..By PAUL MOSER Special to AllAroundPhilly.com

From high atop a vert ramp in a practice at the 2001 Summer X Games, Mirra sat and absorbed the City of Brotherly Love’s notoriously passionate fans and their noise.

"It was awesome," Mirra said. "Philly is a great city."

The fanaticism inspired Mirra to take gold in the BMX Stunt Vert competion.

That victory provided Mirra — known as the "Miracle Man" — with his X Games record-tying 13th medal. The other X Games record holder is the legendary Tony Hawk. Of Mirra’s 13 medals, 10 are of the golden shade.

Mirra returns to the First Union Complex, in South Philadelphia, this week where he won that Stunt Vert event.

It is also where he failed to win a medal in the BMX park for the first time in the event’s X Games seven-year history.

Mirra said he plans to compete in both events again at the 2002 Summer X Games. But, he heads into this summer’s edition with the goal of completing his run to his own expectations.

Not everyone else’s.

If his best does not bring home a gold, then so be it.

"I just go and ride my best," Mirra said. "I wasn’t disappointed for not coming home with the gold (last year). I was disappointed with the way I rode."

Action sports have taken off over the past couple of years. Coincidentally, so has Mirra’s popularity.

Mirra is one of the most successful action sports athletes ever. In addition to garnering his 13th X Games’ medal in June 2001, Mirra was named Rider of the Year at the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards. And that happened two months prior to the Summer X Games. In fact, Mirra was surprised to be voted on by his peers considering some of the not-so-nice words he hears on the grapevine.

"It’s important to be nominated," Mirra said. "It’s a great trophy to win. The sport has got cliques. Sometimes it reminds me of high school. With my success, I have heard some negativity."

Fan reaction, however, is just about all positive. Already known for his athletic abilities, Mirra can now be found running around with a schedule that sounds comparable to any athlete in major league sports.

Mirra is putting his name on his third video game (Dave Mirra BMX XXX) and heading up his own tour among several other things.

One of those things would be preparing for this year’s 2002 Summer X Games.

Specifically for Aug. 17 and 18 — the finals for the vert and park disciplines, respectively.

"It is getting crazy, more than I imagined," Mirra said. "More than anything, it’s just the demand for all of us athletes.

"You have to pick and choose carefully. I travel all of the time. It takes the fun out of it."

Last year, when Mirra rode his bike to a victory in the Stunt Vert competition, Jamie Bestwick — his biggest rival — sat out the event due to injury. Bestwick won the Vert competition in the 2000 Summer X Games.

Mirra was looking forward to facing his rival in this week in Philadelphia. But, again, it is not to be. Bestwick broke his arm in the Gravity Games a week and a half ago.

Nevertheless, the "Miracle Man" should still have his hands full with the guys like Jay Miron and Kevin Robinson hungry to reach the top.

And, there is that matter of getting back to X Games gold medal form in the park discipline. Mirra won BMX park five years in a row at X Games before failing to do so last summer.

Now, with a famed Philadelphia crowd behind him again, Mirra can do what he does best: put on a great show.
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