FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 4 | Page 83

FreestyleXtreme hits the couch with New Zealand’s Triple Backflip BMX pioneer and Nitro Circus star, Jed Mildon [] O N 28 MAY 2011, in the small New Zealand town of Taupo, the landscape of action sports changed forever when a tall Māori bloke spun his beat-up BMX through three Backflips and rolled away screaming and pumping his fist. The rider was Jed Mildon: a relative unknown in the big scheme of things, but an instant sensation after that. In just two weeks the YouTube video of his Triple Backflip skyrocketed to nine million views and was shown on mainstream news channels around the world. Since ESPN came knocking with an invite to X Games, and the Nitro Circus team offered him a gig on their prestigious live show, Jed hasn’t slowed down! With a number of new world’sfirst BMX tricks in the bag and a ground-breaking project with FMX rider and fellow Kiwi Nick Franklin about to go down, the laid-back, well-spoken 27-yearold is far from finished… u Words: Simon Makker FreestyleXtreme.com | 83