The List: Crazy Travis Pastrana Moments
Thursday, June 2, 2011 | 4:10 PM
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The Nitro Circus live show is coming to the U.S. for the first time this weekend in Las Vegas. While digging through photos and bench racing about the event, we started to reminisce about great Travis Pastrana events of the past. There are, most probably, literally 199 wild Travis moments, so we’ll just break it down to nine here and let you fill in your own faves in the comments section.
9. SX Back Flips: Back in his racing days, rumors swirled that Pastrana could back flip every jump at the Suzuki test track, and was even trying to back flip into the whoops! We never really got to see these tricks in a race, because, well, Travis was injured a lot during his 250 days. But he finally took a shot at it in Daytona one year across the finish line jump. And crashed! The AMA told him never to try that in a race again. Ever.
Travis goes for a backflip in 2006 at Daytona, the outcome was not what he expected..
Photo: Simon Cudby
Unfortunately during the live taping of his David Letterman appearance, Travis Pastrana was unable to jump on-air due to a crash sustained earlier while he was practicing for the show.
9. SX Back Flips: Back in his racing days, rumors swirled that Pastrana could back flip every jump at the Suzuki test track, and was even trying to back flip into the whoops! We never really got to see these tricks in a race, because, well, Travis was injured a lot during his 250 days. But he finally took a shot at it in Daytona one year across the finish line jump. And crashed! The AMA told him never to try that in a race again. Ever.
Travis goes for a backflip in 2006 at Daytona, the outcome was not what he expected..
Photo: Simon Cudby
8. Parade Lap Tricks: Travis made an impact at the beginning and end of his racing days. At his first AMA supercross, at Indy in 2000, he tried a trick on the parade lap and wadded it up! At his last supercross, a one-off appearance at St. Louis in 2009, he back flipped the finish line jump during the parade lap, heck, he backflipped over the back of a berm that was only about three feet high!
7. The Montel Williams Show: Few remember this one, and we have no idea if the footage exists anywhere, but a young Travis once appeared on this day time talk show with his family, hoping to have all the bad luck and injuries exorcised from his life. Uh, it didn’t quite work.
6. The Late Show: David Letterman once invited Travis to his show in New York City, and they closed down 53rd street and trucked in some freestyle ramps. Unfortunately, Travis crashed on the slippery landing while practicing and wasn’t able to jump during the live taping. But it was still pretty cool. Also, Travis once raced through the parking lot and hallways of Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.
Unfortunately during the live taping of his David Letterman appearance, Travis Pastrana was unable to jump on-air due to a crash sustained earlier while he was practicing for the show.
5. Grand Canyon: About a decade ago, before backflips were perfected, Travis told us he had a crazy idea about where he could find enough room to pull one: The Grand Canyon! So he brought some ramps and old bikes out to the Canyon and jumped in, parachuting off after he pulled his stunts. This still sounds crazy!
4. Live without a ‘chute: Nothing to do with bikes here, but Travis did skydive without a parachute once. Other dudes had to get to him and grab him up before he hit earth. His skydiving license was pulled for this one.
3. Double Back Flip: He nailed it at X Games a few years ago, and ESPN still rolls the clip out each year...
2. The Nitro Circus: One day, video producer Greg Godfrey was either dumb enough or smart enough to put a video camera in Travis’ hands. They were way ahead of the YouTube craze, and a whole new level or hijinks was born.
1. The Bay Jump: At the first X Games FMX comp ever, Travis already had the event won after his first run. So he had to do something crazy for his second run. He found a jump and launched his RM125 all the way off of the course and into the San Francisco Bay! An X Games legend was born. But the environmentalists were not super pumped.
This one really launched Pastrana's career.
Photo: Eric Johnson
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0. travis might try a triple backflip on x games 2011
holeshot by the way
Thats TP
you know, I always used to be so aggrivated by travis, not him as a person, but that he was so good and I just felt like he was wasting it all with the FMX crap, but now I look at him and I just see a happy guy who is always having fun. I can't bash on that at all. I always cringe at some of the stuff he does tho cause I'm afraid he may "end it" right before my eyes and I don't want to see that, but I can't stop looking!
