Full Podium Sweep with Brady Baker in 1st Place, Bryce Tryon in 2nd Place, and Monster Army Rider Jake Rutkowitz in 3rd Place at the 2026 Monster Energy BMX Triple Challenge
- 31-Year-Old Ryan Williams from Australia Takes First Place in BMX Best Trick
SALT LAKE CITY, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Full podium sweep for the team! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Brady Baker on winning the BMX Dirt competition at the 2026 Monster Energy BMX Triple Challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday. In the season's final competition, the 23-year-old from Toms River, New Jersey, claimed the win and $5,250 in prize money.
Baker was joined on the podium by 25-year-old Bryce Tryon from Lodi, California, in second place and 16-year-old Monster Army rider Jake Rutkowitz from Palmerton, Pennsylvania, in third place. In the BMX Best Trick competition, 31-year-old Ryan Williams from Sunshine Coast, Australia, claimed the victory and took first place in BMX Best Trick.
Now in its tenth year, the BMX Triple Challenge presented by Monster Energy as the official title sponsor has become the premier progressive contest series in BMX dirt riding. Every year, the open-invite competition draws together the sport's top-tier athletes alongside rising talent eager to make their mark in a three-part dirt showdown held during select Monster Energy Supercross events.
From May 7–9, the final event of the 2026 BMX Triple Challenge was contested outside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City during the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. With a total prize purse of $32,500, the contest introduced a new competition format and unique course configuration: The Speed and Style tournament saw pairs of riders take on the obstacle course simultaneously during head-to-head elimination battles. Contestants were judged on both "speed" and "style," with final scores composed of 70% trick performance and 30% speed relative to their opponent.
The unique Speed and Style course featured two identical jump lines side by side. The SLC course was unique due to the downhill slope of the parking lot, allowing riders to generate speed much easier. Given the increased speed, the course design featured the typical roll-in, but the order of the jumps was reversed, with the biggest jump at the end of the line. Riders dropped into a trick jump, followed by a step-up onto a shipping container, and the largest final jump of BMX Triple Challenge history over a massive 35-foot gap.
On Saturday, the final 16 riders engaged in their head-to-head battles to determine the winner. After several rounds of eliminations, two riders were set to battle for the title in the "Super Final": Monster Energy's Baker and Tryon
When the dust settled, Baker brought the winning combination of speed and style to the course. Moves including a 360 double tailwhip, backflip barspin onto the container, and a downside tailwhip cash roll netted Baker first place and $5,250 in prize money.
Asked about the competition format, Baker said, "I had to bring it back to my racer days. I started out with BMX racing, so it was cool! I was trying to be fast, but not fast compared to the fast guys! I just tried to pick some lines. I was doing a three-whip, trying to stay really low, keep my pump, get good landings, and race through the set. It just worked out well today."
Next up, Brady plans to go home and work on tricks and practice for the upcoming X Games League events this coming month. He will compete in Dirt, Dirt Best Trick, and Park Best Trick.
"Try to really focus on that and bring some new stuff I haven't done yet. Really push the envelope, step away from what I've been doing, and try to bring something fresh. I've done a lot of the same stuff for the last couple of years, so I'm ready to change it up."
In second place, Tryon stoked the fans with barspin no-handed backflip, 360 look back to no-hander, and a stylish 360 one-footed table to take home $4,250 in prize money.
"This event changed it up so much, and I think we got to see a lot of unique riding out of everybody. We all kind of dug deep in our own ways. It was cool to see some different tricks, and I had a ton of fun. This was awesome," said Tryon, before heading straight to the FISE competition in Montpellier, France, held next weekend.
Completing the podium sweep, Monster Army's Rutkowitz emerged victorious from the "Small Final" battle to claim third place and the $3,250 prize. Technical tricks delivered at top speed earned the young rider his first podium finish at a BMX Triple Challenge event.
When the action moved into Best Trick, Williams dropped in as the defending overall champion of the 2025 Monster Energy BMX Triple Challenge series. Living up to his reputation for mind-boggling tricks, Williams put down a technical double front flip to claim the trophy and $3,000 in prize money.
Speaking on the Speed and Style competition format, Williams said, "I think it can grow from here. It would be sick if we had more of a race-like course. I feel like this is still a straight rhythm. But if we mix it up with some berms and some hips, I feel like a lot of guys would shine even more. You see, Jake got on the podium—he's always at the triples and always doing well—but you could tell he was the fastest guy out there, and he is on the podium—and he's doing big tricks as well. Having that racing skill and going so fast is important here at Speed and Style. It was a great event. I had the most fun ever at this Triples!"
For more on Brady Baker, Ryan Williams, Bryce Tryon, Jake Rutkowitz, and the Monster Energy BMX team, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for exclusive updates as the BMX season continues.
For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser.
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock-and-roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy, including all of its drinks, at www.monsterenergy.com.
CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: [email protected]
SOURCE Monster Energy
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