Los Angeles – Danny Way didn’t invent the concept of big air skateboarding, but the 31-year-old from San Diego has taken it to another level.
Way gained worldwide attention a month ago when he became the first person to vault the Great Wall of China using nonmotorized power. He fractured his right ankle during the jump, hampering his preparation for the event he introduced to the X Games last year. But it took just one jump over the 70-foot gap Sunday outside the Staples Center for Way to regain his gold crown at X Games 11.
“I just wanted to pad up and skate for at least one run,” Way said. “And I nailed it.”
Way stuck a frontside 360 off the big tee over the gap and followed it with a Christ Air off the 27-foot quarterpipe at the base for a score of 94.75 and his second consecutive gold medal in the event. Canadian Pierre-Luc Gagnon wasn’t far behind, using a Half Mute Air to place second with a 94. Andy Macdonald of San Diego finished third for the second consecutive year, scoring 92.75 with a backside 360 to Airwalk on the quarterpipe.
Pastrana triumphs
More than 26,400 fans turned out at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Saturday night for what may have become the signature X Games event – freestyle moto. Travis Pastrana of Annapolis, Md., flipped everything in sight on his way to a fifth gold medal in six attempts.
Pastrana used a combination of big cliffhangers, La-Z-Boy airs and multiple flip combinations to post the top score of 92.80 points to Kenny Bartram’s 92.00.
“I feel amazing,” Pastrana said. “This has been the most competitive freestyle field I have competed against and it feels great to win.”
Fourth-place finisher Jeremy Stenberg of Winchester, Calif., nailed a huge 100-foot backflip off a dirt ramp to set a world record for inverted aerials in the competition.
Bohan repeats
Australian Corey Bohan became the first back-to-back gold medalist in BMX freestyle dirt competition Saturday night, going from worst to first on the last of his three runs with a string of technical bike tricks highlighted by a handlebar spin to toe whip and front flip on the final hit. Chris Doyle of Pittsburgh was second, followed by Australian Ryan Guettler.
Jamie Bestwick of State College, Pa., took the gold medal in the inaugural BMX vert best trick competition Saturday night, sticking the first flair double tailwhip to top the field in the 30-minute jam session.
