While Moto X has always been a dangerous, edgy sport, in 2004, it went to a whole new level as foam pits became the norm for trick progression. Although the first foam pit emerged in Carey Hart’s back yard in 2002, it wasn’t until the last year that they have really become popular, making possible the kind of Moto X insanity that we have come to know and love.

The back flip, for years the Holy Grail of Moto, has now become a standard item in every competitive athlete’s run. In 2003, Brian Deegan and Travis Pastrana demonstrated a new axis of rotation with the off-axis 360 or “Mulisha Twist.” And then, this year, Chuck Carothers stepped it up another notch with the Body Varial.

Nate Adams has been on a roll since his gold medal triumph at Gravity Games 03 and at LG Action Sports Championships 03. This year, he picked up a bronze medal at Winter X and his first X Games gold in August. Nate just bought a piece of land in Murietta, California and he wants to build a 50 track, ramps and a swimming pool.

Although his winning streak has come to an end, Travis Pastrana continues to be the one to watch in Freestyle Moto. He has been racing Supercross and progressing Freestyle to the extent that his Superman seat grab back flip (attempted at Gravity Games 03, completed at X Games 04) arguably should have won the X Games best trick event. When he wasn’t riding this past year, Travis was competing in rally races, BASE jumping contests and enduro events in Europe.

Brian Deegan has been one of the most influential forces in Moto history, and now that he is healed from his crash at Winter X, he is ready to push the envelope again. At Winter X, he bailed from his bike at about 30 feet while attempting the 360 over a 90-foot gap. The doctors said he wouldn’t be able to ride again for six to nine months, but he was back exactly three months later. Love him or hate him, Deegan is guaranteed to put on a show.
Although he is an introverted guy, Beau Bamburg is one of the best riders in the sport, having already racked up ten gold medals on the IFMA series. His no-footed Nac and Hart Attack to Super Can put him on the map as a rider while his wife and two children keep him grounded at his home in Gresham, Oregon.

Fans of Adam Jones probably know him for his huge bar hop or his 45-foot back flip, but his list of tricks is extensive. In August, at his first X Games ever, he picked up a bronze medal, beating out seasoned pros Ronnie Renner and Beau Bamburg for the coveted podium.

If you saw last year’s LG Action Sports event, then you couldn’t have missed Kenny Bartram’s spectacular crash. A dislocated hip kept him on crutches for five weeks and off his bike for nearly six months, but still he only narrowly missed the top five at X Games.

This year, Travis and Nate stepped up the competition with Superman seat grab back flips and Travis is just itching to unveil a double back flip. Will it be enough to contend with Deegan’s Mulisha Twist or Carothers Body Varial? The 2004 LG Action Sports Championships will be the ultimate Moto X showdown. Be there to witness history in the making!