VISTA, Calif., July 17, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Monster Energy’s Liam Pace Takes Gold in Men’s Skateboard Park on Day 3 of X Games 2021
- Skateboard and BMX Events Contested at State-of-the-Art California Training Facility (CA|TF) in Vista
- X Games Rookie and Monster Army Rider Liam Pace Claims Upset Victory in Men’s Skateboard Park
- 19-Year-Old Mami Tezuka from Japan Takes Silver in Women’s Skateboard Park
- BMX Street Wraps with Felix Prangenberg Taking Silver, Alex Donnachie Bronze
The medal-winning run continues! Monster Energy congratulates its team of skateboard and BMX athletes on a strong performance on day 3 of X Games 2021. In the Park and Street events contested at the California Training Facility (CA|TF) in Vista, California, Monster riders claimed four podium spots, including one X Games gold medal, two silver, and one bronze.
In the heated Men’s Skateboard Park final, 20-year-old Monster Army rider and X Games rookie Liam Pace from Tucson, Arizona, caused an upset by taking the gold medal. When all was said and done on day three of X Games 2021, the Monster Energy team had earned 17 overall medals (6 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze) from BMX, Moto X, and Skateboard events in the world’s premium action sports showcase.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, X Games 2021 is contested as a closed-to-the-public event at three unique athlete training facilities across Southern California. On the third day of X Games 2021, some of the world’s best skateboarders and BMXers pushed the boundaries of their sports at the high-tech California Training Facility (CA|TF) in Vista.
The day’s medal events included Skateboard Park, Vert, and Vert Best Trick as well as BMX Street. With all courses designed by California Skateparks, the experts behind X Games competition set-ups, the CA|TF provided the perfect backdrop for history-making performances.
Here’s how the action unfolded for Monster Energy riders at the California Training Facility (CA|TF) on day three of X Games 2021:
Men’s Skateboard Park: X Games Rookie Liam Pace Achieves Upset Victory
After two days of outdoor BMX and Moto X action, X Games went indoors for the Men’s Skateboard Park final on Friday at the California Training Facility (CA|TF). Owned and operated by the California Skateparks team, the compound boasts a full competition-grade concrete park, replete with bowl corners, spine ramps, banks, vert sections and wall rides.
In a 30-minute jam session, eight of the world’s best park skaters tried to land the best run to earn a podium spot. Many riders were familiar with the park, especially because the CA|TF serves as a practice spot for Team USA’s Olympic athletes.
Another rider with extensive CA|TF experience is 20-year-old Monster Army rider Pace. The Arizona native has been training extensively at the compound and already took third place at the 2019 USA Skateboarding Nationals and fourth place in 2021. When it was time to bring the heat in Friday’s final jam, Pace was ready.
Attacking the CA|TF park with high speed, Pace put together several perfect runs featuring Indy 540s into the bank, Cab backside disaster, backside Smith grind, and frontside nosegrind pop-out in the deep end, frontside 5-0 transfer off the spine, lien method over the hip, frontside 180 ollie over the volcano, frontside feeble through the corner, huge frontside wall bash to pull-out above the bank, and a kickflip Indy transfer clearing the entire tombstone obstacle. When all was said and done, the X Games rookie took the gold medal in an upset victory against the world elite in the discipline.
“It’s unreal, it really feels like a dream,” said Pace upon winning X Games gold in Men’s Skateboard Park on Friday. Asked about competing at CA|TF instead of an X Games stadium event, Pace said: “It was more mellow to session with the homies and less stressful.”
A long-time Monster Army rider, Pace first entered the spotlight by winning the Next X Park amateur contest in Minneapolis in 2018. At the recent Dew Tour Des Moines, he held his own against a stacked field and finished closely outside the podium in fourth place. He currently resides in Oceanside, California, and trains regularly at the area’s concrete parks – and it shows!
Women’s Skateboard Park: Monster Energy’s Mami Tezuka Claims Silver in Heated Final Session
When the action moved into the Women’s Skateboard Park final, eight of the world’s best female park riders brought their best tricks to the 30-minute jam session. In an atmosphere of respect and camaraderie, riders pushed the limits and worked every angle of the park with innovative tricks.
