Kevin Robinson

Kevin Robinson pedaled his way into action sports history at X Games 12 in 2006 when he landed the first-ever double flair (a double back flip with a 180) in an indisputable gold medal performance in the Vert Best Trick contest. “The whole feeling was surreal,” he remembers. No doubt, considering he had been working on the trick for three years. He followed his Best Trick win with a second gold medal two days later at the inaugural BMX Big Air event, where riders launch over a 70-foot gap before hitting a massive 27-foot-high quarterpipe. In 2007, he repeated gold in Big Air, and picked up a bronze in Vert, bringing his X Games medal count to 7. He was even named Most Outstanding Athlete of the event, an award he points to as his 2007 highlight. "It was really an honor," he says. "I'm not the most naturally talented bike rider; riding has always been an uphill battle for me. It was really rewarding, showing that hard work and perseverance really pay off." These achievements are extra sweet for the 36-year old, whose career in BMX spans over 20 years. In a sport driven by the next generation, Robinson keeps pushing back, only getting better with age.

STAYING POWER

Robinson found his calling at age 10 in East Providence, Rhode Island when his parents discovered that the local bike shop took kids to BMX races on Sundays. “My mom and dad would go to all the races and it was great," he recalls. "But then I saw these guys doing bike tricks in some TV commercial and that was it. We built a ramp in my friend’s backyard and never looked back.”

Robinson has been on a straight track ever since, rarely deviating from his passion for BMX. He’s been sponsored by Hoffman Bikes for 16 years and demonstrates a rare commitment to loyalty in the often fickle world of action sports. “It’s not about the money,” he asserts. “It’s about believing in the people who support you and believing in the relationships that make it worthwhile.” Robinson now sports a tattoo that reads "HB Lifer".

His competitive history is one of the longest standing in action sports. Robinson is one of a select few athletes who has competed in the X Games since its inception in 1995. For at least ten years, he’s held steady as a top-tier competitor in big events like the X Games, the Gravity Games and the AST Tour, and his recent gold medals prove that he's still at the top of his game.

A PROFESSIONAL PRO

Off the competitive circuit, Robinson’s values for dedication and loyalty overlap into all facets of his life. He’s a devoted husband and father (to daughter Shaye, 3, and son Kevin Jr., 2) and loves being a family man. He often finds ways to bring his kids into almost any topic of conversation. “Once you have kids, it really puts everything into perspective,” he says. “The things you thought were so important before become secondary.”

Robinson is also an active participant in charity events, and in recent years has become heavily involved with the Junior Seau Foundation. "I go to inner-city schools and spread the message to kids that you can persevere and conquer anything you want if you just set your mind to it," he says. He was named to the foundation's board of directors in March 2008.

Since 2000, Robinson and his family have lived in Pennsylvania to be close to Woodward Camp's training facilities, but the board appointment and a hectic travel schedule that frequently brings him to California prompted a move to Carlsbad for the '08 season. In addition to solving the problem of being away from his family so much, he'll have a new ramp to ride and a new crew to ride with, which he welcomes as new motivation.

ALWAYS PUSHING
Robinson is always at maximum output, throwing everything he has into everything he does. He's committed to setting personal goals and doing whatever it takes to achieve them. His health is important – and vital, in the business of vert riding – so he works out in the gym regularly. "I listen to what my doctor says, eat healthy, work out six days a week and take good care of myself. It helps prevent injuries and if something does happen, it helps me recover so much easier.”

In fact, he's become an encyclopedia of health knowledge, and he's usually the first one to rush to the aid of a fellow competitor when there's a crash. "Another thing I've been really adamant about lately is bringing concussion awareness to our sports," he says. "Trying to spread the knowledge that it's severe and it's a serious issue." Whether it's his family, the kids he touches through his charity work, or the guys he shares the ramp with, Robinson is a consistently solid presence, always there to help any way he can.

THE NEXT STEP

On June 12th, 2008, Robinson is set to achieve yet another of his lofty goals: setting the record for highest flair out of a quarterpipe in Kevin Robinson’s Red Bull Experiment. The feat will go down in New York's Central Park, with a special ramp built just for the occasion. "I'm going to try to do the highest flair I can," he says excitedly. The flair he did at the 2007 X Games came in at 18' 2", and he had blasted one over 22 feet in practice. This ramp won't feature the gap jump that the X Games ramp had, so with Robinson able to focus solely on the quarterpipe air, there's no telling how high he'll go.
Robinson will continue to work hard to expand the reach of the Junior Seau Foundation, but when it comes to BMX, he still shows no signs of slowing down. “I’ve never put a timeline on it. There are still tricks that I want to do, so I'll keep on challenging myself. I won't be the guy riding off into a calm sunset; I'll ride full-throttle or I'm not going to ride at all."