Growing up riding the trails of Ocotillo Wells, Calif., Wes Agee is no stranger to freeriding and FMX. Officially beginning his journey in FMX around age 15, Agee has been working hard at achieving his dream of being in the biggest contests of FMX.
After trying for an invitation to the Red Bull X-fighters Glen Helen last month, Agee got the call two weeks out. Knowing the course was going to be more of a freeride course he believed he was going to have a little advantage over most of the other riders.
Agee earned a spot on the podium with a third-place finish in his first real big contest and secured an invitation to the next RBXF round June 16 in Istanbul. Now setting his sights on getting an invitation to X Games, Agee -- who still has a chance as an alternate -- is training hard every day in case he gets the opportunity to compete in Los Angeles at the end of June.
We had a chance to talk to Agee before he leaves for Turkey and three stops in Austria for Masters of Dirt.
ESPN.com: So you'd never competed in your FMX career?
Agee: Yeah, it was my first big contest but I did the AFMXA [American Freestyle Motocross Association] a couple years back. But as far as big contests go that was it.
Tell me again how long have you been doing FMX?
Right around the time I was 15 I moved to Temecula and met [Jimmy] Fitzpatrick and been riding it since then. Been riding since I was 5 though.
When did you know you were in RBXF GH?
I was trying to get in it for a while but it wasn't until two weeks out I found out I was in.
What was it like the week or two before knowing the baddest course ever was being built, and it was a course suited for your style?
It was pretty cool but it was kind of scary since it was my first real contest, knowing the jumps were as big as they were it was definitely on my mind. But I also knew that it was in my favor to have it more of a freeride style course.
Did you eat breakfast on the day of practice?
(Laughs) I might've put down a banana or something light.
Yeah, I would go the whole day without eating sometimes. How did it feel after you pretty much jumped all the big stuff first before everyone else?
After practice when I hit all the big jumps and got through it safe, that's when I knew I had a big advantage. You know, I jumped pretty much everything first and a lot of those table tops were the same. Most guys were struggling just jumping them for the first time. So I knew my freeride skills were going to give me that advantage.
There was the step-up on the left side of the freeride hill portion that had a steeper lip, were you the only one to flip it?
Yeah, I was the only one that flipped it and I flipped it in practice, which everyone saw. For some reason no one else flipped it so I saved it for the second round in the contest to do it.
Was it easier to flip the left side?
I think the left side was easier but it was harder to commit to it because it was so much poppier. You kind of popped up a little higher and came down whereas on the right step up you were just stepping up and not popping up and dropping back down.
Well, you podium your first real big contest with a third-place finish, how was that knowing guys spend years hoping for that opportunity?
Ever since the day I started watching [and] riding FMX I've always wanted to be in the premier events, and to get a podium at my first one is awesome. Now I know I can do it and over time I'm sure I'll continue to become more experienced and be on the forefront every time. I have experience riding but competing maybe not so much but I'll be giving it all I got every time and that's all I can do.
Are you in X Games?
I haven't got the invite yet but I'm going to be riding my ass off in the next few weeks and get ready for the Turkey X-Fighters round. Hopefully I'll get the invite for X Games, that'd be rad. It's only a couple weeks after Turkey RBXF.
Do you want to be in X Games?
Yeah, definitely for sure! X-Games is the holy grail of action sports!
Well, keep it onward and upward!
Thanks, man, for sure!
