Motocross
Travis Pastrana and the triple flip that got away
In 2011 Travis Pastrana tried a triple backflip on his dirt bike. Watch what happened right here.
The triple backflip ramp looms in the distance
© Red Bull
Some people are just ahead of their time. That might be the best way to describe Travis Pastrana. At 14 years old, Pastrana was already a freestyle motocross god and pointing the way toward FMX's future.
At 16 he took the 2000 AMA 125 National Motocross Championship in his rookie season, and by the time he reached his mid-20s he was one of the most highly sought-after names in action sports. In fact, in all sports. Oh, and he not only became a multi-time rally racing champ, but also helped to popularise the four-wheel genre in the United States.
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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.
To build the legend, Pastrana also managed to land the first double backflip in front of millions during the 2006 X Games. For a guy who is always looking to the next step and beyond, that astounding feat begged the question: is it possible to do a triple backflip?
Pastrana considered the idea for years until he finally put pen to paper, jotting down some ideas and enlisting the help of ramp 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
© Red Bull
In 2011 at a top secret facility in Long Beach, California, Pastrana and crew developed a goliath jump specifically designed to cultivate triple backflips. A massive step-up, with a landing not unlike the Matterhorn and equipped with a soft resin landing, Pastrana was doing double backflips in his sleep on the jump.
This was four years before Josh Sheehan landed his triple in TPs Pastranaland ranch, long before most even uttered the words "triple backflip."
The jump, however safe, was not without consequence – as is anything that requires launching a motorcycle 20 metres into the air. The jump beat Pastrana up at every opportunity that 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 it was back in 2011, in full stealth mode, that 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.