The True Pioneers: 5 People Who Were The 'First' To Land The Backflip

The question of who was the first person to perform a backflip is far more complex than a simple name and date, spanning centuries from medieval acrobats to modern extreme sports heroes. As of late 2025, the definitive answer depends entirely on the context—whether it’s an unassisted somersault, a motorcycle stunt, or a banned gymnastics move. The backflip, or backward somersault, has evolved from a simple acrobatic maneuver into the ultimate benchmark of courage and skill across multiple disciplines, with a different pioneer marking the "first" in each category. The common, definitive answer to the first *recorded* backflip is often shrouded in myth, but the true pioneers who brought the move into modern competition and extreme sports are well-documented, forever changing the landscape of their respective fields.

The Definitive List of Backflip "Firsts": The Real Pioneers of the Rotation

The backflip is not a single invention but a series of groundbreaking achievements. To truly answer the question, we must look at the specific discipline, as the first person to flip on a dirt bike is a different hero than the first to flip in a major gymnastics competition.

1. The Medieval Myth: Sir John H. Backflip (1316)

The most viral, yet entirely fictional, answer to the question of the first backflip belongs to Sir John H. Backflip. This claim, which often surfaces in online searches, suggests a knight and acrobat performed the first recorded back somersault in 1316 for King Edward II. While a fun piece of trivia, this story is a well-known internet joke, often used to highlight how easily dubious facts can spread online. The reality is that unassisted somersaults have been a staple of acrobatics and tumbling for millennia, long before any formal "recording" in the 14th century.

2. The Gymnastics Pioneer: Olga Korbut (The Banned "Dead Loop")

In the world of modern, competitive acrobatics, a spectacular and terrifying "first" was performed by Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut. At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Korbut performed the "Dead Loop"—a backward somersault on the high bar of the uneven bars apparatus. This move was so dangerous and revolutionary that it was later banned, but it demonstrated the first high-profile, unassisted backflip in a major international sports competition, inspiring countless future gymnasts.

3. The Bicycle Innovator: Jose Yanez (BMX and 80cc Moto)

The backflip's journey into extreme sports began with Jose Yanez. A former gymnast, Yanez is widely credited as the *inventor of the backflip on a bicycle*.

• The First Bicycle Backflip: Yanez successfully landed a ramp-to-ramp backflip on a BMX bike in March 1984. The groundbreaking photo of his achievement was featured on the cover of *BMX Plus!* magazine.
• The First Small Motorcycle Backflip: He later scaled the trick up, becoming the first person to backflip an 80cc motocross bike in 1991.

Yanez laid the essential groundwork, proving the rotation was possible on a vehicle with wheels, setting the stage for the next, even more daunting challenge.

4. The FMX Game-Changer: Caleb Wyatt (Full-Size Motorcycle)

The single most significant and highly-publicized backflip "first" in extreme sports belongs to Caleb Wyatt. For years, the backflip on a full-size, 250cc or larger motocross bike was considered the "holy grail" of Freestyle Motocross (FMX)—a physically impossible move that would kill anyone who attempted it. Wyatt changed history on April 25, 2002, when he successfully landed a backflip on a full-size motorcycle at the Rogue Valley Motocross track (RVMX) in Central Point, Oregon. This monumental achievement, performed just one day after a failed attempt by rival Carey Hart, immediately became the ultimate extreme sports milestone, ushering in the modern era of FMX.

5. The Ice Skating Pioneer: Terry Kubicka (1976)

In one of the more unusual categories, U.S. figure skater Terry Kubicka was the first person to successfully execute a *legal* backflip in a major international competition. He performed the move at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Although the International Skating Union (ISU) later banned the move from competitive programs due to its acrobatic nature, Kubicka’s somersault technique on ice remains a historic "first."

Caleb Wyatt: The Man Who Defied Gravity on a Full-Size Bike

The story of the motorcycle backflip is arguably the most dramatic and relevant to modern extreme sports. The rivalry and risk involved cemented Caleb Wyatt’s place in history.

Biography and Key Achievements

• Name: Caleb Alan Wyatt
• Born: January 1, 1976
• Hometown: Central Point, Oregon, USA
• Discipline: Freestyle Motocross (FMX)
• Signature Trick: The Motorcycle Backflip
• Date of First Successful Backflip: April 25, 2002
• Location: Rogue Valley Motocross Track (RVMX), Central Point, Oregon
• Rivalry: Wyatt's successful landing came immediately after Carey Hart attempted the trick at the 2000 Gravity Games and the 2001 X Games, but crashed both times. Wyatt’s success was a win in a highly competitive race to conquer the trick.

Wyatt’s achievement was the result of years of preparation, starting with attempts into a foam pit and meticulously calculating the physics of rotating a 200+ pound machine in mid-air. His successful landing on solid ground proved that the backflip was not a trick of luck or impossibility, but a repeatable, professional stunt.

The Backflip's Legacy: From Circus Trick to X Games Gold

The backflip’s evolution from an ancient acrobatic somersault to a foundational move in modern extreme sports is a testament to human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of boundary-pushing performance.

The BMX Revolution and Mat Hoffman

While Jose Yanez was the first to land the bicycle backflip, its popularization and subsequent evolution were driven by other legends, notably Mat Hoffman. Hoffman took the backflip and integrated it into the vert ramp scene, where it became a staple of BMX competition. This trick, once a terrifying novelty, became the baseline for advanced aerials, leading to double and triple rotations.

The FMX Arms Race

Caleb Wyatt's 2002 success immediately triggered an "arms race" in Freestyle Motocross. Within months, the backflip was being performed by multiple riders, and within a few years, it was a required move to compete for X Games gold. Riders quickly began adding variations, such as the Nac-Nac Backflip, the Superflip, and the terrifying Double Backflip, first landed by Travis Pastrana in 2006. The backflip, once the pinnacle of FMX, became the foundation for the next generation of extreme sports stunts.

The Enduring Appeal of the Backward Rotation

Today, the backflip is a common element in parkour, trampolining, wakeboarding, and snowboarding. Each successful execution, whether on a mountain bike, a snowboard, or a massive dirt bike, pays homage to the pioneers like Jose Yanez, Olga Korbut, and Caleb Wyatt. They took an ancient acrobatic maneuver and, through sheer will and engineering, adapted it to their disciplines, forever raising the bar for what is physically possible. The backflip remains the universal symbol of gravity-defying courage and the ultimate extreme sports milestone.