The first Extreme Games (later renamed the X Games) launched in Rhode Island and included BMX Vert, a contest where riders perform tricks on a vert ramp (a halfpipe with near-vertical walls). BMX Vert’s inclusion helped establish freestyle BMX as a core X Games discipline from the start.
Mat Hoffman won BMX Vert at the inaugural 1995 Extreme Games. His win signaled that vert riding—big airs and technical spinning tricks—would be one of the marquee BMX events at the X Games.
At X Games II in 1996, Mat Hoffman won BMX Vert again. The early repeat victories helped set a high standard for progression, with riders pushing bigger amplitude (height) and more difficult rotations to stand out.
Dave Mirra emerged as a leading force in BMX Vert in the late 1990s, beginning a period of frequent podiums and titles. His consistency and technical approach helped define what judges rewarded: clean landings, difficulty, and flow across the ramp.
At X Games in San Francisco, Jamie Bestwick won BMX Vert gold, edging out Dave Mirra. Reporting at the time highlighted Bestwick landing a “tailwhip flair” to close his run, underscoring how trick progression could decide tight finals.
At X Games VIII (2002), Mat Hoffman landed the first no-handed 900 in X Games competition—2.5 rotations while taking both hands off the bars. Moments like this pushed BMX Vert beyond “standard” spinning tricks and raised expectations for what could win.
In 2003, Jamie Bestwick won BMX Vert again, marking his return to the top after the 2000 breakthrough. This win helped set up the long period where Bestwick became the rider others had to beat in vert finals.
At X Games XI (2005), Bestwick won BMX Vert and also took BMX Vert Best Trick. A notable highlight from that year was his first-ever double tailwhip flair in the Vert Best Trick event, showing how “best trick” formats encouraged riders to attempt higher-risk innovations.
Beginning in 2007, Jamie Bestwick won BMX Vert gold every year through 2014, a record nine consecutive Summer X Games titles (with two Summer X Games events held in 2013). This streak became the benchmark for dominance in any X Games discipline.
At X Games Barcelona 2013, Bestwick won BMX Vert again, with ESPN framing it as an “eight-peat” and noting he had now surpassed his own consecutive-win record. The result reflected how consistent, crash-free runs still mattered even as trick difficulty increased.
At the first X Games Austin in 2014, Bestwick won BMX Vert for a ninth consecutive time, with Simon Tabron taking silver and Dennis McCoy bronze. ESPN noted the unusually veteran podium and highlighted McCoy landing a 900 during the event, showing how older riders still competed at an elite level.
At X Games Austin 2015, Vince Byron won BMX Vert gold over Jamie Bestwick, ending Bestwick’s record winning streak. A Circuit of the Americas event release reported Byron’s 540 flair as a never-before-accomplished trick at the X Games, signaling a new phase where beating the champion required major new technical milestones.
BMX Vert Competitions at the X Games (1995-2015)