X Games 2021 DAILY UPDATE Wednesday, July 14, 2021 Issue #1

Contents Fact Collector 2021 ...... 1 Course Descriptions ...... 7 BMX Dirt ...... 7 BMX Park ...... 7 BMX ...... 8 Dream Yard Preview ...... 8

Fact Collector X Games 2021

X Games Athletes • 4,127 athletes have competed at X Games, through XG Aspen 2021. • Including the USA, 55 different countries have been represented at X Games; 39 different countries have earned at least one medal. • 41 medals in 17 disciplines will be awarded at X Games 2021. Gold-only for BMX ’s Park Best Trick, BMX Dirt Best Trick, SKB Street Best Trick, SKB Vert Best Trick, Moto X 110s. Gold/silver/bronze for the other 12 disciplines.

X Games Medals • 1,237 gold medals have been awarded through XG Aspen & Real Series 2021. • 1,139 silver medals have been awarded through XG Aspen & Real Series 2021. • 1,144 bronze medals have been awarded through XG Aspen & Real Series 2021. • 3,520 total medals have been awarded through XG Aspen & Real Series 2021.

X Games Sport Disciplines

Seventeen disciplines will be contested at X Games 2021. • Skateboard (tri-code SKB): Men’s Street, Women’s Street, Men’s Street Best Trick, Women’s Park, Men’s Park, Vert, Vert Best Trick • BMX: Street, Park, Dirt, Dirt Best Trick, Dave Mirra’s Park Best Trick • Moto X (tri-code MTX): Best Trick, Freestyle, QuarterPipe High Air, Best Whip, 110s

XG Location History (Primarily Summer Events) • Extreme Games (X Games 1) 1995: Newport, RI • X Games Providence 1996 • X Games San Diego 1997-98 • X Games San Francisco 1999-2000 • X Games Philadelphia 2001-02 • X Games Los Angeles 2003-12 • X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013 (April) • X Games Barcelona 2013 (May) • X Games Munich 2013 (June) • X Games Los Angeles 2013 (August) • -2016 • X Games Sydney 2018 • X Games Shanghai 2019 (June) • X Games Minneapolis 2017-2019 • X Games 2021 (July, Southern California)

XG Location History (Primarily Winter Events) • X Games Big Bear 1997 • X Games Crested Butte 1998-1999 • X Games Mount Snow 2000-2001 • X Games Tignes 2013 • X Games Oslo 2016 • X Games Norway 2017-2019 • X Games Aspen 2002-2021

X Games 2021 FACTS *Due to athlete adds/drops, stats could change as competition progresses Number of Athletes 79 Number of X Games 15 Rookies Number of Sports 3 (Skateboard, BMX, Moto X) Number of Medal 17 Disciplines Average athlete age 25 years, 4 months Teenagers 11 (13.9% of the field). States represented 11 State with the most California: 22 athletes Countries represented 10 Country with the most USA (43) athletes Countries to compete in 55 X Games history Number of countries to 39 medal at XG (summer and winter disciplines)

XG 2021 STATS BY DISCIPLINE

KEY SKB STATS QUEEN LETICIA -- is tied with Elissa Steamer for most gold in Women’s SKB Street (4) history. It’s a record that has stood since 2008, but Bufoni is favored to claim it for herself at XG 2021. The 28-year-old Brazilian has 11 medals overall. A 12th medal would tie her with Lindsey Jacobellis for third-most X Games medals by a woman.

GO GO GAVIN! --Watch for 14-year-old Gavin Bottger in Men’s SKB Park. The CA|TF regular could become the first rookie in 10 years to win in the discipline. And if he does, he’d be the youngest Park champ since Ryan Sheckler in 2003 (13 yr. 7 mos.)

NEW WOMEN’S PARK CHAMP -- There have been 5 unique gold medalists from the 6 X Games Women's SKB Park contests at X Games. It's about to be 6 from 7 because the field is free of previous winners.

REACH FOR THE SKY --Sky Brown, who turned 13 on July 7, is the favorite. A win would make her the second-youngest gold medalist in X Games history. She misses the title for absolute youngest by just over one week. Brighton Zeuner nabbed that record 1 day after her 13th birthday with her SKB Park gold at XG Minneapolis 2017.

