FMX
Travis Pastrana's Triple Backflip That Never Was
In 2011 Travis tried a triple backflip on his dirt bike. Things don't always go according to plan.
The triple backflip ramp looms in the distance
© [unknown]
Some people are just ahead of their time. That might be the best way to describe Travis Pastrana. When the Maryland native was 14 years old he was already a freestyle motocross god. In fact he is considered one of the forefathers of the entire FMX movement. At 16, he captured the 2000 AMA 125 National Motocross Championship in his rookie season. By the time he was in his mid-20s he was one of the most highly sought after names in action sports and even in sports in general. Oh, and along the way he not only became a multi-time rally racing champ, but helped popularize the four-wheel genre in the U.S.
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Travis Pastrana's Triple Backflip That Never Was
In 2011 Travis Pastrana tried a triple backflip on his dirt bike. See the story behind the attempt.
Somewhere in there Pastrana also managed to land a double backflip for the first time ever in front of millions during the 2006 X Games. For a guy who is always looking to the next step and beyond, that astounding accomplishment only begged the question: Is a triple backflip possible?
The question ate away at Pastrana for several years until he finally put pen to paper, jotted down some ideas and got the ball rolling. With the help from builder Dane Herron, Red Bull and a whole host of trainers and friends, Pastrana set out to once again break new ground in the world of action sports with the aim of landing the first ever triple backflip on a dirt bike.
This is the story behind that attempt and as you will see, even for one of the most forward thinking and talented riders to ever throw a leg over a motocross bike, the stars do not always align.
Travis eyes up the ramp for triple backflip glory
© [unknown]
In 2011 at a top secret facility in Long Beach, California, Pastrana and crew developed one goliath of a jump, specifically designed to cultivate triple backflips. A massive stepup with a landing not unlike the Matterhorn and equipped with a soft resi landing, Pastrana was doing double backflips in his sleep on the jump. This all happened four years before Josh Sheehan landed his triple, long before most even uttered the words “triple backflip."
There’s no way the triple is impossible.
The jump, however safe, was not without consequence, as is nothing that requires launching a motorcycle 50-plus feet in the air. The jump beat Pastrana up at every opportunity it could and left him bruised and battered once the gear came off. It would be years later before Pastrana would actually try rotating a triple backflip. But back in 2011, in full stealth fashion, he knew: “There’s no way the triple is impossible.” Even at worst, Pastrana still got some of the loftiest backflips and double backflips of all time — icing on the cake.
Get tickets and catch Pastrana in person this weekend as he races at Red Bull Global Rallycross in Los Angeles.
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