Vanstippen clinches King of the Whip crown for a third year in a row

Belgian freestyle motocross (FMX) rider Julian Vanstippen successfully defended his crown at King of the Whip 2024, claiming his third title in as many years at Africa’s premier FMX competition.

Over 20 of the best international and local freestyle motocross and motocross riders took to the ramps to compete in the Best Whip and two Best Trick competitions at Montecasino, Johannesburg, on Saturday.

Up for grabs was a share of the R225 000,00 cash prize and various prizes from the official event partners. Riders included 4x X-Games medalist Vanstippen (Belgium), Andreu Lacondeguy (Spain), Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan) and Dallan Goldman (South Africa).

Event organiser Ryan van der Spuy, said: “When we started King of the Whip seven years ago, it was just an idea to have fun with the local riders. It has only gone from strength to strength since and is now an event with international acclaim.

We’re in our third year at this venue, and this year we had seven international riders, our most ever, which shows the event's growth both locally and internationally.”

The Best Whip competition began with riders going head-to-head in four qualifying rounds. Judges looked for amplitude, style, and variation when deciding which of the 14 riders would qualify for the semifinals. Six more riders were eliminated in the semifinals, leaving only eight to compete in the final round.

Before the King of the Whip could be crowned, the riders had a chance to show off their freestyle tricks in the Best Trick Right Side Up and Upside Down competitions.

In the Best Trick Right Side Up competition, each rider had two chances to take to the ramps and pull off the best trick possible. Pat Bowden (Australia) claimed victory and was joined on the podium by crowd-favourite Watanabe in second and Vanstippen in third.

BEST TRICK UPSIDE DOWN

The riders had three jumps each to stake their claim. Not content with one first place, Bowden took the top step again to claim the title of Best Trick Upside Down. Rounding out the podium was Watanabe, who slotted into second place and Goldman, who grabbed third.

Bowden, winner of the 2024 Best Trick Right Side Up and Upside Down competitions, commented: “It feels awesome as I had no expectations coming here.

I didn’t even know if I would be riding until two days ago, as I broke my ankle around 10 days ago. Before riding, I taped my ankle as best I could and came here just to have fun. So I couldn’t ask for more than going home safe with two medals in the bag.”

After the Best Trick contest, it was time for the evening’s premier event: The Best Whip final. As the sun set, the tempo began to ramp up, with the action only aided by a dazzling pyrotechnics display and a crowd on the edge of their seats.

The Best Whip final saw the riders pull out all the stops to unseat reigning champion Vanstippen as King of the Whip.

The battle for the premier division was hotly contested, but Vanstippen ultimately emerged as the 2024 winner. Tom Parsons followed him in second and Watanabe claimed the final place on the podium. Rounding out the top five were Dalton Venter (South Africa) and Goldman, respectively.

'I AM THANKFUL'

Vanstippen, winner of the 2024 Best Whip competition, commented: “Third time in a row, baby. I'm so stoked and thankful to be back here. The crowd was insane, so claiming my third King of the Whip title in front of them was a fantastic experience. Monster Energy always helps put on such a great event, and I can't wait to be back next year battling it out with these amazing riders in front of this crowd!”

RESULTS:

BEST WHIP:

1. Julien Vanstippen (Belgium)

2. Tom Parsons (USA)

3. Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan)

4. Dalton Venter (South Africa)

5. Dallan Goldman (South Africa)

BEST TRICK RIGHT SIDE UP:

1. Pat Bowden (Australia)

2. Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan)

3. Julien Vanstippen (Belgium)

BEST TRICK UPSIDE DOWN:

1. Pat Bowden (Australia)

2. Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan)

3. Dallan Goldman (South Africa)