Stenberg’s win was impressive given the lingering injuries he’s battled this season, but it did come without two key competitors, Blake Williams and Nate Adams, who missed the event due to injury.

The win was even better for Twitch since it came on his 27th birthday.

“I came out and got first place.  It’s what I do.  And, I gave myself a great birthday present,” Twitch said after the contest.

For the win, Twitch took home $30K, Bamberg $20K and Jones $10K.

Read the full release below.

Twitch Repeats as LG World Champion of Freestyle Motocross!
An Event Favorite is Stunned in the Semi-Final Round

LOS ANGELES (September 27, 2008)  — More than 12,000 fans witnessed a night of sky-scraping performances at the 6th annual LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross produced by ASA Entertainment rocked Fairplex Pomona tonight at the L.A. County Fair.  After opening musical acts that included headlining band FILTER played on the Maxell music stage, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg (Santee, California) outshined his fellow competitors for the second consecutive year to capture the title of 2008 LG World Champion of Freestyle Motocross and $30,000.

With only four days to practice after recovering from recent hand surgery, Twitch flipped his way to the title with the confidence and skill for which he is known.  This win was particularly special as it came at what he terms his “favorite event” and happened on his birthday.

“It is what it is,” Twitch stated when asked for comments about his win. “I came out and got first place.  It’s what I do.  And, I gave myself a great birthday present.”

When asked if he would be back next year, he remarked, “This year I got the repeat, next year I’m going for the three-peat!”

It was clear that Stenberg’s skill level exceeded his challengers, as he was the only athlete in the competition to perform three back-flip variations in succession and never repeat a trick during a run.  His tricks were innovative, death-defying and technically extraordinary, leaving no question as to the world’s best freestyle athlete.

Oregon’s Beau Bamberg (Gresham) captured the $20,000 second-place prize with an assured performance that displayed his potential and finally exhibited his skill level, something that has been lacking since he suffered a serious injury to the triangular wall of his abdomen two months ago while preparing for a competition.

“This feels great,” said Bamberg.  “The last couple of months I have not been able to ride up to my potential due to my injury.  Today was the first day that I’ve felt really good and was able to perform like I know I’m can.”

Bamberg’s ability was enough to upset 2008 X Games Los Angeles and X Games Mexico champion Jeremy Lusk (San Diego, California) in the semi-final round.  With his recent success, Lusk entered the competition as the favorite in many opinions.    However, Bamberg executed a run that left judges in extended deliberation about who was the heat winner.  When the final points were tallied, Bamberg advanced to the final round, less than a mere point ahead of Lusk.

The evening’s head judge, Regis Harrington, explained the decision to a surprised audience.  “That was one of the closest rounds I’ve ever seen, so it was difficult.  However, Bamberg did different tricks throughout his entire run, and Lusk repeated two tricks.  In a competition this tight you just cannot do that.”

The event’s third place performance came from Adam Jones of Warrendale, Pennsylvania.  Jones won $10,000.

Five men earned the opportunity to compete alongside the world’s best for the LG World Championship of Freestyle Motocross title with successful performances in the open qualifying round earlier in the day.  These men are; Ronnie Faisst (Mays Landing, New Jersey), Cameron Sinclair (Langwarren, Victoria Australia), Dustin Miller (Garnerville, Nevada), Jeff Kargola (San Clemente, California) and local hometown favorite Wiley Fullmer (Chino, California).  They all turned in solid first round performances but were prevented from advancing by the world’s top pros this season.

All of the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross action will air on CBS Sports, Sunday, December 7th following the local NFL broadcast, as well as on cable networks to be announced.  Please check your local listings for more details.

For more information on the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross visit www.actionsportstour.com.

Twitch after winning the 2007 FMX Championships.  cr. Adam Nelson

If you’re in Pomona, CA next Saturday try and stop by the L.A. Fairgrounds to catch the 2008 LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross.  Last year, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg won the final after Nate Adams apparently had some equipment issues and was unable to finish the finals.  Mat Rebeaud ended up in second.  Twitch and Adams, both of whom are nursing injuries, are back for another round, along with riders like Rebeaud, Jeremy Lusk, Blake Williams, Adam Jones and Mike Mason.

The contest breaks down over three head-to-head rounds and whittle down to a final group of the top three that battles for the title.  Ten riders have been prequalified, while eight riders will fight for two open slots.