P-ROD RETURNS --Four-time SKB Street gold medalist Paul Rodriguez is back in action at X Games for the first time since Austin 2015. He's one of the best ever to compete in this discipline, and the 36- year-old is a legit skateboard legend. With 4 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze (8 total), P-Rod is 2nd behind for both most SKB Street gold (Nyjah has 10) and most SKB Street medals (Nyjah has 16).

JIMMY THREE TIMES? XG Minneapolis 2018 & 2019 Skateboard Vert gold medalist Jimmy Wilkins is favored to earn his third straight title. The discipline dates all the way back to 1995, but it would be just the third time X Games has seen a Skateboard Vert threepeat. Bucky Lasek won 4 straight in 2013 and Pierre-Luc Gagnon won 3 from 2008-2010.

PLUCKY BUCKY --Bucky Lasek is 48 yrs. 7 mos. of age. He finished 15th in SKB Vert at Minneapolis 2019. It’s a longshot, but if he can win either Vert or Vert Best Trick, he’ll become the oldest male gold medalist at an X Games summer event. That record was set by Jeff Ward, who was 47 yrs. 1 mth. when he won 2008 SuperMoto gold. Lasek, however, hasn’t earned a SKB medal at all since his unprecedented Bucky slam in 2013, when he won 4 straight Vert gold.

--Additionally, 1 medal will tie Lasek with Pierre-Luc Gagnon for 5th on the all-time X Games medal count (21).

KEY BMX STATS BMX TRIPLE WATCH --Four riders are competing in at least three BMX disciplines at XG 2021 (Pat Casey is competing in 4!). Only 3 riders in history have earned 3 BMX medals at a single X Games. Chad Kagy was the last rider to do it (2006). Dave Mirra and Dennis McCoy were the others (1998; when Mirra took 3 gold).

--Kevin Peraza will become the first BMX rider to compete in this combination of BMX disciplines: Dirt, Park, Street. Ben Wallace will complete in Dirt, Park and Dirt Best Trick, Jaie Toohey is in Dirt, Dirt Best Trick and Park Best Trick

--Pat Casey is in Dirt, Dirt Best Trick, Park and Park Best Trick (everything happening at his own house, in other words) but he’s also competing in MTX 110s! This will be the first time a BMX athlete crosses over to Moto X. No athlete ever has earned 4 medals at a single X Games event. Can Casey earn 5? (110s is gold only).

“NO ONE OVER 25” IN JEOPARDY? --Get this: In the complete history of BMX Dirt at X Games (20 contests) every single gold medalist has been 25 years of age or younger. Only 2 athletes could keep this streak alive in 2021. Colton Walker, now 24, won Dirt at X Games Minneapolis 2017. Bryce Tryon, a 20-year-old rookie, is the other rider who could keep this streak alive. Good luck, kid.

WELCOME BACK, CROATIA! --Marin Rantes will become the first Croatian athlete at X Games since Irena Palosek competed in Speed Climbing in 1995! If Rantes medals in either BMX Park or Park Best Trick, he will raise the total number of unique medalist countries in X Games history to 40.

GARRETT THE GOAT? --With Real BMX 2020 gold, Garrett Reynolds earned his 13th X Games title. An XG 2021 victory would bring him even with Dave Mirra, and for second- most X Games gold (14 each), just one behind 's 8-year-old record of 15. Reynolds has won 11 of the 14 gold medals awarded in BMX Street history at XG.

GARRETT’S MANY CHALLENGERS --Wow. Of the 14 BMX Street contests held in X Games history, 12 have featured unique silver medalists! Our favorite to add to this list would be Street first-timer Kevin Peraza.

KEY MOTO X STATS LUCKY 7 FOR JACKO? -- Jackson Strong has a perfect 8 medals from 8 Best Trick starts (6 gold, 2 silver). The Aussie is a good bet to tie and Ronnie Renner for most gold medals in a single Moto X discipline in 2021 (7). Strong won the most recent XG MTX Best Trick contest, taking gold at Norway 2019 with a no- handed frontflip.

