Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128120
Philadelphia X Games First Union Complex Travls Pastrana nailed all of his moves, winning the Freestyle event with ease at the Philadelphia X Games. PHOTOS BY CHRIS TEDESCO PHIlADElPHIA, PA, AUG. 17-22 ravis Pastrana grabbed his thirdstraight gold medal in the Freestyle Motocross final at the Philadelphia X Games in Pennsylvania. Pastrana, riding the only 125cc machine in the field of 250s, attacked the Freestyle Motocross course with the same vigor and aggression that he usually does in a National MX moto. The 17-year-old rider from Maryland, executed every jump with near perfection, winning the event with room to spare over runner-up Clifford Adoptante and third-place finisher Jake Windham. Pastrana performed a variety of new tricks as well as some old tricks, but with new twists. His final run concluded with the highly anticipated back flip - well, sort of. Egged on by the crowd that was chanting "back- T 44 SEPTEMBER 5.2001 • cue flip, backflip,· Pastrana launched over the final jump, leaned back and let go the handlebars, executing a perfect backflip - but without the bike. Uke a cat dropped out of a window, Pastrana landed on his feet behind his crashing motorcycle, finishing the move off with his arms raised high over his head in victory. Moments later, Pastrana was whisked away, via police escort, to attend his next competition in Millville, Minnesota, for the 10th round of the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship Series. Pastrana then turned around and headed back to Philadelphia to compete in the Motocross Big Air and the StepUp contests, but the Suzuki rider would not enjoy the same success in these two events as he did in the Freestyle event. Instead, Kenny Bartram and Tommy Clowers would reign supreme. •• ne"". In the Big Air competition, things got crazy right off the bat, when Carey Hart, the first rider ever to successfully complete a backflip last year, attempted another backflip in the first round - but this time, things didn't go so well. Hart aborted the attempt while the bike was completely upside-down and nearly 30 feet above the ground. Luckily, Hart got away from the bike, but augured hard into the ground, breaking a couple of ribs and his ankle. No one attempted a backflip from then on out, but Bartram did nail a spectacular Shaolin to Sterilizer that effectively locked up the win over Dustin Miller, Brian Deegan and Mike Jones. Dan Pastor rounded out the top five. In the Step-Up competition, Clowers jumped the highest, clearing the bar at 33 feet. All of the contestants cleared the first 27 -foot mark, and then the field got significantly thinned out at the 29-foot mark. By the time the bar was raised to 32 feet, only Clowers and Pastrana were left. Pastrana struggled but got over the 32-foot bar and couldn't clear the 33-footer. Clowers, however, made the 33-foot leap seem easy. Clowers also won the Step Up competition in San Francisco, where the Step Up event was first held. eN first Union Comp'e. Phllodelphia, Pennsylvonill Results: August 17-22, 2001 FREESTYLE: I. Travis Pestrana; 2. Clifford Adoptl:lnte; 3. Jake Windham; 4. Tommy Clowers; 5. Mike Jones; 6. Dustin Miller; 7. Brian Deegan: 8. Den Pastor. BIG AIR: 1. Kenny Bartram: 2. Dustin Miller, 3. Brien Deegan; 4. Mike Jones; 5. Dan Pastor; 6. Clifford Adaptante; 7. Jake Windham; 6. Tommy Clowers; 9. Trevor Vines; 10. Travis Pestrana. STEP UP: 1. Tommy Clowers: 2. Travis P8Strlllna; 3. (TIE). Jeremy Stenberg/Krls Rourke/Ronnie Renner/Colin Morrison; 7. (TIE) Shewn Highland/Brien Deegen; 9. Justin Homen; 10. Bill Wells.