Levi Sherwood (born 22 October 1991) is a
freestyle motocross
Freestyle motocross (also known as FMX) is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts.
The two main types of freestyle events are:
*Big air (also known as "best trick"), in whi ...
rider from New Zealand, nicknamed "rubber kid".
Early life
Sherwood was born in
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
, New Zealand, attending
Palmerston North Boys' High School
Palmerston North Boys' High School is a traditional boys school located in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Location
Palmerston North Boys' High School has a campus located on Featherston Street between Rangitikei and North Streets in the central ...
. Starting out in
motocross racing
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...
, he followed in the footsteps of his father Dave Sherwood, who was a professional
speedway racer. Sherwood's love for speed and adrenaline translated into his move to freestyle motocross. He started riding
motorbikes
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
at the age of 4. At 12 years old he was invited to ride on the
Crusty Demons Australasian tour, giving him a taste of professional freestyle.
Career
2009
In March, Sherwood was in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
negotiating a sponsorship deal with
Red Bull when a rider withdrew from the X-Fighters series, backed by the drinks company. He was offered the unexpected chance to fill in. At age 17, Sherwood competed in his first professional event and clinically beat the best riders in the world in front of 42,000, winning the opening round of the
Red Bull X-Fighters in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. He rode a KX450F, the only four-stroke that had ever been seen in at the huge competition. He qualified fourth and had arguably the hardest run to the finals. In the quarterfinals he beat
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
legend André Villa, then shocked the world when he closed out 2008 defending champion
Mat Rebeaud in the semifinals. Sherwood then met
Japan's Eigo Sato in the finals, but Sato was simply no match.
A starting place for the following Red Bull X-Fighters event in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
followed. Despite not being able to repeat his debut win, Sherwood established himself as one of the top riders on the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2009 with solid performances and including another podium finish, coming second in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
2010
Sherwood won silver in the Moto X Freestyle final of the
X Games XVI
X Games XVI was an action sporting event which took place from July 29 – August 1, 2010 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center, L.A. Live and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The games featured the sports of Motocross, skateboarding ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. The field started with sixteen riders and carved back to the top four point scorers for three run final. Sherwood at the age of just 18 and the only
New Zealander
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
at the games, finished with 79 points from the best two scores of three rides, one point behind
Travis Pastrana
Travis Alan Pastrana (born October 8, 1983) is an American professional motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several disciplines, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, a ...
of the United States. Pastrana had locked up the gold before his final run when Sherwood was unable to catch up with his third round.
His sixth place in the overall standings in 2009 got him qualified for the 2010 season, and Sherwood was one of the five guys to battle for the title that year. Everything seemed to work in Sherwood's favor with a win in Moscow, and another victory in London, but then he crashed badly at the ASA World Championships of FMX in
Pomona, California
Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Pol ...
. He found himself with a dislocated wrist and badly broken femur. The injuries forced him out of the final battle in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and Sherwood watched the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour finale on television.
Later that year it was confirmed that Sherwood, would ride alongside FMX legend Travis Pastrana and the entire Nitro Circus crew for their huge one night only show at
North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium is a stadium situated in Albany, in North Shore City, New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, association football, rugby league, and baseball are ...
on February 5, 2011. Thus being Sherwood's first ever Nitro Circus Live performances.
Statistics
Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour
Nitro World Games
References
External links
*
Further reading
* The 50 coolest Kiwis ever (+photos), in: ''The New Zealand Herald'', 19 April 2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwood, Levi
Living people
1991 births
X Games athletes
New Zealand motocross riders
Freestyle motocross riders