By Of all the kinks that can be thrown into Winter X, who'd have thought that snow would be one of the biggest problem of the Games?
The fresh dump that fell on Aspen Saturday night and Sunday, coveted by powder hounds everywhere, turned into an eight-inch accumulation of problems for the men and machines of Moto X Best Trick.
The snow started Saturday evening, just before the prelims were to begin for prime time TV and fired-up fans leaning on the barricades surrounding the course. But each snowflake meant that Nate Adams, the Metal Mulisha boys, Metz and Cowboy Kenny Bartan would be staying on the ground. As fearless as these madmen may seem, they are quick to stand together on safety issues. The field was deep and healthy, and the riders wanted to keep it that way. Saturday's qualifying round was pushed to Sunday.
The storm dumped through the night and into Sunday, and the riders woke to a mini blizzard and wondered if the event would be delayed again. By noon, the snow had stopped and the prelims were on. Five of the 10 riders would advance to the finals, which would follow a few hours later.
Nate Adam, considered a favorite by many, including "General" Brian Deegan, came up with a no-hand backflip to a no-foot landing on his first run in the prelims. His 90.80 would be good for third in the qualifiers.
"You can't get knocked out, but you want to save something for the final," says Adams. "You have to find a happy medium."
He was joined in the finals by Ronnie Faisst, Brian Deegan, Jeremy "Twitch," Stenberg and Switzerland's Mat Rebeaud, the top qualifier with a saran wrap backflip.
"I just want to ride safe and have fun," said Rebeaud. "I'm just so happy that I am riding here at the X Games."
Mike Metzger, who's been absent from Winter X since 2003, got jiggy with a tweaked out no-foot backflip to one-hand landing. When his 89.4 missed qualifying by two tenths of a point, he wasn't shy about expressing his opinion. First, he trashed a corner of the competitors' tent, smashing a chair. Then he turned vocal about the judging, the Mulisha and the competition in general.
Several hours later, under the lights, came the inverted showdown-five different riders, 10 versions of backflips, all on the 90-foot jump. Ronnie Faisst went first, breaking the ice with a one-handed backflip, one-handed side-saddle landing: 90.6 points that stood for the bronze medal.
Rebeaud flipped to the silver, sans yodel, adding a no-handed lander to his saran backflip. The 2006 WX Gold again went to the Mulisha, this time to Twitch, adding a bookend to the summer X Games best trick gold he won six months ago. And he won with a backflip combo never seen before: no-handed backflip, with a can can and side saddle landing.
"I've been working on the trick the past month, but I didn't know if it could work in competition," says Twitch. "I was so pumped that it came together."
Once again the Mulisha collected two thirds of the X bling, bronze and gold. Snow or dirt, Twitch is the man to beat.
NOTES and QUOTES
Mike Metzger happily greeted fans during Saturday night's delay, decked in his new Monster Energy gear. After the comp was canceled, he climbed the ramp for the 75-foot jump and slide down in a backward coffin.
Switzerland's Mat Rebeaud seemed more nervous about his English than backflipping a motorcycle while kicking a boot between his arms.
Brian Deegan, long known in Moto circles at "The General", now answers to "The Dark Lord."
Before the competition, Nate Adams, Twitch and Deegan (wielding a shovel) climbed the back of the 90-foot jump to work on the ruts.
The ambulance drivers had an easy weekend: no crashes, no carnage.
"The conditions are actually really bad. The snow falls in the lines on the jump and the landing is so chewed up."—Ronnie Faisst on the Moto X track.
"The partying is over. I'm dedicated to winning. There'll be a little celebration tonight, but nothing big. I'm looking to win everything this year."—Twitch, on living the straight and narrow.
