The new Red Bull Imagination course was bigger and tougher than ever, but Axell Hodges conquered it to take first place on Maxxis Maxxcross MX-ST tires. The innovative freeride competition concluded September 22 in Fort Scott Kansas.In a contest in which riders were judged on line creativity, magnitude, style and flow, and individual innovation, Hodges’ flawless first run was key to his victory. “I knew I just had to go out, hit my lines and just not mess up on one jump and we’d be looking pretty sweet. So first run, I went out there, didn’t mess up at all. I was pretty tired at the end of the five-minute run. It’s hard to remember where you’re going, what you’re doing, what you’ve already done…It was gnarly for sure, but so rewarding out there,” he told Swapmoto Live after his win.