The most nerve-racking event in the entire X Games was definitely the best part this year. Seeing the best big air athletes put together such amazing runs and score so closely is what it’s all about. The judges must have wanted to get up and walk away when they were simply faced with the decision: Zack Warden’s backflip bikeflip to triple whip or Steve McCann’s no-handed double frontflip to double whip… Let’s take a look at the top 5:

1. Steve McCann (92.33)
2. Zack Warden (92.00)
3. Kevin Robinson (91.00)
4. Chad Kagy (90.66)
5. Morgan Wade (89.00)

Yes, it was splitting hairs and every rider probably went home feeling like a winner for performing the way they did, or hurting from the numerous slams all weekend. Speaking of the slams, Chad Kagy returned this year and landed in 4th place after breaking his femur at last year’s event. His femur. Otherwise known as the worst bone to break in your body. It’s good to see K-Rob, the 3-time gold winning champion of this discipline, back on the podium adding to his collection of metal pieces from X Games at home. It’s even better to see Zack Warden, the most underrated rider in big air history, finally receive the fruit of his labor. A well-deserved silver medal should make up for all the underscored years in the past. But the big props go to Steve McCann for repeating in Big Air and setting up a chance to beat Kevin Robinson’s record 2 ins in a row next year for this event.

videos courtesy of ESPN X Games youtube