AUSSIES ONLY --Australians have won 8 of the past 10 Moto X Best Trick gold medals. They also have swept the Best Trick podium 3 times since 2011.

--In Freestyle, they’ve earned 12 of the past 15 medals awarded and swept the podium at X Games Minneapolis 2019, the most recent XG Freestyle contest. Five of the 8 riders on the 2021 invite list are from Australia.

WHAT NEXT FOR RINALDO? --David Rinaldo was a little-known journeyman entering X Games Minneapolis 2019…and then he landed the world’s first backflip body varial for Best Trick gold. The Frenchman says he’s working on something new for XG 2021, but something old would do: Judges say it’s hard to imagine anyone beating another flip varial.

40 AND UP CLUB --It’s lonely at the top. Corey Creed is the only rider to break the 40-ft. mark in MTX QuarterPipe High Air. His max height of 40-ft. 8-in. at X Games Norway 2019 earned him a second straight gold in the discipline. At XG 2021, QuarterPipe High Air will be contested outdoors for the first time. This will be the 5th iteration of this discipline at X Games.

ALL THE CHAMPS --Previous QuarterPipe High Air gold medalists Corey Creed, Axell Hodges and Colby Raha are all expected to compete at XG 2021. Tyler Bereman, the only athlete to medal in each of the four QuarterPipe High Air contests (2 silver, 2 bronze) will also compete.

WELCOME MTX 110s --Remember 20 years ago when full grown adults riding and racing Honda Z50s was the rage? History has repeated itself on pit bikes called “110s”, after their (approximately) 110cc of displacement. The 26-29 inches of seat height and longer suspension and wheelbases make them (much) more comfortable and capable for adults.

--What is “Moto X 110s?” Think BMX Dirt on tiny motorcycles (12/14-in. wheels) instead of 20-in. bicycles. The 7 riders will be judged on overall impression in this 20-minute jam session that awards gold only.

OVERALL X GAMES 2021 ATHLETE STATS Tallest MEN: 6’2”, Dennis Enarson (BMX Park and Street).

WOMEN: 5’9”, Bryce Wettstein (SKB Park).

Shortest MEN: 4’6”, Gui Khury (SKB Vert, Vert Best Trick).

WOMEN: 4’9”, Mami Tezuka (SKB Park).

Lightest MEN: 67 lbs. Gui Khury (SKB Vert, Vert Best Trick).

WOMEN: 95 lbs. Mami Tezuka (SKB Park) and Sky Brown (SKB Park).

Heaviest 209 lbs., Jayo Archer (MTX Best Trick)

Youngest MEN: 12 yrs. 6 mos. Gui Khury (SKB Vert, Vert Best Trick).

WOMEN: 13 yrs. 0 mos. Sky Brown (SKB Park).

Oldest MEN: 48 yrs. 7 mos. Bucky Lasek (SKB Vert, Vert Best Trick)

WOMEN: 29 yrs. 10 mos. Nika Washington (SKB Street)

Youngest Discipline Women’s SKB Park: 18 yrs. 8 mos.

Oldest Discipline MTX Best Whip: 30 yrs. 6 mos.

Most X Games Medals, Overall Medals: Bob Burnquist leads the all-time X Games All-Time medal count by a large margin. But Bucky Lasek could tie or pass Pierre-Luc Gagnon for 5th on the list. Lasek competes in SKB Vert and Vert Best Trick. No one else at XG 2021 can threaten Nate Adams for 8th.

Bob Burnquist: 30 Dave Mirra: 24 Shaun White: 23 Andy Macdonald: 23 Pierre-Luc Gagnon: 21 Bucky Lasek: 20 Jamie Bestwick: 20 Nate Adams: 19

Youngest Medalist in Cocona Hiraki -- Women’s SKB Park silver, Minneapolis 2019, XG History age 10 yrs., 11 mos.

Youngest Gold Medalist Brighton Zeuner -- Women’s SKB Park, Minneapolis 2017, age in XG History 13 yrs., 1 day.

