Dany Torres of Spain triumphed on Friday evening in the opening round of the 2011 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour in Dubai.

A crowd of 15,000 fans witnessed the exciting Freestyle motocross showdown on the beach in front of the luxurious metropolis on the Arabian Golf.

A sand palace in front of the skyline of Jumeirah Beach, sold-out stands and a surprise victory were the ingredients for a superlative season-opener.

The 23-year-old Torres of Spain pulled out all the stops in the final jump and beat co-favorite Andre Villa to claim the victory. It was Torres’ fifth victory in the history of the Red Bull X-Fighters since its creation in 2001.

Defending champion Nate Adams was unexpectedly knocked out in the semi-finals and had to settle for third place.

“The pressure was enormous and the level of the competition was really high,” Adams said. “I’ll be back ready to fight in Brazil.”

New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood, famous around the world for his tremendous flexibility, wasn’t able to finish any higher on his KTM250SX than fifth place, back behind top Aussie Blake Williams.

The athletes on their motor bikes put on a spectacular show, with leaps of up to 15 meters high and a distance of 30 meters that defied the laws of gravity, as Dubai’s crown prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum watched.

The second stop of the world series takes place in Brasilia in Brzil on 28 May.

2011 Red Bull X-Fighters
Round One – Dubai

Final Results:
1. Dany Torres ESP
2. Andre Villa NOR
3. Nate Adams USA
4. Blake Williams AUS
5. Levi Sherwood NZL
6. Eigo Sato JAP
7. Robbie Maddison AUS
8. Adam Jones USA
9. Taka Higashino JAP
10. Rob Adelberg AUS
11. Lance Coury USA
12. Jackson Strong AUS