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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 5:37 p.m., Saturday, August 2, 2008

X-Games: Gagnon wins second big vert title of season

By ANDREW DALTON
Associated Press Writer

CARSON, Calif. — Pierre-Luc Gagnon won gold at the X Games' Skateboard Vert tonight, giving him a double in the two biggest vert events of the summer.

Gagnon, or "PLG" as he's usually called, took his fourth X Games gold as he beat out veteran Bucky Lasek and all-seasons action sports star Shaun White, the defending champion who had won for the first time in the summer X Games last year.

Gagnon, a 28-year-old Canadian, also won the inaugural Maloof Money Cup in nearby Costa Mesa on July 13. He earned the biggest skateboarding prize of $75,000 and a tricked-out SUV for that championship.

"It's pretty good right? Seventy Five, a truck, then 50 (thousand) today. I'm stacking it up," he said.

Despite being the X Games signature event for many years, skateboard vert was nearly phased out this spring in favor of Sunday's Skateboard SuperPark event before an outcry from skaters spurred organizers to keep both events.

Officials with ESPN cited the inability of young skaters, who usually ride in streets and parks, to relate to vert ramp skating, and the sport's stagnating ratings.

The event used a new format in which skaters did more runs one right after another tag-team style. The arrangement left viewers and even at times the skaters scratching their heads.

"It was definitely a strange format," said White, who said he had to keep his trick combos written down in his pocket because of the speed and number of the runs. "I was a little confused."

Gagnon, naturally, liked the setup.

"I like that you don't have to wait and stand around and get nervous," he said.

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TEEN PHENOM SITS OUT: The nation's leading female motocross rider Ashley Fiolek withdrew from Saturday's inaugural Women's Moto X Racing because a crash earlier in the week aggravated a broken wrist and added several more bumps and bruises.

Fiolek had planned to ride in spite of the Thursday morning crash, but was too banged up to continue.

The X Games debut of the 17-year-old deaf Fiolek had been one of the most anticipated moments of the weekend.

Tarah Gieger of Puerto Rico won gold in the new event, Sherri Cruse took silver and Tatum Sik won bronze.

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WAY HURT BUT NOT BROKEN: Danny Way, who stole the show at the Skateboard Big Air competition Thursday night with his repeated returns to the mega ramp despite a pair of brutal falls, did not actually break his foot as had been announced that night.

Way, who took silver in the event when his close friend Bob Burnquist trumped him on his final run, told the Los Angeles Times that after spending two nights at the hospital he had ligament damage in his right knee and perhaps his left shoulder and an abrasion across a cheek, though no breaks.

"I feel like I got punched by a 350-pound bouncer," Way said.

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BESTWICK BEST AGAIN: Jamie Bestwick overcame a rough-looking wreck to take his second straight gold medal in BMX Vert.

"I did take a pretty big crash in my second run," Bestiwick said. "I had a nice little rest on the flatbottom for a bit, while ladies in red tended to me."

After the spill Bestwick used a series of 540s, an alley-oop downside and several huge eflairs and whips to take the gold.

"I didn't think I had done enough to win," Bestwick said. "I was relentless out there."

Chad Kagy, who won gold in BMX Big Air on Friday night, continued an impressive X Games with a close second a year after he was forced to miss the entire games with an injured shoulder.

Steve McCann won the bronze.

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HANSEN TAKES MOTO X RACING: Long shot Josh Hansen took gold on the men's side of Moto X Racing, a modified form of supercross. Hansen beat veteran rider Jeremy McGrath, whose silver was his fourth X Games gold.

"This win means everything to me," said Hansen, who had to qualify earlier in the week. "I need to get back on my feet and get my name back out there."

Josh Grant finished third.

All the riders benefited from the absence of Ricky Carmichael, who thoroughly dominated the first edition of the event last year but has since retired from dirt bike racing.