I’m sure a lot of you have heard about the horrible tragedy at the MDR California 200 night race. 8 killed and 12 injured when a race truck went out of control into the crowd. This hits close to home for us and our fans, and we know all too well it sometimes comes with the territory in dirt bikes, off-road and racing, but it doesn’t lessen the pain when something like this happens. The good thing about our community is that we rally and help those in need. Now is that time.
Our friends at TORR sent us this link (click the banner) where you can donate to support the victims. Get on there and do what you can. Also, for those of you local to so cal, TORR is doing their radio show from The Stampede in Temecula this Wednesday night, August 18, from 5pm-close, where they will be holding a lot of fund raising efforts. Ox, Taka, Potter and some of the other Metal Mulisha riders will be there, too, so check it out.
X Games 16 wrapped up on Sunday in true Mulisha style with the Speed & Style event, ghost rides and all! Even though Travis Pastrana took Gold, and Nate Adams Silver, Twitch, Ronnie Faisst and Brian Deegan stole the show. The Mulisha vs. Mulisha racing was by far the most exciting of the night, and possibly of the whole X Games!
After the timed qualifying round, the head-to-head match ups were next. Twitch qualified 3rd and Deegan 6th. Which meant Twitch vs. Deegan in the head-to-head quarter finals! Twitch beat the General straight up, but the are no hard feelings and the two finished it off with big side-by-side whips. Twitch moved onto the semi final vs. Nate Adams.
Ronnie Faisst beat Kevin Johnson in his match up, thanks to a much higher style score, taking him to the semi final vs. Pastrana. In the semi Pastrana was hauling ass and was able to beat Faisst to move to the finals.
Twitch was matched up against Adams in the semi. This was set to be a solid match up as Twitch and Adams were both really fast and both have huge tricks. But Twitch got hung up on the starting gate and was behind from the start. He was able to make up some ground on Adams while throwing a big no handed flip for style. Then the whoops happened. Twitch was taking the far left line and got a little too far left in to the soft dirt and swapped out. Twitch was out of the finals, but there was still a Bronze medal up for grabs…another MM vs. MM battle! Twitch vs. Faisst!
This is where things got crazy! In the first carpeted corner, Twitch slid out!Faisst was way out front and it looked like he was cruising to an easy win for Bronze. But then the whoops happened…again! Faisst clicked 3rd gear going into the whoops, but he stalled his 450!!!! Twitch passed him through the whoops and went on to take the checkered flag and ghost ride his bike off the landing for the Bronze medal.
Then, out of nowhere, Deegan came running out to let them know that they had only finished 3 laps and the race wasn’t over! The flag guy messed up and waved the checkers too early. Because of all the confusion, the mistake by the flagger, the fact that Twitch’s bike was weeded and he couldn’t race anymore, the X Games people decided to give both Twitch & Faisst Bronze medals!
Congrats to all on a good show and bringing home some more X Games hardware!
In case you lost count, that’s a total of 10 X Games medals this year for the Metal Mulisha! Domination!
1, 2, 3…that is what place Metal Mulisha riders got in X Games Best Trick! That’s right, a Metal Mulisha sweep of the podium! An international sweep to boot, with 2 Ausies and a our boy Taka from Japan.
The man of the night was by far Cam Sinclair. Cam came out and stomped the double backflip, the same trick that almost ended his riding career about 1 year ago in Spain. X Games Gold is a HUGE accomplishment by itself, but it was even more impressive because of what Cam overcame in such a short time to get to where he is now. We’re proud of you bud! You earned it! Congrats!
Robbie Maddison stepped up his already sick body varial to break a tie for 2nd with Taka by keeping it old school 1999 style and adding in a side saddle lander. That did the job and earned Maddo sole possession of the Silver medal. Yet another story of bouncing back…Maddo crashed on the body varial, injuring his wrist, just the day before in the FMX semi finals. He is gnarly. Congrats Maddo!
Taka Higashino is pretty much the only guy I can think of consistently pulling the double grab backflip right now. He had it in his FMX run, and threw it down in his first run of Best Trick. In his second run, Taka stepped it up even more with a HUGE double grab indian air flip to nail down the Bronze medal.
