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Sport Descriptions

Aggressive In-Line Skating

Sport Description:

Park – The park competition gathers 26 of the world’s best park skaters and puts them up against ramp-designing veterans. The course is the same for in-line skaters, skateboarders and bicycle stunt riders. The course is comprised of planterboxes, handrails, wedge ramps, quarter pipes, spine ramps and street-oriented obstacles.

Vert – Men and women have separate competitions in which each skater performs tricks in the half pipe. The skaters are challenged to link tricks together in a smooth and exciting run. The skaters try to combine big air with big spinning tricks and technical lip tricks.

Scoring:

Park – In the preliminary round, each of the 26 competitors completes two 60-second runs. An average is taken from both scores and the top 10 positions advance to the final round. In the final round, each competitor completes two 60-second runs. The greater score of the two runs is assigned as the competitor’s best score. Scores are based on style, difficulty, consistency and line.

Vert (Men’s and Women’s)– In the preliminary round, each of the 26 competitors completes two 45-second runs. The two scores are averaged and the top 10 positions advance to the final round. In the final round, each competitor completes two 45-second runs. The greater score of the two runs is assigned as the competitor’s best score. Scores are based on style, difficulty, consistency and line.

Equipment:

Shell – The hard outside casing of the skate, usually made of durable plastic. The shell is where the laces or buckles are located, which provides closure and keeps the skater’s foot in place.

Frame – The part of the skate that connects the shell to the wheels.

Grind Plates – An addition to the aggressive in-line skate frame, usually attached to the instep of the skate between the second and third wheels.

Protective Gear – All skaters are required to wear helmets and most also wear wrist guards, extra-large kneepads and elbow pads.

Who to Watch:

Men – Taig Khris, of France, has been hard at work perfecting his tricks on the vert ramp. Khris’ work has paid off with bigger airs and better ramp usage, not to mention his ability to constantly land the more unusual spin tricks. Eito Yasutoko, of Japan, has been taking risks with big results. His clean style makes him the premier skater of perfect lines and methodical new tricks. Though young, both Takeshi Yasutoko and brother, Eito, have been dominating the field and sharing the spotlight, capturing several of the top spots in world-class competitions.
On the park course, Sven Boekhorst, of Holland, has been riding high after finishing on top of all three major championships in 2000. Jaren Grob, of Utah, has been skating big with a gutsy style that has earned him the nickname, "The Monster."

Women – Fabiola da Silva, of Brazil, has been a dominant force in Aggressive In-line. Since hitting the scene in ’96 she has been the only woman to be able to compete against the men. She has been determined to improve her skills and continues to add to her repertoire of tricks each season.

Bicycle Stunt

Sport Description:

Dirt Jumping – With most of the dirt jumpers having roots in BMX racing, the sport has evolved since 1995 from a sideshow attraction to a main attraction. Competitors get one jump per round to show the judges the best they have to offer in aerial maneuvers.

Flatland – Competitors square off in an event that embodies the true spirit of biking through its demand of balance, agility, and patience. The riders are judged on style, difficulty, originality, creativity, execution and overall performance. In this highly technical discipline, riders loose points every time they touch the ground.

Park – Bikers air, flip, spin and grind their way through a park course consisting of spines, quarter-pipes, wedge ramps, handrails and some street oriented obstacles. Bikers have 90 seconds to impress the judges with the difficulty of their tricks and use of the course.

Vert – Several of the best bike stunt riders compete in a 12-foot-high, 56-foot-wide half pipe made of wood and surfaced with skatelite; a hard, fast plastic composite. Each rider gets between 45 and 60 seconds to illuminate the air with big air and risky, original tricks.

Scoring:

Dirt Jumping – In the preliminary round, 20 competitors each attempt three jumps. The lowest score of three is dropped and the remaining two scores are averaged with the top 10 riders moving on to the finals. In the finals, riders attempt three more jumps, starting in reverse order of the prelim leaderboard.

