).
Now that Day 1 is officially in the books, stay tuned for more action from X Games 2022! Next, the world elite of Moto X will battle for X Games medals at Axell Hodges' legendary Slayground compound, plus some high-caliber BMX Dirt action. It's going to be off the charts!
Over the course of five action-packed days, more than 15 hours of the best X Games 2022 competitions will air on ESPN, ABC and ESPN2, as well as ESPN+ and the ESPN App. All competitions will stream live on ESPN+ and be available on @XGames YouTube. X Games content will also be presented across the globe through international syndication partners.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games 2022 including photos, videos, and contest results as they happen. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
###
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer 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.
About X Games
For more than 25 years, X Games has successfully organized action sports events in 12 countries around the globe, attracting more than six million attendees. Since its inception in 1995, the X Games have become the leading action sports competition and lifestyle brand, spotlighting the world's best action sports athletes in BMX, Skateboard and Moto X at the X Games, and Ski and Snowboard at the winter version of the X Games against the backdrop of each individual host city. Learn more at http://www.xgames.com.
Media Contact
Kimberly Paige Dresser, Indie Agency, Inc., (949) 300-5546, [email protected]
SOURCE Monster Energy
Share this article