August 2005: Bestwick wins vert at the X-Games in Los Angeles.

Aug 05, 2005

Written by Bart de Jong

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LOS ANGELES - Just call it the Camp Woodward sweep... Because in Thursday night's X Games 11 BMX Freestyle Vert final the trio of Jamie Bestwick, Chad Kagy and Kevin Robinson showed that there is more to a sleepy town in State College, Pa. than its college football team. Bestwick earned his third gold in Vert - he and Dave Mirra have swept the past nine Vert finals - and Kagy and Robinson, his training partners from the Woodward Camp, finished second and third, respectively. The long-awaited showdown between Mirra, BMX's Miracle Man, and Bestwick never materialized, however, as a Mirra crash during run No. 1 forced him and his gold-plated bike to withdraw from the competition and put off the quest for his 19th X Games medal to another day.

"I just had to go for it," Bestwick said. "The first round was incredible. I got rid of my nerves by pedaling so fast. It was sweet for (The Woodward Camp) guys to be together." And for that rivalry with Mirra? "I just got an invitation to his wedding, so it can't be that serious," joked Bestwick. Kagy, less than two years removed from a broken neck, claimed his first silver medal in X Games history with a first run score of 92.00 that included tailwhips, flairs and plenty of amplitude. It was his sixth top-five finish in a vert event this year. "This is a serious competition and you have to push it to get to the next level and take it to the edge," Kagy said. "Every single year I push myself and try to get a little better." Robinson, known for his variety of flairs, brought home bronze for the third straight year. "I'm happy about my run but I didn't get the tailwhip straight into opposite flair," Robinson said. "But otherwise it was a great run. I'm psyched I got the bronze medal and I had my two buddies along with me." Results vert: 1. Bestwick 2. Kagy 3. Robinson 4. McCoy 5. Miron 6. Parker 7. Mirra 8. Kraft 9. Eggleston 10. Tim Wood