Shooting Red Bull’s X-Fighters, one of the biggest FMX events on the planet, is more than just a challenge and therefore more than a simple pleasure.

The amazing atmosphere in bullfighting arena “Plaza De Toro” makes this competition of the best FMX riders in the world a unique and every time a different experience. The adrenaline that fills the air in the arena is something that is very hard to describe in words. Photo shooting that occurs during the days of this competition is very different from the other sport event photo shootings. At least 4 photographers make a photo shooting team that’s in charge of covering every moment and place of the event. Therefore our goal is fully completed, and for me and my camera all of this was something new and totally different.
The sound of wild motors roared through the tunnels around the famous bullfighting arena as the two-wheeled toreros raced towards the kickers at up to 60km/h. It was Robbie Maddison, who we remember from the famous Corinth Canal jump earlier this year, that raised the bar yet again in the Spanish capital with a brand-new trick, completing one full rotation of his body over the bike while 15 metres in the air before returning to the saddle to nail the trick and ride away. The trick called “The Volt Body Varial” secured him a winning place this year.

The second place went to Mat Rebeaud from Switzerland who celebrated his memorable comeback since he defeated Andre Villa and the local favourite 2009 winner Dany Torres in the Semi-Finals and just weeks after beginning training following a major crash.
The bullfighting arena, lights, sound, riders and chaos in the audience are making this event very unique in the world to both the audience and the photographers.

ABOUT RED BULL X-FIGHTERS

Red Bull X-Fighters are freestyle motocross (FMX) motorbike stunt competitions contested in bullrings and similar venues around the world. Alongside the X Games, they are the most prestigious and most challenging freestyle motocross competitions.
Red Bull X-Fighters are invitation tournaments where the best FMX riders in the world come face to face. The competitions’ particular flair comes on one hand from the relatively restricted space in the bullfighting arenas (and therefore the close proximity of the crowd to the sporting spectacle) and, on the other hand, from the replication of a number of rituals from a typical “corrida”: for example, the riders are greeted by drum rolls and trumpet fanfares, and the public audience may honour the riders’ performances by waving white rags.
The idea for the Red Bull X-Fighters came from energy drink producer Red Bull. The first competition took place in 2001 in the Bullfighting arena in Valencia, Spain. The event moved to Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring for 2002, Spain’s biggest and most important bullfighting arena. With 23000 spectators, the competition in Madrid – held annually since 2002 – has become Europe’s greatest FMX event. Alongside Madrid, Valencia hosted the Red Bull X-Fighters for the second time in 2003. Since 2005, the competition has also been staged in Mexico, at the Monumental Plaza de Toros in Mexico City; the biggest bullring in the world, with a capacity of 43000 spectators.
In 2007, the Red Bull X-Fighters went on tour for the first time with three stops in Mexico, Ireland and Spain. The following season, in 2008, the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour was born, featuring events in the USA, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and Germany before ending with a grand finale in Poland. Last year, in 2009, the X-Fighters once again stepped it up a level with another mega World Tour including new locations, new riders and a whole bag of brand new tricks – among which the first ever Double Backflip performed during a freestyle competition – as the international FMX elite continued to push the sport forward.
Red Bull X-Fighters is a Professional Freestyle Motocross (FMX) tour, which can comprise all disciplines of FMX. These disciplines include, but are not limited to: Freestyle, Speed and Style, Step up, Quarterpipe, Parallel Freestyle.
Participation in a Red Bull X-Fighters competition is by invitation only, based on past year’s results, selection by Ranking Committee and Wild Card. The official invitations with all of the relevant information (date and type of competition, venue address, deadlines, preliminary schedule) will be sent out within 6 weeks of the event date.

The Field limit for an X-Fighters competition is 12 riders. Should one or more riders be injured during training or qualifying sessions and are unable to compete, the organization reserves the right to invite replacement riders into the competition.
The following points are awarded for the finishing positions at the termination of an X-Fighters event, regardless of the discipline(s) held:
1st place100 pts, 2nd place 80 pts, 3rd place 65 pts, 4th place 55 pts, 5th place 45 pts, 6th place 35 pts, 7th place 30 pts, 8th place 25 pts, 9th place 20 pts, 10th place 15 pts, 11th place 10 pts, 12th place 5 pts.