Pastrana Makes History: The First Double Back Flip Takes X Games Gold

Aug 05 2006 / Los Angeles, CA

VIDEO CLIP Watch Travis Pastrana make history at the X Games 12. WATCH NOW >

When it comes to calling out something like a double back flip, you can't just be running your mouth. Travis Pastrana called his shot, coming into X Games 12 with big plans, big cojones, and big confidence.

After a huge back flip kiss-of-death in Round 1 of tonight's FMX Best Trick contest, he arranged to have the launch ramp pushed back to make room for you-know-what. Everyone in the Staples Center knew his plans, and the place went electric as he soared through one giant floating flip after another and came in for a clean landing.

You've gotta love the rate of progression in FMX: It's wasn't all that long ago that just one back flip was enough to blow minds. Right before Pastrana's double back, Nate Adams hucked a giant no-handed flip with a no-handed landing without ever checking his bars. It's come to this: a mere back flip is now a "look Ma, no hands" move.

Travis Pastrana is stamping his mark all over these X Games. He's been a pioneer in the sport from the get-go and this is his sixth X Games Gold: He won the FMX Freestyle event last year, and must have been smarting from last year's second place Best Trick finish when he started making redemption plans for this year.

What's left? FMX could go anywhere. Blake Williams' off-axis 360 heel click tonight is a sign that spins are the future, and the double back is the new Gold standard. How long before people start throwing in big variations? One can only imagine. For now, Travis Pastrana is the man to beat… and he's just getting started.

VIDEO & PHOTOS 

- Watch the video of the historic jump!
- Check out a sequence of the jump in our photo gallery