Pond Fail

FSX Talk To X Fighters Winner Levi Sherwood!

Levi Sherwood picked up a spectacular and hard-fought win at the Red Bull X-Fighters round in Madrid at the weekend. We caught up with the New Zealand rider just before the event to talk X Games medals, Nitro Circus and collaboration clothing ranges...

FSX: We’re really excited for your new Levi Sherwood collaboration range with Etnies. We love the look of the Tees and your new Charter shoe! How much input did you have into your range?

Levi: A fair amount, I told the designers I wanted to tie in my collection to the graphic look and design of my bike so that’s why you see purple and arrange hits. We went back and forth and worked it out to final product.

FSX: Do you have any more designs in the pipeline? Anything exciting we can look forward to in future Etnies ranges?

Levi: For sure, I have a really clear direction on the shoe silhouettes I want to use and we are also working on something really cool to bring to the table graphic-wise that I think people will be as excited about as I am.

FSX: You’re currently sitting in second for this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters competition. Things started brilliantly in Dubai but things didn’t quite work out so well at Glen Helen. How do you feel about the next round in Madrid?

Levi: I think Madrid will suit my style as it will be important to bring big tricks and get the crowd pumped up from the get go.

FSX: Dubai marked your third victory at a Red Bull X-Fighters event. You’re one of the youngest competitors and still just a few years into your career. What goals does a guy set himself that has achieved so much so soon?

Levi: I’m really focused on the Red Bull X Fighters Series, I’ve had some ups and downs early on and this year I want to play it smart and see the series all the way through to the end.

FSX: We’d never suggest that riders should take any unnecessary risks but were you disappointed that you didn’t get the chance to compete at the round of X Fighters in Turkey?

Levi: It really was disappointing for us as riders to not be able to put a show on for the fans and it was also disappointing for the people that worked so hard to make the event happen but in the end the decision that was made was the right one I think and it was really in the interest of rider safety.

FSX: Your accident at the practice of Nitro Circus in Las Vegas last year put you out of action for most of the 2011 competition season. Although it must have been hugely disappointing, it clearly hasn’t done anything to diminish your skill. Have your injuries led to any long-term effects or adjustments to your riding style?

Levi: I think most professional athletes are managing or playing/riding around an injury at most times but luckily so far (touch wood) I haven’t had to make any what I feel are significant adjustments to my riding style due to injury.

How did you end up hooking up with the Nitro Circus crew in the first place? Do you plan do anything more with them in the future?

Levi: They invited me for the New Zealand round and I think it was at Travis’s request; it was cool to spend time with him and Lyn-Z on the tour.

FSX: Congratulations on picking up another X Games silver medal, by the way! Your run was sick! How confident were you on the run up to the games?

Levi: I felt pretty good going in knowing that I had solid trick list and a new trick and the course having limited options due to the size of the venue would put the most pressure to deliver the goods in the air so that’s what I focused on.

FSX: That first ramp in the Moto X Freestyle arena looked terrifying! How did you find the course? Were you disappointed to find Taka had just pipped you at the post?

Levi: It did look a bit intimidating but when you think about it it’s really just a normal jump that is elevated, the ramp and the landings are the same as always just higher up in the air.

FSX: Good luck for the rest of the X Fighters and we hope to see you next year at X Games with a gold medal!

Levi: Thanks, I appreciate that, I hope so too! I’ll just do my best and see how it all works out.

Levi's etnies Kontra shoe is in stock and available now!

Loko Magazine Video

Big Air Jam 2012 Video

Big Air Jam Quality Burger Feet Images

Jamie Squibb and Chris  Birch in the whip Jam

Chris Birch flipin` out in the best run comp

Chris Birch  jack hammer

Squibb, Pearson, Birch, Ritchie ready for battle

Jamie Squibb king of whips

Gary Jenkins stunt wars action

Kye Forte Clearing the 2.5m bar

Danny Veale lazy boy style

Big Air Jam 2012 Photo Gallery

Photo Competition

Were you at this years Big air Jam with your camera? If so and would like a chance to win a £100 Gift Voucher from our sponsors at Freestylextreme? Send us your photos from the Big Air Jam 2012, we`ll post them on our Facebook and which ever photos gets the most likes/love will be declared the winner! So get sending your pictures to markthomasfmx@hotmail.com you have to be in it to win it! Closing date July 7th 2012.

