Let the games begin. The debut of the X Games in Sacramento is on Friday at Cal Expo. It’s a competition that showcases sports like skateboarding and bike motocross.<\/p>\n
“It’s the biggest action sports event in the world,” said Kevub Peraza, a X Games gold medalist and BMX competitor.<\/p>\n
One hundred of the top BMX, motocross, and skateboard athletes are in town for the three-day event at Cal Expo.<\/p>\n
“I was a kid dreaming big, picking up a BMX bike like everyone else,” Peraza said. “And now I’m here after many, many years of hard work and sacrifice.”<\/p>\n
Nikita Ducarroz grew up in Sonoma County. She’s a two-time Olympian and won a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.<\/p>\n
“I used to come to Sacramento all the time when I first started riding BMX,” Ducarroz said.<\/p>\n
Athletes like her only get 45 seconds on the course to show their skills, so she says focus is intense.<\/p>\n
“Once you drop in, I feel like the crowd kind of goes away,” Ducarroz said. “You really zone in on what’s in front of you, and for me, I’m trying to concentrate to nail everything.”<\/p>\n
There are five event venues, including a dirt track with a 35-foot-tall launch ramp and the custom-built park course that features iconic Sacramento sights, including the Tower Bridge, the Capitol dome and a paddlewheel.<\/p>\n
“This takes some real time to put together,” said MoonPay X Games spokesperson Kevin O’Connor. “We’ve been on the ground for almost 30 days now”<\/p>\n