King of the Whip 2025 Delivers an Unforgettable Evening

King of the Whip 2025 Delivers an Unforgettable Evening – Intense battles in both the Best Whip and Best Trick contests at the 2025 Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip saw the USA’s Wyatt Fontenot crowned the new King of the Whip. Australia’s Pat Bowden successfully defended both of his Best Trick titles. The action unfolded in front of a sold-out crowd at Montecasino, Johannesburg.

The event was presented by LW Mag in association with Monster Energy, Yamaha, Garmin, Motul, GoPro, Fox Racing, PlayTSOGO and Estrella Cerveza.

Best Whip and Best Trick contest competitors

Top Freestyle Motocross and Motocross riders took to the ramps to compete in the Best Whip and Best Trick contests. All vying for a share of the R250 000 prize purse. The 2025 rider lineup featured 21 South African competitors and nine international athletes. Julien Vanstippen (Belgium),  Wyatt Fontenot (USA), Pat Bowden (Australia) Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan), Vicki Golden (USA), Ry Hazell (Australia), Marc Pinyol (Spain), Julien Mannon (France) and Stav Orland (Uganda).

King of the whip Event organiser comments

“Seeing what we achieved this year is something I’m extremely proud of. I can confidently say that King of the Whip has grown into one of the world’s premier Freestyle Motocross events. The caliber of international athletes who come out to South Africa to compete against our local stars was insane. The action was non-stop from start to finish, with energy building all the way through to the final and prize giving.

A huge thank you to everyone involved and for helping turn this vision into reality, and most importantly to our riders who put it all on the line – this event is for you and for the sport. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” ~ Event organiser Ryan van der Spuy 

The Best Whip – four qualifying rounds

The Best Whip contest kicked off the day with riders going head-to-head across four qualifying rounds. Each battling for a spot in the next stage. Judges assessed amplitude, style, and variation as they narrowed the competitors down to the 16 rider semi-final. From there, eight riders were eliminated, leaving the top eight to advance into the highly anticipated Finals.

Best Trick Right-Side-Up and Upside-Down competition

Before the King of the Whip could be crowned, the spotlight shifted to the FMX riders as they showcased their skills in the Best Trick Right-Side-Up and Upside-Down competitions, where each rider had three chances to take to the ramps and pull off the best trick possible. Defending champion, Pat Bowden dominated both categories, reaffirming his status as the undisputed King of the Tricks.

King of the whip Winners

Bowden claimed the top spot in the Right-Side-Up category. This, with his electrifying Christ Air Stage Dive (No-Hander Lander). Genki Watanabe unveiled his new trick, The Octopus. A whipped-out seat-grab Indy to Airplane. This earned him a well-deserved second place. Julien Vanstippen followed in third with a whipped-out Airplane to Seat Grab.

In the Upside-Down category, Bowden once again dominated, this time with his show-stealing Rowedova Backflip to One-Hander Lander. Marc Pinyol, who won the 2023 Best Trick contest with his iconic California Roll Body Varial, brought the trick back for 2025 to secure the runner-up position. Julien Vanstippen completed the podium with a powerful Backflip Tsunami.