It’s back! The loudest, wildest moto showdown on the calendar, King of the Whip 2025 drops into Montecasino on Saturday, 29 November. If you’ve been before, you know exactly why it’s become a sell out event. If you haven’t, let’s just say you’re in for a proper baptism of noise, hype, pyros, and bikes flying sideways. This has to be one of our favourite events of the year.
The big questions – can anyone stop Julien Vanstippen? The Belgian is fresh off his second X Games “Best Whip” gold and already owns a three-peat at King of the Whip. He throws whips so big they look illegal. Every time he drops in, jaws hit the floor.
But it’s not a one horse race. Dallan Goldman is hungry for another podium, and he’s not afraid to send it upside down if it means getting the crowd on its feet. Dalton Venter, SA’s top motocross rider last year, is in the mix too, alongside a full field of local chargers and international hitters still to be announced.
So what’s a whip?
It’s when a rider launches off a jump and flicks the bike sideways midair, sometimes flat, sometimes beyond flat, before snapping it back to land cleanly. The more outrageous the angle, the smoother the snap back, the more the judges… and fans love it.
Best Whip starts with qualifying, filters down through semis, and explodes in the final under the lights. It’s not about speed or distance, it’s about amplitude, variation, and style. Expect riders to push each other into bigger and gnarlier whips with every run.
Before the crown gets handed out though, the FMX Best Trick contests will set Montecasino buzzing. With two categories: Upright and Inverted. Easy names, but the tricks? Ridiculous.
Last year Pat Bowden turned the place upside down with a bag of wild upright and backflip variations. Goldman, true to form, went all in. This year, expect more of the same: backflip combos, body varials, and tricks that look like they shouldn’t be possible.
It’s not just the riding, it’s the vibe.
From 2:30pm the pits open up, letting fans get close to the bikes and riders. VIPs roll in from 1pm for meet and greet sessions. The action kicks off at 4pm and goes full throttle into the night, with finals under the Joburg sky, pyros exploding as riders whip sideways through the smoke.
The fans make the event. Families, mates, kids on shoulders, all screaming as riders send it bigger and bigger. By the finals, the noise is deafening and the energy is electric.
Here are the quick Details:
Date: Saturday, 29 November 2025
Venue: Montecasino, Fourways, Johannesburg
Time: Gates 2:30pm (VIPs 1pm). Action from 4pm till late.
Tickets: From R300 (excl. booking fees).
Food, drinks, and a festival atmosphere are all part of the deal.
2022 was Montecasino’s debut. 2023 turned the heat up. 2024 gave us Vanstippen’s hat-trick and Bowden’s madness.
So what’s going to happen in 2025? Can anyone dethrone Julien? Can Goldman finally land the dream double? Will a dark horse rise up?
The only way to know is to be there. Because King of the Whip isn’t just another comp, it’s moto mayhem at its finest.
See you at Montecasino.