Jamie Squibb Crowed King Of Freestyle At Big Air Jam 2012

Sick Trick
1st Chris Birch (Back Flip Nac)
2nd John Pearson (Back Flip)
3rd Jon Ritchie (Dead Body)

Best Whip
1st Jamie Squibb
2nd Chris Birch
3rd Danny Veale

Best Fmx Run

1st Jamie Squibb
2nd Danny Veale
3rd Chris Birch

Stunt wars
1st Kye Forte
2nd Lee Mussculewhite
3rd Darren Trottman

Parc y Scarlets presented the UK's hottest FMX athletes in an action packed airborne battle, Wednesday 6th June, as thousands of people packed the stadium's Castell Howell South Stand to enjoy an eye-watering feast of the best tricks, the biggest air and the sickest whips!
2009's Big Air Jam champion, 30 year old Jamie Squibb, was crowned 2012 champion after a thrilling Best Run Final against former school boy motocross champion Daniel Veale.

Last year's champion and 2012 Master of Freestyle Motocross Chris Birch missed out on the final despite some impressive moves including aa one-handed heart-attack seat grab and a rock solid.On a fine and sunny evening which saw a near capacity crowd, in the south stand, Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets once again showed that's its fast becoming the premier venue in West Wales for a wide variety of sports and culture.

The thrill of athletes jumping 40 feet in the air pulling acrobatic stunts over gaps approaching 100 feet, whilst on a motorbike, drew nervous gasps and cheers from the on-lookers as MT3's Big Air Jam Freestyle Motocross Championship rocked Parc y Scarlets.

Parc y Scarlets' Head of Events Rupert Moon said: "Big Air Jam is a radical competition and we were all thrilled within an inch of our lives as we watched some of the best rider perform some amazing stunts.
"The combined experience of sight, sound and smells within an arena like Parc y Scarlets ensured that it was a truly multi-dimensional spectacle and we had a great reaction from the crowd.

The Big Air Jam riders, or Gladiators of the Ring, certainly mesmerised the biggest adrenalin junkies as they performed breathtaking stunts.The evening's other winners included BMX enthusiast Kye Forte who high jumped a 2.5m bar to impress in the Stunt Wars.Crowd favourite Birch took the Sick Trick trophy after a phenomenal back flip with Big Air Jam 2012 champion Squibb also winning the Whip Contest.


To see pictures from Parc y Scarlets' Big Air Jam visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bigairjam

Big Air Jam Eve

Parc y Scarlets will present the UK's hottest FMX athletes in an action packed airborne battle to decide who can pull the best trick, the biggest air, the sickest whip or even the nastiest crash!

The finest freestyle motocross riders in Europe will be showing off their gravity defying skills featuring the UK's best freestyle riders including Chris Birch - X-fighters pilot and current British Champion; Jamie Squibb - former Big Air Jam Champion; John Pearson - first rider in the UK to pull the back flip on a motocross bike; Danny Veale, Stuart Macey, Ben Robinson and Jon Ritchie.

Come rain or sunshine on Wednesday 6th June, Parc y Scarlets' under-cover seating will offer the best possible arena to watch the thrill of athletes jumping 40 feet in the air pulling acrobatic stunts over gaps approaching 100 feet, whilst on a motorbike!

Ticket office will open again at 10am tomorrow (Wednesday) June 6th. Tickets will be available on the night. Do advise turn up early to get your tickets if you`ve not got them already.VIP and hospitality now sold out . Gates open 4pm plenty to do and see before the 7pm kick off. Fun fair, trade stands, pit party meet and greet the riders and plenty of food and drink to keep you all going 

Tickets are available by calling 0871 871 8088 or go online www.scarlets.co.uk.
EVENT DAY prices: £12 adults, £7 juniors, £33 family.

If you'd like to get closer to the action make sure you're at the Pit Party in the Big Air Jam Village (within Parc y Scarlets' West Stand) where you can get live and breathe the sights, smells and adrenaline aswell as having special backstage access to meet some of the riders! Pit Party wristbands priced at £1 per person.

Flippin` Mad John Pearson

John was the first person to do a motocross backflip in the UK, making him an all round Moto-X legend.John recently featured in the recent “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien” show at the packed out 02 Arena in London, in which he performed an array of crazy, yet somewhat pointless, stunts in front of screaming 8 year-olds. If you are not familiar with ‘Ben 10’ then ask your children and let us know, as we don’t know what it is either.Here is John at last years Big Air Jam at Silverstone, taking the win in the Sick Trick comp , and John is ready to do battle at this year Big Air Jam at Parc Y Scarlets Wednesday June 6th. Make sure you have your cameras at the ready as soon as John starts his engine!