Bike
Explore the numbers behind McGarry’s massive canyon gap backflip at Red Bull Rampage 2013.
What does it take to nail a 72-foot (21.9 metres) backflip over a gaping chasm that threatens to swallow you? It takes precision, experience and an innate understanding of physics. Kiwi freerider Kelly McGarry showed up to Red Bull Rampage in 2013 with all these tools in spades.
In the video above, watch as McGarry's electrifying feat is dissected through a scientific magnifying glass and spelled out in numbers:
- He starts 91 feet (27.7 metres) above the canyon gap
- He lands on the in-run going 31mph (48.2kph)...
- ...and must reach 40mph (64.3kph) before the takeoff
- If he went one mph (1.6kph) slower McGarry would fall four feet (1.2 metres) short
- If he went two miles (3.2km) faster, he'd land nine feet (2.7 metres) long
- He launches on a 38-degree angle
- He travels at 30 feet (9.1 metres) per second
- 50 feet (15.2 metres) above the canyon floor
- 72 feet (21.9 metres) across the gap
And then watch what happens when you overshoot the landing, as McGarry did in 2014.
Watch the live broadcast on October 16 on Red Bull TV to find out what happens over the canyon during the 10th edition of Rampage. [NOTE: the original live broadcast date of October 17 is no longer valid due to incoming weather concerns.]
Can’t wait for the best event in freeride mountain biking? Head over to the Red Bull Rampage event page to see highlights of the first nine competitions, as well as more exclusive videos, photos and stories.
