Takayuki Higashino, AKA Taka, hails from hustling and bustling metropolis of Osaka in the Kansai region of Japan and is, undisputedly, one of the preeminent freestyle motocross riders on Earth. The son of a firefighter, Taka first touched wheels down in the United States of America in 2006, firmly believing it was the place he needed to be to make a run at his dream of becoming an internationally recognized FMX rider. And through unprecedented commitment, discipline and hard work, he did just that. Higashino made fast friends with Brian Deegan, Jeremy Twitch Stenberg and the rest of the Metal Mulisha flight squadron shortly after his arrival, and by the year 2010, he was claiming X Games medals. By 2013, Higashino became the undisputed number one FMX rider in the sport by initiating a streak of three-straight gold medal performances at the X Games.So who is this guy and how did he become one of the most decorated and prolific FMX riders in the sports history? Well, to answer these questions requires a long look over the shoulder, back to 2006 when he first showed up at the rough and tumble local FMX ramps teeming through the Southern California scene.I was too excited at the beginning, laughed Higashino in reflecting upon his early days in Southern California. I couldnt believe I was around those guys. I had been watching movies and videos of all of them back in Japan and they were like movie stars to me. Everyone was around at that point in time, guys like [Mike] Mason, [Adam] Jones, Twitch, Nate [Adams]. It was just too exciting then. And with my riding, I was always doing 100 percent or 120 percent with my technique and that would always make me crash. I tried too much!Then came Brian Deegan. Deegan was just beginning his trajectory of becoming one of the sports elite riders and contest competitors when he started taking notice of the quite yet disarmingly polite Japanese FMX rider who was ubiquitous around San Diego and the Inland Empire.Taka had the typical Japanese bike and look, like with all the color and flames all over it and he didnt speak very good English, reflected Deegan. He rode with us and was pretty good and knew a lot of tricks, but was a little squirrely on the jumps. We ended up getting him into some events and helped him get into some shows. He did well. He was always really good at doing a ton of different tricks. He was a good contest guy. He would go to the events and practice harder than everyone else.In 2010, Takas career went into higher gear. Triumphant at the Dew Tour Salt Lake City contest and also winning his first X Games medal, he and his friends around him - one being Jeremy Twitch Stenberg - now knew he was a full-on contender to win anything.At X Games in 2012, I was just happy to learn a new trick like a Rock Solid flip, said Taka. Before X Games, I kept practicing it and Twitch said, You can do it. You can win X Games. I never thought that. It was my dream and hope to even get in the top three. I kept thinking about everything and Twitch said, Dont think, just do it. Twitch pushed me a lot. I did it and won the gold medal.Japans rising son of FMX had fulfilled the dream he once thought impossible.Then, beginning in 2014, Higahino seemingly lost the critical mass that had powered him into rarified air. Outside focus on the sport seemed to diminish, and Higashino failed to replicate his gold medal success. But the ever-evolving sport of freestyle motocross appears to be going through something of a renaissance in 2016, with more competitions and renewed interests from outside sponsors returning to the sport.I think all of this new interest in FMX is great, says Higashino. And now, this weekend, we have the first Monster Energy High Rollers contest in Las Vegas. I think this new contest is another sign of our sport going to a higher level.The Monster Energy FMX High Rollers competition is being webcast live on MonsterEnergy.com at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sat., Oct. 15.For exclusive updates, visit Monster Energy or follow along on Monsters Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Cheap Jim Palmer Jersey . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. 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Nick Young has found the high road and the humor in his controversy-filled spring and romance-less summer.Five months after Los Angeles Lakers teammate DAngelo Russell posted a video of him talking about picking up girls -- and two months after his public breakup with pop star fiancé Iggy Azalea -- Young said he and Russell will be able to work it out.Were teammates, Young told the Los Angeles Daily News?on Sunday night. Its been so long, so its kind of old.Young had declined to discuss the issue with media, saying he didnt want to get into his personal life.Weve already been working it out, Young said of Russell. It is what it is. I cant be mad forever.Young also laughed when asked by the Daily News about a recent Foot Locker commercial in which Russell throws a cellphone toward the ocean in reply to a request for advice from Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers No. 1 draft pick.Real funny, Young deadpanned, according to the Daily News.I need my commercial now, he said with a laugh. Ill explain what happened to my life.In March, the then-rookie Russell offered a public apology a day after ESPN reported a rift that had developed between the point guard and his teammates, after the video he took of Young made its way to social media.ddddddddddddI feel as sick as possible, Russell said in a pregame news conference. Been asked 110 times, and my answer and feeling stay the same.Russell said he had personally apologized to Young for the incident.The video, which was believed to have come to light via the Twitter account of a celebrity gossip site, showed Russell filming Young while asking questions about Young being with women other than Azalea, to whom he had been engaged.I think its best that me and DAngelo handle the situation we have in a private manner outside the media, Young said then. I think its something we really do need to sit down and talk about. Thats about it. What happened is what happened. Weve got to work on it.Information from ESPN.coms Baxter Holmes was used in this report. ' ' '