| Sport | Freestyle Motocross |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| First season | 2001 |
| Ceased | 2017 |
| Owner | Red Bull GmbH |
| Singles entrants | 12 |
| Country | Spain |
| Venue | Las Ventas |
| Confederation | Europe |
| Last champion | Levi Sherwood (9th title) |
| Most titles | Levi Sherwood (9 titles) |
| Sponsor | Red Bull GmbH |
| Official website | RedBullX-Fighters.com |
Red Bull X-Fighters was afreestyle motocross stunt competition organized byRed Bull from 2001 to 2017. During its years of operation, it staged 50 events on six continents inbullrings, famous locations, and sites.
Competing riders went head-to-head in a series of knockout rounds. Their jumps and routines werejudged by a panel that awarded points based on eight criteria: execution, energy, excitement and entertainment, among others.
X-Fighters was founded in 2001, with thePlaza de Toros de Valencia inSpain being the first venue to host the competition. A 12,000 person crowd was recorded with AmericanMike Jones taking the win in the inaugural event, Spaniard Edgar Torronteras coming second and French rider Xavier Fabre coming third.[1] Red Bull X-Fighters returned for a second time in 2002 atMadrid'sLas Ventas, with about 20,000 people in attendance.[2] Edgar Torronteras, who came in second in the previous edition, won the event and took the trophy that season.[3]
Two events were hosted in 2003, with Valencia and Madrid staging competitions in theirbullrings. At Las Ventas in Madrid, a new rider was added to the competition, 18-year-oldNate Adams from the USA, who performed the first ever back flip at the event.[4]
The riders then returned to compete in the bull ring of Madrid for the only X-Fighters event of 2004. Riders regularly performed back flips along with new combinations of back flips.[4]Travis Pastrana joined the X-Fighters event and took first. Nate Adams came second after going in head-to-head battles for the majority of the event.[3] The following year, after success inSpain, X-Fighters staged its first event outside ofEurope. Growing in popularity, the 2005 event took place in front of a crowd of 40,000 at the biggest bullring in the world, thePlaza de Toros México inMexico City. Ronnie Renner won this edition of the event. After Mexico, Madrid hosted yet another event in the same year, won by Nate Adams. In 2006, Mexico City and Madrid again hosted the event, with the Mexican event being won by Swiss riderMat Rebeaud and the Madrid event being won by Travis Pastrana.[5]
In 2007, X-Fighters started their World Tour series as they moved into exclusive bullring locations in new arenas. The tenth competition took place inMexico City.[6] For the next stop of the World Tour, X-Fighters built a custom arena nearSlane Castle inIreland. Travis Pastrana came first in the event after tackling a wet course due to rainfall.[7] AfterIreland, the world tour returned toMadrid. Pastrana rode to his second consecutive win that season.[8]
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2008 increased the lineup of stops from three in 2007 to six. The first event took place inMexico, after which the tour traveled to theSambadrome inRio de Janeiro before taking place inTexas. The European Leg of the tour included events in Spain,Germany andPoland.[9] The first event was inPlaza de Toros México. A 17-year-old fromNew Zealand,Levi Sherwood, made his debut.[10] After a closely fought contest inCalgary,Canada, the tour returned to Texas. The course built inFort Worth was one of the biggest courses created.Cam Sinclair successfully performed the double back flip, becoming the first rider to perform it in a competition.[11] Moving on to the next event in Madrid, Sinclair again attempted the double back flip, but suffered a crash and sustained severe injuries along with extensive internal bleeding.[12] With Sinclair in recovery, the 2009 tour ended with Red Bull X-Fighters twenty-third event and a first forLondon with the finale atBattersea Power Station.[citation needed]
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In 2010, Red Bull X-Fighters were granted permission to stage an event inMoscow'sRed Square right beside theKremlin, using it as their backdrop.[13] Along with this another event took place in theGiza Plateau inEgypt with theGreat Sphinx of Giza in the background. Red Bull X-Fighters then returned toMadrid, withAustralianRobbie Maddison pulling off abody varial.[14] A first ever seen trick in the competition, Maddison went on to win the event of the year. At the next event in London, Maddison bailed in an attempt at the volt badly, ending his season. After theUK stop, X-Fighters wrapped up its twenty-ninth event by rounding off the 2010 tour inItaly whereNate Adams achieved another first to add to his Red Bull X-Fighters career. Being the first rider to claim a second title for a second consecutive year.[15]