Read the full release below.
Top Ten Qualifiers Announced for 2008 LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross
L.A. County Fair Hosts the $100,000 Season-Ending Event on September 27th

LOS ANGELES (September 22, 2008) – Freestyle motocross will name the best athlete of the year when ASA Entertainment (ASA) brings the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross to the L.A. County Fair on Saturday, September 27th, at Fairplex Pomona.  Today, ASA officially announced the top 10 men of the 2008 freestyle motocross season who have qualified to compete for the honored title of 2008 LG World Champion of Freestyle Motocross.  The qualified athletes are:

Name – Age – Hometown
Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg – 26 – Santee, California
Mat Rebeaud – 26 – Payerne, Switzerland
Nate Adams  – 24 – Glendale, Arizona
Jeremy Lusk – 23 – San Diego, California
Robbie Maddison – 27 – Kiama Downs, Australia
Mike Mason – 27 – Minden, Nevada
Blake Williams – 23 – Baxter, Australia
Adam Jones – 24 – Warrendale, Pennsylvania
Beau Bamburg – 30 – Gresham, Oregon
Todd Porter – 24 – Anza, California

In addition to these top men, eight athletes have been invited to participate in the event’s open qualifying round for the remaining two spots in the 12-man world championship roster.  On Saturday afternoon, Derek Garland (San Clemente, CA), Jeff Fehr (Salt Lake City, UT), Ronnie Faisst (Mays Landing, NJ), Dustin Miller (Garnville, NV), Wiley Fullmer (Chino, CA) Miles Richmond (Cherry Valley,CA), Cameron Sinclair (Southport, Australia), Brian Foster (Minden, NV) and Jeff Kargola (San Clemente, CA) will take to the track for one run in hopes of advancing to the evening’s championship competition.

In three rounds of head-to-head competition the 12 competitors will need to consistently perform their greatest, high-flying tricks in order to last throughout the evening’s contest to claim the World Championship title.   The format celebrates the most steadfast overall athletic performance, not just one spectacular run; therefore these men will need to repeatedly nail the most daring stunts with extraordinary precision.

No one man has monopolized the competition this season; Jeremy Lusk won the 2008 X Games and X Games Mexico gold medals, Adam Jones captured the AST Dew Cup this season, and Mat Rebeaud excelled at the X Fighters events.  But, as last year’s contest illustrated, season domination is not the key.  Nate Adams won virtually every AST Dew Tour event in 2007, but Jeremy Stenberg’s consistency and technique during the championships lead him to the title in 2007.

Will Lusk or Jones add this title to their 2008 accomplishments, or will Mat Rebeaud turn out one of the spectacular exhibitions that he is so widely known for?  After an uncharacteristic season filled with second and third place finishes, will Nate Adams be able to reclaim his number one status?  Twitch won the title in 2007 with a broken ankle, will he be able to persevere through this year’s injuries and keep the title? Be there for all the action!  Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets or at the Fairplex Pomona box office.

The LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross is an ASA Entertainment production.

Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg – 2007 Champ

A few months from now the best of the best in FMX will be facing off at the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross in Pomona.  Last year, it was a good show with Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg taking the top prize after Nate Adams has equipment issues.  This year, will Blake “Bilko” Williams crash the party and send both of them packing?  We’ll see.  If you can get to Pomona on September 27 to see it, you will want to buy tickets ASAP.  They go on sale today.

Check out the release below…

Tickets for the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross go on Sale July 20
2008’s Premier FMX Competition revs up the excitement at the L.A. County Fair September 27
LOS ANGELES (July 20, 2008) – On September 27, the world of Freestyle Motocross will focus its attention on the Greater Los Angeles Area, searching for the best, the unsurpassed, the paramount performance of 2008 when the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross roars into the L.A. County Fair at Fairplex in Pomona.

It’s the sixth consecutive year that the L.A. County Fair has hosted the LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross (FMX), which last year, in a new head-to-head format, saw four-time LG FMX World Champion and #1 ranked Nate Adams (Phoenix, AZ) dethroned by local resident, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg (Santee, Calif.). Riding with a broken ankle, Stenberg thrilled fans and judges with daring flip variations and a virtually flawless finals run. Now, the 2008 LG FMX World Championships awaits. Will an injury-free Stenberg successfully defend his title? Will Adams reclaim the top podium spot? Or, will a new star emerge with a breakout performance? This one-night-only event will answer all these questions and leave fans in awe with its full-throttle, high-air excitement.

Box and reserved seating tickets for the 2008 LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross go on sale Sunday, July 20 at 10 a.m. and are available at the Fairplex Box Office, via all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the following numbers accordingly to charge them by phone – L.A. County 213 480 3232; Riverside 925 685 8497; Orange County 714 740 2000; and Long Beach 805 583 8700. Tickets start at $17.50 for reserved seats.

