SIMPLYTHE 'BEST' BESTWICK WINS BMX VERT GOLD MEDAL.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

There's a definite danger in jumping a bicycle 30 feet into the air.

Dave Mirra was keenly aware of that as he suffered a mild concussion in a first-run crash during the BMX Vert competition on the opening night of X Games 11. Four riders later, John Parker crashed head-first onto the ramp and suffered a more severe concussion.

Jamie Bestwick survived the crash-fest to win the event and give State College, Penn. a podium sweep in front of 16,432 at Staples Center on Thursday. Fellow State College residents Chad Kagy and Kevin Robinson finished second and third, respectively.

``It was not much fun to see,'' Bestwick said of the falls. ``I felt sick at one point. They were going down left, right and center.''

The 34-year-old has seen plenty of crashes, but he said it's just part of the sport.

``Its really hard,'' he said. ``It happened to me the last contest and you have to deal with it. That's what sets it apart from everybody else. We're prepared to take these risks. When it goes right, you reap the rewards.''

Bestwick scored a 95.00 on his second run after scoring a 94.33 on his first. The win gave Bestwick his third career X Games gold medal, his first since 2003. Kagy, 26, scored a 92.00, also on his first run, and Robinson, 33, posted a 91.00.

``We ride on a regular basis (at Camp Woodward) when we're not on the road,'' Kagy said. ``It feels really good. It didn't matter what place we ended up as long as we were in the Top 3.''

Dennis McCoy fell on his first run, followed by Robinson. Mirra, opting out of a move, landed front tire first on the way down on his first run. Last year's gold medalist, and the leading medal winner in X Games history, banged his head against the vert ramp floor. He watched the remainder of the competition in his street clothes.

Parker's accident was much more serious. The Phoenix native hit his head hard on the ramp and was unconscious for about two minutes before leaving the arena on a stretcher and transported to nearby California Medical Center for a CAT scan and overnight observation. Robinson said he was fine after his spill.

Five of the 20 runs on Thursday ended in crashes.

``The most important thing from this contest is that we're all OK,'' Robinson said. ``As long as everybody walks away, to me, that's the most important thing.''

While safety is the most important thing, Bestwick remembered what it feels like to crash at X Games.

``Last year, I bombed out and I crashed,'' Bestwick recalled. ``No, this is sweet. That's the way it goes. This is how it is.''

Kagy put down a 92.00 on his first run with a flair and a double tailwhip into a flair. Bestwick topped it with a downturn opposite flair, a 540, double tailwhip and another opposite flair. Bestwick was even better on his second run, despite having already won. At the end of his run, he did a tailwhip into a 540 into an opposite flair tailwhip and finished with an opposite flair.

``The year I won it in 2003, I paid $650 for a meal,'' Bestwick said. ``Last year, I crashed and paid for a $10 meal from Denny's on my own.''

Thursday night, he ordered hotel room service and went to an industry party.

``I like riding,'' he said. ``I ride every day. So I am always working on something. Sometimes you don't need to use it. You have it as a backup plan if the envelope gets close.''

Robinson secured the bronze with an opposite flair in the final seconds of his final run, which drew a huge cheer from a Staples Center crowd that booed when his score was announced.

``I'll plead the fifth on that,'' he said of his score.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jamie Bestwick flies high en route to winning the BMX Vert gold at X Games 11.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(2) Silver medalist Chad Kagy was one of three State College, Penn. riders to medal on Thursday.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer