is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

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 who has competed in international events including 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 ...

, being the first Japanese medalist in the X-Games. He has three X-Games Gold Medals in Freestyle Moto. The only other rider to win more than three Golds in FMX along with

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 ...

. A pioneer for the growth of the sport, he is known for inventing the body varial trick the “California Roll/Cali Roll” or sometimes nicknamed the “Taka Roll” which is a slightly different version of the Special Flip. Higashino began riding motocross when he was seven, and attended many races during his teens. He turned professional at age 18, and moved to 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 ...

in 2006 to compete. He appeared in his first

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, ...

contest in 2007. His motocross career took off in 2010, when he finished first at the Dew Tour Salt Lake City FMX Contest, Red Bull XRAY, and earned a bronze medal for his FMX Best Trick performance at

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 ...

. That year, Transworld Motocross named Higashino the Breakout FMX Rider of the Year. In 2011, Higashino took first place at the ASA World Championships of FMX and competed in his fifth consecutive X Games competition. He also performed on the Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos tour, an American motocross exhibition, and will ride on the tour again in 2012. At

X Games XVIII X Games XVIII (re-titled X Games Los Angeles 2012) was an action sporting event which took place from June 28 – July 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Venues for the event included the Staples Center, Nokia Theater and the streets near L.A. ...

in 2012, he won gold in Moto X Freestyle and claimed second in Moto X Best Trick.

Career highlights

Winner, 2013

Red Bull X-Fighters Red Bull X-Fighters was a freestyle motocross motorbike stunt competition organized by Red Bull from 2001 to 2017. It was the most popular freestyle motocross event in the world, with a 15-year plus history and more than 50 past events on six c ...

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, FMXFrom

Number A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The original examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers c ...

, "RED BULL X-FIGHTERS OSAKA 2013 REPOR

in Japanese, 2013.
Gold,

X Games Los Angeles 2013 The X Games Los Angeles 2013 was an action sporting event which took place from August 1–4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Venues for the event included the Staples Center, Irwindale Event Center, and the streets near L.A. Liv ...

Moto X Freestyle
Gold, X Games Foz do Iguaçu 2013, Moto X Freestyle
Gold, 2012 X Games Los Angeles 2012, Moto X Freestyle
Winner, 2011 ASA World Championships of FMX
Winner, 2010 Dew Tour Salt Lake City FMX Contest
Winner, 2010 Red Bull XRAY
Silver, 2012 X Games, FMX Best Trick
Bronze, 2010 X Games, FMX Best Trick

References

External links

TAKA FMX
(personal blog, in Japanese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Higashino, Taka Living people X Games athletes Freestyle motocross riders Japanese motorcycle racers 1985 births Sportspeople from Osaka