HIGH-FLYING HIGHLIGHT CAROTHERS IS KING OF MOTO X.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

Five years ago, Chuck Carothers moved from his hometown of Kingwood, Texas, to the Inland Empire, telling his friends and family as he left that he would make it in the world of freestyle motocross.

On Thursday night, Carothers finally fulfilled that mission, landing a body varial in what he called the biggest moment of his life and delivering the 10th anniversary X Games its first signature highlight.

Call it the Chuck E. Cheese, the Texas Twister or the Chuck Roll. Carothers could have cared less after winning the gold medal in the Moto X Best Trick and taking his place as the sport's newest innovator.

Carothers headed up the 45-foot ramp at Staples Center and soared into the air. He released from the handle bars and pushed off his seat into a full body roll before landing and igniting a wild celebration.

``I didn't just want to win but to come up with something completely new,'' Carothers said. ``I've dreamed about this and I wanted to do it so bad. I spent the entire year on this one trick. And the first time I did it, I was able to ride it out.''

It was only the night's sixth run but Carothers' score of 93.20 held up for first place. He had been practicing the trick in the foam pit at bronze medalist Travis Pastrana's home in Annapolis, Md., for the past three weeks.

But Carothers only was able to land the trick two of 10 times in the pit. Pastrana, meanwhile, tried 30 body varials on dirt and failed on all 30. He could comprehend the improbability of what Carothers did Thursday.

``I wanted to find something to throw under him in case it didn't go right,'' Pastrana said. ``He pulled off the trick that was impossible in front of the biggest crowd.

``Chuck always does something huge and never gets pointed out for it, never gets the recognition. Then he comes out with something like this.''

The 26-year-old Carothers moved back to Kingwood recently from Canyon Lake. And after returning to the staging area Thursday, Carothers immediately picked up a cell phone and called two friends. He couldn't even make out their words amid the screaming.

``This just proves the point that all the people that didn't believe me, now I can just be like, `Look,''' Carothers said.

In the past year, Carothers suffered a broken foot, dislocated shoulder and broken collarbone trying to perfect the body varial. His collarbone still is not completely healed and he was a wild-card entry to the Games.

But Carothers was determined to take motocross in a new direction, away from the back flips and 360s that have dominated the sport the past two years.

``It's going to step up the sport again,'' Carothers said. ``Everyone's going to have to try body varials now.''

There was no shortage of highlights in Best Trick - and thankfully none of the spectacular crashes that have marked recent years. Nate Adams executed a flawless back flip 360 and earned a silver medal with a score of 91.60.

Pastrana opted not to attempt the double back flip he has been perfecting for weeks and landed a first-of-its-kind back flip combination that featured a Superman seat grab and Indian Air scissors kick.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Niki Danielson turned some heads with this jump during the Moto X Best Trick competition at the X Games on Thursday night.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

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