Travis Pastrana is to motocross, as the Harlem Globetrotters are to basketball. Travis Pastrana, with a 26th birthday on October 8, has youthful potential as a serious motocross and supercross racer in the mode of Ricky Carmichael or James "Bubba" Stewart. He even won the 2000 AMA (American Motorcyclists Association) 125cc "Lites" season championship at the age of 17. Indeed, he still competes from time to time in motocross and supercross races, but his niche is as a stuntman, in the Globetrotters' tradition of Goose Tatum and Marcus Haynes, Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal. That's why Travis is a star on MTV's Nitro Circus.

Pastrana's legacy remains his status as the first and only person to land a double back flip on a motorcycle, first achieved in front of stunned fans on August 4, 2006, as the 12th X Games in Los Angeles. Videos of the momentous occasion abound on places such as YouTube. More difficult to find, is an in-depth explanation from Travis Pastrana regarding exactly how he figured out how to perform such a stunt, and then how he mustered the courage to make the first attempt. Travis, like a magician, appreciates the value of mystery and he's not about to explain his tricks.

Courage? Craziness? Maybe a little bit of both. Travis Pastrana not only performs double back flips on motorcycles, but he once did a back flip in a monster truck, albeit "only" a single back flip in this case. Furthermore, Travis has jumped out of an airplane without a parachute, relying on a co-jumper with a parachute to catch him and ease him to the friendly surface of Planet Earth.

One witty analyst wrote that MTV and Travis Pastrana's various corporate sponsors recently honored him in Hollywood with a lifetime achievement party, "in order to honor the living legend, while he's still, you know, living." With his carefree outlook, Pastrana himself laughs at these types of jokes. The King of the Double Back Flip clearly loves his sport and appreciates his fans.

SOURCES:
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http://www.motorcycleshows.com/motorcycleshows/Home+Page+News/Travis-Pastrana-King-of-the-Double-Back-Flip-and-M/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/482990
http://laist.com/2009/08/16/travis_pastrana_gets_toasted.php

Performing motorcycle stunts up a multi-story building is nothing new, but when you plan on jumping up ten stories on a motorcycle and then freefalling back down, you could be setting yourself for a mind-altering experience. That's exactly what Robbie Madison did on New Year's Eve in 2008 when he jumped up to the top of the Arc d'Triomphe model building in Las Vegas on his motorcycle, waited a few seconds until the crowds caught their breath, and then jumped off the edge of the building to fall 100 feet and landed upright on a ramp. He drove back to the crowds in full force, setting one of the most noteworthy records in motorcycle stunts to date.

The Evel Knievel-inspired stunt was a phenomenal way to kick off New Year's 2009, and this wasn't the first gravity-defying stunt by Robbie Madison. The daredevil performed the record-breaking 322-foot jump on New Year's 2008, beating Guinness World Record holder Trigger Gumm to the match. The event took place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Robbie Madison was born in Australia, and the 27-year old stunt master has become the inspiration for many motorcyclists and stunt enthusiasts around the globe. He holds the world record for the longest motorcycle jump on a 125cc bike, and the longest jump with a trick (246 feet). The types of jumps Madison has become famous can be attributed to his skills using the rear brake. Releasing the brake pressure at just the right time and shifting your body weight to the front or back of the bike give the bike the extra push it needs to soar high into the air and stay in an upright position. Madison has perfected the art of landing on both wheels after even a 100+ feet jump, and the control he has is due to the way he shifts his weight and manipulates his speed at just the right time.

Madison's been practicing his stunts for several years, but if you've been inspired by his Knievel-like ways, you can get started with simple stunts including stoppies, wheelies and one-handers. Just make sure you're wearing the right protective gear and clothing, and keep your bike in good shape to perform a few record-breaking tricks of your own.

Dion Russell is a skate shop and restaurant owner by day and motorcycle stunt rider by night. This motorcycle stunt enthusiast from Kingsport, Tennessee, runs the Down to Earth Skate Shop and first started getting his adrenaline rush from motorcycling after watching videos of stunt riders throughout history. Russell has earned the title "King of the South" for motorcycle stunts and performs at special events in his neighborhood to show off his talents. His after-hours shows have attracted a strong following in Kingsport, and even the local police department has tipped their hat to this stunt rider who keeps things fun and safe at parking lots around town.

Russell says, "A lot of the balance and stuff I use through skateboarding has helped me with stunt riding." He's more involved with extreme sports these days, trying out new tricks and amazing stunts in parking lots - his "training ground."

Russell wasn't shy about jumping into the world of alternative sports, since he already had some experience with extreme sports and performing stunts on a skateboard. His skate shop is one of a handful in Kingsport and the surrounding area, attracting talented extreme sport enthusiasts of all ages who want to pick up the latest skating gear, accessories or just a few pointers from an experienced skateboarder.

While Russell doesn't offer lessons for his amazing stunts, he does host a performance for shop visitors and other motorcycle fans around Kingsport. You can also catch him at the Good Times Grill, a restaurant he's opened in Kingsport. It serves up "ole-fashioned, down home cooking," and is his way of giving back to his community.

Still, his passion remains in motorcycles. In a recent interview with the Douglass-Riverview News, Russell shares that one of the ways he's advertising the restaurant is stunt riding in the parking lot on a shiny red bike. So far, the strategy's been working; guests have reported that they would sit through a traffic signal nearby just to watch the amazing stunts Russell was putting on. He also participates in "bike nights" in the neighborhood, where everyone can enjoy some music, great food and watch an incredible show.