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 Mat Rebeaud prepares to go head to head with Mike Mason. |
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 Second place money was all Mat Rebeaud's, and tricks like this nac-nac flip
got him there. |
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 Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg takes some time out of his day to sign autographs
at the Rockstar Energy Drink booth. |
FMX Goes Head to Head
A New Champion was Crowned
By Jared Souney
Human's have always loved to battle. Two World Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, Troy, Gettysburg... battles even go as far back as break dancing and B-Boy posses. For 2007 the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross switched up its format, in favor of a series of head to head battles to determine the ultimate champion.
This weekend marked the fifth straight year the LG World Championships of FMX have landed at the LA County Fair in Pomona, California. For four straight years, there has been one winner: Nate Adams. But 11 more of the world's best sought to break Nate's streak, and ultimately a new champion was crowned. With rider's from as far away as Japan and Italy, this truly was a World Championships.
The first round featured six battles with two riders going head to head, each judged on their overall riding. From there a semi-final of three heats took place, followed by a final round with three riders battling it out
In the head to head format consistency is key. A rider who puts together a great run from time to time, could easily win one round only to be eliminated in the next. A great rider could falter in an early round and be eliminated from the get-go. The rider who comes out on top must throw down three great runs in the end... the sign of a true champion. In Pomona heavy hitters like Todd Potter and Beau Bamburg didn't see action past the first round.
Many thought that if anyone has the consistency and tricks to pull out wins in three rounds, Nate Adams might be the man. A win this year would have given Nate five straight victories, but a slip up in the final round (he incorrectly thought he had a flat tire) cost him the chance to give Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg and Mat Rebeaud a run for the money. In the end, despite his injury, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg's consistency and variations through the three rounds of competition put him on top.
While the new head to head format may be more work on the riders, it is an exciting format to watch, and fans have the chance to see their favorite riders on course several times throughout the evening (assuming they advance). It's certainly a different type of competition from the "best run counts" format we've grown accustomed to, and only time will tell how far it pushes the level of competition.