At the end of the day, new Monster Energy athlete Tezuka from Hikone Shiga, Japan, finished in silver medal position on the strength of several perfect runs. The 19-year-old bowl ripper put down a frontside air over the volcano, eggplant and backside Smith grind in the deep end, Indy air into the bank, ollie up to frontside tailslide over the hip, 5-0 grind on the spine and tall frontside air transfer over the channel. On her last run in the finals, Tezuka upped the ante with a huge frontside stalefish transfer over the gap from the large vert extension to the bank extension to secure a second-place finish – her first X Games medal – behind the UK’s Sky Brown in first.
Tezuka may be new to the Monster team but has already proven her contest chops with results like a third-place finish in the 2019 Vans Park Series World Championship Finals. She also finished closely outside a podium position with a fourth place in Women’s Skate Park at Dew Tour Des Moines 2021 and counts among the riders to watch in the future.
Wendy’s BMX Street: Monster Energy’s Felix Prangenberg Takes Silver, Alex Donnachie Bronze
Wrapping up a big day at the California Training Facility, the Wendy’s BMX Street final brought out eight of the world’s leading freestyle BMX riders. In a 30-minute jam session with winners decided on best run scores, the finalists attacked the long, rectangular course featuring several handrails, banks, wall rides, ledges and a Euro Gap.
As the session intensified, 23-year-old Prangenberg from Rossbach, Germany came through with consistency and finesse to clinch the silver medal. Highlights in several flawless runs included uprail to hard 540 the handrail, 360 bar spin fakie on the quarterpipe into a manual off the centerpiece, gap out to peg grind, and a bar spin to ice pick grind the big rail.
Friday’s BMX Street silver is Prangenberg’s second X Games podium after his silver medal from X Games Shanghai 2019. Also make sure to watch Prangenberg’s entry in the Real BMX 2021 video contest, with winners announced July 17th.
Prangenberg was joined on the podium by BMX whiz kid Alex Donnachie in third place. No stranger to competitions, the 27-year-old from Perthshire already made history as the first Scottish athlete ever to medal at X Games when he took BMX Street gold at X Games Sydney 2018.
In his stacked final runs at the CA|TF, Donnachie posted innovative moves such as over toothpick to manual to crooked grind 180 the rail, up crooked grind to 360, and nollie to peg grind 180 to earn the bronze medal. Friday’s BMX Street final concludes the BMX portion of X Games 2021, with Monster Energy riders claiming a total of ten medals, including four gold, in a dominant performance.
One more day to go at X Games 2021! On Sunday, the Skateboard Street finals will close out this year’s edition with a bang. Monster Energy’s Thrasher Magazine ‘Skater of the Year’ (SOTY) Ishod Wair will be gunning for a podium spot. Also watch out for 24-year-old Fabiana Delfino in Women’s Skateboard Street. Also, watch Monster Energy’s Matt Berger’s video part in Real Street with winners being announced on July 18th on ABC during X Games and Fan Favorites next week.
Download high resolution photos here.
To view video highlights from X Games Day 3 click here.
X Games 2021 is closed to the public and produced with comprehensive COVID-19 risk mitigation protocols in place for participants and staff. But even without spectators and musical performances on-site, viewers across the globe get to witness X Games history written by the world elite in all three sports. More than 80 athletes from eleven countries are competing for a total of 43 medals across 17 medal disciplines.
Over the course of five action-packed days, a total of 15.5 hours of competitions will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and the ESPN App. For the full tune-in schedule, visit the official X Games website. Plus, all competitions will stream live on @XGames digital and social media platforms, supplemented by behind-the-scenes, athlete-curated and complementary content.
Rounding out the experience, the virtual X Fest returns to give fans at home a chance to win prizes, play games, and interact with X Games content. Fans can customize their own avatar, shred the interactive skate and BMX course, complete missions in the all-new ‘Story Mode’ and interact with sponsors such as Monster Energy.
Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games 2021 including photos, videos, and contest results as they happen. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
###
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com.
Media Contact
Kimberly Paige Dresser, Indie Agency, Inc., (949) 300-5546, [email protected]
SOURCE Monster Energy
