Active Action Sports

Miss Motocross

ActiveAdmin — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:28:56 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/30/ashley.jpg"Hello, my name is Ashley Fiolek. I'm 16 years old, I am profoundly deaf, and I race motocross."

These are the first words in the biography section of ashleyfiolek.com. The bio goes on to summarize the accomplishments of her amateur career. It's a record that would be impressive for any racer but one that is especially notable because Ashley Fiolek is both improbably young and unable to hear.

Motocross is a loud sport, and racers depend on sound for cues. The buzz of the engine tells them when to shift. Sound also warns that another rider is approaching, indicating when it would be best to move out of the way. Fiolek knows when to shift by sensing vibrations, feeling the bike as it groans and memorizing every bump of the course.

After two years of dominating amateur races on her 85cc, Fiolek made her 125cc debut against the best women in the world in November, winning the women's supercross title. She also qualified for a boys' race at Loretta Lynn's last summer. Out of 42 riders—41 male—she finished 11th. She'll turn pro in August, midway through the six-event Hitachi WMA National Championship series, the pinnacle of women's pro motocross.

First-Ever X Games Asia in China

ActiveAdmin — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:11:54 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/21/xgamechina.jpgThe city of Shanghai will host the KIA X Games Asia 2007 May 3-5 from KIC Jiang Wan Stadium, it was announced today by Rick Alessandri, senior vice president, general manager, ESPN Consumer Products and X Games Franchise Managing Director.

The event will mark the first time X Games Asia will be held in the People's Republic of China.

More than 200 of the world's top action sports athletes from more than 20 countries and five continents will compete in the three-day event and feature multiple disciplines, including Aggressive In-Line Skate, Skateboard, BMX Freestyle, Sport Climbing as well as a Moto X demonstration.

(Photo provided by Getty Images/Streeter Lecka)

Mr. Motocross

ActiveAdmin — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:24:39 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/motocross.jpgJames Stewart is a 21-year-old Floridian, the youngest champion AMA motocross has ever seen and the first and only African-American to win a major motorsports championship.

Stewart turned pro in January 2002 and has rewritten the record book since. As the AMA rookie of the year, he set a record for most overall motocross wins in a season and thus nabbed the AMA national title. In 2003 he won the AMA West Supercross championship, and in 2004 he won the AMA East Supercross championship. In doing so, he broke his record for wins in a season (this time nabbing 11 of 12), and became the only rider to win all three AMA titles of the 125cc class.

Stewart opened this season with three straight victories -- making him the first rider in 10 years to win the opening three rounds of the AMA Supercross Series (legend Jeremy McGrath did it in 1996). Halfway through the season, Stewart is the points leader for world and domestic Supercross championships.

Between the travel and training, ESPN.com spoke with Stewart about his accomplishments and aspirations:

Because of your age, talent and race, you are seen as someone who is different than the rest of the field. Do you feel different than everyone else?

Not really, no. I see myself just like everybody else as far as going out and doing my best and trying to win races and having fun in the meantime. Under the helmet, other things don't matter. We all have an equal shot at winning and that's why we're out there. But I'd say the biggest difference between me and the rest of the field is probably just that image of what I try to give back to the fans and how hard I try to please them … even if it means falling on my face laughs. My personality is probably the biggest difference, more so than any of the other factors that describe me.