5 BMXers you have to watch at X Games Minneapolis 2018

Colton Walker (Dirt, Park)

Anyone who paid attention during the 2017 BMX dirt contest knows how tough the competition has gotten at the top, and Colton Walker proved that he’s the rider to beat in the scene right now.

Walker, an X Games rookie last year, was sitting in eighth place before his incredible second run (out of two) earned him a score of 93.00, nearly two points higher than the silver medal winner, Logan Martin. The judges were audibly shocked by his composed run, in which he strung together a lip barspin to tailwhip; a 360 tailwhip to bars; a 360 double downside tailwhip to a late barspin and a flair tailwhip to barspin on the quarterpipe.

Whew.

Nyquist came in eighth in that contest, with a top score of 78.33.

Walker was born in Minneapolis, though his family relocated to New Richmond, Wisconsin when he was young. Expect the hometown crowd to be fired up when he returns to defend his title at the BMX dirt qualifier on Friday at 2 p.m. ET and then in the final Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

He also finished fourth in park in his debut year, to make sure to keep an eye on him that event, as well.