The venue for the Red Bull Straight Rhythm was the old horse racing track at the L.A. County Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA. Besides its original purpose, over the years it's seen off-road racing, freestyle exhibitions, and flat track events. The art deco exterior is cool.

You may have seen the riders launching off the start platform with their front wheels about two inches off the ground. There was no shortage of traction off the gate.

Ryan Dungey and Roger DeCoster (right) check out the drop-in for the starting gate.

Before practice got started, a couple of the jumps had special instructions. This one featured a drop-off on the backside.