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Something I still think about is the “Can a plane take off on a treadmill,” so imagine my glee at discovering these superheroes trying to flip a bike on a moving train. Yes, it’s glee I felt. I’m gleeing all over the place right now. (Not to be violent, but I thought the plane taking off on a treadmill post was from 10 years ago, but it’s from 2006.)
Ryan Williams is an Australian scooter and BMX rider who does wild tricks that make me nervous. In 2013 he perfected a back flip with a nothing front scooter flip, which means he does a backflip while his scooter does a front flip, and then he spent about 10 years trying to get it done on a bike. Travis Pastrana dubbed it the Free Willy. Below is an example of a slightly different trick where he does a front flip instead of a backflip, except this one is easy because he can kind of see where the bike is. Easy. This one’s the easy one.
Here’s a behind the scenes of what it took him to figure out the Free Willy. At 1:40 you can see the first time he does it successfully on a scooter, and about 6:35 is when he gets it on the bike. Incredible stuff.
Williams won a gold with this trick at the 2023 X Games, obviously.
Joan Jett and BMX, the perfect way to spend a Thursday night. It’s not Thursday, you say? Well, this video makes it feel like it is.
(via @chrispiascik)
Two for you tonight. First up, Ken Block visits all your favorite San Francisco landmarks in his latest Gymkhana video. It’s a bit spooky how there’s hardly anyone on the streets, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying Block doing figure eights in between moving trolleys.
Then watch BMX maniac Harry Main do gorgeous and dangerous things on a bicycle.
(via Chris)
If your jaw doesn’t drop while watching this video, you need to go to a doctor because you don’t have a jaw. Hopefully, even without a jaw, you can enjoy this edit of amazing BMX tricks.
(via @mathowie)
If you watch to the end, Gabe Brooks bunny hops over a soccer goal. A small one, but still, how high is the highest soccer goal you’ve ever bunny hopped over?
The first 10 seconds of Geoff Slattery’s This is United are the best, but the rest is pretty good, too. Haven’t seen that before.
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