Jackson Strong clinches victory in Moto X Best Trick at 2012 X Games L.A.
Australia’s Jackson Strong claimed top honours in the Moto X Best Trick even at X Games that took place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Friday, June 29.
Japan’s Taka Higashino finished just behind Strong in second place to get hold of the silver medal, while Australia’s Cameron Sinclair rounded out the podium to take home the bronze.
With a massive crowd in attendance at the X Games venue, some of the most exciting riders from around the globe put on an exquisite show as they squared off to earn a place on the podium.
Strong, however, ended up stealing the show with his very first run. With the name “Stono” emblazoned on the front plate of his bike to play a tribute to rider Luke “Stono” Stojanovic who had been injured at Strong’s training compound last week and currently
in a coma, the 20-year-old Lockhart-based rider finally unveiled the highly-anticipated “Jack” in his very first attempt. The manoeuvre turned out to be a variation of the Special Flip body varial back-flip that his Nitro Circus Live colleague Greg Powell
had invented on BMX.
The trick left both the crowd and judges stunned and earned him a score of 91.00, which held up until the end to seal the contest in his favour for the second year in a row.
Commenting on the trick and why he changed its name from “Bulletproof Tiger” to “Jack,” Strong said, "I didn't want to just be known for the front flip so I went out and learned something totally new.”
He further went on to add that he was ecstatic to earn another gold medal.
Higashino found himself on the podium at the current edition of X Games for the second time in two days, earning a gold medal in Moto X Freestyle event on Thursday. On Friday, however, he had to settle for a silver medal after earning a 90.33 off his best
run, which featured a Rock Solid back-flip. His night went on to become even more memorable as he proposed to his girlfriend with a diamond ring, which she responded to with a yes.
The 28-year-old Sinclair landed a double back-flip cleanly on his first run to earn an 89.33 for the effort. The score proved adequate to put him in third place and earn him the bronze medal.
France’s Thomas Pages just missed out on the podium after scoring an 88.66 off his first run, which featured a body varial to no-footed can-can.
Australia’s Clint Moore finished in fifth place after pulling off a body varial to heel clicker in his first run for a score if 86.66, while America’s Kyle Loza settled for sixth place after a earning a 62.00 off his first run. He got injured during the
run and therefore did not return for his second run.
Tags: