When you think of all the action we’ve seen this year, 2014 has been pretty bloody epic. Records have been broken all over the place, we’ve seen heated debates, new champions emerge and old ones retire. It’s been a year that truly has had everything and with the end of 2014 now upon us, it’s an ideal time to pause and reflect on some of the biggest moments we’ve seen from an Australian standpoint.

Image: Simon Cudby.

1. Chad Reed’s Anaheim 2 victory:
If there’s one moto race that you must watch this year, make it the Anaheim 2 round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship. TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed rode one of the greatest races of supercross history to claim the win in a race that had it all. It was the Chad Reed of old and one that proved he’s still burning with desire and hunger to claim another AMA Supercross championship. Epic, heart-in-mouth stuff.

2. Matt Moss does the double – again:
Just 12 months after claiming the much-sought-after double of winning both the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships, Team Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss crushed it again in 2014, and more emphatically at that. Mossy finished the year the best way possible by completing a clean sweep of the supercross championship, including an astounding come-from-behind win at the series finale. No matter which way you look at it, Moss’s accomplishments this year have been something special and he’ll enter 2015 as the very heavy favourite.

3. Matt Phillips makes World Enduro history:
Just 12 months after clinching the Junior World Enduro Championship, Tasmania’s Matty Phillips rewrote the history books by winning the 2014 Maxxis FIM E3 Enduro Championship, becoming the first rider to win a junior and senior championship back-to-back. To make his feat even more astounding was the fact that Phillips had missed the previous round with a broken foot, but still managed to carry a 14-point lead into the final round. Expect many big things to come from this kid.

4. The two-stroke/four-stroke debate:
One issue that simply refused to go away all year was the use of 250cc two-strokes against the 250cc four-strokes in the MX2/MXD classes. Privateers argued that without them they couldn’t afford to race or be competitive against the four-stroke teams, and they were bolstering the numbers of the MX2 class. Manufacturers claimed the two-strokes had a huge horsepower advantage when they’d received some attention, and the inclusion of two-strokes was killing the class once dominated by four-strokes. Both sides were right, and now WEM has announced some rule changes for 2015 that will hopefully even the playing field, with two-strokes engines having to remain stock with the exception of an aftermarket pipe. Will the changes work? We’ll find out in a few months’ time.

5. Jay Marmont retires:
It’s inevitable that everyone who races has to one day make the tough decision to hang their boots up, but that doesn’t make it any less sad. 2014 saw the end of the road for one of Australia’s greatest racers, Jay Marmont. The 31-year-old made the shock announcement at the Conondale round of the MX Nationals that 2014 would be his final year of racing. It’s been a hell of a career as he collected a swathe of national titles across both motocross and supercross, and it’s going to feel pretty weird to not see him donning the helmet any more. All the best for the future, mate!

Image: Jeff Crow.

6. The return of indoor supercross:
After a seven-year hiatus, supercross return to its traditional home in Australia – the indoor arena – at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in November. After years of shunning arenas and persisting with the idea that Australians want big, US-style tracks in massive stadiums (good in theory, but the reality was much different), Full Throttle Sports brought the sport back to its roots this year and y’know what? It was brilliant. Sure the track was short and tight, but if you knew what to expect from years gone by, then Brisbane was a welcome return to the future.

7. Husqvarna’s resurgence:
It’s crazy to think that this time last year Husqvarna was perceived as the ugly duckling of the racing community. Sure, it’d been just bought by KTM, but no-one really knew what the Austrians had in store for the struggling Swedish brand. Fast-forward 12 months and Huskies are back en vogue and have taken some huge scalps this year. After Kayne Lamont won the manufacturer’s first national title after its relaunch (the New Zealand Motocross Championship), Luke Arbon finished third overall in the MX2 class at the MX Nationals, while Egan Mastin and Nathan Crawford went 1-2 in the MXD class. On top of that Husqvarna also won the E2 class at the World Enduro Championship and third in the MX2 class of the MXGP Championship.

8. Josh Sheehan wins Red Bull X-Fighters crown:
Australia’s incredible run of results hasn’t been limited to the tracks and trails; WA’s Josh Sheehan became the first Australian Red Bull X-Fighters world champion after an incredible year. Sheehan’s Double Backflip, Flair and Flair Indy, combined with his near-perfect execution of every trick – as well as the untimely crash of Levi Sherwood during qualifying at the final round at South Africa – meant Sheeny had wrapped up the title before the finals round in Pretoria began. But that still didn’t stop him going gangbusters and stamping his authority on the event. Hell of a way to finish the year!

9. Australians kill the ISDE:
2014 was the year Australia shone at the International Six Days Enduro in Argentina. Battling heat, rocks, and taxing, dusty conditions, KTM’s Toby Price almost did the unthinkable when he came within 45 seconds of winning the Outright. The senior men’s team was well and truly in the hunt for a podium finish until day four threw up all sorts of disasters. No such bad luck came the way of the Aussie Women’s team who astonished everyone with their momentous win in the ladies’ division, while the Junior team also impressed with their third overall.

10. Dean Ferris’s rollercoaster year:
Dean Ferris will look back on 2014 with mixed emotions. After signing to ride for Red Bull KTM in the US, Ferris fractured his wrist while practicing in Australia during the break between the West and East Coast supercross championships. The injury and a frustratingly long rehab put paid to his short-lived foray into the US, but Ferris eventually found a home back in Europe at the Red Bull IceOne Racing Husqvarna team for a handful of remaining World MXGP rounds. Since then Ferris has signed up with the Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team to race the MX1 class in 2015. All the best for next year, mate!