With the majestic turrets of iconic Caerphilly Castle rising in the background, decorated freestyle motocross (FMX) athletes Josh Sheehan, JacksonStrong and Luc Ackermann achieved a major action sports milestone Tuesday, landing a record-breaking three-rider double backflip train. The historic Welsh landmark has certainly seen more than its share of notable moments, but none as gravity-defying.
This jump to break the record was done in combination to preview the Nitro World Games – Wales 2020 action sports competition, now expanding outside of the U.S. for the first time. Over Bank Holiday Weekend on the 23rd and 24th of May, more than 100 of the best athletes in FMX, BMX, skate and freestyle scooter will face off at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to battle for a coveted podium spot.
“To land that with two of my good friends is absolutely amazing,” Jackson Strong said afterwards. “Normally freestyle motocross isn’t a team sport. You are usually going out there competing against each other. But, to have the opportunity to do something like this with two of my friends is something I will never forget. What we did here today in Caerphilly Castle just screams Nitro World Games. It’s about doing world’s firsts. It’s about doing something new and exciting. It’s just a taste of what’s to come in Cardiff in May 2020.”
In competition, the double backflip is almost a constant trick now. When it was first debuted, it was jaw dropping. While it still is, the trick has evolved into adding more combos to do with the trick.
“Today was really cool,” said Josh Sheehan. “It was only a few years ago that there were only one or two guys doing double backflips. But today we had three people doing them. It shows that the sport is moving forward. I’m really excited for Wales 2020. Because not only is this an awesome location; there are a lot of people here that are into action sports and it’s a beautiful outside. We also have a state-of-the-art stadium where we can have a perfect setup, focus solely on our tricks and put on an awesome show.”
With a standard double backflip still among the most difficult and dangerous tricks in FMX, attempting to land three of them, all in one run, raised the stakes tremendously. To be successful and ride away safely there was simply no margin for error. First, Sheehan, Strong and Ackermann had to launch their 220-pound motorbikes into the air in quick succession, one immediately after the other. Then, they needed to complete two full rotations while just inches apart only seconds before touching down on the landing ramp.
While each of these top-tier athletes have experience pushing the envelope – Sheehan with the first triple backflip on a motorbike, Strong with the first frontflip to dirt and Ackermann as the youngest rider to land both a single and a double backflip – achieving this puts them at the very forefront of the sport.
This record-breaking accomplishment follows the 2019 Nitro World Games, held last month outside Salt Lake City, USA. It also is another example of the innovation and progression that fuels this premier action sports competition.
The action will now shift to the U.K. as Nitro World Games expands into a truly global event. And after such a seismic moment outside Caerphilly Castle, don’t be surprised to see Sheehan, Strong and Ackermann in the mix when the competition heats up next spring.
Be there to witness it live — tickets packages, which start at just 45 Pounds for the entire weekend, are available now atnitroworldgames.com (final ticket prices also include additional charges and fees).
Nitro World Games-Wales 2020 sponsors include Live Nation, Visit Wales, Principality Stadium, Cardiff Council as well as Kerrang!, cbdMD and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.