The Rise & Fall of Freestyle Motocross

Sully
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7/23/2026 4:23pm
FMX has been terrible for the public perception of what MX and SX is.Not to mention it's filled with flatbilled douchebags with neck tattoos. And who can...

FMX has been terrible for the public perception of what MX and SX is.

Not to mention it's filled with flatbilled douchebags with neck tattoos. 

And who can forget Lips Deegan...

download lips 3
Flatliner wrote:
You're not being objective.  Like him or not, he was a great anti hero for a teenaged Pastrana.Those early years also got dirtbikes on tv period...

You're not being objective.  Like him or not, he was a great anti hero for a teenaged Pastrana.

Those early years also got dirtbikes on tv period, drumming up interest.  The video's , lifestyle stuff 100% helped sell bikes to guys who had no intent to race.

Don't waste your time, Hair Lip hates everything about dirt bikes.

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1
7/23/2026 5:00pm
Leemur891 wrote:

Saw Twitch and his traveling show about a month ago. 44 years old and still back flipping a bike for the thrill of it.

This forum baffles me sometimes. Made a reply to a dirt bike thread on a dirt bike forum about watching a staple of the specific branch of the sport in discussion ride a dirt bike well past the typical age of doing so. Downvoted for it lol. Keep it up ya chodes 👍

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Dudley
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7/23/2026 5:07pm

My favorite part was always the whip contest. Could watch that for hours straight 

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Sparkalounger
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7/23/2026 7:41pm

Very well done!

Thank you!

The Shop

Kelz87
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Fantasy
7/23/2026 7:47pm

It used to have a raw and exciting energy back when Gravity/X Games were cool, now it’s a novelty stunt show for a few daredevils 

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BossWool2800
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7/23/2026 8:24pm

My pics for today are Axel Hodges and Colby Raha. These guys are just on another level, especially Hodges. 

Back in the day I liked Nate Adams. 

(Not sure if this is on the topic of “rise and fall”)

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decano51
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7/23/2026 8:36pm

X-Fighters always carried energy in them early days as well.

Went to the Sydney at Cockatoo Island event.  Core memory, crazy venue. 








 

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yamathumb
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7/23/2026 8:39pm

Scooter freestyle is arguably more gnarly.  inmho

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AUS_Twisted
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7/23/2026 8:51pm
Tyler D wrote:
pic related. 

pic related. 

Here's one. Two months ago a clip from Billy Corgan's podcast, The  Magnificent Others, was making the rounds, in which he claimed that pop  music is the genre that comes closest to

Yeah a certain group of people that run most of the entertainment industry pushed it to get to where we are now, ICE CUBE has spoken about this awhile back and it was designed to break down western culture.

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aeffertz
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7/23/2026 9:21pm
yak651 wrote:

Travis was the only one to make his runs interesting by attacking the course, ripping corners and tricks. All others had boring, uninspiring runs 

How dare you speak that way about Nate Adams.

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FerCzD
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7/23/2026 9:28pm

I followed FMX religiously from 2004 to 2014-ish. I loved rb x fighters, Summer X. It died out of the sudden. 

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decano51
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7/23/2026 9:30pm
yak651 wrote:

Travis was the only one to make his runs interesting by attacking the course, ripping corners and tricks. All others had boring, uninspiring runs 

aeffertz wrote:

How dare you speak that way about Nate Adams.

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prozach
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7/23/2026 10:28pm

Fresno smooth was something else. 🤘

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The Wolf Man
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7/23/2026 11:12pm
FMX has been terrible for the public perception of what MX and SX is.Not to mention it's filled with flatbilled douchebags with neck tattoos. And who can...

FMX has been terrible for the public perception of what MX and SX is.

Not to mention it's filled with flatbilled douchebags with neck tattoos. 

And who can forget Lips Deegan...

download lips 3
Flatliner wrote:
You're not being objective.  Like him or not, he was a great anti hero for a teenaged Pastrana.Those early years also got dirtbikes on tv period...

You're not being objective.  Like him or not, he was a great anti hero for a teenaged Pastrana.

