X Games 16 wrap-up

Levi Sherwood ripping to his X Games silver medal. PIC: CHRISTIAN PONDELLA/RED BULL PHOTOFILES

Well, the Summer X Games has been run and won for another year, and our riders certainly didn't do themselves a disservice on the world's biggest action-sports stage.

The biggest props go to the super-flexible Levi Sherwood, who nabbed his (and Unit's for that matter!) first X Games medal - a silver in the FMX comp. The Kiwi teenager rode with a maturity beyond his years on a technical course that had a lot of riders struggling, and put together perfect runs every time he hit the arena.

His efforts saw him finish just a point behind the greatest X Games athlete of all time, Travis Pastrana, who landed his first competition Double Backflip since 2006 at the end of his final run, even though the judges had already (and somewhat controversially) decided he'd won the gold medal before he'd even stepped onto the compound for his third run.

Fellow Unit rider Mat Rebeaud also qualified for the final four in the FMX contest, but crashed after he under-rotated an Underflip and was forced to retire. From all accounts he's OK, and will be raring to go for the London round of the Red Bull X-Fighters next weekend.

As it turned out, Unit had athletes competing in every moto discipline at X Games 16.
Newly-signed rider and US FMX legend Beau Bamburg had initially been left off the X Games love-list, but ended up competing in three events - the Best Whip popularity contest (4th), Speed & Style, and Step-Up. Not bad for a bloke who only received his initial Best Whip invite a week before the festival started, then got asked to fill in the gaps in the program once he rocked up.

"Maybe next year ESPN can give me at least two days notice for all the events I do," Bam said on his Twitter afterward.

Speaking of filling gaps, Levi also got asked to take a spot in the Best Trick program after three-peat hero Kyle Loza pulled out at the 11th hour with a wrist injury. Levi busted his trademark Ruler Flip and Dead Body Flip and finished fifth. Aussie Cam Sinclair won the comp with a Double Backflip,and fellow Aussie Robbie Maddison placed second with an amazing Volt to Sidesaddle Lander.

Over on the Super X course, MotoConcepts Yamaha rider Dan Reardon rode to a solid fifth place on a slick, dusty track. Josh Grant won the race, ending Josh Hansen's two-win streak at the event.

Finally, Jimboomba BMX vert stalwart Tim Wood flew the Unit flag in the BMX Vert contest. Wood missed out on qualifying for the final by a hair's breadth, but impressed everyone with his super-clean, technical tricks on the imposing halfpipe.

All up, Summer X Games 16 was Australasia's best-ever showing at the action-sports festival, with the ANZACs coming away with a whopping eight medals (two gold, five silvers and one bronze). Congratulations, everyone!

• By Simon M