Red Bull athlete Kieran Reilly has reportedly become the first person ever to land a triple flair, a BMX trick incorporating three backflips with a half twist, something deemed impossible by the majority of the professional bicycle motocross world.
The British rider finally landed the triple flair at Asylum Park in Nottinghamshire after 13 days and 20 previous attempts, with each failed effort taking a significant toll on Reilly's body. However, each effort also provided him with extra motivation to push the boundaries of tricks performed within the sport, and he eventually completed the insanely difficult stunt.
Reilly said: "It’s one of those tricks you can only attempt a couple of times because when you crash, you crash hard.
“I couldn’t have done this without the help from Red Bull who assembled an amazing crew for me as soon as I thought I had a crack at pulling off the triple flair. They helped bring in the amazing build crew who kitted out Asylum with a bespoke setup for this trick that was suited to all my needs.
"It’s a dream to be riding with a Red Bull helmet on my head, every time I catch a glimpse of it I’m reminded of how far I’ve come and how much further I want to push myself in BMX as a sport.”
The Red Bull athlete only managed to land his first double flair a year ago, a trick requiring two backflips with a half twist and only completed by the best BMX riders. Completing a successful triple flair, therefore, emphasises the state of euphoria he is now feeling, and highlights the incredible trajectory he is on.
The Newcastle-born rider first announced his name in the BMX world as an 11-year-old when he landed a 720 over a spine at Unit 23 in Glasgow, and he has progressed ever since. He is now a part of the British Cycling setup, with his sights firmly fixed on competing at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Highly esteemed BMX rider Sebastian Keep was also on hand to offer Reilly support during his attempts, watching the young rider perform the world's first successful triple flair.
Keep said: “Watching the next generation succeed and own a world first trick is not only inspiring but pushes the whole BMX community to go big. As an athlete you always want to achieve the next ‘big thing’ and seeing Kieran reach this milestone with Red Bull’s support is hopefully encouraging to everyone who wants to achieve great things.”
The trick can be watched on Red Bull UK’s Instagram and TikTok, with a full behind the scenes edit on Red Bull’s Bike YouTube channel and at redbull.co.uk/tripleflair.
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