For years, sports history has been made at X Games
Athletes from all over the world flock to X Games each year to push the boundaries of their respective sports. This year will be no different, and the best way to celebrate the history being made at X Games Ventura 2024 is with the most iconic moments in the competition’s history!
10. Ryan Williams drops in with a backflip (2019)
Whether on a bike or a scooter, Ryan Williams is known for being an innovator. He was the first to land a triple backflip on a scooter and a triple front flip on BMX. But it was his creative drop-in at X Games Minneapolis 2019 that kicked off an incredible run and won him gold for BMX Big Air. According to Williams, it was an impulsive move that he’d only practiced on a ramp 1/16th the size.
9. Ryan Sheckler (2003), then Brighton Zeuner (2017), then Gui Kury (2021) becomes the youngest X Games gold medalists
Ryan Sheckler was 13 at X Games 9 when he took home gold for Skate, becoming the youngest ever champion. 14 years later, Brighton Zeuner—also 13, but roughly six months younger than Sheckler was—broke that record. In 2021, Gui Khury not only became the youngest X Games gold medalist at age 12, but also the youngest person to land a 900 at an X Games. And just two years later, Kury became the first skater to ever land a 1080 (three full spins) on a vertical ramp in a competition.
8. Thomas Pagès’ insane run at X Games Austin 2015 climaxes with a bike flip (2015)
“What’s he lining up for here?” asks one commentator as Thomas Pagès approaches a ramp. “I’m not sure,” says the other. “THE BIKE FLIP!”
7. Mat Hoffman lands the first no-handed 900 for BMX vert (2002)
Mat Hoffman landed his first 900 at the age of 17 in 1989, but that wasn’t extreme enough for him. So in 2002, at X Games VIII, he became the first to land it with no hands. The handlebars of his bike had an issue quickly after, so his run wasn’t enough to snatch the gold medal from Dave Mirra. But no one could deny it was Hoffman who made history that year.
6. Colton Satterfield lands a double flair on the Big Air ramp (2015)
A flair is a backflip combined with a 180° turn so that the rider is facing back down the ramp when they land. Needless to say, doing that two times in a row isn’t a common trick. But Colton Satterfield actually wasn’t the first athlete to ever land a double flair in competition. He was the second to ever do it, but the first to have the audacity to pull it off on a Big Air ramp.
5. Chuck Carothers lands first body varial at an X Games (2004)
A body varial is essentially a full-body rotation while separated from your bike. Carothers landed it on his first attempt in the event, and it earned him a gold medal for Moto X Best Trick.
4. Shaun White defeats reigning champ PLG for skateboard vert gold (2011)
While many of the moments on this list are firsts, Shaun White beating Pierre Luc Gagnon (PLG) was the climax of a three year battle. An athletic rivalry had resulted in PLG winning the three previous years’ vert gold medals. But in 2011 White finally triumphed with an unbelievable run that commentator Tony Hawk immediately declared was the best of the event. White said of the moment, “I’d be lying to say I wasn’t standing up there at the very top like, ‘You could blow it right now or you could just win it.’ I went with win it.”
3. Dave Mirra lands the first double backflip in BMX (2000)
From 1995 to 2009, Dave Mirra earned at least one BMX medal at every year’s X Games except for just one. Even as one of the world’s best BMX riders, performing a double backflip is no easy task. But at X Games VI, Dave Mirra did just that, becoming the first to do so in a professional competition.
2. Travis Pastrana lands the first double backflip in Moto X (2006)
Winning gold at the X Games is an incredible achievement, but not too many people were talking about Travis Pastrana’s gold medal for Rally Car Racing after X Games XXII. That’s because, at the very same X Games, Pastrana landed the first ever double backflip in a competition and earned himself two additional gold medals for Moto X. It’s no wonder he went on to lead Nitro Circus.
1. Tony Hawk lands the first 900 (1999)
What else could be number one than the most famous skater in the world landing the world’s first 900 degree rotation (two-and-a-half spins)? What many people don’t remember about this legendary trick is that Tony Hawk was actually past regulation time, which would have “technically” disqualified the trick. Some skaters argued that it wasn’t fair Hawk got so many attempts, but as the announcers put it: “We make up the rules as we go along. Let’s give him another try.” And as we can clearly see in the video above, once Hawk finally landed the 900 there was no one arguing. The crowd and other competitors’ reaction to the accomplishment resulted in not just the single most iconic X Games moment, but one of the most memorable sports moments of all time.
X Games Ventura 2024
Will you be there for the next big X Games moment?
History is sure to be made once more at X Games Ventura 2024! Whether you’re a fan of Skate, BMX, Moto X, or the fun and games of X Fest, everyone is guaranteed a good time. So be able to say you were there for the next great X Games moment and get your tickets below!
