Mike Metzger

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Mike Metzger

Personal information
Full name	Michael Metzger
Nickname	The Godfather
Nationality	American
Born	(1975-11-19) November 19, 1975 (age 48) Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg)
Spouse	Mandi Metzger
Children	2
Sport
Sport	Freestyle motocross (FMX), Freeride Mountain biking
Event(s)	X Games, Gravity Games, Red Bull X-Fighters, Dew Tour
Medal record Summer X Games Representing  United States 2002 Philadelphia Moto X Freestyle 2002 Philadelphia Moto X Big Air 2002 Philadelphia Moto X Step Up Winter X Games 2003 Aspen Moto X Big Air 2004 Aspen Moto X Best Trick Gravity Games 2000 Providence Moto X Freestyle 2002 Cleveland Moto X Freestyle

Michael Metzger (born November 19, 1975) is an American freestyle motocross rider. Metzger has been riding motorcycles for 27 years of his life, but he began his focus on Freestyle in the late '90s.

Metzger was born in Huntington Beach, California on November 19, 1975.

In the 2002 X Games, Metzger won the Freestyle and Big Air events and got second place in Step Up, earning him an estimated $100,000 in three days. In 2003 he also got first place in Big Air at Winter X Games. On August 7th, 2003, Metzger debut the "McNasty", a Backflip Heelclicker at the Disney’s California Adventure, unfortunately he crashed on it and has a concussion and a injured wrist, which mean he did not compete at the 2003 X Games (X Games IX). On January 21, 2005, Metzger recuperating from his terrible crash and injury in Geneva, Switzerland, nine days ago. Metzger lost one of his testicles when he failed to land a Nac-Nac Backflip, and he spent six days in the hospital there. On May 4, 2006, at 9:26, Metzger completed "The Impossible Jump", doing a world record backflip over the fountains in front of Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, seen live on ESPN. He is the first person to complete a backflip over the fountains, and only the second person to ever successfully land that jump. The others to attempt the jump over Caesars Palace's fountains include Evel Knievel, Gary Wells, and Robbie Knievel, of which only Robbie landed successfully. He also set the record for distance, landing 125 feet from the takeoff ramp. Metzger recently has been doing freeride. ^{[citation needed]}

Commonly known as "The Godfather of Freestyle Motocross", Metzger was one of the first riders to begin doing basic tricks such as heel clickers and can cans. His acrobatic accomplishments include being the first person to complete back-to-back-flips (two flips on two consecutive jumps) at the X Games.^[1] As a result of his popularity, he also appeared in Freekstyle, a 2002 motocross racing game for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube, and his image is on the cover.^[2] He invented the heel clicker (Frezno Smooth).

Metzger has appeared numerous times on the Discovery Channel's extreme sport show Stunt Junkies. In the last episode he appeared in, he was seriously injured; while attempting to execute a jump with a back-flip between two barges, he overshot the landing ramp and suffered a compression fracture of the L4 vertebra in his lower back.^[3]

He invented the "McMetz", a trick in which the rider puts both feet over the handlebars in midair, then sweeps them backward towards his arms, takes his hands off the bars to allow the legs by, then remounts the bike after floating detached from it for a split second.^{[citation needed]}

Metzger lives in Big Bear, California.^[4]

• 1999 FMX Vans Triple Crown Champion
• 2002 Red Bull X-Fighters - Freestyle: 3rd (Madrid, Spain)
• 2005 Dew Tour - Freestyle: 10th

GOLD (3) SILVER (2) BRONZE (0)

YEAR	X GAMES	EVENTS	RANK	MEDAL
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Freestyle
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Step Up
2001	Summer X Games VII	Moto X Big Air
2002	Summer X Games VIII	Moto X Freestyle	1st
2002	Summer X Games VIII	Moto X Step Up	2nd
2002	Summer X Games VIII	Moto X Big Air	1st
2003	Winter X Games VII	Moto X Big Air	1st
2004	Winter X Games VIII	Moto X Best Trick	2nd
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Best Trick	9th
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Step Up	5th
2004	Summer X Games X	Moto X Freestyle	7th
2004	Summer X Games X	Supermoto	8th
2006	Winter X Games X	Moto X Best Trick	6th
2010	Summer X Games XVI	Moto X Speed & Style	8th

YEAR	GRAVITY GAMES	LOCATION	EVENTS	RANK	MEDAL
2000	Gravity Games II	Providence, Rhode Island	Moto X Freestyle	2nd
2001	Gravity Games III	Providence, Rhode Island	Moto X Freestyle	5th
2002	Gravity Games IV	Cleveland, Ohio	Moto X Freestyle	2nd

• Mike Metzger Official page on FMX Life
• Mike Metzger's Motocross Team: The Mob Syndicate
• EXPN Web Chat with Mike after the 2002 X-Games
• Metzger's profile on GrindTV.com