That’s what went down. 1, 2, 3…Gold, Silver, Bronze. Goodnight.
Scope the video below, and the X Games Moto X Best Trick photo gallery that has photos of every trick, and plenty of sequences…if you click through the gallery fast enough it’s just like a movie.
Well, not much to say about Best Whip. You all saw it. 52% of you texted in to vote for Todd Potter. And for good reason…Potter cracked the whip on everyone for the win! With his traditional upside down whips, the 180 degree turndown whips, and the ass end down anti whip, Potter had every whip style covered and hucked them bigger than anyone else. Congrats Potter!
Twitch and Josh Grant were going huge too! Twitch came back from his dislocated ankle he got on Thursday during the FMX elimination round, and scored a Bronze medal in best whip!
We had Todd Potter and Jeff Ox Kargola representing the Mulisha in step up this year. Deegan was supposed to ride in step up, but he wanted to be fresh for Rally and Speed & Style later on in the week so he gave up his spot, and Ox was lucky enough to fill the spot as 1st alternate.
In practice Ox was airing it out bigger than anyone. Everyone was picking him for the win…even Twitch as you’ll see in the video below. Potter was doing good in practice but you could tell he was holding a little back for the finals.
Come the step up finals, Ox was clearing the bar by a lot! Maybe too much, because he crashed twice in a row after clearing the bar. Unfortunately, if you crash even when you clear the bar it doesn’t count, so Ox was out.
Potter stepped up his game in the final and made it to the top 3 before hitting the bar. I’m not sure if he got a medal for that…I think they just give Gold. Anyway, congrats to Buyten on the win, and congrats Potter on 3rd place, or bronze, or whatever the hell you got.
The first day of competition at X Games 16 was an interesting one for the Metal Mulisha. The boys came in confident and ready to take their share of medals in the Freestyle Moto X event. Unfortunately the elimination round early Thursday at the LA Coliseum was just that…the round where a lot of guys got eliminated! Ya, it sucked.
Jacko crashed HARD while coming up a little short on a backflip, swapping out and slamming. He was slow to get up and was carted to the med center. Jacko messed up his shoulder and got a pretty good concussion. He is out for X Games Best Trick.
Jeremy Twitch Stenberg had a disappointing heat. On his first of 3 runs he had a dead sailor which got him a low first score. Twitch was ready to come back and nail the next 2 runs in order to qualify for the finals. Unfortunately Twitch dislocated his ankle midway through the run. Check out this video of Twitch explaining what happened. Bummed. But he should be good to go tonight for Best Whip!
Todd Potter had some bad luck in his qualifier. Seems like every run Potter had a small mistake that messed up his flow, and after that he just started throwing some of his Gold Medal winning whips for fun. BTW, Potter is guaranteeing Gold in Best Whip…I believe he can do it. But Twitch and JG33 want it bad too! Definitely some friendly shit talking and side bets going on in the pits all day.
Jeff OX Kargola made it into the Freestyle competition as an alternate and he was ready to make the most of it. Ox was riding well, but just couldn’t quite link it all together for the score he is capable of.
Taka Higashino was killing it. I’m still not sure how he didn’t make it into the next round. He was smooth, throwing big tricks on every jump, and was the only guys to throw the double grab flip! Tons of photos of Taka in the X Games FMX photo gallery.
The man of the hour was Rob Adelberg! Rob is the newest Metal Mulisha recruit and an X Games rookie, but he rode like a vet and a bad ass! Rob made it to the next round no problem. Check out some of his HUGE tricks in the photo gallery….
Robbie Maddison was on point in the qualifying round. Maddo was throwing down the “Volt” body varial consistently in every run and qualified 2nd, just 1 point behind Travis Pastrana.
So, the two Ausie Robbies in the Mulisha Family advanced to the round of 8 for a chance to make it to the 4 man finals. Adelberg rode consistently and well enough to get 5th place! He didn’t get to the 4 man final, but 5th place in his first X Games is awesome! Congrats Rob!!!
