Like downhill skiing, motocross — the thrilling sport of riding motorcycles over challenging terrain and catching massive air at enormous speeds — has been around for a long time. And just as some hot-dogging downhillers eventually came up with the wildly popular sport of snowboarding, the simple act of thundering over jumps, through mud, and around dangerous turns was not enough for some motorcycle enthusiasts. They needed air. Big air.
Thus was born the extreme sport of freestyle motocross, also known simply as FMX.
“Back in the day, a few of the motocross hotdogs came up with the idea of doing some sort of stunt as they crossed the finish line, all in hopes that some photographer would snap a great shot that would land on the cover of a magazine,” explains John Borba, whose world-renowned WGAS Motorsports will bring FMX to this year’s Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, April 25th at Half Moon Bay Airport.
What started out as a basic bid for attention has grown into one of the most popular — and heart-stopping — sports in the world. No longer content to do a whip (in which the rider flips his bike out to the side after a jump), FMX is known for its daring jumps, twists, mind-blowing back flips and … did we mention air?
Asked what it takes to become the kind of rider who can execute a 360° back flip on a full-sized hunk of metal and motor, Borba laughs.
“You need the memory of an elephant, the body control and fitness of an Olympic gymnast, and, finally, the stones of a bull rider.”
As an afterthought, Borba adds that it’s good to be young.
“FMX is a young man’s game,” he says. “It’s rare to see someone still competing at the age of 30.”
Exhibiting their flying motorbikes at this year’s Dream Machines will be world-class riders Jeff Griffin of Bakersfield and Nick Dunn of Red Bluff. Both are highly regarded among fellow riders, but Dunn stands out among his peers for one particular reason.
“He is 6 foot, 5 inches tall,” says Borba. “It’s very unusual in this sport where the ideal athlete tends to be smaller, like a gymnast.”
Along with his height, Dunn is known for a knock-out stunt he calls “The Captain Morgan.”
Borba explains. “While flying through the air, he stands up and strikes a sort of ‘conquering hero’ pose, just like the logo on Captain Morgan rum. It’s definitely something he’ll be showing off at Dream Machines.”
FMX demos run about 20-minutes each in length.
Performances are scheduled for 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm.
