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Take a look at these heart-pounding dirt bike tricks performed by professional FMX riders!
If you’ve brushed up on your dirt bike dictionary terms, then you know Motocross involves a dirt bike (duh), enormous dirt mounds, and a bleeding-heart lover of flying who’s willing and ready to test the limits of physics.
In order to test these limits and figure out how to get air on a bike, you need some serious tricks up your jersey sleeve, and events like Red Bull X-Fighters, NIGHT of the JUMPs, and the X Games provide this opportunity.
LIST OF TRICKS:
Whip
The oldest trick in the book. A Whip is when the rider makes their bike fly sideways in the air. The aim of the game here is to get your bike as backwards, upside-down and twisted as humanly possible. There are many different ways to do Whips and each rider will develop their own style over time. From Turn-Up’s to Turn Down’s, Supercross whips and more, there is nothing a crowd likes to see more than a big dirty Whip.
Heelclicker
A great trick for beginner FMX riders to learn, a Heelclicker is when the rider brings both legs up and wraps them around their arms, clicking their heels together in front of their chest. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Nac-Nac
Signature trick of the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath, the Nac-Nac is one of the most stylish tricks out there. This trick sees a rider swing one of their legs behind them to the other side of the bike and then bring it back just before landing. Riders like Drake McElroy have pushed this trick to new levels. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Up-Nac
A new-school version of the classic Nac-Nac, an Up-Nac is when a rider does a Turn Down Whip, before bringing their bottom leg above the bike into a Nac-Nac position. Watch Levi Sherwood for the perfect demonstration.
Nine O’Clock Nac
This is when the rider does a Nac-Nac, but then brings their other foot off the pegs as well, bringing both legs together, out to the side in a 9 o’clock position.
Airplane
An Airplane is a Nine O’Clock Nac but then the rider lets go of the bars with one hand.
Superman
Another old school classic, the Superman is when a rider brings their legs up behind them so that they are flying in a horizontal position above the bike. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Superman Seat Grab
The Superman Seat Grab is similar to a regular Superman, but in this case the rider will grab the seat with one hand whist performing the superman. By crossing your legs in the air, you will turn a regular Superman Seat Grab into a Superman Seat Grab Indian Air and pick up a few extra style points. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Double Superman Seat Grab
A Double Grab is just like a Superman Seat Grab, only this time the rider grabs the seat with both hands at the same time. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Hart Attack
Invented by Carey Hart, The Hart Attack is a progression of the Superman Seat Grab. Instead of flying horizontal above the bike however, the riders body position will be vertical, with their feet positioned up, over their head. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Double Hart Attack
To do a Double Hart Attack, the rider performs a regular Hart Attack, but does so with both hands grabbing the seat, not just one. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
One-Handed Hart Attack
As the name suggests, the rider does a regular Hart Attack, but then lets go with the hand that’s on the handlebars, allowing them to extend further off the bike.
Oxecutioner
Invented by the late Jeff ‘Ox’ Kargola, the Oxecutioner is when the rider does a One-Handed Hart Attack, but then grabs their boot with their free hand.
Kiss of Death
A development of the Superman, A Kiss of Death sees the rider perform a superman, but this time the rear of the bike will drop down, so the rider’s helmet will be close to / touching the front mudguard. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Tsunami
A Tsunami is similar to a Kiss of Death, only this time the rider’s legs will come right up and over their head, whilst the rear of the bike drops down. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Ruler
A ruler is like a Tsunami, except this time the rider makes their body as straight possible and perfectly in-line with the bike. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Rock Solid
For a Rock Solid, the rider starts by doing a Double Grab, before completely letting go of the bike with their hands, then catching the bike at the grab holes and re-mounting before landing. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Holy Grab
A step up from the Rock Solid, for this trick the rider goes into a Superman position before letting go of the handlebars, floating away from the bike, then catching the bike back at the grab holes with both hands and re-mounting.
