FMX
The Backflip is in every pro FMX rider's bag of tricks, but it's a lot harder to land than they make it look. Travis Pastrana guides us through this essential, points-scoring move.
The Backflip is one of the riskiest tricks in freestyle motocross, but one that reaps big rewards in competition. Nowadays, it's the norm for riders to casually chuck a Backflip into an FMX run or best trick contest. In fact, riders are now taking Backflips to the next level by doubling up and adding tricks to them.
One rider in particular who can land flips in his sleep (probably) is Travis Pastrana. The multiple X Games champion is renowned for his distinct Backflip style.
If you're not confident, you have no business doing a Backflip
"I think the best part about freestyle motocross is that there's no rules on how you do stuff," explains Pastrana. "At the end of the day, there are certain ways of doing a better Backflip, but if [former FMX rider] Andy Bell was teaching you how to do a Backflip and then I taught you how, we would have shown you a little bit differently. That's the beauty of it – that style is such a big part of our sport."
The pros might make it look easy, but the Backflip shouldn't be attempted without thinking it through first. If you're even considering having a go, heed Pastrana's wise words below.
