Monster Energy Sweeps the Podium at BMX Triple Challenge Season Opener in Anaheim

Jan 28, 2025

Written by Bart de Jong

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Monster Energy kicked off the 2025 BMX season in dominating fashion with a full podium sweep at the BMX Triple Challenge in Anaheim, California. Monster Energy’s Ryan Williams and Monster Army’s Kaden Stone and Alec Danelutti claimed the top three spots in a thrilling finale. Williams also took home the coveted Best Trick title. Presented by Monster Energy, the BMX Triple Challenge has earned its reputation as the premier dirt jumping contest series, showcasing the sport’s elite talent. The Anaheim opener featured 50 riders from across the globe, including Canada, South America, England, and Australia.

The established BMX Triple competition format continued with three runs– best run counts.

The top 16 riders advance to the semi-finals, and the top eight advance to the finals. Riders battled through a challenging course crafted by Adam Aloise and The Dirt Factory, featuring a slight twist with the middle set hipping slightly to the left and a waterfall roller leading into the last set. Overall, the jumps were smaller than the typical behemoths, yielding more consistent riding and, in turn, even more tricks.

Speaking of tricks, Anaheim witnessed some unforgettable moments, including three dirt world’s firsts from the podium trio. Stone and his lightning-fast hands fired out a 720 triple barspin during one of his runs. Best Trick was an absolute frenzy, which included Danelutti’s flip double decade and Williams’ Best Trick clincher–a jaw-dropping front flip kick-less whip-to-whip back. Honorable mention goes to Daniel Sandoval when he accidentally flicked off a shoe mid 360 double whip and still managed to land rubber side down.

If there’s anyone who can dig even deeper into their trick bag when the competition is tough, it’s Williams. Williams unleashed the rarely seen double front flip, followed by a cashroll, and wrapped up with the quickest double backflip to clinch the top spot.

No stranger to the BMX Triple Challenge, Stone earned his first-ever BMX Triple podium spot with technical mastery, including a double cashroll, triple whip, and 720 triple barspin. While Williams and Stone are Triple regulars, Danelutti hadn’t competed since 2019. But…when he would bunnyhop into the roll-in, you knew he meant business.

In the finals, Danelutti made a triumphant return to the BMX Triple Challenge, bringing variety and difficulty to the table with a 360 quad whip, 360 barspin-to-no-hander, and backflip decade to claim third place. After a six-year hiatus from BMX Triple, Danelutti plans to hit all three stops this year, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store.

Following alongside the Supercross series, the next stop on the BMX Triple Challenge tour takes place in Glendale, Arizona, on February 1, followed by Arlington, Texas, on February 22.