FMX rider Levi Sherwood continues to defy gravity

Freestyle motocross has been jumping up higher in popularity over the past few years, literally. FMX star Levi Sherwood

remains at the top of his game and soaring over crowds around the world. Sherwood currently competes in the Red Bull X-Fighters competition as well as touring with the Nitro Circus, led by motocross veteran Travis Pastrana.

Sherwood had jumped into FMX at the age of 17 when a Red Bull X-Fighters rider had pulled out of the competition, leaving a spot for the young New Zealander in 2009. With nothing to lose, Sherwood went up against veteran FMX riders, such as Tom Pages and Josh Sheehan. All eyes had fallen upon the newcomer as he had extended higher above the competition, getting his first win in Mexico at his first X-Fighters event.

After his victorious night in Mexico, Sherwood continued to smash the competition with his unmatchable style and perfect execution of tricks. Currently he holds the X-Fighters record for the most wins and won the X-Fighters championship title in 2012.

Recently the now 25 year old New Zealander has taken third place in the Aus X-Open Best Trick competition, flying over the jumps with his trademark trick extensions. He also took first in the Nitro World Circus Freestyle Competition back in August. Sherwood is known for the incredible form he achieves in the split seconds spent hovering over his bike in mid-air. After hitting the ramp, Sherwood flies higher than any other FMX rider and performs his tricks in a smooth motion that drips with perfection.

One of the most notorious examples of Sherwood’s breathtaking trick extensions is his take on the Rock Solid trick where he lets go of the bike to fly superhero style above the bike, only to grab back on just before hitting the ground in one fluid motion. In this trick he is able to fully extend his body and hold the trick longer than any rider before making it back on the bike to hit the ground with a solid landing.

However, Sherwood’s bag of tricks does not stop here. Backflip combinations are a staple in any of his performances. He remains ruthless in combining some of the toughest tricks together to create a stunning trick. One of the standouts among his long list of tricks is the Shaolin Backflip. Right after hitting the ramp, Sherwood falls into a backflip and the puts both feet between the handlebars and his arms, only to let go to let his legs come back around to grip back onto the bike.

Although it would not be a Sherwood performance without his self created trick called “The Flaming Mullet” included in his run. In case you didn’t already know, he’s trying to bring back the dreaded hairstyle, but at least his helmet covers it up. The trick itself starts off with a backflip into his variation of a Rowedova backflip, which Sherwood flips his body to have his feet on the handlebars and hands on the seat while he faces away from the bike. Sherwood’s take on this trick bursts with style and flawless execution.

Sherwood is undoubtedly an FMX rider to look out for, and he can’t be hard to miss with his “flaming mullet” hiding just beneath his helmet. Putting Sherwood’s well executed tricks into words may just be as challenging as the tricks themselves, but to see them for yourself, you can catch Sherwood on NBC to see replays of the 2016 Nitro Circus tour.