Those early years also got dirtbikes on tv period, drumming up interest.  The video's , lifestyle stuff 100% helped sell bikes to guys who had no intent to race.

Sully wrote:

Don't waste your time, Hair Lip hates everything about dirt bikes.

Okay Sullen. The fact I love motocross is one of the reasons I loathe FMX. In the public perception, that pile of Lips Deegan crap is what people think motocross and especially SX is about. 'Is that where they do the backflips? It's bullshit. Motocross is a proper motor sport who's brand has been tarnished by people like Deegan and Twitch and the rest of those twats. If you're into FMX so much perhaps you need a different forum? This place is for motocross fans. 

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The Wolf Man
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7/23/2026 11:13pm
Leemur891 wrote:

Saw Twitch and his traveling show about a month ago. 44 years old and still back flipping a bike for the thrill of it.

Leemur891 wrote:
This forum baffles me sometimes. Made a reply to a dirt bike thread on a dirt bike forum about watching a staple of the specific branch...

This forum baffles me sometimes. Made a reply to a dirt bike thread on a dirt bike forum about watching a staple of the specific branch of the sport in discussion ride a dirt bike well past the typical age of doing so. Downvoted for it lol. Keep it up ya chodes 👍

I would argue this forum is for motocross (the clue is in the name of the site) and the related discipline of SX. Both are forms of motor racing. SMX is a pile of crap - not a motorsport. 

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Robgvx
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7/23/2026 11:24pm

Freestyle is like comedians all telling the same joke over and over again. Then judging it. 

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toomanykaws
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7/23/2026 11:46pm
Step up was one of the more exciting categories of FMX. Never knew who would make it to the end.
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Sully
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7/23/2026 11:46pm
Flatliner wrote:
You're not being objective.  Like him or not, he was a great anti hero for a teenaged Pastrana.Those early years also got dirtbikes on tv period...

You're not being objective.  Like him or not, he was a great anti hero for a teenaged Pastrana.

Those early years also got dirtbikes on tv period, drumming up interest.  The video's , lifestyle stuff 100% helped sell bikes to guys who had no intent to race.

Sully wrote:

Don't waste your time, Hair Lip hates everything about dirt bikes.

Okay Sullen. The fact I love motocross is one of the reasons I loathe FMX. In the public perception, that pile of Lips Deegan crap is...

Okay Sullen. The fact I love motocross is one of the reasons I loathe FMX. In the public perception, that pile of Lips Deegan crap is what people think motocross and especially SX is about. 'Is that where they do the backflips? It's bullshit. Motocross is a proper motor sport who's brand has been tarnished by people like Deegan and Twitch and the rest of those twats. If you're into FMX so much perhaps you need a different forum? This place is for motocross fans. 

Who said I was into FMX? I was only pointing out your seeming hatred for all things dirt bikes, to include MX, based off of the vast majority of your own posting history.

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dopamineyamal
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Madrid, Madrid, ES
7/23/2026 11:50pm
My pics for today are Axel Hodges and Colby Raha. These guys are just on another level, especially Hodges. Back in the day I liked Nate Adams. (Not...

My pics for today are Axel Hodges and Colby Raha. These guys are just on another level, especially Hodges. 

Back in the day I liked Nate Adams. 

(Not sure if this is on the topic of “rise and fall”)

Different aproach but same spirit to fmx if you ask me. I prefer to watch these guy doing huge transfers, whips and stylish basic tricks like a nac or a superman rather than a triple backflip landed in air bag. I wish we could do things like that in europe, because due to regulations is almost impossible.

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dingaling
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7/24/2026 2:16am
Sandusky26 wrote:

Bryan Deegan is the goat of freestyle mx.

That’s a really strange way to spell Travis Pastrana. 

I'd argue that it's spelled Metz 

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7/24/2026 4:14am

Social media was the fall of it, for me atleast. The hype coming into xgames with just vocal chatter on what someone was working on, vs. seeing the trick done 30x leading up to the event on instagram. As a fan, flipping is lame. Bring back rock solids, fully extended Superman’s and cliff hangers. 

