Supercross

Coxy Goes To Winter X 2018

Author: Aaryn Minerds

Author: Aaryn Minerds

Posted:

Monday, January 22nd, 2018

6:13 PM

The name Mat Cox, is a well know name around the Fullnoise.com.au site.

The former top Australian supercross and Motocross up and comer from New South Wales also doubled as a part time contributor on the site, helping out with the super popular live feed from the MX Nationals as well as lending a hand at bike launches giving the perspective from a fast A grade to pro rider while I ran the weekend punter perspective.

We have stayed in touch with Coxy over the years while he has travelled the world between coming home to Australia to work in the mines. One of Coxy's latest adventures has seen him leading guided snowbike tours in Japan and lead to him winning Japanese snowbike championship last year.

For 2018 things have just taken a step up, with the 31 year old receiving a last minute invite to Winter X-games that will take place in Aspen this coming weekend. Between rushing around trying to get a bike and a sled organised, along with planning a fly in fly out trip to Winter-X, we caught up with the man himself to chat about how this opportunity come about, how he has pulled it all together in time and what lies ahead.

A similar set up to what Coxy will run at Xgames, with a Honda CRF450 set up with a Yeti Sled. - Credit: Jens Rudnick

Fullnoise: First up, how did the invite come about?

Coxy: All the qualifying races are held over in the US/Canada for X games so it makes it hard for myself to get over to compete for a position. After watching last years X games race I really felt I could have been competitive so I enquired about qualifiers for this year, It was the same deal all over in North America.

They had seen our backcountry footage from Niseko Snowbike Adventures and said they were stoked to see us pushing the sport in Japan.

Then about two weeks ago before New Years, I get an email asking if I'm still interested in competing, I of course said yes and they said they'd be in touch again. Just after New years I got a call saying I had a wildcard entry then the official invite came through a few days later!

This was just over three weeks out from the event so my boss Jens at Niseko Snowbike Adventures sent off some emails for a snowbike setup and Yeti responded really pumped for me and offering to have a sled setup for me at Aspen, I just had to bring a bike.

Coxy putting the then all new 2014 Yamaha YZ250F to the test for Fullnoise.com.au - - Credit: Fourohfour

Fullnoise: With such short notice how where you able to put everything together and who has helped you out?

Coxy: I contacted Steve at Racesocal who runs Motocross trips in California and he was all about loaning me a CRF450 for the event so that was a huge relief to get organised so quickly. I'll be flying from Japan into LA picking up a bike from Racesocal then driving out to Aspen.

I'll have a day to build my bike then Friday we get practice on the track. Saturday morning we have another practice then Qualifying for grid position for heat races which are held in the afternoon.

Two heats of ten people with the top six going into the final. All the racing is live on TV which is pretty sweet!

Coxy getting a little air time during some down time in Japan - Credit: Jens Rudnick

Fullnoise: What is your plan off attack and who is the competition?

Coxy: My goal is to just ride smart and get through the heat races into the final. The competition this year is super competitive with guys like top Pros Josh Hill and Axell Hodges racing.

Then there's the super fast snowbike guys like Brock Hoyer, Cody Matechuk who got medals last year and other guys who race the AMA snowbike series.

The tracks we race in Japan are really different as the snow is so soft here so it gets whooped and rutted as Aspen is groomed and snowpack a lot harder so will be different conditions to what I'm used to.

I won the Japanese Championship race last season so the more snow in Aspen the better it will suit me. I'm just stoked to be able to compete and really looking forward to racing the North American guys to see how I match up. My job in Japan is to guide snowbike tours through the Niseko area backcountry.

From Racing Australian Supercross as a privateer in 2009 Coxy will now head to race a snow bike at X games in 2018 - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

Fullnoise: This has all come about due to your current job working in the snow fields in Japan, what is it exactly you are doing in the land of the rising Sun.

Coxy: A lot of our customers are on are on a ski holiday although we're starting to get a lot of riding only people too. It really is an unbelievable feeling when you first ride a snowbike and the soft snow gives you a big boost of confidence. I

've had a twelve year old girl out shredding with me on a 450 and guys in their sixties who haven't felt so comfortable on a bike in years. Our terrain has such variety I can make the tour suit any type of customer we have whether motocross, adventure, touring or hard enduro!