Video: Life Behind Bars - Rough Riding at X Games

 "Put me in coach!" Props to all those guys that put down their best runs. Nice job.

 Just remember Pro riders: If you don't want to compete because it's windy, there's 100 kids trying to break onto the scene who will.

 a broken vertibrate or even leg puts a serious damper on a rider's career. A little bit of caution, keeps a lot of money flowing. Nobody sponsors broken riders. x games is just another competition. The mtb scene is what you make of it. Not what channels air the event.

 All the riders definitely knew how important this even was, but there comes a point where it's just too risky to compete. Fair play if they didn't want to ride as they could have all have some serious injuries, but extra props to those who did ride.

 nor does it warrant any disrespect. A good rider knows when not to ride. It was a sketchy scenario. These guys rose to the occasion by showing up, but they deemed it unsafe, not unworthy. I think that giving them grief isnt fair. Besides, these guys need to hold themselves together for rampage, a way cooler event than x games slopestyle.

 Well this definitely sheds some light on why ESPN's coverage wasn't very extensive. Wind is such a pain in the ass!!

 Never said they deserved any disrespect, like I said it was their choice to make. And yes, I cannot wait. I feel like this will be the best one yet seeing as how a lot of gnarly stuff wasn't hit and the guys that built them appear to be healthy for this year's. I'll try to put up some pictures of the crazy lines but... I don't think I could walk down them without dying.

 That was amazing. Lots of factors at play regarding whether to ride or not. Not only personal safety, but the progression of the sport. Massive respect for those who were invited to X-games, even more to those who pushed on and competed.

 To those of you who are trashing the riders who chose to sit out. Have you ever tried tailwhipping in the wind? Let alone a flip whip? These guys are the best in the world and have tons of experience, you're retarded if you think there wasn't good reason to call it

 Why would people insult riders who refuse to race? This is not Gladiator or Death Race.

 So cool to see mountain biking in the xgames...I really hope they bring it back next year

 I can't believe some of you guys are giving them crap for not riding in the wind. I would bet any sum that you wouldn't have the skill or balls to clean that course never mind trick it in perfect conditions.

 If Thomas Genon, Soderstrom and a bunch of other riders of their calibre chose not to ride due to the conditions, you must be crazy to think that any wildcard riders would have done either, everyone knows their limit and doesn't want to get injured - simple fact of this event was that Semenuk and Rheeder are on another level to the rest of the field and were the only guys able to put together a remarkable run in such conditions.

 I agree that we shouldn't disrespect the riders who opted out of riding because of the wind and we should definitely sing praise to those that found it prudent to ride that day. But having said that I don't think it was just the wind. Some riders just didn't like the course and they said so themselves. Others just didn't realize how important this event was to the mountain bike scene (or just didn't think it was that important). If it was in fact the wind that made these riders shrink then I have respect for that. I've walked away from things and that has allowed me to fight another day. But if its for any of the other reasons, shame on you and your dog.

 "For me it was just not cool at all, but other riders may disagree, I just had no fun riding the course!"

 michealcain you are right on target. They have done so much yet still these guys don't get half the credit they deserve!....kinda random but has any one else noticed intern in the bear suit at the opening part? It's right at 0:20 seconds. I cant even count how many times i've watched these and never noticed that till just now!

 yeah I bet he's never broken his thumb riding school though

 eeeaaasy buddy. eaaasy, dont blow a gasket. Safety first doesnt enter into it FYI. you think rampage is safe? Who is the one out of touch with reality now? It is all about managing risk. I just think that semenuk and rheeder and the few that rode proved that it was possible, and that those that dropped out made the wrong decision.

I dont want anyone to get hurt, but when the game is on the line, and it is your job, you step up to the plate. There was a lot at stake here and like I said, I am glad that some stepped up and filled out the podium. You would be singing a different tune if one more person skipped out and there were only two non-crashing runs. Because then you'd not have seen slopestyle back at the X-games. We were proving that we were big enough and burly enough as a sport to be bigtime, and we only had three guys who didnt crash in the finals. Three. That was close.

 no.

 just watch #notbad he is pretty much smiling or even laughing throughout the entire film

 body double

 Thats the problem with people judging these guys based in what they see in a picture or in a couple seconds of contest coverage etc. The camera catches a guy not smiling for 2 seconds or not congratulating someone the split second after a run/race and they assume that they never smile or they never congratulated someone, or they are a poor sport.