Takayuki "Taka" Higashino (東野 貴行, Higashino Takayuki, born 13 March 1985) is a Japanese freestyle motocross rider who has competed in international events including the X-Games, being the first Japanese medalist in the X-Games. He has three X-Games Gold Medals in Freestyle Moto. The only other rider to win more than three Golds in FMX along with Travis Pastrana. A pioneer for the growth of the sport, he is known for inventing the body varial trick the “California Roll/Cali Roll” or sometimes nicknamed the “Taka Roll” which is a slightly different version of the Special Flip.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname | Taka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 March 1985 Osaka, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Freestyle motocross rider | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2003-present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Motocross Freestyle motocross | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 13 August 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Higashino began riding motocross when he was seven, and attended many races during his teens. He turned professional at age 18,[1] and moved to the United States in 2006 to compete. He appeared in his first X Games contest in 2007. His motocross career took off in 2010, when he finished first at the Dew Tour Salt Lake City FMX Contest,[2] Red Bull XRAY,[3] and earned a bronze medal for his FMX Best Trick performance at X Games XVI.[4] That year, Transworld Motocross named Higashino the Breakout FMX Rider of the Year.[5]
In 2011, Higashino took first place at the ASA World Championships of FMX[6] and competed in his fifth consecutive X Games competition. He also performed on the Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos tour, an American motocross exhibition, and will ride on the tour again in 2012.[7] At X Games XVIII in 2012, he won gold in Moto X Freestyle and claimed second in Moto X Best Trick.
Career highlights
editWinner, 2013 Red Bull X-Fighters Osaka, FMX[8]
Gold, X Games Los Angeles 2013 Moto X Freestyle
Gold, X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013, Moto X Freestyle
Gold, 2012 X Games Los Angeles 2012, Moto X Freestyle
Winner, 2011 ASA World Championships of FMX
Winner, 2010 Dew Tour Salt Lake City FMX Contest
Winner, 2010 Red Bull XRAY
Silver, 2012 X Games, FMX Best Trick
Bronze, 2010 X Games, FMX Best Trick
References
edit- ^ According to a report from Yomiuri TV programme, "Gutto! Chikyubin" [1], in Japanese, Sep 18, 2011.
- ^ "Taka Higashino wins first-ever Dew Tour contest - ESPN". Archived from the original on 23 September 2010.
- ^ "Taka Higashino wins Robbie Madison's Red Bull XRAY in Australia. - ESPN". Archived from the original on 18 September 2010.
- ^ "Taka Higashino FMX Best Trick Bronze - ESPN Video - ESPN". Archived from the original on 3 August 2010.
- ^ "Adventure Archives".
- ^ "Adventure Archives".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ From Number, "RED BULL X-FIGHTERS OSAKA 2013 REPORT"[2], in Japanese, 2013.
External links
edit- TAKA FMX (personal blog, in Japanese)
- Taka Higashino at the X Games (archive)
- Taka Higashino on Instagram
