Takayuki Higashino, AKA Taka, hails from hustling and bustling metropolis of Osaka in the Kansai region of Japan and is, undisputedly, one of the preeminent freestyle motocross riders on Earth. The son of a firefighter, Taka first touched wheels down in the United States of America in 2006, firmly believing it was the place he needed to be to make a run at his dream of becoming an internationally recognized FMX rider. And through unprecedented commitment, discipline and hard work, he did just that. Higashino made fast friends with Brian Deegan, Jeremy Twitch Stenberg and the rest of the Metal Mulisha flight squadron shortly after his arrival, and by the year 2010, he was claiming X Games medals. By 2013, Higashino became the undisputed number one FMX rider in the sport by initiating a streak of three-straight gold medal performances at the X Games.So who is this guy and how did he become one of the most decorated and prolific FMX riders in the sports history? Well, to answer these questions requires a long look over the shoulder, back to 2006 when he first showed up at the rough and tumble local FMX ramps teeming through the Southern California scene.I was too excited at the beginning, laughed Higashino in reflecting upon his early days in Southern California. I couldnt believe I was around those guys. I had been watching movies and videos of all of them back in Japan and they were like movie stars to me. Everyone was around at that point in time, guys like [Mike] Mason, [Adam] Jones, Twitch, Nate [Adams]. It was just too exciting then. And with my riding, I was always doing 100 percent or 120 percent with my technique and that would always make me crash. I tried too much!Then came Brian Deegan. Deegan was just beginning his trajectory of becoming one of the sports elite riders and contest competitors when he started taking notice of the quite yet disarmingly polite Japanese FMX rider who was ubiquitous around San Diego and the Inland Empire.Taka had the typical Japanese bike and look, like with all the color and flames all over it and he didnt speak very good English, reflected Deegan. He rode with us and was pretty good and knew a lot of tricks, but was a little squirrely on the jumps. We ended up getting him into some events and helped him get into some shows. He did well. He was always really good at doing a ton of different tricks. He was a good contest guy. He would go to the events and practice harder than everyone else.In 2010, Takas career went into higher gear. Triumphant at the Dew Tour Salt Lake City contest and also winning his first X Games medal, he and his friends around him - one being Jeremy Twitch Stenberg - now knew he was a full-on contender to win anything.At X Games in 2012, I was just happy to learn a new trick like a Rock Solid flip, said Taka. Before X Games, I kept practicing it and Twitch said, You can do it. You can win X Games. I never thought that. It was my dream and hope to even get in the top three. I kept thinking about everything and Twitch said, Dont think, just do it. Twitch pushed me a lot. I did it and won the gold medal.Japans rising son of FMX had fulfilled the dream he once thought impossible.Then, beginning in 2014, Higahino seemingly lost the critical mass that had powered him into rarified air. Outside focus on the sport seemed to diminish, and Higashino failed to replicate his gold medal success. But the ever-evolving sport of freestyle motocross appears to be going through something of a renaissance in 2016, with more competitions and renewed interests from outside sponsors returning to the sport.I think all of this new interest in FMX is great, says Higashino. And now, this weekend, we have the first Monster Energy High Rollers contest in Las Vegas. I think this new contest is another sign of our sport going to a higher level.The Monster Energy FMX High Rollers competition is being webcast live on MonsterEnergy.com at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sat., Oct. 15.For exclusive updates, visit Monster Energy or follow along on Monsters Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Baltimore Ravens Jerseys Cheap . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. Derwin James Jersey .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. http://www.nflfansedge.com/miami-dolphins-jerseys-cheap/ . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Cheap NFL Hoodies . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Discount Football Jerseys . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will end the regular season with Bedlam for the Big 12 title. The Sooners already won their other big rivalry game this year.Each October at the State Fair of Texas, Oklahoma plays Texas in the Red River Showdown. The crowd is split evenly at midfield, with fans clad in crimson and burnt orange on opposite ends of the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium.The few real rivalry games in the 20-year-old Big 12 carry over from the old Big Eight and Southwest conferences.Bedlam will have Big 12 title implications for the fourth time in six years since the league went to 10 teams without divisions.When the Big 12 reinstates its title game next season, the top two teams in the overall standings will play for the championship. If that was the case this year or last year, the Sooners and Cowboys would have played consecutive games against each other both times.A look at some Big 12 rivalries:OKLAHOMA-OKLAHOMA STATESeries began: 1904.Series record: Oklahoma leads 85-18-7.Trophy: Bedlam Bell.Why its a big deal: Its a more than century-old intrastate rivalry that incorporates not only football, but every sport the two schools play against each other. Despite the lopsided advantage in football by Oklahoma, many of the recent games have had a direct impact on who wins the Big 12 title.Best game: In 2012, Oklahoma kept its Big 12 title hopes alive with a 51-48 overtime victory after never leading in regulation and wiping out double-digit deficits in both halves. The Sooners tied the game on Blake Bells fourth-down 4-yard keeper with 4 seconds left in regulation.This year: The winner Dec. 3 in Norman is the conference champ. Seventh-ranked Oklahoma is going for its 10th Big 12 title, while No. 10 Oklahoma State has won only one.KANSAS-KANSAS STATESeries began: 1902.Series record: Disputed due to a forfeit by the Jayhawks in 1980. Kansas believes it leads 65-43-5 while Kansas State says it is 64-44-5.Trophy: Governors Cup.Why its a big deal: The Sunflower Showdown is one of six series in the nation that has been played continuously for at least 100 years. The game usually has special meaning because both schools recruit in-state talent -- nearly 100 players from Kansas dot the rosters of the two teams.Best game: What should have been the best game occurred in 1995, when the Jayhawks were ranked sixth and the up-and-coming Wildcats were No. 14. But as has happened so often in the series, the game tuurned into a rout.dddddddddddd Kansas State won 41-7.This year: Kansas State coach Bill Snyder likes nothing more than to beat up Kansas, and doing so Saturday would give him career win No. 200. The Jayhawks upset Texas last weekend for coach David Beatys first Big 12 win, but havent won back-to-back games since 2011.OKLAHOMA-TEXASSeries began: 1900.Series record: Texas leads 61-45-5.Trophy: The Golden Hat.Why its a big deal: The Red River Showdown, that moniker a nod to the river that separates the two states, is played about a three-hour drive from each campus in the shadow of a Texas-sized Ferris wheel. It has been played in Dallas every year since 1929. Theres the real Texas longhorn named Bevo and the horse-drawn Sooner Schooner wagon.Best game: The 1963 game matched the nations top two teams. The Sooners were coming off a win at top-ranked USC to take over the No. 1 ranking, and the Longhorns were ranked second. Texas won 28-7 and went on to its first national championship.This year: Dede Westbrook set a single-game Oklahoma record with 232 yards receiving and Samaje Perine ran for 214 yards as Oklahoma won 45-40 in the highest-scoring game in the history of the rivalry.BAYLOR-TCUSeries began: 1899.Series record: TCU leads 53-52-7.Trophy: None.Why its a big deal: Referred as Revivalry by some, the game matches the Big 12s private Christian schools that are about 100 miles apart. They were reunited as conference rivals when TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012. (They were in the Southwest Conference together from 1923-96). The longest-played series for both teams dates back to a scoreless tie in 1899 when both schools were in Waco.Best game: In a matchup of the Big 12s only remaining undefeated teams in 2014, Baylor overcame a 21-point deficit in the final 11 minutes to win 61-58 on a game-ending field goal. That was TCUs only loss that season. The Horned Frogs and Bears finished as Big 12 co-champions, both at 11-1 overall, and were the first two teams left out of the initial College Football Playoff.This year: Kyle Hicks ran for 192 yards and five TDs as TCU won 62-22 on Nov. 5, handing Baylor its worst home loss since 2005.---AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report.---More AP college football at www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Stitched NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Throwback Jerseys ' ' '