The 2008 LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross will air on CBS, Sunday, December 7th following the local NFL broadcast, as well as on two national cable networks to be announced shortly. Please be sure to check your local listings for more details.

The event is produced by ASA Entertainment, the global leader in Action Sports event and television production.

You probably haven’t had the chance to see the documentary about FMX superstar Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg called “Hood Rich.” It got a small premiere last April and is now out on DVD. Twitch is pictured above at the San Diego premiere.

The storyline is simple: It’s about Twitch’s growth into one of the top FMX riders on the scene and how he’s changed (in a good way).

If haven’t gotten the DVD, you can watch the show on Monday night on Fuel. It initially airs at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) then repeats a bunch of times.

Check out the trailer below for some sweet footage of Twitch at Deegan’s place.

Mat Rebeaud continued his winning ways on the Red Bull X-Fighters tour, winning the Saturday night contest in Fort Worth, Texas. Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg looked strong as he took second followed by Jeremy Lusk in third.

While the field was strong, Spain’s Dany Torres was forced to miss the contest after injuring himself during practice on Friday. Also, Aussie Robbie Maddison suffered a big crash during Saturday’s action but was not injured and still managed to finish fourth.

France’s Thomas Pages took fifth place, followed by Japanese rider Taka Higashino.

Rebeaud leads the overal tour rankings with 280 points, followed by Twitch and Maddison. The next tour stop is in Germany on July 4.

Both photos: Mat Rebeaud cr. Rich Van Every | Red Bull Photo Files

MORE COWBELL: MAT REBEAUD RIDES TO RODEO-STYLE WIN
AT RED BULL X-FIGHTERS TEXAS IN FRONT OF MORE THAN 40,000 FANS

Fort Worth, Tex. (June 15, 2008) – Swiss superstar Mat Rebeaud flew to victory at Red Bull X-Fighters Texas on Saturday night. Twelve of the world’s best freestyle motocross riders turned the historic Stockyards district into their own personal playground, and the action was as hot as Texas baked beans. The combination of freestyle motocross and rodeo was witnessed by more than 20,000 fans, plus an additional 20,000-plus people outside of the venue, turning the area into a standstill, marking the first-ever Red Bull X-Fighters in America. The event featured rodeo queens, cowboys, and a rodeo chute, where the riders blasted out of to start their runs. Rounding out the top-three finishers were Americans Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg and Jeremy Lusk, who claimed second and third place respectively.

Rebeaud, who won the season opener in Mexico City, could barely believe his victory. “This is my first win in America,” he said. “I gave it everything on my last jump and if anything had gone wrong, I would have paid heavily.”

The Swiss star knew he had to go big and pulled a Backflip Superman Indie over the 20-foot-high quarterpipe on his last run of the evening. “That was absolutely decisive for the win. I was under massive pressure, but the feeling of relief now is indescribable,” said Rebeaud.

After being forced to concede defeat in the final, Stenberg paid respect to his Swiss colleague. “I am disappointed because I made a mistake, but I have to congratulate Mat,” Stenberg said. “He risked everything and deserved to win. The motto ‘Everything’s bigger in Texas’ was omnipresent here and this hard course has left its marks on all the riders.”

The riders competed on a Texas-sized course created by esteemed designer Dane Herron, which featured 13,000 cubic yards of dirt sculpted onto a 300-foot by 400-foot pad of land. Among the features were seven competition ramps with gaps ranging from 75-feet to 120-feet, two custom metal quarterpipes and several multi-directional dirt hits for the riders to choose from in their 90-second runs. The centerpiece of the course was the dirt quarterpipe, where the riders went for big air.

Robbie Maddison of Australia had to learn the dangers of extreme rodeo riding the hard way in his semifinal against Stenberg. The Australian star fell heavily during his second run. “I landed hard after pulling a Backflip Cordova and my kneecap popped out,” said Maddo. “I couldn’t bend the joint anymore so I was forced to quit the competition straight away.

On the way back to the riders’ camp it popped back in on its own. Now I’m really going to go for it at the next Red Bull X-Fighters event.”

Freestyle legend and multi-time Red Bull X-Fighters winner Travis Pastrana made a grand entrance in his rally car, much to the delight of the crowd.

Pastrana is focusing on his burgeoning rally career this year and served as the event’s grand marshal.

Following the event in Texas, Rebeaud now leads the riders’ overall series classification with 280 points, followed by Stenberg (235) and Maddison (165). This was the third of five global Red Bull X-Fighters competitions in 2008. The series began in 2001, and this year, in addition to Ft.

Worth, has visited Mexico City and Rio, with stops in Germany and Spain to follow.

