Monster Energy Athletes Claim Victory and Podium Spots on Day 1 of X Games New Orleans 2026

• Women's Skateboard Vert: 15-Year-Old Mizuho Hasegawa from Ibaraki, Japan, Takes Gold Medal, 19-Year-Old Asahi Kaihara from Osaka, Japan, Earns Bronze
• Monster Energy BMX Street: 30-Year-Old Boyd Hilder from Gold Coast, Australia, Claims Bronze
• Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street Best Trick: 16-Year-Old Julian Agliardi from Long Beach, California, Clinches Bronze Medal
• Moto X Best Whip: 30-Year-Old Julien Vanstippen from Ophain, Belgium, Takes Bronze Medal

NEW ORLEANS, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Big first day in The Big Easy! Monster Energy congratulates its team of action sports athletes on a strong performance on the first day of X Games New Orleans 2026. On Friday, Monster Energy riders claimed a total of five medals (one gold, four bronze) across four contest events at legendary Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

For the team's first win of the weekend, Women's Skateboard Vert saw 15-year-old Mizuho Hasegawa from Ibaraki, Japan, take the gold medal in a down-to-the-wire final. She was joined on the podium by 19-year-old Asahi Kaihara from Osaka, Japan, taking bronze.

In the Monster Energy BMX Street final, 30-year-old Boyd Hilder from Gold Coast, Australia, claimed the bronze medal with a technical run. The spectacular Moto X Best Whip event concluded with 30-year-old Julien Vanstippen from Ophain, Belgium, clinching bronze. Day one in the Big Easy ended with Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street Best Trick and 16-year-old Julian Agliardi from Long Beach, California, taking the bronze medal.

From July 24–26, MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 marks the first championship event 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 one of X Games New Orleans 2026:

Women's Skateboard Vert: Mizuho Hasegawa Clinches Gold, Asahi Kaihara Earns Bronze

The team claimed the first win of the weekend in the Women's Skateboard Vert final. Competing against the world's highest-ranked riders in the discipline, new Monster Energy team rider Mizuho Hasegawa clinched the gold medal on her final attempt for a come-from-behind victory.

Hasegawa came to New Orleans as a podium favorite after taking Women's Skateboard Vert gold at X Games Chiba and silver at X Games Sacramento this season. After also claiming medals at every Best Trick event, she dropped in as the highest-scoring individual athlete in season rankings with 440 points. But her performance in New Orleans turned into an uphill battle after she lost the handle on her first two runs with only one more attempt left to score.

Showing her nerves and technical ability when it counted, Hasegawa found her line on the final attempt: Stringing together huge backside 540, one-foot McTwist, body varial McTwist, kickflip varial Indy, frontside lien to tailslide, backside 360 varial Weddle, kickflip frontside air, heelflip Indy, backside Smith grind, judo air to fakie, and Cab backside 540 on the last wall earned Hasegawa 93.80 points and the gold medal.

"This massive crowd and massive event are so amazing! And I'm so hyped that I was able to win. Thank you so much!" said Monster Energy's Hasegawa upon claiming gold at X Games New Orleans. "I focused on doing everything that I could right now. And will continue to do so for the rest of the events!"

On the strength of Friday's victory, Hasegawa now leads XGL athlete rankings with 540 points. She also became the first rider to earn six X Games medals within one calendar year.

Hasegawa now owns eleven X Games medals (three gold, eight silver). Also watch for Hasegawa in this weekend's Women's Skateboard Vert Best Trick for another chance to storm the podium.

Also rising to the podium, fellow Japanese rider Asahi Kaihara secured the bronze medal on her second run by landing a flawless line stacked with technical tricks and high airs. Landing backside method, frontside body varial benihana, huge Madonna, Saran Wrap, kickflip Indy, alley-oop frontside disaster, frontside nosegrind lipslide, frontside noseblunt, shove-it noseslide fakie, body varial tailgrab, tailgrab fakie, and fakie frontside shove-it stalefish earned Kaihara 83.40 points and the bronze medal.

Kaihara now owns five X Games medals (one silver, four bronze).

Monster Energy BMX Street: Boyd Hilder From Australia Claims Bronze Medal

Earlier on Friday, competitions at X Games New Orleans 2026 kicked off with Monster Energy BMX Street on the multi-level obstacle course inside the Superdome. Trick difficulties escalated as eight of the world's best riders battled run-for-run, ultimately concluding with Monster Energy's Boyd Hilder taking the bronze medal.

On his second run of the final, Hilder covered the entire course with technical tricks and unique transfers for a score of 90.00 points. Stacking together a truck driver drop from the upper deck, pegs to tailwhip up the gap, gap to manual the rail, switch bar, tooth to hard 180 on the rail, nollie pegs down the rail, feeble to quick Cab bar, and feeble to Smith to barspin off the drop from the roof earned Hilder third place.

Asked about the podium finish, Hilder said he had been battling ankle injuries at the season opener in Sacramento as well as X Games Chiba. But he prevailed in New Orleans: "I went home, trying to reset. Still a bit spooked coming in here, but the first run felt good. So going from that and getting third place on the second run was a great way to cap it off. I'm stoked! I kind of needed that one!"

Hilder now owns three X Games medals (one gold, one silver, one bronze).

Moto X Best Whip: Julien Vanstippen Takes Bronze in Spectacular Final

The New Orleans crowd witnessed a spectacular showcase of dirt bike airs in the Moto X Best Whip event. In the contest scored on the most contorted aerials, called "whips," Julien Vanstippen dropped in as the defending gold medalist from X Games Sacramento 2026 and X Games Salt Lake City 2025.

Showing his aerial skills in the ten-rider playoff round, Vanstippen boosted his signature contorted whips over the 75-foot gap and qualified into the final round in second place. From there, he began laying the foundation for a podium finish by sending massive turn-down whips over the chasm.

When the action came down to final attempts, Vanstippen closed out his run with one final technical aerial to earn the bronze medal and cap off a successful 2026 XGL season.

Vanstippen now owns eight X Games medals (three gold, two silver, three bronze).

Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street Best Trick: Julian Agliardi Clinches Bronze

The first day of X Games New Orleans ended on a technical note in the Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street Best Trick event. In a contest judged on the highest-scoring single trick, rising star Julian Agliardi rose to the podium amid heavy competition.

As the trick battle escalated, Agliardi landed a rare technical banger on the street course's round handrail: A perfectly landed frontside feeble grind kickflip out catapulted Agliardi to the bronze medal spot!

Agliardi now owns two X Games bronze medals.

Finishing closely off the podium, 24-year-old Toa Sasaki from Mie, Japan, stoked the New Orleans crowd with a video-worthy technical trick: Spinning a perfect Caballerial backside noseblunt slide fakie the handrail earned Sasaki fourth place in the night's final event. He will be back in Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street on Saturday with another chance to earn a medal.

Day 1 Video Highlights Here

Download Photos Here

Stay tuned for more X Games New Orleans 2026 on Saturday with more opportunities for team Monster Energy to make history!

Visit www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games New Orleans 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]

SOURCE Monster Energy