Monster Energy, The Official Energy Drink Partner of X Games New Orleans 2026, Announces Official Roster of Top Competing Athletes

• MoonPay X Games League (XGL) 2026 Summer Season Concludes in Championship from July 24–26
• Monster Energy Supports XGL as Founding Partner, Sends Skateboard, BMX, and Moto Athletes

NEW ORLEANS, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Time to crown the first-ever XGL Champions! Monster Energy, the official energy drink partner of X Games, is ready to Unleash the Beast with its elite team of world-class athletes at MoonPay X Games New Orleans inside the iconic Caesars Superdome.

From July 24–26, MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 marks the inaugural 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. After previous stops in Sacramento, California, and Chiba City, Japan, the final XGL stop of the summer will crown the winning city-based club and top-performing individual athletes across three action-packed days.

As the 78th edition of X Games, MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 brings together more than 100 of the world's top Skateboard, BMX, and Moto athletes to battle for 54 medals across 18 medal events. At the same time, Champions Square transforms into the X-Fest festival village, blending action sports, music, and culture, including nightly concerts headlined by Metro Boomin, J.I.D, Subtronics, and BUNT at the Smoothie King Center.

Fans can catch all the action live on the ESPN App, The Roku Sports Channel, YouTube, Kick.com, and the X Games TV Fast channel on Amazon. Broadcasts will air on television in the U.S. on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2 throughout the weekend.

Look out for the following Monster Energy athletes at MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026:

Skateboard
The skate action at X Games New Orleans 2026 kicks off Friday evening with Women's Skateboard Park, where 17-year-old Cocona Hiraki from Hokkaido, Japan, looks to add to her five X Games medals, including one gold. Hiraki will go run-for-run against 19-year-old Monster Army rider Raicca Ventura from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who claimed bronze as her first career X Games medal at Sacramento and is ready for more at the championship round in the Big Easy.

On Saturday, get ready for technical bangers in the Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street Best Trick event. Leading the charge, 31-year-old Nyjah Huston from Laguna Beach, California, takes the first of two shots this weekend at expanding his all-time skateboarding X Games gold record (15 gold, 27 medals total). His biggest competition will come from 20-year-old Filipe Mota of Patos de Minas, Brazil, eager to upgrade to gold after clinching silver at Chiba and bronze at Sacramento. Also throwing down heavy tricks: 24-year-old Toa Sasaki from Mie, Japan, has already won two WST Street World Championships but keeps hunting his first X Games medal. Rounding out a heavy Monster squad: 24-year-old Giovanni Vianna from Santo Andre, Brazil, 26-year-old Jhank Gonzalez from Los Angeles, California, and rising star Julian Agliardi from Long Beach, California. It's going to be next level!

Next up on Saturday, Monster Energy Women's Skateboard Street unfolds with a payback story: 17-year-old Liz Akama from Miyagi, Japan, drops in gunning for a medal after finishing off the podium at X Games Chiba. Make no mistake, the Olympic silver medalist already owns seven X Games medals (three silver, four bronze) after claiming bronze at X Games Sacramento 2026 and comes to New Orleans as a podium threat.

Also on Saturday, anything can happen in Men's Skateboard Vert! Fresh off a silver medal at Chiba, 26-year-old Tom Schaar from Malibu, California, returns to expand his massive collection of 20 X Games medals (four gold, five silver, 11 bronze). Schaar will battle 30-year-old Moto Shibata from Osaka, Japan, coming off a comeback bronze at Chiba after battling an ankle fracture for the past year. Speaking of coming back, 17-year-old Monster Army rider JD Sanchez from Pleasanton, California, missed Chiba due to injury and wants to expand on his four X Games medals. And let's not forget tech innovator, three-time X Games gold medalist Edouard Damestoy from France, in what promises to be a final for the history books. Let's go!