Final Result – Red Bull X-Fighters Texas
1. Mat Rebeaud (SUI)
2. Jeremy Stenberg (USA)
3. Jeremy Lusk (USA)
4. Robbie Maddison (AUS)
5. Thomas Pages (FRA)
6. Taka Higashino (JAP))
7. Andre Villa (NOR)
8. Myles Richmond (USA))
9. Chuck Carothers (USA)
10. Charles Pages (FRA))
11. Ronnie Renner (USA))
12. Todd Potter (USA)

Red Bull X-Fighters Texas will be aired on ABC next Sunday, June 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT, immediately following the IndyCar Series race.

Among those riding were Jeremy Lusk, Twitch, Todd Potter, Takayuki Higashino and Jimmy Fitzpatrick.

See some video below.  Photos to come, soon.

Last year atheltes like Pierre-Luc Gagnon and Simon Tabron dominated the event, with additional wins by Dennis Enarson, Morgan Wade and others.

Check out the schedule below along with the full press release following.

2008 Action Sports World Tour Schedule

• July 25–27 – S3 Supergirl Jam – Huntington Beach, CA (HB Pier)
• July 29-31 – Action Sports World Tour – Costa Mesa, CA (OC Fairgrounds)
• September 27 – LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross – Pomona, CA (Fairplex Park)
• Oct. 3-4 – Action Sports World Tour – Cincinnati, OH (Bank of Kentucky Center)
• November 7-9 – LG Action Sports World Championships – Dallas, TX (Reunion Arena)

And here’s a few links to our coverage from ’07:

• Glendale, AZ Stop – PLG, Tabron and Enarson Win
• San Diego, CA Stop – Vert Finals Photo Gallery
• Pomona, CA Stop – Twitch Wins FMX Championships
• Dallas, TX Stop – Skate Vert Finals
• Dallas, TX Stop – BMX Street Finals

ASA Entertainment Announces its 2008 Action Sports World Tour Event Schedule
The Country’s Longest-running Action Sports Tour Returns for its 12th Year
LOS ANGELES (May 15, 2008) — ASA Entertainment (ASA), the country’s largest action sports event, television and content production company, is excited to announce its 2008 Action Sports World Tour events.  From July to November action sports fans throughout the U.S. can experience the world’s top professional skateboarders, freestyle BMXers, inline skaters, snowboarders and freestyle motocross superstars during a series of five major competitions in a quest for the ultimate title, the LG Action Sports World Championships.

Huntington Beach, Calif. is the first stop on the Tour where more than 100,000 people are expected to watch the top female pro skateboarders, surfers, inline skaters and snowboarders compete at the S3 Supergirl Jam from July 25–27.  Part of this one-of-a-kind mega-competition includes the construction of a 28’ high snowboarding mountain with 30,000 pounds of snow pumped onto the beach at the world-famous Huntington Beach Pier.

Costa Mesa, Calif. hosts the first stop for the men from July 29-31, at the Orange County Fairgrounds. During three action-packed days, Southern California fans can enjoy a completely unique pro BMX competition that combines the best in BMX Box Jumping and Dirt Jumping with the Mini-Mega Ramp in an event called Big-Air BMX Triples.  16 of the world’s top BMX pros will participate in a head-to-head battle in what has become a favorite event for both fans and athletes after its inaugural contest last September.

The LG World Championships of Freestyle Motocross then thrills fans for one day in Los Angeles at Fairplex Park in Pomona on Saturday, September 27. Four-time LG World Champion Nate Adams (Phoenix, AZ) is eager to reclaim the winner’s podium in 2008, but he’ll have to ride through Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg (Santee, CA) who’s determined to defend his 2007 title with his series of distinctive motorcycle back-flip variations.

One week later, the Action Sports World Tour resumes on October 3 and 4 in Cincinnati, Ohio at the new Bank of Kentucky Center on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.  This will be the first sporting event ever inside the new arena and the last event for the pros to qualify into the LG Action Sports World Championships.

From November 7-9, 125 of the world’s most elite competitors in BMX, Skateboarding and Inline Skating will face off at the historic Reunion Arena in Dallas, Tex. for the 2008 LG Action Sports World Championships.  This three-day battle for the season-ending World Championships will be filled with explosive, competitive action and A-list musical entertainment.

“We are really excited about our domestic event schedule this year” says ASA Entertainment’s CEO Rick Bratman, “We wanted to mix up the events and the disciplines to provide action sports fans with a well-rounded and unique mixture of what the action sports industry has to offer.  This is not the ‘same-old’ tour concept with cookie-cutter events that get repeated.  Instead, we designed the Tour around the different types of entertainment that both athletes and fans asked to see.”

