History was made at X Games California 2023 with a sold-out crowd on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds & Events Center. Attendees witnessed a stacked day of competitions with nine Finals taking place throughout the day. Numerous NBD’s (never been dones) went down in front of a stoked crowd to further cement X Games’ triumphant return to Southern California.
Women’s Skateboard Street
The action got underway Saturday morning with the women of Skateboard Street competing first. Australian Chloe Covell surprised everyone with her third and final run to take gold. Covell’s winning 45-second run included: Frontside nosegrind on bar, heelflip down 4-block, frontside 5-0 on picnic table bench, switch kickflip up step-up, frontside 50-50 kickflip on the big out-rail, frontside 50-50 kickflip from 10-foot long out-rail. At 13, this is Covell’s first gold medal, and solidifies her as the youngest X Games Women’s Street Gold Medalist.
“This is very overwhelming,”.
Covell admitted right after winning gold
“I’m super stoked, X Games is one of my favorite contests to compete in, and all the other girls did great– I’m just so stoked!”.
she beamed
Rounding out the podium were Japanese riders, Liz Akama and Momiji Nishiya, who placed second and third respectively, and scored within one point of each other.
- Chloe Covell (AUS) 90.00
- Liz Akama (JPN) 87.66
- Momiji Nishiya (JPN) 86.66
- Hina Maeda (JPN) 78.66
- Shiloh Catori (USA) 78.00
- Mariah Duran (USA) 67.00
- Paige Heyn (USA) 64.00
- Leticia Bufoni (BRA) 60.33
Thayer’s BMX Dirt
Over at the Dirt Course, eight of the world’s best BMX riders showed up to throw down at the Ventura County
Fairgrounds. Brady Baker, 20, an X Games rookie, surprised everyone with his third and final run to claim his
first X Games gold. In the last run of the entire competition, Baker threw down a run that included: Triple
tailwhip backflip, barspin cashroll, truck driver while spinning the bars the long way, cash roll downwhip.
“These are amazing jumps!”.
exclaimed Baker
“To ride all weekend with my best friends and then win… well, this is just unreal!”.
a stunned Baker said following his massive win
“I’ve been working so hard to have this moment, to have this gold medal, it really is just unreal!”.
he concluded
Competing in his first X Games Dirt competition, Ryan Williams earned a silver medal and perennial podium threat Logan Martin took bronze.
- Brady Baker (USA) 93.00
- Ryan Williams (AUS) 92.00
- Logan Martin (AUS) 91.33
- Brian Fox (USA) 89.00
- Dawid Godziek (POL) 88.33
- Mike Varga (CAN) 87.66
- Jaie Toohey (AUS) 84.66
- Andy Buckworth (AUS) 34.00
Pat Casey Forever
Following the award ceremony, members of the BMX, Dirt Bike, and Skate communities, along with fans, family, and many others, all gathered to commemorate the late Pat Casey. The collective crowd took a moment of silence to honor Casey, a five-time X Games medal winner, who passed away last month. A sea of ‘Pat Casey Forever’ shirts filled the crowd in respect and remembrance for Casey, a true BMX hero.
Moto X QuarterPipe High Air
How high is high? That question was answered and history was made during Moto X QuarterPipe High Air. The riders blasted massive airs, with the top three finishers all boosting over 50’ from the top of the QuarterPipe. Colby Raha shattered his own record of 49’ with the highest air being clocked at 56′ 3″ on his last run.
“Last run, I went as high as I felt that I could,”. “I held it wide open and knew whatever
admitted Raha
happens, happens, and I was just hoping I would land it, and I did end up landing it. So when the score came in, I had won again. I couldn’t have done it without the help of all my sponsors and fans. We’re literally going right up like a rocket and coming down and it’s just insane to see in person and on TV. It’s really something else when you hear the bike and see how high we’re actually going- it’s just insane, and I’m so thankful to be
a part of it and just grateful to be able to do what I do.”
Corey Creed was hot on Raha’s heels and gave it his all to land in second with a high air measuring 55 ‘7″. Tyler Bereman was also absolutely boosting and took third with a height of 52’1”.
- Colby Raha (USA) 56’3”
- Corey Creed (AUS) 55’7”
- Tyler Bereman (USA) 52’1”
- Kohl Denney (USA) 49’8”
- Patrick Evans (USA) 46’8”
- Jarryd McNeil (AUS) 42’2”
Men’s Skateboard Park
With all eyes on the skate park, Jagger Eaton claimed gold with his second run that earned a high score of 92.00. This is his second Park gold medal, earning his first at X Games Chiba 2022. The only skater competing in Street and Park, Eaton’s run consisted of: Alley-oop frontside air, backside 180 Ollie to fakie over box jump, switch frontside Ollie on quarterpipe, half-Cab front blunt, backside tailslide, kickflip back lip in deep end corner, Indy 540, backside noseblunt, backside lipslide transfer on flat rail.
“This gold medal means everything,”. “X Games to me has always been the show, it’s always been the pinnacle of action sports and for me to win this, along with my three silvers and to add this one to my resume of X Games, I am so grateful. I can’t even put it into words. I look forward to competing here so much, it’s honestly surreal.”
said Eaton
X Games Chiba 2023 gold medalist Keegan Palmer took silver and Tom Schaar earned his second bronze medal of the week.