The New Orleans fans are in for a treat in the Men's Skateboard Park Best Trick as a new Spotlight Event. These are new disciplines contested in a winner-takes-all format decided by online votes from the fan community. Throwing down in this trick battle, look forward to Schaar and 15-year-old Monster Army recruit Egoitz Bijueska from Bilbao, Spain, bringing their most advanced moves to the park course in the Big Easy.

Rounding out Saturday's skate roster, Women's Skateboard Vert Best Trick promises never-been-done moves with Monster Army's Ventura throwing down against 19-year-old Asahi Kaihara from Osaka, Japan. Kaihara comes in hot with four X Games medals (one silver, three bronze) and the kind of moves that storm podiums. Expect fireworks!

Sunday at X Games New Orleans opens with Men's Skateboard Vert Best Trick where the Monster squad revisits their vert rivalry in the intense one-trick-wins-all format. Schaar looks to add to his 20-medal haul and claim his first-ever Best Trick podium. But he will have to battle Shibata, owner of four X Games silver medals in the discipline. Then again, Sanchez claimed bronze at X Games Salt Lake City 2025, and Damestoy even boasts two bronze medals in Best Trick. An explosive mix for next-level progression!

Speaking of explosive, Monster Energy Men's Skateboard Street is destined to get heated with Huston's second and final chance to expand his all-time skateboarding gold record. Also remember that Mota holds four X Games medals, Jhank Gonzalez and Agliardi each own one X Games bronze, while Vianna and Sasaki want their first podium. It gets no better than this!

Sunday afternoon continues with Men's Skateboard Park, where Schaar looks to reclaim the top step after settling for silver at Chiba. Schaar will battle Bijueska, dropping in as one of the biggest breakout stories of the 2026 XGL season: After making history at Sacramento as the first Spanish skateboarder ever to medal at X Games with a silver, Bijueska stunned the world by claiming gold at Chiba, becoming the first Spanish athlete to win X Games gold in any discipline. How will he finish this incredible breakout season? Also dropping into the park: 21-year-old Australian Kieran Woolley, still wanting to claim his first X Games medal of the season and boost his total count of four medals. Not to be missed!

Later on Sunday, Women's Skateboard Vert delivers another shot at the podium for Ventura and Kaihara. With four X Games appearances in the event and never a finish outside the top four, Kaihara arrives with eyes on her first X Games gold. Ventura, coming off her breakout XGL season, looks to add to her collection at the XGL Championship stop.

The skate action culminates on Sunday evening in Monster Energy Women's Skateboard Street Best Trick, where Akama drops in for her second and final chance at gold at MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026. In a competition format that rewards bold, one-shot statement tricks, the Olympic silver medalist has the bag of tech moves to get it done. Way to end skateboarding in the Big Easy on a high note!

BMX
The BMX action at X Games New Orleans 2026 gets pumping on Friday afternoon in Monster Energy BMX Street with a stacked Monster squad. Coming off a silver medal at Chiba, 30-year-old Jordan Godwin from Cardiff, Wales, drops in as a certified gold medalist in the discipline with high-tech tricks up his sleeve. Godwin will battle 31-year-old Kevin Peraza from Tucson, Arizona, coming off a Sacramento silver, now owning 15 X Games medals (eight gold, four silver, three bronze). Completing a heavy Monster lineup: German tech innovator Felix Prangenberg and 2023 gold medalist Boyd Hilder from Australia. Way to set things off strong!

Friday night closes with Men's BMX Park, where Peraza pulls double-duty in his second event of the day. Peraza looks to improve on his Sacramento bronze against 31-year-old Monster teammate Daniel Sandoval from Corona, California, dropping in as an 11-time X Games medalist and two-time BMX Park gold medalist. Also in the field: three-time X Games medalist Jose Torres of Argentina alongside 23-year-old Bryce Tryon, thirsty to claim his first X Games podium of the season. High stakes to close out day one of BMX in the Big Easy!