2011 brought up its 30th event onJumeirah Beach inDubai. The tour then staged round two of the championship in front of theMonumental Axis in the Brazilian capital,Brasília.[16] In front of a crowd of over 100,000 people, was the biggest FMX attended event in the history of the sport.[5] Following the events inRome,Madrid, andPoznań, the tour ended in a grand finale onCockatoo Island in the heart ofSydney Harbour, Australia. Competing in front of his home crowd for the first time was Australia's Josh Sheehan. He secured the last win of 2011. But the tour title that year belonged to Dany Torres.[17] In 2012, the Red Bull X-Fighters tour started in Dubai. In Glen Helen, Red Bull created the biggest course ever constructed.[5] After the huge course, the tour moved toEurope inMadrid where New ZealanderLevi Sherwood secured victory and extended his lead in the overall standings. Next up wasMunich'sOlympic Stadium. The leading man wasTom Pagès. The tour was set for a close finale onCockatoo Island inAustralia. He[who?] saw Jackson Strong perform X-Fighters first front flip and did it again one handed. But it came down to the overall current first and second place riders to meet in the final for a chance to win the World Tour title. It was Sherwood who beatPagès after he performed the tricks and style to take the 2012 title.[18]
After eight years of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, 2016 concentrated on one season highlight event at thePlaza de Toros de Las Ventas inMadrid on June 24. The Red Bull X-Fighters stop inMadrid marked the 15th straight year that the bullring hosted the event ofFreestyle Motocross, where riders from all across the world came to perform.[19] France'sTom Pagès became the first rider in history to win Madrid three consecutive times with his victory in 2015 in front of 23,000 spectators.Travis Pastrana of the USA had also won Madrid three times but not consecutively while Spanish rider Dany Torres had won twice.[20]
It wasTom Pagès who set records with a fourth straight Red Bull X-Fighters win inMadrid, the home of freestyle motocross that celebrated its 15th anniversary. At the Las Ventas bullringPagès performed his new Front Flip Flair, the first time ever the trick was performed in competition. In a three-way battle,Clinton Moore, the 2015 World Tour champion, came in second place after his Bundy jump was recorded to be 14 meters high by a newIntel device. Josh Sheehan took third place despite landing his signature double back flip.Levi Sherwood ofNew Zealand finished fourth at the FMX extravaganza in the Spanish capital.[21]
2017 would begin withLas Ventas hosting an X-Fighters contest. Levi Sherwood took 1st place with Josh Sheehan taking 2nd and Taka Higashino coming in 3rd. 2017 would end up being the final year of Red Bull X-Fighters.[22]
Each event consists of multiple days, with riders having opportunities to train. The first day includes a briefing, followed by qualification on the second day and competition on the third day. During qualification, riders complete a single 90-second qualifying run in their designated start order. Any rider who misses the qualifying session is assigned the last-place position. If multiple riders miss the session, their placement is determined by the previous year's Tour ranking, with the lowest-ranked rider placed last. In the absence of a Tour ranking, a draw is held to determine the riders' ranks for qualifying purposes. The results of the qualification will define the three groups of four riders that will compete in the Cuadrillas Elimination.[23]
The Cuadrillas Elimination is where each group of four riders will spin a roulette of tricks one time (old-school tricks that are barely shown in competition). All riders have to pull out this trick within their 50-second run. The best two riders of each group qualify for the semi-final. At the completion of each rider's run, the judges award a score. When all riders in this round have completed a scored run, the scores are announced and the top scored rider advances through to the semi-final. Six riders are then qualified in pairs and battle head-to-head in the semi-final, in which there is no mandatory trick. Each rider takes his own run with a predetermined time limit (75 seconds). The lower seeded rider in each pair rides first. Time starts when the rider takes his first jump. After each run, the rider goes to a predesignated position to watch his replays on the big screen. The second rider in the pair, who is not riding, will wait at the Hot Spot, remove his helmet and watch the other rider's run. After the second rider's run, both wait at a predesignated position for the judges' decision of which of the two will proceed to the final round. The winner from each battle would advance to the final.[23]
The final consists of three winners from the semi-final that meet in a head-to-head run-off. Each rider takes his own run with a predetermined time limit (75 seconds). The rider from the semi-final A will ride first followed by the winner of the semi-final B and C. Time will start when the rider takes his first jump. After the 75 seconds, each rider can perform a Bonus Trick which is not affected by the time limit. After each run, the rider goes to a predesignated position to watch his replay on the big screen. The second and third riders, who are not riding, will wait at the Hot Spot, remove their helmet and watch the other riders run. After the third rider's run, all three wait at a predesignated position for the judges' decision of whom of the three will be celebrated as the winner of theRed Bull X-Fighters competition. Overall the riders can win five helmets. If there is a tie (e.g. two riders win two helmets and one rider 1 helmet) the Bonus Tricks decides on the winner.[23]
