The X Games returned to the Ventura County Showgrounds this weekend, bringing some of the most thrilling competitions to the 805.
From Nyjah Huston becoming the most decorated X Games athlete to 9-year-old Mia Kretzer breaking the record for the youngest X Games medalist with a gold medal, it was an eventful weekend of action.
Friday
The games got out to a hot start with the first-ever Women’s BMX Park Final on the opening day. In that competition, five-time world champion Hannah Roberts earned the gold medal.
”This is such a big summer. Between the Olympic qualifier last week, X Games this week, and then in a month, I’ll be going to my second Olympics,” Roberts said. “It’s been such an amazing experience, and I’ve been having just so much fun riding my bike. I’m extremely grateful for everything.”
In the Pacifico Men’s Skateboard Vert Final, Tom Scharr picked up his first career vert gold medal. Meanwhile, Kevin Peraza won his second straight BMX street gold in the Samsung Galaxy BMX Street Final.
Rounding out the day was the Moto X Best Whip, where Patrick Evans captured his first X Games gold medal.
“It’s been extremely tough five or six years and I want to thank everyone who stood behind me and believed in me,” Evans said. “There was so much pressure coming into this event for me to win it.
“The beautiful thing about freeriding is that it isn’t a contest, even though I’m walking around with a medal right now. Best Whip is about your style and your creativity, and it’s cool to win but I’m going back to the hills to build some jumps and do my thing.”
Saturday
The second day of competition began with the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street competition, where there was a sweep of Japanese skaters on the podium with 17-year-old Miyu becoming the first rookie to win the event.
Staying on the skateboard, Keegan Palmer picked up his second X Games gold medal with a victory at the Men’s Skateboard Park on the SONIC Park Course.
“It’s wild to come off a win in Budapest and then to add another gold here is amazing,” Palmer said. “X Games doesn’t get better than this, with Sorg and Pedro on the podium, I’ve grown up watching them skate.
“They’ve been my idols and now they’re my friends. To be able to skate against them is a dream come true and now we are standing on the podium together.”
X Games legend Nyjah Huston won his first event of the weekend in the Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick. That gold medal tied him with Bob Burnquist for the most X Game gold medals of all time at 22.
“I forgot that I matched Bob’s record. I grew up watching Bob – he’s a legend,” Huston said. “It’s sick to be out there skating with all the guys. I wasn’t sure if I liked the format at first but I think we all ended up liking it because when we are skating a big rail like that, it’s good to keep the flow going and pump each other up.
“When it all comes down to it, we are all homies out there.”
Brady Baker made it back-to-back gold medals with a win in the Cinnamon Toast Crunch BMX Dirt event while Yumeka Oda won gold in the Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street Best Trick.
In the Pacifico Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick, 9-year-old Mia Kretzer made history as the youngest athlete and medalist in XGames History when she took home the gold. Gui Khury won the Men’s Vert Best Trick for his ninth gold medal.
To cap off the night, Marcus Christopher won gold in the Men’s BMX Park event while Jackson Strong captured his eighth gold in the Monster Energy Moto X Best Trick.
Strong’s win made him the moto X rider with the most golds ever in a single discipline.
Sunday
It was a youthful affair at the Skateboard Park on the SONIC Course on Sunday, with all eight finalists under 18 years old.
14-year-old Arisa Trew won the gold medal in the event, and she followed that up with a gold in the Pacifico Women’s Skateboard Vert later in the day.
In the Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick on the SONIC Course, Peraza won yet another gold medal. The victory also made him the first athlete to earn three BMX medals at consecutive events.
“Everyone is incredibly talented out here, everyone deserves the same love and respect for what went down here today,” Peraza said. “I can’t believe it honestly – another X Games, the crowd, the energy, everything.
“Also, Pat Casey forever. He would have done that run too so I had to do it for him too.”
Huston capped off a historic weekend in Ventura with a gold medal in the Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street Final, giving him the most skateboard gold medals ever and tying Shaun White for the most gold medals in X Games history at 15.
“I started at 11 years old and we are not done. I still have a lot of good years left of skating,” Huston said. “A shout-out to all the fans in Ventura. Great vibes on the course and with the fans. It’s just a great contest. I love X Games because it’s the OG skate event. Gnarliest ripping going on. It’s the best.”
The final victories of the weekend came from Corey Creed in the Samsung Galaxy Moto X Quarterpipe High Air and Ryan Williams in the Cinnamon Toast Crunch BMX Dirt Best Trick.
In his gold medal trick, Williams pulled off the world’s first 360 double backflip to make him a 10-time medalist.