Competition kicked off inside the Staples Center yesterday for X Games 15 with Best Whip and Step-Up. Todd Potter successfully defended his Best Whip crown, while Ricky Carmichael and Ronnie Renner tied for gold in Step-Up, though Carmichael wadded up in his final attempt to overtake Renner.
Potter’s victory in Best Whip came thanks to 42% of the texting vote (that’s right, the winner was decided by text message from viewers). James Stewart came in second with a distant 21%, while Carmichael rounded out the top three with 17% of the vote.
Name Hometown Vote %
1) Todd Potter Temecula, CA 42%
2) James Stewart Haines City, FL 21%
3) Ricky Carmichael Havana, FL 17%
4) Josh Grant Riverside, CA. 10%
5) Myles Richmond Cherry Valley, CA 6%
6) Ronnie Renner Tampa, FL 4%
In Step-Up action, Brian Deegan was the first to be eliminated at 26ft, but Kevin Windham soon caught the crossbar after 30ft. It finally came down to Renner and Carmichael, who kept the crowd on their feet with every attempt. They exchanged 33 and 34 ft relatively easy, but 35 ft was not in the cards for either one of them. In fact, Carmichael was ripped from his bike and slapped to the ground during his final attempt. Though it was a scary crash, the G.O.A.T. eventually got to his feet and made his way off the course.
Name Hometown Height
1) Ricky Carmichael Havana, FL 34.00 feet
2) Ronnie Renner Tampa, FL 34.00 feet
3) Matt Buyten Minden, NV 33.00 feet
4) Jeremy McGrath Encinitas, CA 32.00 feet
5) Kevin Windham Centreville, MS 30.00 feet
6) Brian Deegan Bellevue, NE 26.00 feet
Check out all of Motocross’s X Games 15 Motocross coverage
Additional information at xgames.com
TAGS: best whip, Brian Deegan, james stewart, josh grant, Matt Buyten, ricky carmichael, ronnie renner, Staples Center, step up, todd potter, x games
