Australia demands its sports heroes to be tough and there’s no athlete tougher than Robbie Maddison. Born in 1981 and raised two hours south of Sydney along the NSW South Coast in a town called Kiama, Maddison is no longer just a hero Down Under. He’s a worldwide star. In fact, a Guinness Book of World Records star.
Self-described as a bit crazy since birth, “Maddo,” as he is often called these days, started riding motocross at age five and found it to be his natural calling. “I was a fast racer as a kid,” he says. “I grew up banging bars with Chad Reed and Aaron Gobert. I was always the kid who jumped the furthest, so when FMX came about I was pumped on it. Tricks came naturally to me, I just liked doing them.”
And doing them he did very well from an early age. “I’m not normal,” Maddison admits. “I broke the rational thinking threshold when I jumped 120 feet on my KX-60 at eight years old.”
The jumps got bigger and bigger as he got older (he’s set multiple world records over the years) but the consequences got bigger too. He’s broken his neck, had three seizures, punctured both lungs, smashed teeth, broken his collarbone four times, and snapped his wrist four times. Not to mention fractured toes and fingers too numerous to count. None has yet to derail his quest to be the best FMX rider and longest jumper on the planet.
"The worst injuries I have are the easiest to get through because you land that hard you go straight into unconsciousness," he says. "I break something bad, but I can't remember it or feel it. I always wake up in hospital thinking, 'What happened?'”
But the former electrician and now U.S. resident really shot to international prominence on New Year's Day 2008 at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas by shattering the previous 277-foot world motorcycle distance jumping record. Before a live national TV audience on ESPN, Maddison twice leapt over the length of an American football field and recorded a new personal best of 322 feet and 7.5 inches despite cold and windy desert conditions.
The jump was the first-ever Red Bull Experiment, which involves world-class athletes attempting world-first athletic achievements.
“The Red Bull Experiment is only the start of something great for me and long distance jumping,” he proclaims. “I want to take it to a whole other realm and really show everyone out there what is possible on a dirt bike.”
Maddison credits Red Bull as being a big help in his push to the top. “The saying ‘Red Bull gives you wings’ is a fact,” he says. “I’ll fly through time zones to an event where by the time I’m on the bike I should be asleep, I’ll pound a few Red Bulls and my concentration and mind is back to peak performance. Red Bull is like my big brother, anything, anytime, just say it and you got it.”
He also pays homage to the original motorcycle long distance jump showman, Evel Knievel, who passed away less than two months prior to Maddison’s record-breaking Las Vegas jump.
"Evel Knievel inspired me to get involved in distance jumps," Maddison adds. "It was just such a shame he wasn't here to see the jump as he has always said it couldn't be done."
But he’s now a marked man again for long distance jumping rivals Ryan Capes and Seth Enslow, who plan on going head to head against Maddison over world jumping bragging rights.
Maddo is ready for the challenge. He knows he can go further than on that blustery night in Las Vegas.
“I want to jump big,” Maddison told his hometown newspaper back in Australia. “I want to jump some crazy stuff in the future. I know the consequences are high, but this is my life. It's what I love to do, cheating death all the time."
Self-described as a bit crazy since birth, “Maddo,” as he is often called these days, started riding motocross at age five and found it to be his natural calling. “I was a fast racer as a kid,” he says. “I grew up banging bars with Chad Reed and Aaron Gobert. I was always the kid who jumped the furthest, so when FMX came about I was pumped on it. Tricks came naturally to me, I just liked doing them.”
And doing them he did very well from an early age. “I’m not normal,” Maddison admits. “I broke the rational thinking threshold when I jumped 120 feet on my KX-60 at eight years old.”
The jumps got bigger and bigger as he got older (he’s set multiple world records over the years) but the consequences got bigger too. He’s broken his neck, had three seizures, punctured both lungs, smashed teeth, broken his collarbone four times, and snapped his wrist four times. Not to mention fractured toes and fingers too numerous to count. None has yet to derail his quest to be the best FMX rider and longest jumper on the planet.
"The worst injuries I have are the easiest to get through because you land that hard you go straight into unconsciousness," he says. "I break something bad, but I can't remember it or feel it. I always wake up in hospital thinking, 'What happened?'”
Jumping onto the World's Stage
Despite the physical setbacks, Maddison is extremely proud of his accomplishments like the time he leapt 221 feet on a 125cc motorcycle for a world record and then surpassed that in 2005 with a 246 foot long jump on a 250cc bike while doing a massive heart attack FMX trick to please the crowd for another world record.But the former electrician and now U.S. resident really shot to international prominence on New Year's Day 2008 at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas by shattering the previous 277-foot world motorcycle distance jumping record. Before a live national TV audience on ESPN, Maddison twice leapt over the length of an American football field and recorded a new personal best of 322 feet and 7.5 inches despite cold and windy desert conditions.
The jump was the first-ever Red Bull Experiment, which involves world-class athletes attempting world-first athletic achievements.
“The Red Bull Experiment is only the start of something great for me and long distance jumping,” he proclaims. “I want to take it to a whole other realm and really show everyone out there what is possible on a dirt bike.”
Maddison credits Red Bull as being a big help in his push to the top. “The saying ‘Red Bull gives you wings’ is a fact,” he says. “I’ll fly through time zones to an event where by the time I’m on the bike I should be asleep, I’ll pound a few Red Bulls and my concentration and mind is back to peak performance. Red Bull is like my big brother, anything, anytime, just say it and you got it.”
He also pays homage to the original motorcycle long distance jump showman, Evel Knievel, who passed away less than two months prior to Maddison’s record-breaking Las Vegas jump.
"Evel Knievel inspired me to get involved in distance jumps," Maddison adds. "It was just such a shame he wasn't here to see the jump as he has always said it couldn't be done."
Battle for Supremecy
With the experiment proven, what’s next for Maddo? Sure, he’s got a full plate of FMX competition and shows to keep him busy and focused. “I want an X-Games gold medal for FMX, Big Air. I want to win the Dew Tour.”But he’s now a marked man again for long distance jumping rivals Ryan Capes and Seth Enslow, who plan on going head to head against Maddison over world jumping bragging rights.
Maddo is ready for the challenge. He knows he can go further than on that blustery night in Las Vegas.
“I want to jump big,” Maddison told his hometown newspaper back in Australia. “I want to jump some crazy stuff in the future. I know the consequences are high, but this is my life. It's what I love to do, cheating death all the time."
Rutger Pauw
Chris Tedesco
Christian Pondella