Judging in all rounds consists of five judges, each one judging the overall impression based on the following criteria:
There are two separate judging systems for the Red Bull X-Fighters competition. Round one judging panel comprises five judges, plus one Head Judge. These judges award each rider a score from 1-100 points. The final score is represented as a number from 0–100 based on an average of all five judges' scores (From a total of 0 - 500 ÷ 5 judges). In the semi-finals and final, each judge awards each of the riders in the heat a score on a scale of 1–100 points. The rider with the highest score from a single judge wins that judge's vote. The rider who gets three or more judges' votes out of five wins the match-up. The Head Judge is solely responsible for indicating when time expires on a run. If, in the mind of the Head Judge, a rider is considered to be 'on approach' to a jump when the time clock reaches zero, then that jump (or series of jumps in a double-double or 6-pack) is counted in the rider's final score. The Head Judge also has the ability to change any single score or group of scores and makes the final decision in any tiebreaker situations. Should two or more riders in Round one have a scoring tie out of 100 points, then the high and low scores for each rider are eliminated and the remaining three scores averaged to give a score of 100 points. Should this method still result in a tie then the highest single score breaks the tie(s). In the event that none of these methods breaks the tie(s), then the Head Judge breaks the tie(s).[23]
Overall there have been 25 different locations that have hosted an X-Fighters event. Below is the list of former and current venues, along with their location and the number of times taken part.
| Plaza de Toros de Valencia | Las Ventas | Plaza de Toros México | Slane Castle | 10th-Anniversary Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia, Spain | Madrid, Spain | Mexico City, Mexico | Slane, Ireland | Warsaw, Poland |
| II | XV | IX | I | I |
 |  |  |  |  |
| Steinbruch Oetelshofen | Fort Worth Stockyards | Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí | Battersea Power Station | Stampede Park |
| Wuppertal, Germany | Texas, United States | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | London, United Kingdom | Calgary, Canada |
| I | II | I | II | I |
 |  | .jpg) |  |  |
| Red Square | Giza Plateau | Stadio Olimpico | Jumeirah Beach | Monumental Axis |
| Moscow, Russia | Cairo, Egypt | Rome, Italy | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Brasília, Brazil |
| I | I | II | II | I |
.jpg) |  |  | .jpg) |  |
| Stadion Miejski | Cockatoo Island | Glen Helen Raceway | Yedikule Fortress | Olympiastadion |
| Poznań, Poland | Sydney, Australia | California, United States | Istanbul, Turkey | Munich, Germany |
| I | II | II | 0 (revoked permission) | II |
.JPG) |  |  |  |  |
| Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard | Osaka Castle | Union Buildings | Dionysos Marble Quarry | Corniche |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Osaka, Japan | Pretoria, South Africa | Athens, Greece | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| I | II | III | I | I |
 |  |  |  |  |
| Record | Rider | T |
|---|---|---|
| Most starts |  Dany Torres | 48 |
| Most head to heads | Dany Torres | 69 |
| Most head to heads won | Dany Torres | 41 |
| Most head to heads lost | Dany Torres | 28 |
| Most quarterfinals | Dany Torres | 33 |
| Most semi-finals | Dany Torres | 21 |
| Most finals |  Levi Sherwood | 12 |
| Most wins | Levi Sherwood | 8 |
| Most top three appearances | Dany Torres | 20 |
| Most World Tour wins |  Nate Adams | 2 |
| Most World Tour top three appearances | Dany Torres | 7 |
| Total points earned | Dany Torres | 2340 |
| Most points in a single season |  Mat Rebeaud | 465 |
Dany Torres of Spain is the all-time top points holder on the World Tour, with 7 wins and 1 title. Torres also holds the following records; Most starts, Most head to heads, Most head to heads won, Most head to heads lost, Most quarterfinals, Most semi-finals, Most top three appearances and Most World Tour top three appearances. He is the most successful rider to hold a total of 9 X-Fighters records. New ZealanderLevi Sherwood holds two (Most finals and Most wins), withNate Adams andMat Rebeaud both holding one each.[citation needed]
| Year | Rider | P |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Travis Pastrana | 250 |
| 2008 | Mat Rebeaud | 465 |
| 2009 | Nate Adams | 325 |
| 2010 | Nate Adams | 370 |
| 2011 | Dany Torres | 390 |
| 2012 | Levi Sherwood | 335 |
| 2013 |  Thomas Pagès | 360 |
| 2014 |  Josh Sheehan | 360 |
| 2015 | Clinton Moore | 380 |
| 2016 | Thomas Pagès | 12 |
In all, 86 top riders have competed in at least one X-Fighters event. Of these, eight riders have won the World Tour. With two titles,AmericanNate Adams is the most successful World Tour rider. Adams (2009 and 2010) is also the only rider to have won two consecutive titles.
