Monster Energy Athletes Claim Victories on Day 2 of X Games Chiba 2026
- Men's Skateboard Park: 15-Year-Old Monster Army Recruit Egoitz Bijueska from Bilbao, Spain, Takes Gold Medal, 26-Year-Old Tom Schaar from Malibu, California, Claims Silver Medal
- BMX Park Best Trick: 29-Year-Old Mike Varga from Oshawa, Canada, Claims Gold Medal
- Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street: 24-Year-Old Sora Shirai from Japan Earns Bronze
- Men's Skateboard Vert Best Trick: 13-Year-Old Monster Army Rider Ao Nishikawa Claims Bronze
CHIBA , Japan, July 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Closing out X Games Japan with major victories! Monster Energy congratulates its team of action sports athletes on breakthrough performances on the second day of X Games Chiba 2026. On Sunday, Monster Energy riders claimed a total of five medals (2 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze) across four contest events at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.
In the Men's Skateboard Park final, 15-year-old Monster Army recruit Egoitz Bijueska from Bilbao, Spain, claimed his career-first X Games gold medal and the first X Games gold for a Spanish athlete. Bijueska was followed by 26-year-old Tom Schaar from Malibu, California, taking silver. The BMX Dave Mirra Park Best Trick saw 29-year-old Mike Varga from Oshawa, Canada, clinch the gold medal with a technical move.
The highly anticipated Men's Skateboard Vert Best Trick contest wrapped up with 13-year-old Monster Army rider Ao Nishikawa from Aichi, Japan, claiming the bronze medal. Rounding out the podium run, Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street concluded with 24-year-old Sora Shirai from Sagamihara, Japan, earning bronze.
From July 4–5, MoonPay X Games Chiba 2026 marks the second official competition of the new MoonPay X Games League (XGL) 2026 Summer Season. Supported by Monster Energy as an X Games League Founding Partner, XGL is the world's first year-round, team-based, co-ed league in action sports, where city-based clubs and individual athletes rack up points across the season for a shot at the championship.
Here's how the action unfolded for team Monster Energy on day two of X Games Chiba 2026:
Men's Skateboard Park: Monster Army Rider Egoitz Bijueska Claims Career-First Gold Medal, Tom Schaar Takes Silver as 20th X Games Medal
The team's winning run started in Men's Skateboard Park with an upset victory by a young Monster Army recruit: In a field of the world's best park riders, 15-year-old Egoitz Bijueska from Bilbao, Spain, took his career-first gold by putting together a perfect technical run.
Sealing the win on his first run, Bijueska covered the entire course with Indy 360 over the box jump, tailgrab 540 the quarterpipe channel, heelflip Indy, frontside Smith grind, backside Smith grind, backside tailslide the corner, 5-0 grind on the top of the box extension, alley-oop disaster, 50-50 off the box into the bank, switch 180 lien grab over the box jump, kickflip Indy disaster, and backside 540 on the plexiglass extension for 92.66 points and the gold medal.
Bijueska now owns two X Games medals (one gold, one silver). The previous weekend, Bijueska made history at X Games Sacramento as the first Spanish skateboarder ever to medal at X Games with a silver, and just became the country's first X Games gold medalist.
Also rising to the podium, Tom Schaar secured the silver medal as his 20th career X Games medal. Finding his perfect line on the third and final run, Schaar landed tailgrab 540 the quarter pipe channel, stalefish 360 the box jump, backside tailslide, heelflip Indy, frontside nosegrind, kickflip Indy the box jump, frontside ollie the hip, alley-oop lipslide, nosegrab 360 the hip, kickflip Indy fakie, half Cab manual, frontside blunt stall on the plexiglass extension, backside 540 melon, crooked grind to fakie, and Cab disaster on the last wall for 91.33 points and second place.
Schaar now owns 20 X Games medals (four gold, five silver, eleven bronze).
BMX Park Best Trick: Mike Varga Clinches Gold with Technical Banger
The wins continued in the BMX Dave Mirra Park Best Trick when Canadian team rider Mike Varga earned a surprise victory in a competitive field. Although Varga is a certified gold medalist in the discipline, his last win dated back to X Games Ventura 2022. But Varga came to Chiba with a winning trick up his sleeve.
On his third run of the Best Trick session, Varga unleashed a high-flying 900 decade on the course to earn his fourth career gold medal.
Varga now owns seven X Games medals (four gold, one silver, two bronze).
Men's Skateboard Vert Best Trick: Monster Army Recruit Ao Nishikawa Clinches Bronze
The trick progression was on full display in the Men's Skateboard Vert Best Trick, where a young Monster Army rider rose to the podium. Cheered on by the Japanese crowd, 13-year-old Ao Nishikawa took home the bronze medal with a powerful move.
On his second run, Nishikawa put down a perfect Cab 720 body jar, rotating two spins from fakie and smacking the tail, to claim bronze in the heated session.
The bronze marks Nishikawa's first X Games medal.
Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street: Sora Shirai Takes Bronze Medal with Perfect Run
Saving the best for last, the Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street final featured the world's best riders in a technical showdown for the ages. When the dust settled, new Monster Energy team rider Sora Shirai from Sagamihara, Japan, claimed the bronze medal with signature technical tricks.
Securing his podium spot on Run 1, Shirai combined frontside 180 to switch crooked grind the ledge into bank, bluntslide to fakie the bump to bar, Cab backside lipslide the bar, switch kickflip the pyramid, backside 180 to fakie 5-0 the step-up onto flat bar, and a technical Cab backside tailslide to backside bigspin out the Hubba ledge for 88.33 points and third place.
Shirai now owns four X Games medals (one gold, three bronze).
And that's a wrap! Over the course of X Games Chiba 2026, the Monster Energy team claimed a total of eleven X Games medals (three gold, three silver, five bronze).
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Missed the action? No worries! You can watch all event replays from X Games Chiba 2026 on the official X Games YouTube page. Also, make sure to tune in for the XGL season finale when the first-ever X Games Championship at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans from July 24–26 decides the inaugural XGL Champions.
Visit www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games Chiba 2026, including photos, videos, and contest results as they happen. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.
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]
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