SAN FRANCISCO -- Not only were the stakes high, but the bar was as well in Friday's Moto X Step Up competition at the 2000 X Games. Pro rider Tommy Clowers, 27, rose to the occasion, literally, and won the gold medal at the 2000 ESPN X Games at Piers 30-32. Clowers cleared 35 feet on the dirt jump and now holds the world record in this new event.

The Moto X Step Up is a high energy contest with high adrenaline. This contest is basically a "high jump" for the Moto X riders. Each rider must hit the takeoff ramp at high speed and clear a bar based at the top of the ramp. Each rider gets two attempts at each height. If you miss both of your attempts at a given height, you are eliminated from the competition. There is no preliminary round in this competition. The riders compete until there is one man standing. This concept is what makes the Step Up so exciting. As the bar got higher, so did the enthusiasm of the crowd and the intensity of the riders.

Said Clowers, "The Step Up is a great event, the crowd can get into it, and they see exactly what's going on."

Clowers gets high.

Suspense and excitement kept the crowd on edge. At the outset, the bar was set at 22 feet, and the riders cleared this with ease. The initial plan was to raise the bar in 3-inch increments over each round. However, this was found to be too easy for the riders, and the bar was raised by 1-foot increments until it reached 30 feet in height.

At 34 feet, there were three riders left: Brian Deegan, Kris Rourke and Clowers. Deegan missed his final jump and was eliminated. Rourke and Clowers battled back and forth until Clowers cleared the bar and won the competition.

Clowers, excited about his win, said "I am definitely pumped. It feels awesome. To win a gold medal at the X Games is probably one of the biggest things you can do in our sport."

All of the riders said Step Up, as a variation of Moto X, is good for the sport, bringing more interest to it. There is a great deal of camaraderie among the Moto X riders and that was evident today. They all want their sport to succeed and be exciting for the fans.

Silver medalist Rourke summed it up best when he said, "I think Step Up is good for the sport. It's just like BMX. They have street (park), the vert, and the dirt. And in our sport, we just have freestyle but now we have another venue. I think it's awesome having some more Moto X stuff out here."

Though it may seem simple to some riders, there is a technical aspect of Step Up that must be considered.

Said Rourke, "There is really no way you can train for an event like this, it's all about timing. When you come up to the approach, you have to hit the throttle."

Said Clowers, "I really don't have a secret, I just hit it as hard as I can and just try to clear it. Everyone out here has to make a decision. You can either turn it up or ride it straight out."

Clowers' record jump aside, the crowd-pleasing aspects were clear to all, especially the entrants.

"This is like a dream come true for me, being out here for the Step Up is just awesome. The crowd loves it. I think the way it's blowing up and the way TV and the world sees it, its an honor to be a part of it," said sixth-place finisher Adam Pierce.

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