Landing the Word’s Longest MTB Backflip
Mountain biker jumps 100 feet, 3 inches
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Mountain biker Cam Zink claimed a Guinness World Record on Thursday evening after completing the longest bicycle backflip distance jump ever—a whopping 100 feet, 3 inches.
After waiting for strong winds to die down at California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Zink descended a 910-foot approach—reaching speeds of 48 mph—and sailed over an 80-foot dirt-to-dirt gap jump to achieve his Mammoth Flip.
“It’s like a dream. I mean, just popped off and I was like, ‘Holy moly.’ I forgot how long I’d be in the air,” Zink told ESPN. “I still felt comfortable, but I’m like, ‘Man, I’m just staring at the sky forever.’ … It’s a long flight.”
“I think it’s just the beginning, as in I’ll do—maybe one day—150, 200, who knows?” he added.
Those increments might not be so obscene for riders like Zink. He already held the unofficial record for the jump, increasing it in spades this week as part of a Monster Energy–backed TV special—his previous record was a 78-foot jump on the FMB World Tour course at Red Bull Rampage 2013.
The jump was Zink’s second record of the day. Zink managed to set the dirt-to-dirt bicycle straight air record with a 120-foot unassisted jump during warm-ups for the flip. Talk about effortless.
Catch an encore presentation of Zink’s flip on Sunday at 2 p.m. EST, when it airs during ABC’s one-hour World of X Games highlight show, or watch his flip online.