X GAMES IX BEGINS AS WOODWARD WEST WELCOMES DOWNHILL BMX TO ITS NEW HOME
Returning Champion Brandon Meadows Has Another Golden Performance

LOS ANGELES - This weekend brought thirty-three BMX racers to an unknown city, and an even more foreign racing course. After hosting the Downhill competition for the past two years at Woodward East in Pennsylvania, Woodward West in Stallion Springs, CA hosted this weekend’s event where more than 3275 people lined the course to cheer the racers down to the finish. Saturday in the qualifying round, all competitors took to the course individually for their timed trials, which would determine their bracket position and the order they choose gates. All racers went on to the mains on Sunday except for one, and despite a valiant effort by France’s Thomas Allier, did not join the other thirty-two in today’s race.

After finishing one and two in the timed qualifiers yesterday, Brandon Meadows and Kyle Bennett, respectively, went on to stake their claim at the gold and silver medals after a competitive eight-man race down the course. “We were all neck and neck, and the inside lane got it done for me. I thought Kyle could catch me but I just held on,” Meadows said about his winning run. Local boy and youngest competitor in today’s main, Michael Day, had the biggest fan club of any other athlete competing. Friends and fellow racers from Santa Clarita ABA Racetrack caravanned in a group of ninety, up to Stallion Springs for the race carrying signs that said “Mike Day for Governor”. Day did not disappoint his fans today as he proudly wore the bronze around his neck and said, “This contest was awesome, and I can’t wait to return to Woodward West.”

Double A Marketing's Randy Stumpfhauser once again was in the main event, placing 6th for the day. Stumpy proved that he can do it on a traditional BMX track, or the outragious Downhill X-games course. Randy looks to grab his first NBL #1 Pro title in a few weeks at the NBL Grands.

The ESPN X Games IX Downhill course has been talked about by riders for months, as it is the best course ever built led by Planet Seven Productions. “Organized BMX racing has existed for thirty years, but it took ESPN’s X Games Downhill BMX race to give the sport the excitement and credit it deserves. This track was by far the biggest, baddest BMX track ever constructed,” said Harold “McGoo” McGrouther, Director of Competition for Planet Seven Productions.

The ninth annual X Games in Los Angeles showcases more than 300 of the world’s best action sports athletes competing in a variety of sports categories for medals and prize money from August 14-17. STAPLES Center serves as the primary venue for the X Games, and will host competitions in Aggressive In-line Skate, Bike Stunt, Moto X, and Skateboard. The Moto X Freestyle event will be held at the Los Angeles Coliseum at night under the lights on August 16, and Wakeboard will be held at Long Beach Marine Stadium. Competitions that take place the week prior include Surfing at Huntington Beach and Downhill BMX at Woodward West in Stallion Springs.

X Games IX will air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC August 16-21, including a live telecast of the Bike Stunt Vert competition on Sunday, August 17 from 7-9 pm ET on ABC -- the first time an action sports competition will be aired on a broadcast network in primetime.