X games 2012 moto x freestyle

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Sato was the fourth high-level FMX rider to die from injuries sustained while training in the past four years, and talking about his passing put a damper on Higashino's normally happy-go-lucky personality at a recent stop on the Nuclear Cowboyz tour.

But he did open up about some of the conflicted emotions he's had about FMX lately. Eigo died. Before that my friend [Jeremy] Lusk died. It's died, died, died. I feel, really? Though each death seems to generate a new spotlight on the freestyle disciplines, the dangers remain the same.

FMX has always been more of a love-driven than money-driven sport because the financial rewards fall well short of the risks these guys take. It's not my style. I don't want to wait for death to pick me up. I want to go and defy death to try to catch me. Of course, it's one thing to say you're prepared for the worst that might happen, and another thing altogether to look loved ones in the eye and say it. It sucks to have that conversation. It's gnarly.

You get choked up talking about it. But we all take that on. X Games medalist and FMX innovator Ronnie Faisst, who leads the Nuclear Cowboyz in pre-show prayers, says that dealing with fear is a serious mental game. I'm kinda nervous. But if you worry about getting hurt, it'll steal the whole fun out of what you do. Sentiments ranged from "I won't miss it because it was out of control," to "they should've reeled it in, not canceled it.

Higashino, the X Games silver medalist and bronze medalist in Moto X Best Trick, was firmly in the latter camp, and he sighed and gazed at the floor as he discussed it.

Just no pressure, just riding. Riding is fun, almost always. G rowing up in Osaka, Higashino rode BMX bikes until his dad, a fireman, let him try out a dirt bike. Though he was just 8 years old, after that he never gave any other sport a second thought.

As a teen, his dedication grew, and when he began leaning toward freestyle motocross, his parents worried for his safety but didn't stand in his way. When he revealed his ambition to a friend of his father's, the response he got helped set his course. But remembering how intimidating it was to be in a strange country and just show up by himself at popular riding spots with his dirt bike -- not being able to understand anyone -- still brings those butterflies back.

So, riding tricks scary, then soon as finished riding? Still scary. His ability to adapt was key. He did the best he could with a Japanese-to-English dictionary and used makeshift hand signals, like miming revving a throttle, to communicate. Often after he'd finish a run, Higashino would hear one particular word over and over again. So I ask, and my friend says, 'Ah, this is good! He eventually found himself riding with the guys he'd once studied on YouTube. His high trick difficulty level impressed Stenberg, who began taking Higashino out to private sessions and later invited the Japanese rider to live with him in Temecula, Calif.

Soon Higashino was "playground famous" in SoCal FMX circles, scoring some sponsor attention and making a little extra money doing shows. His frugality, sacrifice and focus -- no expensive phone calls home to Japan, no alcohol and no frills on anything, began to pay dividends. Needless to say, his daily menu was immediately upgraded with routine visits to a Japanese grocery store in San Diego.

Ask anybody on the Nuclear Cowboyz squad to describe Higashino's personality and a smile reliably appears before the answer. Higashino is 5-foot-5 and pounds, but his charisma and relentless pursuit of his dream have made him a little larger than life among his fellow riders. One thing that commands total respect -- even from those who are more rivals than friends -- is his work ethic. His tricks are gnarly and he'll do every one four or five times in practice.

Every single practice. And afterward, he watches film of his practices. Higashino, who's best known for pioneering the Rock Solid Backflip, energetically motions with his hands like a kid describing a roller-coaster ride when talking about tricks. He says the scarier the move -- like the Double Grab, Stripper or Darkside Flips -- the more he has to do them to feel comfortable.

Even one day off of his bike can alter his crucial mind-body synchronization and lead to mistakes. Though Higashino is more at ease with life in the U.