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John813
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PSL, FL, USA
7/24/2026 4:23am

Agree with others it just became repetitive with flips in general. Everyone wanted to copy the backflip. Then some did the front flip.

Either the course needs to be redesigned to something different, the skate park template is interesting, but just having one big ramp where 75% of the contestants do a backflip just sort of kills the excitement level.  

Some of the videos Josh Hill, Axell and Raha do on various properties are a lot cooler than arena freestyle.

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NickoBrap
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7/24/2026 4:27am
TannerMxer wrote:

I think it was when they let rando dudes wearing ranching gloves and instabangers collided at the time, it made the sport unnecessary 

Timo wrote:
I got tired of my moto gloves blowing out the seems or wearing holes in the fingers in one race, so I started wearing leather ranching...

I got tired of my moto gloves blowing out the seems or wearing holes in the fingers in one race, so I started wearing leather ranching gloves a lot of the time. Works great and lasts a very long time!

I started wearing mechanix gloves after I saw the oldest and crustiest moto dude I know make the switch. Motorcycling gloves of equivalent quality would cost over $100. Mecanix mpact gloves cost less than 30, and it's still a brand that supports the industry.

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NickoBrap
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7/24/2026 4:34am
Social media was the fall of it, for me atleast. The hype coming into xgames with just vocal chatter on what someone was working on, vs...

Social media was the fall of it, for me atleast. The hype coming into xgames with just vocal chatter on what someone was working on, vs. seeing the trick done 30x leading up to the event on instagram. As a fan, flipping is lame. Bring back rock solids, fully extended Superman’s and cliff hangers. 

I'm way more into the social Media side of it these days than I am the competition side of it. It's almost like it's so unrelatable now with the degree of acrobatics that it almost feels fake. It's taken on a bit of a skater feel to it on social media. I loved the moto video parts that came out during covid. I much prefer simpler tricks with style & ease or "steez" as the skaters call it to the best trick gymnastics that go on in competition.

TAUTOG
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7/24/2026 5:02am
ZinAZ wrote:
i remember back in the early 2000s to 2010ish even non moto people knew about freestyle.  Buddies would watch the Xgames the backflip was the craziest...

i remember back in the early 2000s to 2010ish even non moto people knew about freestyle.  Buddies would watch the Xgames the backflip was the craziest thing ever.  Moto and non moto people seemed to have a genuine interest.  I mean RC was doing step up competitions and winning xgames medals.  Now dudes are doing like triple front flip barrel roll body varials and no one bats and eye lol

Your last sentence is kind of what killed it at least for me. No style. Just lets see how much bullshit you can do in the air. The BMX stuff that they do at Supercross is the same. 

 

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TAUTOG
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7/24/2026 5:07am
I was never hugely into it but like probably most I bought the odd Dusty Demons vid (any vids of that era) back in the days...

I was never hugely into it but like probably most I bought the odd Dusty Demons vid (any vids of that era) back in the days of vhs, pre internet.

Here's the single biggest problem with it: for a sport to be successful it has to be at least a little relatable, and FMX just no longer is..

 

The originals were made up of a mixture of amatuers, semi-pros and pros alike. It was new, grounded, fresh - and some of what was recorded even felt doable for somewhat ordinary competent riders watching at home. Guys driving out to the desert and finding some natural hits. There was ironically (despite the crazy nonsense) a sense of 'humbleness' to it all, especially in terms of what was physically possible at the time.

Now a lot of what we see can't even begin to be replicated by ordinary riders, and ultimately it can't now evolve much further even by the few extraordinary riders that CAN replicate it... It's reached a point of sensory overload, increasingly beyond the realms of relevancy to mortal men who don't own training compounds and foam pits with sponsorship from Redbull etc. 

It's also partly (hugely) due to the era itself, it's just too hard these days to even find places to ride, to go and make something creative out of a natural landscape without immediately facing bike seizure and prosecution. They'll always be people that do it but ultimately it was of its time.

