After debuting the bike flip 180 just last week, Hoffman Bikes pro Zack Warden has stamped another first into the unofficial big book of BMX firsts. While riding in preparation for X Games Los Angeles at Woodward West in Tehachapi, Calif., Warden became the first BMX rider to land a triple tailwhip on the quarterpipe portion of the MegaRamp.
The trick, caught on photo by a variety of onlookers, including BMX Big Air competitor Anthony Napolitan and vert skater Neil Hendrix, was shared via Instagram not long after Warden landed the triple tailwhip. Almost immediately, fellow BMXers started commenting on the first, including Chad Kagy ("So sick"), Steve McCann ("Yeah ya!"), Ryan "Barspinner" Brennan ("Stud") and Jared Souney ("I remember when you were Kevin Robinson's adopted son. Congrats.")
Warden also commented. "I'm super pumped to have pulled my first triple whip on this beast today," he said.
The triple tailwhip, first attempted by tailwhip innovator Joe Johnson in 1989 (at Woodward Camp in Pa.), remained untouched for almost twenty years in the realm of BMX Vert. In the summer of 2007, X Games BMX Vert rider Coco Zurita became the first rider to land the triple tailwhip on a standard vert ramp, but broke his ankle attempting the same trick at X Games in 2007.
In the time since, Steve McCann has also landed the triple tailwhip on vert, but the trick remained elusive on the MegaRamp. Both Warden and Morgan Wade had attempted the Mega version of the triple tailwhip, but neither had ridden away until Zack landed it yesterday.
Warden celebrated last night.
Warden, 23, is invited to compete in BMX Vert and BMX Big Air at X Games Los Angeles 2012. His all-or-nothing approach to the MegaRamp, which includes backflip bike-flips and 360 bike-flips, could very well yield a podium spot if it all comes together.
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