The first night of X Games went down last night and the highlight of the night may not be what you think...

There was the main attraction Skateboard Big Air, which didn't disappoint, the hardest working dude in the building last night Jake Brown got redemption on Bob Burquist when he won the gold medal stealing it away from Bob. Whenever Jake got the chance, he took a practice run, he must have gone at least 50 times last night. Every time ESPN went to commercial Jake was taking a run. Each time he fell it looked more and more painful. Congrats Jake on gold, you definitely deserved it more than anyone.



The final event of the night featured some popular old school moto guys, Jeremy McGrath, Robbie Renner, Kevin Windham, Ricky Carmichael, and Brian Deegan. After a really long competition, a bunch of white trash hollering, and a crash by Carmichael, Robbie Renner was the only one left standing. (I know in this picture he's lying down.)



But the true highlight of the night came when no one was watching. Some member of the media decided it was time to take the plunge. He did what everyone wanted to do but wasn't sure how it would turn out. The anonymous member of the media slide down the mega ramp while the step up contest was going on. He took the giant plunge down the ramp on his ass. The result was a shredded forearm and a quick exit by a Staples Center red coat. He had the balls to do what I have always wondered how it would turn out, who knows tonight may be my night to go for it?




Make sure tonight you watch Moto's Best Trick, Pastrana is going to do his new trick, a back flip 360. Is that even possible, plus the first ever front flip will be landed tonight!

It appears Jake Brown has made a full recovery from his hellishly scary fall two years ago, when he slammed to the deck of the mega ramp from upwards of 50 ft. in the air. Last year he won a bronze in the same event (photo above: 2008 bronze medal, courtesy of Monster Energy Drink), and now he has brought home the gold. He stuck a 21ft. McTwist and a back 360 mute, as well as throwing up two attempts at a mega 900 on the same ramp he fell 5 stories from. Brown just edged out last year's winner Bob Burnquist, who chose his same winning run from 2008, a switch 180 to indy 360.

It's funny, because after Jake's fall two years ago he was in the lead, and it was Burnquist who stole it, as Jake was on his way to the hospital. He has finally gotten his revenge.

Here's the full results:

Gold: Jake Brown
Silver: Bob Burnquist
Bronze: Rob Lorifice

Ok, before we start talking X Games Big Air, let's get one thing out of the way, BIG AIR IS CRAZY and the guys that do it are out of their minds.


Nestled inside of Staples Center, the Mega Ramp has a giant roll in, if you safely make the drop, you then get to choose either a 50ft or 70ft gap to clear, those who successfully clear the gap are greeted with a 27ft quarter pipe. It's hard to truly appreciate the massiveness of the ramp until you see it in person. The mega ramp has a mysterious way of making those who choose to tackle it, an instant celebrity. You don't always have to make the jump to be a hero, as we saw a couple years ago when Jake Brown got the speed wobbles as he approached the quarter pipe and fell 50ft in the air to flat bottom. Miraculously Brown walked away and became an instant hero for surviving the worst fall in X Games history.

At X Games 15, Big Air has changed, a sign of progression in the sport. There's your standard Skateboard Big Air which Bob Burnquist will most likely win his 3rd consecutive X Games gold, Kevin Robinson and Chad Kagy will go as high as ever in BMX Big Air, but this year, the first ever woman, Lindsey Robertson is charging the mega ramp. Also Danny Way is leading the charge in Big Air Rail Jam. That's right they're putting a rail in the middle of the gap, for the skaters to rail slide before they hit the monster quarter pipe. As if it's not hard enough to stay alive, they needed to add another level of difficulty.


Yesterday during practice everyone was killing it, going ridiculously high. I have a good feeling that you're going to want to tune in and see what happens...

Predictions for Big Air-
I'm not really going out a limb here, but it's hard not to think Burnquist will win his 3rd straight gold, in practice he was doing things I didn't think were possible. But my sleeper pick is no name Elliot Sloan. I saw him training 2 years ago for this moment; I'm pulling for him.

Kevin Robinson continued to go bigger than everyone else, plus he drops in from the very top, which makes him even gnarlier.

The God Father of Big Air Danny Way will continue his brilliance and win Big Air Rail Jam.