You're right the Crusty vids was a huge part of the appeal. Free riding, traveling, partying. And it seemed doable. Seth Enslow was a construction worker with a giant set of balls lol

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FMB2.0
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Divide, CO, USA
7/24/2026 6:12am

https://www.cyclenews.com/2026/07/article/tyler-bereman-joins-ducati/

I would have liked to see Bereman ride freestyle on a Beta 350 2 stroke.

Tyler Bereman has joined Ducati, the X Games gold medalist has officially signed with the brand to compete and serve as an ambassador. He is set to debut aboard the Desmo450 MX on July 24, 2026, at the MoonPay X Games League in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Darth Blaze
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Kenora, ON, CA
7/24/2026 6:30am

I still check out the best trick competitions every year to see what these guys have been working on. The freestyle scene has been pretty flat for the past few years with front flips winning every competition. It's nuts, yeah but seeing them time and time again for years gets stale. The Richards bros from OZ are throwing some pretty crazy body virials the past couple years that freshen things up. But I'd have to imagine that spending hundreds on hours and beating yourself up in foam pits trying to get these new tricks to where you can land them only to get beaten by a 10+ year old trick would be pretty demoralizing. 

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Speeddemon73
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Grand Rapids, MI, USA
7/24/2026 7:56am

Growing up in the early 2000's I used to buy the MXM Motocross Magazine that was exclusively a freestyle motocross magazine. Saw an interesting piece in their where Metzger put bmx pegs on his CR250 and had rails and grind boxes set up, but the whole pegs thing never took off. I would watch X-games, Gravity Games, Dew Tour, Winter X-games when they used to do the winter motocross best trick comp. Bought all the nitro circus DVD's and watched those, but I never really was enamored by the whole "freestyle" scene. I liked the professional looking bikes of regular motocross. Freestyle always seemed "ghetto" to me with the riders often having clapped out bikes, big baggy gear, and adopting a "hood" attitude. Obviously, I was a huge fan of Pastrana growing up, but I also really liked Nate Adams' riding. Nowadays, I hardly even follow freestyle and there is very little to no advertising for X-games or anything action sports anymore. Just not my cup of tea. 

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whethefakawe
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Scottsdale, AZ, USA
7/24/2026 11:07am
FMX has been terrible for the public perception of what MX and SX is.Not to mention it's filled with flatbilled douchebags with neck tattoos. And who can...

FMX has been terrible for the public perception of what MX and SX is.

Not to mention it's filled with flatbilled douchebags with neck tattoos. 

And who can forget Lips Deegan...

download lips 3
goodfellas-henry-hill.jpg?VersionId=kySpd7TRpImz6NizFNsQeb

I was never into FMX. Just a clown show, if you ask me. There's a reason why failed MXers went on to success in FMX, never the other way around. #briandeegan 

That says it all.  Pastrana being the exception. That boy is ... mental 🤣

I went to ONE FMX event in the Sports Arena in San Diego in the 90s, my buddy and I were both life-long riders and racers. After 15 minutes we looked at each other "OK what's next?"

We walked out. 

I can't figure out if the top FMX  riders are  insanely brave, or too stupid to imagine the consequences if a stunt goes wrong. 

In most cases it seems like Option 2 -- STOOPID. Listen to interviews with Lips Deegan, Twitch, Seth etc..... good on them for making money and not be a parasite off society, but MAN.... there's a damn good reason they're not out there doing brain surgery or launching rockets to Mars  🤣

In many cases, it's a case of extreme skill but scatterbrained and flaky. THE most skilled rider I've ever seen is Axell Hodges. 

Absolutely mind-boggling skills he has.... and he seems like a nice kid, fun to be around, a genuine nice guy.  But he's clearly not disciplined or goal-oriented like Carmichael or Tomac or Dungey or the Lawrences .... or even Sphincterboy Deegan, give credit where it's due. 🤣 

All in all, it's a spectacle for the great unwashed masses, like gladiators and chariot races in ancient times. 

Boring as fuck, after the third backflip you've seen it all. 

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