Hat Trick

Freestyle Motocross Recap
By Ryan Cropley

(October 1, 2005) Nate Adams first and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg second – sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well it should, because that is exactly what the top two finishing positions have been in the last three years of the LG Action Sports FMX Championships. The $30,000 over-sized check and the LG Championship Title went to Nate Adams for the third year in a row, while Twitch took second…again. When asked about coming in runner up again, Twitch joked, “now that I think about it, Adams has stole $90,000 from me in the past three years!”

I’m not quite sure Nate “stole” it this time. With his huge backflip combos including a one handed backflip to one handed landing off the 110’ dirt hit, smooth tricks, and of course the 360, he definitely earned it. But it didn’t come easy for Nate dog. After the first roundv was over it was Nevada native, Mike Mason in the lead and on the hot seat. Twitch and Adams both had problems in their first runs, so Mason knew he would have to throw down in run two to stay on top. It wasn’t in the cards for Mason tonight, as his second run score duplicated that of his first, while other riders stepped it up big.

And it was no surprise that Dustin Miller was one of the riders to step it up and make it on the podium. The fact that Miller hit the 110’ behemoth before anyone else in practice, even after some riders decided not to jump it, well, is nuts—he’s got skill! Miller’s second run was good enough to knock Mike Mason out of a podium spot and claim it as his own. Big combos, smooth style and a no-handed landing off the 110 footer sealed the deal for him as Miller proves that you don’t always need the backflip to be a contender in FMX.

Twitch had a horrible first run (for his standards) and after a couple dead sailors he turned the run into a 90 second show of flips and turn-down whips for the fans—plus he got in an extra practice lap for his second run. It worked out alright as Twitch’s flip-combo-filled run brought him back from eighth place and moved him into first ahead of Miller with only one rider left to go…Nate Adams.

So it’s back to the old rivalry of Twitch vs. Adams. This time it was Twitch in the lead and Adams playing catch-up. Adams knew he needed to bring his A game, which means the 360 and no mistakes. In the end Nate pulled out the 360 and had enough to take the win for the third year in a row and bring home the big bucks, while Twitch was runner-up…again, and Dustin Miller third.