- Jagger Eaton (USA) 92.00
- Keegan Palmer (AUS) 91.33
- Tom Schaar (USA) 85.33
- Pedro Barros (BRA) 84.00
- Cory Juneau (USA) 79.33
- Oskar Rozenberg (SWE) 77.66
Thayer’s BMX Dirt Best Trick
During the middle of the day, throngs of excited fans made their way to the Dirt course for BMX Dirt Best Trick. They were treated to an insane show where all the athletes who made it on the podium did so on their third and final attempt. Ryan Williams earned gold with a massive frontflip, front bikeflip for his third medal of the week.
“My first-ever contest in X Games was actually Dirt Best Trick and I crashed in that one, and I crashed on my first run today in the same event, so to win gold here, actually feels like some redemption!”.
an amped Williams said following the event
Rookie Kaden Stone stomped the first 1440 landed in competition to earn his first X Games medal. Dawid Godziek claimed bronze with his 360 body varial. This is essentially where Godziek’s body did a 360 while his bike spun a 360… Similar to 360-360.
- Ryan Williams (AUS)
- Kaden Stone (USA)
- Dawid Godziek (POL)
- Jaie Toohey (AUS)
- Andy Buckworth (AUS)
- Brady Baker (USA)
- Mike Varga (CAN)
- Daniel Sandoval (USA)
- Jake Leiva (USA)
Pacifico Women’s Skateboard Vert
The pint-sized 13-year-old Arisa Trew, who hails from Australia, stunned the crowd at Pacifico Women’s Vert by stomping a massive last run. She went alley-oop backside air, McTwist, frontside air, body varial 540, lein varial, air to fakie, switch frontside air, fakie frontside 360, air to fakie, to fakie Weddle 720. This 720 was the first to be landed in a competition, however, Arisa also holds the title of the first woman to land this trick. She first did so after the clock expired in the Vert Best Trick contest at Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert in June.
“I feel amazing, because I really just wanted to do my 7 in my run, and I did it!”.
an emotional Trew admitted about her win
She went on to say that this X Games win is motivation for her to continue to push her skills, and has her sights set on stopping a 900 in a contest one day soon.
Reese Nelson, the youngest X Games competitor, at just 10 years young, claimed silver, while Asahi Kaihara claimed third.
- Arisa Trew (AUS) 90.33
- Reese Nelson (CAN) 88.00
- Asahi Kaihara (JPN) 83.66
- Juno Matsuoka (JPN) 75.66
- Raicca Ventura (BRA) 74.33
- Bryce Wettstein (USA) 73.00
- Ruby Lilley (USA) 72.33
- Dora Varella (BRA) 71.00
- Lilly Stoephasius (GER) 67.00
- Grace Marhoefer (USA) 64.33
BMX Park
By the evening, the action returned to the park for BMX Finals. The heavy international field of riders put it all on the line with Jose Torres from Argentina claiming gold. This is Torres’ first X Games gold and second overall medal. His height separated him from the rest of the field, with a tailwhip out of the miniramp onto the roof, barspin drop in off roof, superman seatgrab, triple tailwhip, 720 whip, flip whip to barspin.
“In this moment, I feel so happy, it’s difficult to believe this happened– it’s a dream come true!”.
said Torres
Kevin Peraza claimed his second medal of this X Games, by earning silver for his efforts in BMX Park. Logan Martin placed third, winning his second bronze of the day.
- Jose Torres (ARG) 95.33
- Kevin Peraza (MEX) 93.33
- Logan Martin (AUS) 92.66
- Justin Dowell (USA) 89.33
- Dennis Enarson (USA) 85.33
- Kieran Reilly (GBR) 81.33
Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick
A stacked field of eight skaters took to the street course and pulled out the best tricks in their bag. Yuto Horigome stomped a TK trick which earned him the coveted gold.
“I am super happy and this is my dream,”. “When I was young, I always watched the X Games on TV, so this is honestly a dream come true– I am so happy!”
said an emotionally overcome Horigome
Braden Hoban clenched silver with TK trick. Nyjah Houston made his return to the X Games podium claiming bronze with a trick that went like this NEED TRICKS.
- Yuto Horigome (JPN)
- Braden Hoban (USA)
- Nyjah Huston (USA)
- Gustavo Ribeiro (POR)
- Chris Joslin (USA)
- Kelvin Hoefler (BRA)
7.Vincent Milou (FRA) - Jamie Foy (USA)
Moto X Best Whip
Under another beautiful Ventura sunset, the Moto X Best Whip wrapped up day two of X Games competition with Templeton’s Tyler Bereman earning his second Best Whip medal.
“I knew the biggest whip would take it, so I started slow, and then gave it my all, and stoked to walk away with the win,”.
said Tyler Bereman
Tom Parsons and Julien Vanstippen rounded out the podium with silver and bronze.
- Tyler Bereman (USA)
- Tom Parsons (USA)
- Julien Vanstippen (BEL)
- Patrick Evans (USA)
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