The latest installment of the annual X Games is almost upon us. The two and four-wheel trick spectacular takes place in LA for the seventeeth time this weeked between July 28-31. Here's what you need to know about them in numbers...
17...
This is the seventeeth Summer X Games. The first was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island and it's since travelled back and forth across the US. The event now incorporates a separate Winter X Games, which hosted its fifteenth even in Aspen, Colorado in January.
1...
The X Games prides itself on being the first event of its kind. It was the first professional sporting event to be broadcast live on the internet and it's the place to be if you want to see firsts in the art of two and four-wheel trickery. These are just some of the firsts witnessed at the X Games: a 900-degree spin on a skateboard (Tony Hawk), a double front flip on a bicycle (Anthony Napolitan), a Moto X trick called The Electric Doom (Kyle Loza), a competitive BMX double backflip (Dave Mirra), a BMX double tailwhip flair (Jamie Bestwick). The list goes on and on...
34.5 million...
Television stats, ahoy! ESPN report that X Games 16 was seen by 35.4 million people in the US, including all live and repeat shows. And outside of the US, the games were broadcast in one way or another to 382 million homes around the world. People everywhere are obviously quite keen on stomach-churning tricks, bloody crashes and broken limbs.
75...
A 75-foot front flip is among the list of tricks expected to appear in the Moto X Best Trick contest on the opening night. Also mooted to be turned out on the night will be a no-handed double backflip and an inverted 720 from the likes of Travis Pastrana and Kyle Loza - both of who happen to own four Best Trick gold medals between them.
900...
Way back in in 1999 Tony Hawk landed skateboarding's first 900 on the X Games vert ramp. The trick has only been landed by six skaters since that time, one of whom was 14-year-old Mitchie Brusco.
11...
Nyjah Huston was the youngest ever competitor to enter the X Games five years ago when he was just 11. Now 16 years old, he has earned himself two silver medals and is currently one of the strongest Street League competitors.
100...
Expect up to 100mph speeds at the hotly anticipated RallyCross event. Tanner Foust, last year's Rally double gold medalist, is still the bookies' choice to win this year. Two-time world champion Marcus Grönholm, however, could very possibly upset Foust's plans. "Marcus doesn't make mistakes, so if you're going to beat him, you have to risk a lot," says Foust. "Marcus will be the hardest to beat, period."
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