Youngest Male Gold Ryan Sheckler -- Men’s SKB Park, LA 2003, age 13 yrs., 7 Medalist in XG History mos.

Youngest Athlete in XG Gui Khury -- SKB Vert, Minneapolis 2019, age 10 yrs., 7 mos. History Oldest Medalist, XG Gold: Chris Devlin-Young, Mono Skier X, Aspen 2015, age 53 History yrs., 0 mos.

Oldest Woman Gold Angelika Casteneda, Xventure Race 1996, age 53 yrs., 0 Medalist, XG History mos.

Oldest Athlete, XG John Buffum, RCR Racing, LA 2007, age 63 yrs., 9 mos. History Most competition starts Andy Macdonald: 59. in XG history

CROWD STATS

Largest single-day 79,380; Saturday, August 7, 2004 (LA) attendance at an XG event Largest total crowd at 222,886 -- San Francisco 1999 an XG event Total on-site XG 6,345,868 attendance, all events through XG Aspen 2021

Course Descriptions

BMX Dirt

The dirt used for the X Games 2021 Dirt course already was at Pat Casey’s house -- it was part of Pat’s old dirt jump line, which had 13 features and wrapped around his property. The course has been totally rebuilt for X Games, and there will be 7 features. While Casey is losing most of his homefield advantage, he did have input into the new track’s design.

The most technical feature is the transition between features 3 and 4, where the course turns 90 degrees. Riders who actually trick this feature will score well.

1. Step up jump: 14-ft gap (take-off 6-ft high, landing 7-ft)

2. Step down: 15-ft gap (take-off 6-ft, landing 10-ft)

3. Hip: 16-ft gap to Shark fin, sends riders to the right (take-off 7-ft, landing 12-ft).

4. Shark fin: looks like a 90-degree wallride that transitions riders to the next straightaway.

5. Step up jump: 17-ft gap (7-ft take-off, 10-ft landing)

6. 2 take-off options: --rider’s left: step up jump with 16-ft gap --rider’s right: hip that sends riders to the left with 10-ft gap to landing

7. 2 take-off options: --riders left: step up jump with 14-ft gap --rider’s right: slight hip with 14-ft gap to landing

BMX Park

Pat Casey’s personal park course -- the venue for XG 2021 BMX comps -- has been in the making for almost 8 years. While the Dirt course got a total rebuild for X Games, the Park course has stayed relatively the same, though course builder Aaron Bostrom did say that he and a crew logged 12 12-hour days prepping it for X Games.

One of Bostrom’s biggest projects was to turn a vert wall into a slanted wall that would allow for better transfers. They also fixed cracked slate, refurbished the coping and built a safety deck.

The course has tons of transfer lines and is all wood, something the riders are happy to see after years of cement bowl courses. They’re also happy to have a dedicated course instead of sharing one with skateboarders, which has been the case for about the past 10 years.

Some of the highlights of the course include:

Open loop: Casey’s is one of the only park courses that has this: an 11.5-ft tall by 11.5-ft wide loop set at a 90-degree angle. Riders get upside down when they ride it, and it’s super intimidating. Casey might be one of the only riders who uses it.

7 quarterpipes: Various sizes: Angles vary from 72-75 degrees and have radiuses from 6 feet to 12 feet.

Big Step Up: 9-ft gap

Smaller Step Up: 7-ft gap

Box jump: 8-ft tall lip with 4-ft step up landing

Spox: combination of a spine and a box

Wallride: 40-ft long, 6-ft radius, 69-degree angle.

BMX

Dream Yard Preview Tuesday, July 13, 2021 Researcher: Nicole Dreon

Welcome to the Dream Yard! • At X Games 2021, Pat Casey’s Riverside, CA, backyard will serve as the venue for BMX Park, Dirt, Dirt Best Trick and Dave Mirra’s Park Best Trick. • Pat's compound is a huge wooden playground, and the Park course features hips, spines, box jumps, a “spox” (which is like a spine and a box), berm walls and step- ups. • Casey bought his pad in Riverside in 2013 when he was 19, just after graduating from high school. He lives there with his wife, Chase, and their children: Reid (son, age 6) and Taytum (daughter, age 5). He began constructing Dream Yard soon after taking ownership. • Box jumps and dirt hits aren’t the only things you’ll find on Casey’s property. There’s a pool that helps with Riverside’s 100-degree days, three dogs (one Labrador, two pugs), an outdoor cat, four tortoises, 16 chickens (with coops underneath the ramps) and pigs named Bacon and Boris, who wander the perimeter.

