"The Volt" Electrifies Crowd at X Games

For Immediate Release - August 2, 2007

“The Volt” Electrifies Crowd At STAPLES Center;
X Games First-Timer Kyle Loza Takes Gold In Moto X Best Trick Final

LOS ANGELES – A brash young group of Moto X riders gave 17,174 fans at STAPLES Center plenty to cheer about this evening, as Kyle Loza, competing in his first ever X Games event, busted out a heart-stopping trick of his own design – “The Volt” – to win gold.

The Moto X Best Trick Final capped off the first day of ESPN X Games 13, which saw, among other feats, a new record for Thursday X Games attendance: between STAPLES Center and The Home Depot Center, 30,374 fans took in all the action sports on display.

“Action” was definitely the name of the game at the Moto X Best Trick Final, as Scott Murray attempted without success to duplicate Travis Pastrana’s unprecedented double backflip from last year; Adam Jones nailed a backflip variation (and a 91.00 for his second run) that was good enough for the silver; and Todd Potter landed a “Kiss of Death” backflip for the bronze.

But it was “The Volt,” from X Games newbie Loza, that wowed the judges and launched the 21-year-old rider to the gold medal. The trick, which featured Loza doing a full 360° turn above the seat while his bike was airborne, has been in the works for some while. “I’ve been working on it for a long time,” he said, noting that his fellow riders had been urging him to perfect flips, which have captivated the Moto X world in recent years. The Volt, he said, is “gnarly – you have to do the whole trick before your bike peaks out on you!”

“This is our life,” Jones said with a shrug when asked about his backflip variation and the evening’s other breathtaking jumps. “This is our job.”