Mike JonesNate AdamsTravis PastranaMat RebeaudRobbie Maddison Dany TorresLevi Sherwood
Eigo SatōThomas PagèsJosh SheehanRed Bull X-Fighters released their very ownWall of Fame in a video about the history of the competition.[5] There also is aHall of Fame. There are only 9 Freestyle Motocross riders in the sport's most exclusive club. It is reserved only for the winners ofMadrid, the most importantFMX stop each year since the inaugural event in 2002. The Hall of Fame in Madrid features plaques hanging on the walls with the names,Spanish nicknames, and portraits of each year's winner, framed in the style of famousbullfighters who have also graced the grounds of theLas Ventas bullring. The Hall of Fame starts with Edgar Torronteras (2002, "E.T."),Kenny Bartram (2003, "El Cowboy"),Travis Pastrana (2004/06/07, "El Prodigioso"),Nate Adams (2005, "El Destroyer"),Mat Rebeaud (2008, "Air Mat"), Dany Torres (2009/11, "El Pajarillo"),Robbie Maddison (2010, "Mad Dog"),Levi Sherwood (2012/17 "El Chico de Goma") andThomas Pagès (2013/14/15/16, "Mr Flair").[24]
| Year | # | Mexico City VI | Cairo I | Moscow I | Madrid IX | London II | Rome I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 |  | André Villa(NOR) | Adam Jones(USA) | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | Robbie Maddison(AUS) | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | Dany Torres(ESP) |
 | Nate Adams(USA) | André Villa(NOR) | Nate Adams(USA) | Mat Rebeaud(SWI) | Nate Adams(USA) | Adam Jones(USA) | |
 | Robbie Maddison(AUS) | Nate Adams(USA) | André Villa(NOR) | André Villa(NOR) | Dany Torres(ESP) | Nate Adams(USA) | |
| Dubai I | Brasília I | Rome II | Madrid X | Poznań I | Sydney I | ||
| 2011 | | Dany Torres(ESP) | Nate Adams(USA) | Nate Adams(USA) | Dany Torres(ESP) | Nate Adams(USA) | Josh Sheehan(AUS) |
| André Villa(NOR) | Robbie Maddison(AUS) | André Villa(NOR) | Blake Williams(AUS) | Dany Torres(ESP) | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | |
| Nate Adams(USA) | André Villa(NOR) | Josh Sheehan(AUS) | Josh Sheehan(AUS) | Eigo Satō(JPN) | Dany Torres(ESP) | |
| Dubai II | California I | Madrid XI | Munich I | Sydney II | Istanbul (cancelled)[33] | ||
| 2012 | | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | Todd Potter(USA) | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | – |
| Rob Adelberg(AUS) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | Dany Torres(ESP) | Dany Torres(ESP) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | – | |
| Javier Villegas(CHI) | Wes Agee(USA) | Maikel Melero(ESP) | Eigo Satō(JPN) | Josh Sheehan(AUS) | – | |
| Mexico City VII | Dubai III | California II | Osaka I | Madrid XII | Pretoria (cancelled)[34] | ||
| 2013 | | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | Dany Torres(ESP) | Rob Adelberg(AUS) | Taka Higashino(JPN) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | – |
| Dany Torres(ESP) | Levi Sherwood(NZL) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | Taka Higashino(JPN) | – | |
| Levi Sherwood(NZL) | Thomas Pagès(FRA) | Taka Higashino(JPN) | Adam Jones(USA) | Javier Villegas(CHI) | – | |
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) | 17 | 16 | 13 | 46 |
| 2 | Spain (ESP) | 8 | 6 | 8 | 22 |
| 3 | Australia (AUS) | 7 | 6 | 10 | 23 |
| 4 | New Zealand (NZL) | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| 5 | Switzerland (SUI) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 6 | France (FRA) | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 7 | Japan (JPN) | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Totals (7 entries) | 48 | 45 | 45 | 138 | |