Motorbike Stuntriding
Levi Sherwood to retire from competitive motocross
Red Bull athlete Levi Sherwood announces he is retiring from top-level freestyle motocross competition.
The S-X Open Auckland will be the last time the 28-year-old will compete in a freestyle motocross competition and he says there is no other place he would rather do it than in New Zealand.
Levi Sherwood
© Graeme Murray
"I have decided to pull back from riding competitions and to have my last competition ride in New Zealand at the S-X Open ... [it] is going to be an awesome send-off" says Sherwood.
The Palmerston North native has had an illustrious career. Sherwood shot to stardom in 2009 when he won on debut at the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour. He eventually went on to win the title in 2012.
Sherwood’s best year of competition was in 2017, claiming three major titles — the Nitro World Games, Red Bull X-Fighters and two gold medals at X Games. At those same X Games, Sherwood became the first rider since Travis Pastrana to win Moto X Freestyle and Best Trick at X Games. Sherwood stunned his rivals with a second run that included three double backflips with three different variations in one run.
“Every single one of those wins was special…Winning the Nitro World Games for a second time was huge. It was the first time I did a double flip in competition and I just barely got the second rotation around to land it" Sherwood says.
Levi Sherwood wins gold in the Freestyle final at X Games Minneapolis 2017.
© Red Bull Content Pool
Unfortunately, a string of injuries over the last year have prevented Sherwood from competing for a prolonged period of time.
"I've had a couple of big injuries in the last year, which speeds things up. When I was younger, I saw myself competing to 30
“I’m now moving into the next step of my life which I’m really looking forward to…But it’s bittersweet for me, I’ve got so many great memories from the past 10 years of competition” Sherwood says.
The event in Auckland will be the first and last time Sherwood ever competes on New Zealand soil. He says he will be looking to perform a never before seen trick for the fans at the event also.
“I’m really going to do my best to bring something brand new at S-X Open because I really want to win this one” says Sherwood.
“We’ve got world class riders coming here to New Zealand which doesn’t happen very often, the world’s best Freestyle riders, the world’s best Supercross riders and together I think it’s going to be one hell of a show.”
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Levi Sherwood Double Back Flip
Levi Sherwood will be at Big Boys Toys, which runs from November 1-3 at the ASB Showgrouds. His first and final competition in New Zealand will be the SX Open on November 16 at Mount Smart Stadium.