OH, and during TP's first year in the A class, and my last year in the A class full time, He left the inside open in a turn and I plowed him off the track, Very proud moment for me! HEE HEE!!!!!!
Nothing tops his idiot dad jumping out of a speeding boat and breaking his back
How bout when his dad jumped out the tree at Loretta's from Waaaaaaaay up and hit limbs on the way down, then crawled back up and did it again? Or when his dad gave a off-duty G.I. a beating after I think the G.I. beat up a cop in a mall? not sure but Pastrana grabbed the dude and put him down til the police could arrive. it was in a maryland paper. The Vohlands brothers were pretty crazy too.
9??
The X-Games Double back-flip was one of the single greatest moments of live television that I have ever seen. I cold feel the pressure sitting on my couch. The ralley car water jump sucked as a television show but was not listed.
@mty I feel exactly the same about 199, it sucked that we didnt get to see his potential on the track but the dude has made a pretty cool life 4 himself doin what he loves. Now I admire the hell outta the guy.. Anyone who jumps out of a plane without a chute is pretty cool IMO.
Travis is just plain and simple the coolest guy involved with dirtbikes. Miss watchin him race. Nobody was as exciting on the track. All the kids think Barcia is fun to watch and nobody compares to TP!
That Grand Canyon jump is beyond crazy. Even with a parachute it's still dangerous as hell.
Love Travis, a couple of friends of mine are in that Fox boat waiting to pick up Travis... cool stuff
Travis WAS and IS ONE CRAZY MOTHER!
How about when he broke Mike LaRocco's wrist going through the whoops completely out of control. That was certainly a crazy moment.
How can Travis' rally car crash when he rolled it like 50 times not in this list???? I still dont know how he survived that!!!!!!
What about the wrecked Corvette?
love TP199- seriously though, can we just call him T-Pain?
Ya the double-back flip was amazing, don't think anybody will top that trick! Gotta like Pastrana! He's all about the fans too!
Does anyone know where you can get a set of the graphics that TP had on his RM during the "Bay Jump"? I just got an 99 RM 250 and I'd like to make it look like one of TP's or Reynard's RM's fromt the same year. Anyone?
I think everyones trying to forget the Corvette crash. His passenger got hurt bad. That sucked.
Flop12, you should try the interweb for those graphics. You butthole
That's what I'm doing here. No luck so far. Thanks for your great wisdom of everthing moto, nutsack.
I thought it was pretty crazy when he crashed trying to pass RC and the whole place boo'ed RC like I've never seen before.
I had the absolute pleasure of hanging with Travis and the entire Nitro Circus crew when they did some taping for the TV show here in North Carolina.. Travis couldn't have been nicer, cooler, or more down to earth. Our sport and our WORLD would be a better place with more people who act as humble and greatful as TP!! 199 is THE MAN!!
forgot the vette wreck where he almost killed his passenger,,think it left him in a chair for the rest of his life,,i like travis but youse all bag on stewart & j-law seems its only right to bring this up,,fair game
He is the showman. All time.
i forget the year but travis wheelied through the whoops at washougal wrapped up the title that year and then signed autographs till sundown no one that wanted an autograph left without
I think he is an idiot.
how about unadilla when he knocked himself out on the last lap on that super high speed uphill - i was standing at the fence in stunned disbelief - and i was not drunk
by the way - he was winning
The best thing about Travis is his personality. He is a pleasure to spend time with. He is the absolute best with allowing time for his fans, particularly kids. And, he always wants the best for his friends, family, and fellow competitors.
Even after all of his success, headlines, and accolades, he still has both feet firmly on the ground. A lesson for all of us to share a smile or a kind hello whenever we can.
Another cool thing about travis that people may not know is that travis doesnt touch drugs or alcohol
Travis' craziest moment is coming soon. He's getting married.