ESPNSTAR.com
May 30, 2010
The 12th edition of the KIA X Games Asia left Shanghai fans with plenty of thrilling memories.
Top international skateboarder Pierre-Luc Gagnon of Canada clinched the first ever double-gold victory when he won the BMX mini-MegaRampTM in front of 24,800 fans on the final day of competition – the best spectator attendance in the event’s history.
Skateboard Vert
After winning yesterday’s Skateboard mini-MegaRamp competition with a perfect score of 100, Canada ‘s Gagnon returned to claim top honors again with a score of 85.00 in the Skateboard Vert final with his consistent skating and technical tricks on full display. Gagnon completed his brace of two gold medals in as many days, over a top-class field that included silver-medallist Sandro Dias of Brazil and defending champion Andy MacDonald from the USA , who had to settle for bronze with a final score of 78.00.
Said Gagnon: “I was feeling very sore this morning and wondered if I was able to come out and skate today. But luckily, I was able to turn it on when I needed to and it just feels great to walk away with the gold medal. I was going to throw it (720), but I didn’t manage to get much practice on this vert ramp and I was more comfortable doing it on the mini-MegaRampTM yesterday. So luckily the scores kept me in it and I didn’t have to do it and I stuck to more technical tricks instead.
“To have won gold, ahead of Andy Macdonald, who has dominated this event for the last few years, is amazing, especially with the brand new vert wall. There weren’t many chances for me to skate on a mini-MegaRampTM so I’m going to be back for sure, especially if they have the mini-MegaRampTM contest. This was a great preparation for the Summer X Games, and competing in a pressured environment will help me for the rest of the season.”
BMX mini-MegaRampTM
Just as the debut of Skateboard mini-MegaRamp stole the show yesterday, fans were equally impressed with today’s BMX Mini-MegaRamp final. With a stacked field of big name riders, it was Australia ‘s Vince Byron who most impressed the judges and crowd with his huge 540 tailwhips in the quarterpipe throughout the jam format. Finishing with a final score of 95.00 and his first gold medal around his neck, Byron left the rest of the field battling for silver and bronze. Kevin Robinson finished the competition with a respectable 91.00, leaving fellow American Austin Coleman the bronze with his score of 86.00.
Said Byron: “It’s great to have won a contest that involved Kevin Robinson and the big guys. Kevin is a great rider and it was just awesome to have beaten him. I was keen to execute the tricks I tried at practice for the competition, although I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. But I eased myself into it and everything turned out pretty cool. I really enjoyed myself on the mini-MegaRampTM and a lot of the riders commented the same, and that they were able to pull off more tricks. I could have kept going all day! The crowd here in Shanghai is awesome – they cheered us on and you just want to give them your best.”
Aggressive Inline Street
American skater Brian Aragon rounded up the day’s competition with a narrow one-point victory over compatriot Jeff Stockwell scoring 84.00 to take the gold medal in the Aggressive Inline (AIL) Street competition. His gutsy performance enthralled the noisy crowd with his fearless skating during his second run in the final, highlighted by a 540 soiale that earned the judges approval. Hung Chien-Kai of Chinese Taipei was the best Asian AIL street skater this year scoring 79.33 to finish third.
Said Aragon : “During the final’s first run, I was trying to hit all the technical tricks and stay in the competition. But after I saw Jeff skate I knew I had to come up with something special, so I had to take a risk in my second run, which I’m glad I managed to hit the rails perfectly. The KIA X Games Asia has been a really cool event, and this win is special being my first ever gold and coming to the biggest action sports event in Asia .”
The KIA X Games Asia, organised by ESPN STAR Sports’ Event Management and ESPN X Games with title sponsor Kia Motors, highlighted its fourth consecutive record-breaking attendance with 58,400 spectators at Yangpu District’s KIC Jiangwan Sports Center during the four-day event in Shanghai.
Said Harvey Davis, ESPN STAR Sports Vice President, Event Management: “This is the best KIA X Games Asia we’ve had, and it’s heartening to see how big the brand has grown with so many supporters cheering for the athletes and participating at our sponsors’ interactive booths. It is a definite sign of the growing popularity of Asia ‘s biggest action sports competition and we’re heartened by the fan’s and athletes’ response to the debut of the mini-MegaRampTM this year.
“Over the years, the KIA X Games Asia has earned a strong global reputation and as one of our key properties, we’re committed to continue building this iconic sports event. We’d like to thank our title sponsor Kia Motors, our partners Yangpu District, SMG and sponsors Clear, Pony and Mountain Dew as well as the athletes and people of Shanghai for a successful event, and we look forward another exhilarating event in Shanghai next year,” he added.