Weather • It hit 95 degrees during Tuesday’s practices, which actually wasn’t too hot for Riverside in July. Still, several riders jumped into the Caseys’ pool to cool off between sessions. • A headwind was a bit of an issue on the Dirt course, and riders said they hoped they wouldn’t have to ride with it during the comp. It didn’t affect Park practice as much. • Hardly anyone practiced Dirt during the afternoon because the course rode right into the sun.

Homefield Advantage for Casey? • It might seem like Pat Casey -- who is competing in all 4 disciplines at his house -- should have the homefield advantage, but there’s a lot that goes into hosting that can be distracting. • Casey said he’s been so busy doing house projects during the last week that he hasn’t even had a chance to ride his bike. He’s been painting, landscaping and working on his 110 motorcycle (yes, he’s also competing in Moto X 110s on Thursday at his buddy Axell Hodges’ property).

• He has less of an advantage in Dirt than he might in Park because the Dirt course actually was rebuilt for X Games and was only finished about a week ago. (To be fair, Pat did play a role in the new track’s design.) • The Park course hasn’t had many changes made for X Games, and Pat has it dialed. But he’s not the only one: Friends and fellow competitors -- and former X Games Park gold medalists -- like Kevin Peraza and Dennis Enarson frequently ride the course, too. • Casey will compete in five disciplines within 27 hours. He’ll be in every BMX discipline on Wednesday and Moto X 110s on Thursday. He’s a podium contender in each of the BMX contests.

Dirt: 11am-12pm

• Dirt will kick off the BMX events -- and X Games 2021! -- on Wednesday morning. • Riders like Colton Walker said the course was quite technical and it was taking some getting used to. • The 3rd and 4th features, which are a hip into a shark fin, are really technical and riders will transfer close to 16-ft. in the air while turning to the right. Riders who also can work in a trick on these features likely will do well. Pat Casey is the most likely to throw something cool here.

No One Over 25 Admitted • Incredibly, no one over the age of 25 has won X Games Dirt. This has to end at some point, right!? • Is that crazy stat just a strange coincidence, or is there more to it? Well, it’s no longer a small sample size: Dirt has been contested 20 times in X Games history. • But it gets better: When Dirt returned to X Games in 2013 (there was no Dirt contest from 2007 until Foz do Iguaçu 2013) only 3 of the 8 riders at Foz were 25 and under. In fact, in the 8 contests held since Dirt’s return, only once has riders 25 and under outnumbered riders aged 26 and up. But it’s always the youngest ones who win.

Young Guns • Only two riders on the X Games 2021 Dirt roster are younger than 25. • Minneapolis 2017 Dirt champ Colton Walker, 24, normally would be a favorite, but he didn’t look that comfortable during practice. He actually crashed twice and said he jammed his heels during one fall. • The only rookie on the roster, Bryce Tryon (Try-on), age 20, looked surprisingly good. He can throw both way Cash rolls. Could he keep the streak alive? • The last rookie to medal in XG Dirt was Walker at Minneapolis 2017. • Tryon turns 21 on Thursday, July 15th. A medal would be a heckuva birthday gift.

Is 31 the new 25? • If someone over 25 is going to top the podium, put your money on Andy Buckworth. Buckworth, 31, rides frequently at Casey’s house and spends a lot of time practicing for dirt. • Buckworth was throwing double backflips and frontflips during practice; he’s got the tricks to contend. But he hasn’t finished better than 7th in any of his past 10 X Games starts across Dirt, Park and Big Air.

