The 25 Best BMX Performances in X Games History

25 tricks you wish you could do.

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Image via Complex Original
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When the X Games (or Xtreme Games as it was known prior to 1996) first started it seemed like such a shock. BMX was basically dead with only a core group of riders still remaining, but all of a sudden there was this renewed attention given to it. And the attention was well-deserved because BMX still had so much to offer. How can someone not be excited about a guy taking off of a 10-foot ramp and spinning 2.5 times around and somehow riding away unscathed? The riding has always been top notch — there's no doubt about that — and while there will always be room for debate, here are The 25 Best BMX Performances in X Games History.  

Jim Cielencki is a long-time BMX pro who also runs Sunday Bikes. He never got to ride in the X Games. You can follow him on Twitter here.

25. Morgan Wade Triple-Whip Attempts, 2010 X Games in Los Angeles

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24. Downhill BMX in 2001 & 2002 X Games at Woodward East and Woodward West

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23. Dave Osato and Jay Miron, Perfect 360 Whips, 1998 X Games in San Diego

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22. Ryan Nyquist 720 Barspin, 2006 X Games in Los Angeles

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21. Morgan Wade Bike Flip, 2004 X Games in Los Angeles

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20. Gary Young, X Games 2002-present

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19. Bruce Crisman wins Park Contest at 2001 X Games in Philadelphia

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18. Stephen Murray Double Backflip on Dirt, 2001 X Games in Philadelphia

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17. Brian Foster, Huge Transfer 2002 X Games in Philadelphia

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16. Anthony Napolitan Double Front Flip, 2009 X Games in Los Angeles

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15. Ruben Alcantara, 2001 X Games in San Francisco

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14. Jay Miron Is The Beast, X Games 1-6

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13. Corey Martinez, X Games 2009 Street in Los Angeles

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The next six moments are important because they are pushing street riding so far beyond what the world had known to that point. Corey Martinez (00:00 - 00:33) hasn't stopped progressing ever. He does the hard tricks down the rails, up the rails and over the rails — it just doesn't seem to matter with Corey. He does some of the best downrail tricks, but he doesn't stop. He just keeps making his tricks harder and harder.

12. Brian Kachinsky, X Games 2009 Street in Los Angeles

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11. Nathan Williams, X Games 2009 Street in Los Angeles

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One of the newest and most emulated riders of today, Nathan Williams (1:05 - 1:48) makes all the hard tricks look easy.  His riding is smooth, consistent and progressive. You can see all this in his run.

10. Van Homan, X Games 2009 Street in Los Angeles

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9. Ty Morrow, X Games 2009 Street in Los Angeles

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8. Garrett Reynolds, X Games 2009 Street in Los Angeles

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Watching the finals of the 2009 X Games Street contest in Los Angeles is nothing but spectacular. Garrett Reynolds (2:47 - end) took your progressive tricks of the time and just ratcheted them up even further. You sort of have an idea what he will do next, but the only thing you are certain of is that he will make his tricks even harder.

7. Mat Hoffman Inventing Mega Ramp

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Well, he didn't necessarily invent the whole thing, but he was the first to dare to dream of going above 20 feet on a quarterpipe. Mat deserves a lot of credit for opening the doors of what we understand as possible.  This is the trailer for a documentary of Mat. He never got to ride Mega Ramp when he was healthy, but it was still an amazing feeling watching him ride it during X Games 13 in Los Angeles.

6. Dave Mirra, No-Handed 360 Backflip Over Mega Ramp, 2009 X Games in Los Angeles

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Dave Mirra came out of nowhere to enter Mega Ramp in X Games 14. The event was sort of new to everyone and riding a quarterpipe that large took some serious vert riding skills. When Dave entered, it seemed like a match made in heaven. He could easily do the jump, but he could also seriously blast the quarterpipe which very few people can do. His no-handed 360 flip just seems like a flying disaster, but Dave as always makes it look smooth. There aren't many people that do that trick now at all, and even fewer who would try it over the Mega Ramp.

5. Jamie Bestwick's Vert Dominance

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4. Joey Garcia Winning Dirt, 1996 X Games in Rhode Island

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3. Kevin Robinson Double Flair, X Games 2006 in Los Angeles

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2. Dave Mirra, Double Backflip, 2000 X Games in San Francisco

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1. Mat Hoffman, No-Handed 900, 2002 X Games in Philadelphia

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Mat Hoffman's no handed 900 at the 2002 X Games in Philadelphia was the best X Games BMX moment. He was the first person to land a 900 way back in 1989, and still in 2001 no one was doing variations of it. No one had any clue that he was going to do it, so when he took off spinning there was this instant realization that something big was happening. Not only was it a groundbreaking move, but it was done by someone who deserved way more than he would ever get out of the X Games. Mat Hoffman was the reason why BMX existed for many of us in the dead era of the early to mid '90s. If he didn't put all his effort into riding, putting on contests, starting a company and just pushing BMX out of the dead times, then I honestly don't think BMX would be where it is today. So, for Mat to be the guy responsible for the best moment in X Games history is rightfully fitting and fully deserved.

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