Bicycle Stunt Riding

Bicycle Stunt Riding

    To many people, riding a bicycle is a pleasant pastime. To some, it's serious exercise. And to a brave few, it's a way to impress an audience and win medals and fame.

    The members of this last group compete in a sport known as bicycle stunt riding. The sport made its entry into the X Games a few years ago. In this type of riding, bikers perform airborne tricks and acrobatics. The tricks have names such as the Tail Whip, Can-Can, and Truck Driver. In competition, bikers go through a cycle of four different events.

    In the dirt-jumping event, bikers launch themselves off dirt ramps and perform high-flying tricks in the air. In a flatland performance, a biker performs tricks of balance and strength while rolling along a flat surface. Street stunts consist of jumping over boxes, rails, and pipes. In the vert, a biker performs stunts on and over a halfpipe similar to those in snowboarding and skateboarding.

    The star of bicycle stunt riding is New Yorker Dave Mirra. he has won multiple silver and gold medals at the X Games. In fact, he's won more medals than any other X Games athlete. Mirra has mastered and created stunts that have amazed judges and audiences. He's brought enthusiasm to the sport.

    Someone once asked Mirra if winning medals ever becomes boring. "Winning gold never gets old," he replied. "Winning the X Games is the biggest accomplishment anybody can have right now in this sport."