Travis Pastrana easily defeated Mike Metzger in the freestyle contest.
When we look back on the weekend that was X Games 16, there is one defining moment that will stand out in the MX category; the Sunday night Speed and Style Final.
ESPN hit the nail on the head when it decided to move the Speed and Style competition to the indoor venue of Staples Center. Add to that the fact that it was the final event of the weekend, and you have the makings of one of the most exciting MX Freestyle events of the year.
Travis Pastrana led the way as 12 riders, including Kevin Johnson, a past gold medal winner, took to the track and made X Games history. The abundance of freestyles provided for a great showing of flips and other tricks, but the racing was still intense as each of the riders pushed for the bragging rights of winning the heat.
After a four-lap “hot lap” the final was set and Pastrana and Nate Adams set the pace with the fastest lap time and highest trick score respectively. With nearly a two-second margin over next fastest, Johnson, Pastrana looked untouchable coming into the main event with only four riders remaining.
Speed and Style marked the return to freestyle for both Brian Deegan and Mike Metzger, who had been absent from the FMX scene at past X Games. Metzger, hoping to take home his first X Games gold medal, was shot down early as he faced Pastrana who was physically dominant in the opening round. Metz was happy all the same, as just being at the X Games experience seemed to be enough for the “Godfather” of freestyle.
Nate Adams managed tricks during the race that Pastrana didn't want to do, including Lazy Boy Backflips and a 360.
The final showdowns came between Pastrana and Ronnie Faisst; and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg vs. Nate Adams. In Heat 1 Pastrana dominated on speed, but failed to throw the backflip combos that Faisst completed on each run. The style score was improved for Pastrana, however, as he successfully performed a heelclicker on the finish line triple, earning him a spot in the final moto to determine gold and silver.
Stenberg and Adams sat ready to go, but out of the gate Stenberg jumped and got caught up. With an extra push to catch Adams, Stenberg went down out of the whoops and ended his race early, leaving Adams to have a short-lived victory run before going head-to-head against Pastrana.
The verdict was out that Stenberg was hurt and unable to go into the bronze medal race, and Faisst would be taking home his first medal of the weekend. But wait! With the 30-second board up for the Gold Medal Race, promoters stopped the action and physically pulled Pastrana and Adams off of the gate.
In a seemingly made-for-TV event, Stenberg took to the gate in an attempt to earn his hardware. Into the first turn Faisst pulled a gap over the “injured” Sternberg, and as Jeremy followed he became the first rider to go down on the wooden ramp turn. With the crowd going crazy, Faisst seemed to be a shoe-in with a half-lap lead, but coming into the whoop section he dumped it and stalled the bike. Twitch “pushed through the pain” and physically passed his Mulisha teammate en route to a win and the bronze, his second medal of the weekend.
In the final event of the weekend Pastrana and Adams went head-to-head. TP was obviously the faster of the two, but Adams had tricks that Travis just didn’t want to pull during a race. With Lazy Boy Backflips and a 360, Adams had the style, but Pastrana was able to pull a five-second margin over the past gold medalist. Time would be enough to secure the win as Pastrana watched the announcement from the side of the track.
“This is just a great end to the weekend,” said Pastrana. “I had trouble yesterday with the Rally Car, but this makes my weekend. I knew that Nate had the tricks that I didn’t want
Travis Pastrana was the only moto athlete to walk away with two gold medals at X Games 16.
to attempt, but I just tried to be smooth everywhere else and take the chances that I knew I could make.”
With X Games concluding for the weekend, Pastrana is the only MX athlete to come away with two gold medals. Entering the Freestyle contest on a five-dollar bet, he easily re-established himself as the premier freestyler, and more importantly, showman, despite being out of the circuit for nearly the last two years.
X Games 16 Speed and Style Final Results:
1. Travis Pastrana
2. Nate Adams
3. Jeremy Stenberg
4. Ronnie Faist
5. Kevin Johnson
6. Brian Deegan
7. Matt Buyten
8. Mike Metzger