La Familia! • Look out for Kevin Peraza, the Austin 2016 Dirt gold medalist. Peraza is scheduled to compete in Dirt, Park and Street at XG 2021. He would be the first rider to compete in those 3 disciplines at the same X Games. • Peraza’s entire family will be onsite at Casey’s house, including wife Itsel, parents Marie and Victor, and brothers Eddie, Victor and David. Kevin’s mom usually holds a Mexican flag in the crowd.

Dirt Best Trick: 12:30pm-1:15pm

• Winner takes all in this discipline making its X Games debut. Only gold will be rewarded. Single best trick wins in a 20-minute jam. • Competitors will drop in from the regular Dirt ramp and ride the course until they come to the feature they are going to trick. It will most likely be the last two features on the course. • Look for Andy Buckworth’s double backflip variation on the second to last jump. • Also watch for Ryan Williams. Williams is a three-time BMX Big Air gold medalist who is known for inventing tricks on the spot. He said he would likely use the last hit but didn’t quite know what he wanted to do yet.

Park: 4:30-5:30pm • The 2021 Park course is one of the biggest ever at X Games. Riders are glad to go back to a wood course (instead of a cement bowl) and are happy they don’t have to share it with skateboarders. They really believe they can showcase their skills in the roomier space. • Casey has been building his backyard course for almost eight years. It’s massive and rad! Here’s part 4 of the Monster Energy video series on Casey’s compound. It was released earlier this month.

Daniel Sandoval Is the Favorite • Daniel Sandoval, who has Park gold from Austin 2015, is on a mission. He didn’t show up until the afternoon’s practice, but he was firing the whole time. • He said earlier this month that he doesn’t’ ride at Casey’s house a lot but that he knew the course and already knew the run he wanted to throw weeks in advance.

Enarson Not at Practice • One of three former gold medalists in the field and a medal contender in 2021, Dennis Enarson (gold, Austin 2016) was the only rider not at practice. Want to know why? With a new baby in his house, clues weren’t hard to find (seriously, check the post -- it’s so cute!). Enarson and his girlfriend, Odessa Wilson, had their first child, a boy named Acea, on July 3rd. • Enarson has spent quite a bit of time in the past practicing at Casey’s. He knows the course, and he’s still a threat.

Casey A Fave! • Pat Casey is definitely a favorite on this Park course. It’s his baby. He’ll link lines no one else considered, and he goes huge. But will he go too big and try too hard with all of his friends and family in the crowd? Will he be worrying about that baseboard trim he forgot to paint? Hard tellin’ not knowin’.

The Future: Reid Casey • Six-year-old Reid Casey frequently rides the course with his dad and was out on the course during practice. Pat said that Reid actually thinks he’s in the contest and will be ready to go if his name is called. The kid already has 25,000 Instagram followers. • Reid told Research that he was planning to throw a 360 in his run and maybe work up to a tailwhip.

Dave Mirra’s BMX Park Best Trick: 6:00-6:45pm Park Best Trick rounds out Wednesday’s events. Get ready for a great show. This will be the 5th time the discipline has been held at X Games. It’s a gold medal only, 20-minute jam session.

1260: Mike Varga • Minneapolis 2019 Park Best Trick gold medalist Mike Varga said he was going to attempt a 1260 on one of the quarterpipes on the north end of the course. It would be a massive feat if he lands it. • The trick has never been landed to wood, although Varga has landed a 1260 from wood to dirt, which is a little easier. • Varga attempted the trick once from wood-to-wood and suffered a broken right collarbone that required surgery. Will he stick it this time? • Here’s a great reason to root for the 24-year-old Canadian: Varga has lived with his 96-year-old grandmother throughout Covid. He was so concerned with protecting her that he spent a year using a ladder to access his second story bedroom to avoid crossing paths with her in the house. A ladder. Including through a Canadian winter.

Ryan Williams Is Bringing It! • The three-time BMX Big Air champ has been practicing a 900 flair off a quarterpipe into an airbag at his compound back in Australia. • He said he’s going to attempt it to a hard surface (wood, in this case) for the first time during Park Best Trick. • Look for it on the quarterpipe on the south end of the course near the Dirt course. • Judges will have their work cut out for them if both Varga and Williams land their tricks!