Maddo was on track to challenge Pastrana for the win. In his 1st run he nailed it and scored a 40. In his 2nd run, Maddo slammed hard on a body varial. Just like that he went from a contender for the win to watching from the sidelines in pain. Sorry Maddo…tough luck. But there is a chance Maddo could be back for best trick, so wish him better luck tonight!
Check out the X Games Freestyle photo gallery for all the goods! Keep checking back for updates on every event the Metal Mulisha competes in at X Games.
Just a couple weeks after getting back on his FMX bike after recovering from a life-threatening crash in Baja in November, Jeff “Ox” Kargola is back on his Factory JCR Honda 450x and getting ready to go race the Baja 250 two weekends from now. That’s right, Ox is unfazed and going back to San Felipe where he was life flighted out just a few months ago, and is racing for the win on the Open Pro class. Good luck Ox, you’re gnarly!
Check the video of Ox throwing around his tank of a CRF450x like it’s a CRF50 at Pala Raceway!
1 year ago today we lost a warrior in our friend Jeremy Lusk to a tragic crash on a horrible night in Costa Rica. Some say it feels like it happened just yesterday, for others it feels like a lifetime ago. Either way the pain is fresh and everyone misses having Jeremy in their life. Whether it is Jeremy’s family, friends or fans, he touched and inspired each and every one in a unique way, and he will be deeply missed and never forgotten.
This tragedy brought light to how dangerous the sport of Freestyle Motocross is, and has inspired change in a good way. People rally to help riders and their families in tough times. The Lusk Legacy Foundation generated a lot of money to support the Lusk family. Safety is the #1 priority. Seeing riders without a neck brace is now a strange sight. The formation of the AFMXA and the effort and passion of many have put in place programs to make contests, demos and international travel safer for professional and amateur riders, alike. Safety and life saving courses, Medivac coverage, legal consulting, and much more. We know Jeremy would be proud that his passing, though tragic and untimely, brought about real change and is helping many people.
We asked some of his friends and Mulisha Family to write something about Jeremy on this 1 year anniversary. Here it is:
Lauren Lusk: Jeremy…with all of my heart…thank you for being my best friend and love of my life. For all the laughs, for all the smiles and all the tears…you have truly made me the person I am today. The endless memories we’ve shared will forever be cherished. The number of lives you have not only touched but changed is truly amazing. I am so blessed to be your wife. You are and always will be my strength and inspiration for the rest of my life. You flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels and now I have my own guardian angel. Rest in Peace Baby…I love you…. -Lauren Lusk
Brian Deegan: Lusk was my best friend. I feel like I lost my brother. It is still hard to come to grips that he died riding fmx and I won’t see him again ’til we meet in heaven. The team has felt his loss. There will forever be a void in the Mulisha. I miss the phone calls from him saying let’s roost. Life is so crazy u just don’t know what the day will bring. Enjoy your family and friends, don’t sweat the small stuff… BD
Derek Garland: Jeremy Lusk was truly one of a kind. Some of my best memories of my life so far have been with Jeremy. I am so thankful I was able to have those good times with him. Jeremy knows how to make the most out of any situation, every time we hung out it was a good time, no one has ever made me laugh as hard as he could.
I really look up to Jeremy, as a rider, but more so as a person. His humble attitude, hard work ethic and simply being tougher than shit are the attributes I like the most about him. He’s not scared to take on anything, Jeremy is a true warrior. He never talks about what a great rider he is, he doesn’t have too. Anyone who has ever ridden with him or seen him ride knows that he is one of the most talented riders in the world. He is such a good friend too. He would always help me with my riding and push me to learn new tricks. He would also help me with everyday life problems and give me advice on what to do in different situations. I really respect Jeremy and I listen to everything he tells me.
