US rider crowned as FMX action thrills sold-out Johannesburg crowd

South Africa’s top FMX riders went head-to-head with the world’s best on Saturday at Montecasino in Fourways, where thousands of fans packed the sold-out arena for a night of adrenaline-fuelled action.

The 2025 rider lineup featured 21 South African competitors and nine international athletes: Julien Vanstippen (Belgium), Wyatt Fontenot (USA), Pat Bowden (Australia), Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan), Vicki Golden (USA), Ry Hazell (Australia), Marc Pinyol (Spain), Julien Mannon (France), and Stav Orland (Uganda).

The event featured three divisions: Best Whip, Best Trick Right Side Up, and Best Trick Upside Down. 

Intense battles in the Best Whip and Best Trick contests saw the USA’s Wyatt Fontenot crowned the new King of the Whip, while Australia’s Pat Bowden successfully defended both of his Best Trick titles.

Inspiration Amidst the High Risk

Eyewitness News spoke to Vicki Golden from America, an experienced dirt bike rider since childhood, who began freestyle in 2016. Golden finds inspiration in motivating others, especially women, in the male-dominated sport.

"I'm just glad to be here. I love riding dirt bikes, having fun, and to be able to inspire people along the way is a very, very much added bonus," Golden said.

 "This is definitely a more male-dominated sport. We have a lot of women in the States, at least, who are very heavy into racing. They're taking it very seriously. They have great speed, style, and technique, so it's looking really good.”

Golden highlights the mental challenges of the sport, including the emotional highs and lows, and the importance of resilience after injuries, such as her severe right foot and ankle injury.

"For every rider, it's definitely a mental game. It's a lot to take on. It's a heavy toll, high risk. It's an emotional up and down roller coaster ride. But that's what makes the positive moment so great, is because we have to experience the negative ones. Injuries are tough, but unfortunately, it's part of the game."

From Quarry to Global Spectacle

Ryan van der Spuy, the organiser of the King of the Whip event, discussed its incredible growth from a small quarry event in 2017 to a sold-out international freestyle motocross competition held at Montecasino.

"So in 2017 I decided to put this event on, and we did it in a small quarry in the northern suburbs of Joburg. And from day one, it just grew and grew," said Van der Spuy. "So we did it for three years there, and got to a point where it actually started becoming illegal, because there were so many people at the place. And Monte [Casino] actually came to me and said, 'We need to get the event here.' This is the fourth year we've done it in Montecasino, and we've sold out all four years in a row.”

Van der Spuy noted that the unique format of the event pits motocross racers against freestyle motocross riders.

"But I think what makes it unique is obviously we take motocross racers and put them up against freestyle motocross riders. And so you can do the biggest whip, which is basically throwing the bike as sideways as they can in the air,” he explained.

He also emphasised the importance of safety, the high cost of equipment, and the need for investment to develop local talent, including female riders like Vicki Golden.