Palmerston North’s Levi Sherwood has gained New Zealand’s first podium place at the X-games, coming second in the weekend’s freestyle motocross final in Los Angeles.

The 18-year-old flipped his way to a score of 79 to finish just one point behind the American Travis Pastrana.

Sherwood is the only New Zealander to compete in the Summer X-games.

© Photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com