Aspen, Colo. – Monster Energy congratulates Paul Thacker on his silver medal at X Games Aspen 2016. After a tough final that included a big first-turn crash, he raced hard to earn his first-ever medal at the X Games in nine appearances.
The Adaptive Snocross event has been at X since 2010, taking a break in 2012. All of the racers have some sort of disability and employ special sleds and equipment to allow them to hit the track. This year’s snocross course featured six turns and was full of tricky banks, a step-on/step-off feature and a huge 80-foot jump right before the finish line as an option for the racers. With perfect light and a freshly groomed track, the stage was set for a great battle.
In the final, Thacker avoided a big three-snowmobile pileup right out of the gates to lock into a comfortable third position. He then went to work, eventually slipping into second place where he stayed thanks to smart racing and fast riding. He crossed the finish to take the silver.
Hailing from Anchorage, AK, Thacker is known as a hard-charging rider with a great attitude and big sense of humor. In 2009 he became the first rider to jump a snowmobile the length of a football field, clearing 301 ft. at 87 mph. An injury in 2010 didn’t slow Thacker down—he charged forward as hard as ever and continued training. Thacker now relies on a special custom seat with a shock absorber to hit the course.
After the silver, Thacker exclaimed, “What, I just medaled at X Games? This was my ninth X Games, which blows my mind. I can’t thank Monster Energy enough—I’ve been with Monster for 10 years and I’m super happy to make this happen because they’ve been behind me for a decade. That’s crazy.”
Monster Energy returned as the official energy drink partner of X Games. Check out monsterenergy.com and Monster Energy Facebook for exclusive photos, videos and contest results. Search #UnleashedAtX on Instagram and Twitter for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks in Aspen.