Lazy-Boy
Another great crowd pleaser, the Lazy-Boy is when the rider brings their legs up under the bars and put their head back towards the seat until they are basically lying down on top of the bike. If you do the trick whilst keeping your hands on the bars it would be called a Coffin. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Cliff Hanger
A classic trick that never gets old. A cliffhanger is when a rider brings their feet up to the handlebars then let’s go with their hands and floats up away from the bike, holding onto the bike with only their feet. If you land a Cliffhanger with no hands without checking the bars it becomes a Basejumper. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Shoe Box
A rare trick that often has some of the best riders spooked. A Shoe Box is a bit like a Cliffhanger, but instead of holding onto the bars with their feet, the rider puts their feet into the grab holes and holds on from there, whilst letting go with their hand and standing up above the bike.
Bar Hop
A pretty simple trick by today’s standards, a Bar Hop is when the rider puts both feet through the handlebars then brings them back through and down to the pegs. If you land with your feet still through the bars it’s called a Sterilizer. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Shaolin
Invented by Ronnie ‘Kung Fu’ Faisst, a Shaolin is basically a Bar Hop, but instead of keeping their legs together, the rider spreads their legs once they are through the bars. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Dead Body
Another progression of the classic Bar Hop, a Dead Body starts the same as a Bar Hop, but then the rider extends their body flat, so they are lying horizontal above the bike with their feet through the handlebars. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
Rigamortis
Taking the Dead Body one step further, a Rigamortis is like a Dead Body, but instead of lying flat, the rider extends their body vertically with their feet through the bars, pointing up to the sky and their head looking backwards just above the seat.
Turntable
Similarly to a McMetz, a Turntable starts with a Bar Hop, but this time the rider brings both legs back around the bars on the same side, leaving one hand on the bars.
Cordova
A Cordova is when a rider brings their feet up and hooks them under the bars, then pushes their knees forward and looks back over their head. (Can also be performed up-side down in a Backflip)
360
Both rider and bike carve up the ramp and spin a full 360 in the air before landing straight.
Volt
Arguably the riskiest trick in FMX, the Volt see’s riders do a full 360 next to their bike, catching it as they spin back around and then re-mounting from the side.
Special Flip
One of the most technical tricks in freestyle motocross. The Special Flip was invented by Special Gregg on a mountain bike and then mastered and brought to FMX by Tom Pagès. The rider leaves the ramp and barrel-roll’s their body above the bike before catching the bike and re-mounting.
California Roll
Invented by Taka Higashino, the California Roll is a slightly different version of the Special Flip. The California Roll allows riders to stay more in contact with their bikes whilst rotating their body independently above it. This trick also differs from a Special Flip by starting with riders approaching the ramp side-saddle, with both legs on the same side of the bike, allowing for a quicker rotation once in the air.
Bundy
One of the most technical tricks in the history of FMX, the Bundy is Clinton Moore’s signature trick. To do the trick, Clinton basically does a backflip above the front of the bike whilst holding on with one hand. He then has to quickly re-position his hand before landing.
Backflip
The Backflip was a complete game-changer for the sport of FMX. To do a Backflip, the rider leans back when going off the ramp, gives it some gas and makes a full rotation in the air. As soon as the backflip was landed people started to add variations to their Backflip’s.
Double Backflip
First landed by Travis Pastrana, the Double Backflip was another huge milestone for FMX progression. This high-consequence trick has now been fully mastered by the likes of Josh Sheehan, Tom Pagès and Levi Sherwood to the point where they are all now adding variations to their Double Backflips.
Flair
First landed by Fredrick Johansen, a Flair is essentially an off-axis 540 spin. The rider leaves the quarter pipe, spins 1.5 rotations with the bike in the air and lands on a landing next to the quarter pipe.
Alley-Oop Flair
Created by Tom Pagès, the rider still does a Flair, but this time when they leave the quarter pipe they spin the opposite way to normal.
Egg Roll
Invented by Levi Sherwood, the Egg Roll is basically an upside-down quarter pipe transfer. The rider leaves the quarter pipe at an angle before pulling back and doing a Backflip whilst drifting across to the landing next to the quarter pipe that is in the opposite direction to normal.
Bike Flip
Originally attempted by Kyle Loza, the Bike Flip was, after many years, eventually figured out and landed by Tom Pagès. By using a quarter pipe to do the trick off as opposed to a standard ramp, Pagès was able to conquer the Bike Flip, making his bike do a full rotation next to him in the air as he stays relatively motionless.