Jeremy will always be a role model to me and I can’t wait to hang out and ride with him again one day. Rest In Peace Jeremy I miss you. -Garland
Jeremy Stenberg: Jeremy Lusk was the shit and he still is. He inspired all of us. Jeremy was a one of a kind and I think about him everyday just the way he was. He was so fuckin’ funny and could put a smile on anyone’s face. I miss hearing him talk shit all the time or hearing his dumb ass laugh. It was so classic, like I said he was one of a kind and I miss him. It’s not the same with out Jeremy. He may not be with us anymore but u would never think that hanging around the crew. We talk about him all the time like he’s still here with us. I will never forget Jeremy, he will always be in our hearts. R.I.P. Big Worm that’s my dogg for life ………..har har har. -Stenberg
Chris Tedesco: It is hard to believe that it has already been one year since you left us, Jeremy. Although you are gone, the memories from all the fun times we shared together inspires me to do great things. You were one of a kind and I am truly grateful I was able to know you as a friend. I know I will always have an angel watching over me. Rest in peace, brother. -Chris
Ronnie Faisst: I have this photo of me and Lusk up in house. It was taken in Spain. Me, him and my brother Matt spent two weeks there. We got so bored during the week so we went out and took photos all over the city. I think of him a lot and always pray for his wife and family. I really miss riding with him, going to the gym together, but most of all just hanging out and crackin’ jokes. He was a really funny dude, he always made me laugh. I’m thankful that God brought him into my life and all the memories he left with me. Most of all I thank God for Lusk’s faith in God. I can rest my head at night knowing that Lusk is in heaven and with the Lord and one day I will see him again. He just beat me home that’s all!
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ROMANS 10:9-11 TRUTH
Your Brotha,
Faisst
Ryan Hagy: It has already been one year, but feels like it was yesterday. Jeremy was such a huge part of my life and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Jeremy and what he did for myself and our team. In the past year our team has became closer since Jeremy’s passing as we realized how much of a family we really are to each other. Jeremy will always be apart of our family and will never be forgotten. RIP lusk. -Hagy
Beau Manley: Lusk was a badass. He could take a hit and keep on ticking. Never seen someone be able to crash that hard and get back up and go for it again. He always pushed his friends to be their best and I can’t ever remember him making any excuses. He simply just Got it Done. He is truly missed by all. R.I.P. Lusk -Manley
Leah Steiger: The first time I met Jeremy I was the Wedding Director at South Coast Winery, working 60-70 hours a week. The wives were doing a shoot on the property and I was their contact. The boys had come out towards the end of the shoot and I took them all to the bar for a drink. Jeremy looked at me and said, “you look like you need a shot?”. I said “No I’m on the clock”…he looked at me with a cocky smile and said “fuck the clock!”. What he said to me hit me like a ton of bricks; why was I wasting my time on someone else’s clock, doing something I wasn’t completely stoked on doing, hiding under a suite with a fake ass smile? So I resigned the next day. After the shoot he handed me a poster for my son, it hangs on his door to this day. It reads “To Phoenix – Follow your Dreams – Jeremy Lusk”
I feel connected to Jeremy everyday through the AFMXA and the Lusk Legacy Foundation that his beautiful wife Lauren helped create in his honor, and I witness everyday what an impact he has had on so many all over the world.
l will always remember what he said to me and what he wrote to my son. With just a few words he moved me to change my career path and has inspired me to live in the moment and never settle. I am grateful to have met him, to work with his wife and his family at Mulisha. I believe that he was grateful too, for life, for Lauren, for Brian, the Mulisha and his parents…you could see it in his smile…and I’m sure he still is! Much love… Leah Steiger
Jeff Kargola: Jeremy Lusk, in my eyes, is still very much alive. He is alive in the respect that his never give up, I can conquer anything attitude is an attribute I look to for strength and inspiration when the odds seem stacked against me. I saw a lot of myself and who I want to be in the man that Jeremy was, which makes it hard to accept even a whole year later. Although he is no longer with us in the physical sense, his memory will live on forever. We’ve shared so many great times and somewhere down the road we will meet again. -Ox
I’m sure a lot of you have heard about the horrible tragedy at the MDR California 200 night race. 8 killed and 12 injured when a race truck went out of control into the crowd. This hits close to home for us and our fans, and we know all too well it sometimes comes with the territory in dirt bikes, off-road and racing, but it doesn’t lessen the pain when something like this happens. The good thing about our community is that we rally and help those in need. Now is that time.
The man of the hour was 
Lauren Lusk:
Brian Deegan:
Jeremy Stenberg:
Ronnie Faisst:
