Nathaniel Adams (born March 29, 1984) is an American professional

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 and

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...

athlete. A resident of

Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and was Municipal corporation, i ...

, he attained national fame when he won the Freestyle Motocross World Championship in 2002. His nicknames are "The Destroyer" and "Nate Dog".

Biography

Adams was born in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

, and began riding when he was eight years old after his father bought him his first dirtbike. He graduated from Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona, in 2002. While successful in local and regional circuits, he became well known in freestyle motocross by winning his first freestyle championship at age eighteen in 2002. Since then, Adams has won the gold medal at the

X Games The X Games are an annual extreme sports event organized, produced and broadcast by ESPN. Coverage is also shown on ESPN's sister network, ABC. The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, ...

in 2004, the Gravity Games in 2003, and has enjoyed top finishes on the Vans Triple Crown. In 2007, Adams was awarded AST Dew Tour Athlete of the Year. In 2009, Adams became the Red Bull X-Fighters champion, clinching the title at London's Battersea Power Station. He also retained the title the following year, becoming the first rider to win double championships, and also the first rider to win back-to-back championships. He is a born-again Christian. Some of Adams's current and past sponsors include:

DC Shoes DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for action sports, including skateboarding and snowboarding. The company also manufactures apparel, bags, accessories, hats, tshirts, and posters. History The company was founded in ...

, Monster Energy,

Target Corporation Target Corporation ( doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a com ...

Butterfinger Butterfinger is a candy bar manufactured by the Ferrero SpA, a subsidiary of Ferrero. It consists of a layered crisp peanut butter core covered in a chocolatey coating. Invented by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company in 1923, the name ...

Yamaha Motor Company is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products such as boats and outboard motors, and other motorized products. The company was established in 1955 upon separation from Yamaha Corporation (however, Yamaha Corporatio ...

, Deft Family,

Honda Racing Corporation Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is a division of the Honda Motor Company formed in 1982. The company combines participation in motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of racing machines. Its racing activities are an important ...

, Dragon Optics, Alpinestars and One Industries.

References

External links

*
Interview on wasserwerfer.de
1984 births Living people Sportspeople from Phoenix, Arizona Sportspeople from Temecula, California Freestyle motocross riders American motocross riders X Games athletes {{US-motorcycle-sport-bio-stub