The X-Games returned to Austin in another grand way. Last year it was the vertical skating finals on a giant halfpipe in the shadow of the Capitol building in downtown Austin. This year it was the thrilling, stylish and gravity-defying motocross Step Up finals that saw tons and tons of dirt packed in the middle of the intersection of 10th and Congress. The riding was smoking hot. There were three Silver Medal winners (Massimo Bianconcini, Bryce Hudson, Libor Podmol) that all tied for second-highest jump (33′). One gold medalist (Ronnie Renner) ruled over them all with a towering whip-it jump over the fiberglass bar – some 34 feet above the lip of the ramp.

Don’t believe it? Here’s my visual documentation as proof.

one two three over 2 shoveling the ramp sideways tabletop silver medal winner solo silver medal winners 3  tabletop lowbar tabletop sideways walking rider winner celebrating with silver medalists winner interviewed winning jump 1 winning jump 2 blurry nighttime gold medal winner step up high over the bar leaning on the everlasting leaving the lip step up mechanic selfie nighttime over bar higher nighttime over bar one two three 3 one two three over -1 yellow and black over 4 yellow and black over 1 yellow and black over 2 yellow and black over 3

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