ESPN’s 15th anniversary of the X Games will begin with Skateboard Big Air finals Thursday, July 30, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and continue through Sunday, August 2. ESPN has chronicled many significant X Games moments for fans throughout the years, from no-handed 900’s to double backflips on both BMX bikes and motorcycles. In celebration of the largest multi-action sports event in the world -- that started as the Extreme Games in 1995 -- the top 15 X Games moments were voted upon by event staff, production, ESPN commentators, as well as key people in the action sports industry.
15 Memorable Moments:
1999 – Skateboarder Tony Hawk successfully lands the first ever 900 (3 rotations) on a skateboard at X Games Five on the San Francisco Pier.
1999 – Motocross icon Travis Pastrana completes a nearly perfect run in Moto X Freestyle with a score of 99.0 at the age of 15. During his second run, Pastrana launched into the San Francisco Bay off the Pier.
2000 – BMX pro Dave Mirra competes in the Bike Stunt Park final at X Games Six and successfully lands the first double backflip on a BMX bike, giving Mirra his ninth gold medal.
2001 – Skateboarder Bob Burnquist took his third run of the Skateboard Vert final and gave one of the most beautiful displays of skateboarding ever seen. Connecting a switch kickflip Indy to a fakie-to-fakie 540 then to a darkside to fakie, Burnquist did this fluently the entire run and didn’t repeat a single trick.
2002 – In the Moto X Freestyle final at X Games Eight in Philadelphia, Mike Metzger cemented his legacy by becoming the first ever rider to land back-to-back backflips.
2002 – After crashing in 2001 on an attempt, Motocross pro Carey Hart got the “monkey off his back” by sticking a backflip on his motorcycle at X Games Eight and took home silver.
2002 – BMX legend Mat Hoffman successfully landed the first no-handed 900 (3 rotations) on a BMX bike at X Games Eight in Philadelphia.
2003 – Skateboarder Ryan Sheckler made X Games history when he became the youngest gold medalist when he won Skateboard Park gold at X Games Nine in Los Angeles.
2004 – Motocross pro Chuck Carothers competes in the Moto X Best Trick competition and lands the first ever body varial that was dubbed “the Carolla.”
2006 – Once again, Travis Pastrana makes X Games history in the Moto X Best Trick final at X Games 12 when he successfully lands the first double backflip on a motorcycle in competition.
2006 – Rally racing legend Colin McCrae enters his first X Games Rally Race, goes head-to-head with Travis Pastrana for gold, rolls his car mere feet from the finish line in the “Super Special”, barely loses any time and leaves X Games 12 with silver.
2006 – BMX champion Kevin Robinson began competing in X Games when it debuted in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1995. It took 11 years, but at X Games 12, Robinson successfully landed the first double flair ever done in BMX Vert Best Trick giving him his first X Games gold.
2007 – Skateboarder Jake Brown made headline news at X Games 13 when he fell from above the top of the quarterpipe after successfully landing a 720 (2 ½ rotations) over the gap, and after being examined by the medical team, Brown was able to walk off the ramp under his own power.
2007 – Skateboard and Snowboard phenom Shaun White completed a near flawless run during the Skateboard Vert final at X Games 13 to finally capture his first X Games (summer) gold.
2008 – Skateboard icon Danny Way showed off his determination and toughness at the Skateboard Big Air final after picking himself up to continue the rest of his runs after taking a hard spill on his second run. Way went on to finish behind champion, Bob Burnquist.
Fans will be able to select the most memorable moment in X Games history from among the 15 choices selected by the internal ESPN committee. To view video and vote on these specific X Games moments, log on to http://espn.go.com/action/xgames/xg15/topmoments