With its international roster of athletes and events, ASA is bringing consumers the world’s best in action sports competition and entertainment, and will be announcing new, cutting-edge events in the future.  The company’s international schedule is also expected to be released shortly.

For ticket information and more details on the 2008 Action Sports World Tour, please visit www.actionsportstour.com.

Stenberg was happy with his win though he acknowledged his ride didn’t go as planned.

“Unbelievably difficult. Some of the riders here were really afraid of the course. This victory means a great deal to me. I have never seen such a challenging course. One trick went completely wrong and I thought that it was all over, but Rebeaud made a mistake too.”

It’s hard to believe that it was only two years ago that Stenberg suffered a massive crash that shattered both his ankles and relegated him to a wheelchair for months.  He’s definitely returned to form and should be a big factor in this summer’s AST Tour and X Games.  He also had a strong showing at last month’s inaugural Moto X World Championships, taking second to Nate Adams in the Moto X Freestyle category.

In the overall X-Fighters rankings, Stenberg (155 pts.) now ranks second to Rebeaud (180 pts.), who won the first stop in Mexico City last month.  Dany Torres from Spain, who finished fourth on Saturday and second in Mexico, is third in the rankings with 135 pts.

A webcast of the action from Brazil will be available Tuesday, May 6, on the official X-Fighters site.  We’d post more photos from the event, but for some reason Red Bull hasn’t made many pictures of Monster-sponsored Stenberg available.  Yet, plenty of photos of the Red Bull-sponsored Rebeaud (including the haunting portrait after the jump) exist.  Hmmmm…

The next stop in the X-Fighters five-city tour is Ft. Worth, TX on June 14, followed by stops in Germany and Spain in July.

The official press release follows.

Samba on Two Wheels – Stenberg Grabs Win in Rio

Jeremy Stenberg (USA) soared to victory last Saturday 3rd of May, with a spectacular performance at the second event of Red Bull X-Fighters 2008. Mat Rebeaud from Switzerland had to settle for second place after a hard-fought final round, with Australian Robbie “Maddo” Maddison claiming third in the former capital city’s legendary Sambadrome. Andre Villa (NOR) remained unhurt after crashing out.

A total of nine kickers spread out along a 96-metre course proved a real challenge for the world’s FMX elite, a fact confirmed by winner Stenberg shortly after an emotional victory ceremony: “Unbelievably difficult. Some of the riders here were really afraid of the course. This victory means a great deal to me. I have never seen such a challenging course. One trick went completely wrong and I thought that it was all over, but Rebeaud made a mistake too.” Despite his disappointment, Swiss high flyer Rebeaud was stoic after the final: “That’s sport for you. I had a big mistake in the final and that probably cost me victory. But it could have been a lot worse. I’m glad I didn’t crash.”

A heavy fall by Andre Villa (NOR) at the quarter final stage brought the vibrant crowd to a hushed silence, but the Norwegian walked away unhurt. “I go to the gym five times a week and the muscles paid off today. I landed on my stomach, but I’ll be back on the bike,” commented Villa shortly after his fall.

Backflips, heelcrackers and superman seatgrabs were among the incredible tricks on show to a capacity crowd in the city’s legendary Sambadrome, where two large dirt jumps and a ‘six pack’ (three jumps in a row) catapulted the riders to dizzying heights.

The 30,000 FMX fans were on their feet as four local riders and eight members of the international FMX elite, including Aussie Robbie Maddison, fought it out for victory. “I can’t imagine it was even louder here during the Carnival in February,” beamed winner Stenberg after stealing the show.

After two rounds Mat Rebeaud (180 points) heads the overall riders’ classification, with a narrow lead of just 25 points over Jeremy Stenberg (155 points).

After Rio de Janeiro the Red Bull X-Fighters move stateside to Texas, USA. On July 14 the rodeo arena in Fort Worth will host the third of the tour’s five stops before the most breathtaking freestyle motocross series in the world returns to Europe with a stop in Wuppertal (GER) before the traditional grand finale in Madrid (ESP).

Final Results of Red Bull X-Fighters Rio de Janeiro:
1. Jeremy Stenberg (USA/Yamaha),
2. Mat Rebeaud (CH/KTM),
3. Robbie Maddison (AUS/Honda),
4. Dany Torres (ESP/KTM),
5. Andre Villa (NOR/Suzuki),
6. Eigo Sato (JPA/Yamaha),
7. Ronnie Faisst (USA/Honda),
8. Brice Izzo (FRA/Yamaha),
9. Gilmar Flores (BRA/Yamaha),
10. Gian Bergamini (BRA/Yamaha)

Mat Rebeaud at X-Fighters Rio.  cr. Balázs Gárdi /Red Bull Photo-Files