Saturday afternoon brings Women's BMX Park with an unstoppable Monster Energy squad on the doorstep of history: 16-year-old Miharu Ozawa from Gifu, Japan, arrives on the hottest streak in women's BMX after claiming back-to-back gold at Sacramento and Chiba, becoming the youngest BMX gold medalist in X Games records along the way. Also gunning for the podium, Kim Lea Mueller from Remscheid, Germany, comes off her Chiba bronze looking to add to her three X Games bronze medals, and Monster Army rider Alirah Norris from Gold Coast, Australia, rounds out a heavy field ready to bring the heat!

Next, Men's BMX Dirt unfolds Saturday evening with a rematch for the ages: Fresh off gold at Sacramento, 23-year-old Brady Baker from Toms River, New Jersey, returns to defend his title and expand his six X Games medals (three gold, three silver). Baker will battle BMX icon and trick inventor Ryan Williams from Sunshine Coast, Australia, coming off a Sacramento silver and hungry to claim gold in the discipline. With 16 X Games medals (13 gold, three silver) already in the trophy case, and 300 individual athlete points on the XGL leaderboard, "R-Willy" has his eyes on glory. Also throwing down heavy tricks: 11-time X Games medalist Sandoval, three-time X Games gold medalist Mike Varga from Canada, plus Jaie Toohey from Australia and Monster Army rider Kaden Stone from Lake Elsinore, California. It's bound to get sideways!

The last day of X Games New Orleans gets rolling on a progressive note with Dave Mirra BMX Park Best Trick. The stage is set for epic battles: Williams returns as the defending Sacramento gold medalist and dropping in with a mission after coming up empty at Chiba. He will face Varga, who shook the system as the surprise Chiba gold medalist, but there can only be one winner! Adding to the Monster firepower: Sacramento BMX Dirt gold medalist Brady Baker, 11-time X Games medalist Daniel Sandoval, and Kevin Peraza (pulling triple-duty this weekend. When it comes to progressive BMX tricks, this is the one to watch!

The BMX action culminates on Sunday evening in BMX Dirt Best Trick, where Williams looks to defend his Sacramento gold and close out his XGL season with maximum points. Prepare for a final showdown between "R-Willy" and Baker, who walked away with X Games silver at the last iteration of the event. Sandoval and Kaden Stone add Monster firepower alongside Toohey and Varga. As city-based clubs and individual athletes battle one last time for the summer season's XGL Championship purse, every trick counts. Cue the fireworks!

Moto X
Friday evening, Moto X Best Whip roars off with a chance to make history: 30-year-old Julien Vanstippen from Ophain, Belgium, drops in gunning for the three-peat after claiming back-to-back Best Whip gold at X Games Salt Lake City 2025 and X Games Sacramento 2026. A third consecutive Best Whip gold at MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026 would add to his impressive career total of seven X Games medals (three gold, two silver, two bronze). Also flying high in the finals: Three-time silver medalist Genki Watanabe will unleash his contorted whips, while female Moto X trailblazer Vicki Golden from San Diego, California, throws down some of the most stylish whips in the game. Can Vanstippen make it three in a row?

On Saturday night, the always-progressive Moto X Best Trick final closes out the day with high-octane action. Coming off back-to-back medals at Sacramento (silver) and Chiba (bronze), 25-year-old Ben Richards from Wagga Wagga, Australia, drops in looking to extend his medal streak and add to his four X Games medals (two silver, two bronze). Reigniting the sibling rivalry, his younger brother, Tom Richards, is back on the podium hunt after claiming silver at X Games Salt Lake City 2025 as his first career X Games medal. Also competing is Japanese FMX legend Taka Higashino from Osaka, back for his 20^th consecutive year at X Games and looking to add to his six X Games medals. Prepare for a classic chapter of freestyle motocross history!

With so much to look forward to, don't miss the action at X Games New Orleans 2026 when the Monster Energy team battles for the XGL Championship!

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. Download Media Assets here.

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