Matt Buyten grew up racing motocross in northern Nevada, earning a reputation as one of the most determined and talented riders among a generation that included such notables as Dustin Miller, Mike Mason, Drake McElroy and Nathan Tiearney. But his first brush with fame occurred when he stunned perennial favorite Tommy Clowers at the 2003 X Games by taking the gold medal in the step-up event.

Since then, Buyten has furthered refined his freestyle game to become one of the top names on the contest circuit, and at last summer's X Games, Buyten earned the respect of a massive audience by battling supercross icon Jeremy McGrath in a nail-biter for the step-up gold medal. Despite dealing with a shoulder that popped out of place in the middle of the event, Buyten fought McGrath until the lengthy duel ended with McGrath narrowly scoring the victory over the injured Buyten.

Buyten is scheduled to return at the X Games this August to battle McGrath and the rest of the field once again, and he also has a full schedule that includes many of the most prestigious freestyle events of the summer. In between practices at the motocross track in his native Carson City, where he routinely rides and races to stay close to his roots, Buyten spoke about his rise to fame and his plans for the future.

You'll be going into this year's X Games as a favorite for the step-up competition. What have you been doing to prepare?
I've been trying to ride as much as possible, both moto and freestyle. Moto helps with the ruts a lot, and step-up is pretty much just dealing with one big, straight-up rut. So it's good practice to do some moto. Pro Circuit has built me a good step-up bike too, and Dennis Conway and Greg King are going to be building me a full step-up setup this weekend on Conway's property. So I'll be practicing all this month to take down MC.

Did you have a chance to practice step-up before any of the previous X Games?
No, not really. I just rode it (step-up) whenever it was at a contest, but I grew up playing on cliffs and stuff like that. But the last two years I've had a little lip at Dennis Conway's house that I could practice on a little bit. But it'll be more serious this year since I lost last year, so I'll have a whole setup with a landing and everything built soon. I want to win again.

Besides the X Games, what else is on your schedule for the summer?
I've got all kinds of demos and contests coming up. I've got the Dew Action Sports tour coming up in Dallas, and I'll be going to the Gravity Games this weekend in Pennsylvania. There's a bunch of demos coming up too, and the Dew Action Sports tour runs all the way into October, so it's going to be pretty busy.

You grew up racing motocross, and freestyle seemed to come to you pretty naturally when you made the switch. Does learning new tricks come easily, or is it something you have to work at?
It's kind of both. When I was growing up I did some BMX stuff, and learned some tricks with that. As freestyle was evolving, I learned to transfer a lot of tricks over to my dirt bike. So I was able to start making a living on it, but I still have to practice all the time. Even when you get bored with doing the same tricks over and over, you have to keep them all polished to do good at the big contests.

The backflip has stirred some controversy lately, with riders like Brian Deegan and Nate Adams getting hurt badly on failed attempts. What are your thoughts on the backflip?
The backflip is good. That's why it's called freestyle. It definitely brings everything up a notch, but I think it's important to have all your other tricks down too. A lot of the guys who can flip can't do other tricks well, and a lot of the guys who are good with other tricks can't flip. The backflip definitely intensifies it all, because it can really turn bad on you. I think it's important to take your time with it and study the flip if you want to do it right. But like you said, guys like Nate (Adams) and (Brian) Deegan have done it a bunch, but it can still get you. It's pretty intense.

Does it help your freestyle to come out and practice moto like this?
Yeah, I think so. This is where I started, out here at Silver State racing, so it's fun to just come out and moto and have some fun without having to stress about freestyle and having to flip and all that. Riding moto helps out with the ruts and with your balance on the bike too, which you definitely need for step-up.

Where do you see yourself in five years with freestyle?
In five years I hope to just be doing demos and hanging out. I'd like to just be making a living riding my bike, just like I am right now.