XGames 2012 - Day 2, Moto X Step Up & Best trick

Red Bull's Ronnie Renner on his way to a new world record and XGames Gold.

On Day 2 of Xgames 2012 I found myself back at the iconic Staples Center for Moto X Best Whip, Step Up and Best Trick. The whip comp is fun and some of the guys were doing massive whips, but the voting system was definitely flawed as they relied on the audience to vote. Twitch had a huge following in the crowd and that made him the winner. I reckon Cam Sinclair was the best guy by miles, but hey, the system chose it's winner. (Important note that their has been a lot of questions hanging over the judging at this XGames and much discussion that it is all rigged. More on this at a later stage.)

The big surprise for me was how amazing the Step Up competition was to watch live. Normally I am not that taken with this event, but live it was a whole new ball game. I was sitting right in front of the kicker and I can tell you those guys are going Cheech and Chong high. Ronnie Renner had a huge battle with Matt Buyten and ended up with not only XGames Gold but a new World record at 48 Feet High. It was amazing.

After all that excitement it was time for the Best Trick Competition. These guys put everything on the line for 2 runs, most pulling first time tricks. There were plenty of spills and plenty of new tricks. Taking the Gold though was Australian, Jacko Strong, last years winner.  Jacko pulled off a soild body varial combo for Gold. Freestyle winner, Taka Hagashino came in second with an all new Rock Solid Backflip to no Hander. Another amazing event!

 

Poor Clinton Moore just missed making this 720 attempt, then had his bike attack him after the wipe...

 

David Lilienfeld - A life to celebrate Memorial Paddle

While I did not know David very well, we certainly spent some time together in the Llandudno line up over the years. He always struck me as such a happy guy and the stoke for riding waves literally beamed out of him.  As wave riders in South Africa, we all know the risk we take surfing these beautiful waves, yet it still shocks us to our core when one of our own is taken from us. While many will use this to blame the sharks, we have to all honestly accept that we are in their world and this will not change. Instead we must all celebrate the life that was taken from us to early and keep loving the sport and the family that the ocean has given us.  It makes me so proud to be part of the waterman fraternity in Cape Town when I see how many people came out to the paddle out at Camps Bay on Saturday, for David's Memorial. Bodyboarders, surfers, swimmers and even the odd SUP. This is what it means to be a family of ocean users and in a way it is sad that a tragic event like this is what it takes to bring us all together. So honor David and the many other wave riders we have lost by keeping the stoke, respecting your fellow wave riders and making the most of our incredible oceans and the waves we love! We are all children of the waves.

RIP David - May you ride the endless wave of perfection in the afterlife!