2. Ryan Capes Launches into the Record Books at nearly 400 Feet
In July of 2008, at Toes MX Park in Royal City, Washington, Ryan Capes smashed Maddison's record (and his own personal best) with an unbelievable 390-foot jump, which required more than a quarter of a mile of asphalt to be poured in order to give him adequate room to build up speed before hitting the launch ramp.
The jump is so far and at such high speeds that, in order to get the scope of distance, the cameras are so far away from the jump that Capes looks like a speck of dirt flying through the air:
Really, at this point it seems like these riders are only bound by the speed at which they can hit the launch ramp. Gone are the American flag jump suits and unreliable Harley Davidsons and their finicky carburetors, replaced by Monster energy drink sponsorships and nu-metal soundtracks.
Hey, you gotta make a living somehow. But for me, it's a lot harder to be inspired by a guy who sounds like Steve-o from Jackass while my eyes are being bombarded with energy drink logos. I wonder if this is how Evel envisioned the future of daredevils when he was putting back shots of Wild Turkey before the Caesar's Palace jump.
There's no doubt that Ryan is, in fact, a ballsy guy -- imagine the point of view he must've had at the apex of that jump -- but it's as though the technology and modernization of the sport has removed all of the danger and angst that made these motorcycle jumps so intriguing to begin with. Regardless, Ryan definitely gets a hat tip for this one.
1. Travis Pastrana at the 2006 X-Games
This last one though, this one does it for me. Aside from watching Knievel break dozens of bones across a casino parking lot, this is the only other video in this list that made my jaw involuntarily drop the first time I watched it.
At the 2006 X-Games competition, Travis Pastrana made the world stand still. Everyone knew something big was coming. The setting was right -- a maelstrom of flashbulbs constantly going off while the deafening roar of the crowd created the perfect level of tension -- and for a split second, it's nothing but an explosion of flashes and the mid-air whine of the motor:
Unreal.
He might not have the damaged superhero persona, but I'm sure even Evel nodded with approval when he saw that.