Flatland – In the preliminary round, each of the 20 competitors complete a two-minute run, with the top 10 advancing to the final round. In the final round the athletes compete in reverse order of the leaderboard with each competitor completing two 90-second runs. The highest score of the two is the final ranking.

Park – In the preliminary round, each of the 20 competitors completes one run that must be at least 60 seconds and at most 75 seconds. After a break, each competitor must complete a second run and the two scores are averaged together to get the prelim score. The top 10 athletes advance to the final round. In the final round the athletes compete in reverse order of the leaderboard. Each competitor in the final round completes two runs that are averaged together to get the final score.

Vert – In the preliminary round each competitor completes two runs that must each be a minimum of 60 seconds and a maximum of 75 seconds. The scores from the two runs are averaged together for the prelim score. The top 10 athletes at the end of the preliminary round advance to the finals. In the final round, competitors run in reverse order of the preliminary round leaderboard. Each competitor completes two runs with the scores averaged together for a final score.

Equipment:

Bike – Vert bikes typically have two pegs on both wheels on each side of the bike, larger handlebars and a higher seat than a normal BMX bike. Vert bikes are set up to be more stable for airs and high speeds. Park/Street bikes have two or four pegs, the handlebars and seat are lower and some might have the handlebars swept back toward the rider. Most park/street bikes have only back brakes or no brakes at all. Street/Park bikes are set up to be more agile and sensitive.

Frames – The length of the top tube (which runs from the seat tube to the head tube below the stem) determines Frame size.

Pegs – Steel or aluminum cylindrical pegs which are slid onto the axles of the wheels and tightened down with axle nuts. Pegs are used to execute lip tricks in vert, grind along ledges in park and hold a rider’s body in place in flatland.

Protective Gear – Competitors in Dirt Jumping, Park and Vert all wear helmets. Most riders also wear knee, shin and elbow pads.

Who to Watch:

Dirt Jumping – Ryan Nyquist, of California, is ready to defend his X Games title. He has shifted his focus to dirt jumping and park competitions for the 2001 X Games and has had a very successful season. Cory Nastazio, of California, has been very successful when competing dirt jumping and looks forward to the event.

Flatland – Martti Kuoppa, of Finland, has been able to set himself apart from the rest by being consistent and original without sacrificing style and flow. Matt Wilhelm, of Illinois, won the B3 contest in Kentucky and has been on top of his game all season.

Park – Dave Mirra, of North Carolina, has been the top athlete in the park competition and shows no signs of losing his consistency. Ryan Nyquist has been very successful with a string of first-place finishes and hopes to carry that through the X Games. Both athletes are very active in all X events, most recently the Dave Mirra Tour.

Vert – Jamie Bestwick, of Pennsylvania, and Dave Mirra continue to challenge each other on the vert ramp. Bestwick had a strong start to the season and was able to capture several top honors.

Downhill BMX

Sport Description:

This year marks the debut of Downhill BMX in the X Games. Downhill BMX is the only bike racing event and the first official bike racing sport since Mountain Biking was included in 1995. Athletes race downhill traversing 40-foot doubles and enormous step-ups and step-downs.

Scoring:

In the preliminary round, each racer takes a timed run to see where he will be placed within the competition. Racers are placed by top finishers. In round one, there are four heats of eight racers each. Only the top four in each race qualify for the semi-final round. In the semi-final round there are two heats of eight racers each. Once again, only the top four qualify for the finals in each race. The consolation round has only one heat of eight racers. This race determines placement from 9-16. In the final round, there is just one heat of eight racers. The outcome of this race determines placement from 1-8.

Equipment:

Bike – Non Suspended, single gear bike.

Safety Equipment – All racers must wear a full-face helmet.

Who to Watch:

Chris Sanchez, of California, is considered to be the top rider in the sport. He captured the 2000 Vans Triple Crown of BMX by combining power, skill and a spectacular trail-riding style. Thomas Allier, of California, has a relaxed style but is very focused and is out to dominate the event.

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