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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Michael Metzger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | The Godfather | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1975-11-19)November 19, 1975 (age 49) 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
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Michael Metzger (born November 19, 1975) is an Americanfreestyle 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 2002X 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 7, 2003, Metzger debut the "McNasty", a "Backflip Heelclicker" at theDisney's California Adventure, unfortunately he crashed on it and has aconcussion and an injuredwrist, 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 inGeneva, Switzerland, nine days ago. Metzger lost one of histesticles when he failed to land a "Backflip Nac-Nac", 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 ofCaesars Palace,Las Vegas, seen live onESPN. 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 includeEvel Knievel,Gary Wells, andRobbie 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 doingfreeride.[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 inFreekstyle, a 2002motocrossracing game for thePlayStation 2,Game Boy Advance, andGameCube, and his image is on the cover.[2] He invented the heel clicker (Frezno Smooth).
Metzger has appeared numerous times on the Discovery Channel'sextreme sport showStunt Junkies. In the last episode he appeared in, he was seriously injured; while attempting to execute a jump with a back-flip between twobarges, he overshot the landing ramp and suffered a compression fracture of the L4vertebra 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 inBig Bear, California.[4]
| YEAR | X GAMES | EVENTS | RANK | MEDAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Summer X Games VII | Moto X Freestyle | 9th | |
| 2001 | Summer X Games VII | Moto X Big Air | 13th | |
| 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 | MTX 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, RI | MTX Freestyle | 2nd | |
| 2001 | Gravity Games III | Providence, RI | MTX Freestyle | 5th | |
| 2002 | Gravity Games IV | Cleveland, OH | MTX Freestyle | 2nd | |
