Hailing from the frosty state of Minnesota, Paris Rosen came out of nowhere to front flip his way into the hearts of the freestyle motocross industry and fans all over the world. Although Rosen had success multiple times with the trick to dirt, he never did pull the trick at his two X Games appearances in 2009 and 2010.
Nearly three years later, Paris Rosen has come out of nowhere again to inadvertently put himself back into the spotlight. This time the stakes are a little higher this time. Rosen has been successfully completing the rotation needed for a double front flip in a foam pit.
No, you don't need to clean your glasses, you red that right. Paris Rosen is training for a double front flip and XGames.com caught up with the FMX mad man last week …
XGames.com: Before we get to the current topic of interest, I want to touch on the run you made with the front flip a few years back. Tell us how your last X Games experience went in your eyes.
Rosen: I didn't have the money to pull together a good enough program that year at X and it left me with a garbage bike that went to hell on me when I needed it most.
The whole month of July I had abandoned the foam pit in my training regimen. Every day instead of show up to Vince's [Morgan] to do front flips into the pit I would just show up … Vince would come out in his flip flops and morning cup of coffee and watch as I would spin multiple 75-foot front flips to dirt in his back yard.
It was pretty cool if you think about it! So X Games comes along and after spinning well over 30 of those bad boys to dirt I was sitting in Staples Center ready to throw down! I wasn't going to go to X this year unless I was doing them to dirt consistently, and that I had taken care of.
The next part of my plan was that I was committed to throw the front flip in practice at X before the event … that one didn't go as planned. Once we fired up the bike and went out for practice we had major throttle issues. When I would rev the darn thing out and chop it the motor would stay revved at like ¾ to ½ throttle! It was so messed up! That is like my lifeline when I front flip … that throttle needs to cut off exactly when I need it to. It is the driving force to the start of the forward rotation.
Needless to say we couldn't get that problem worked out and it was still screwed up when I was on top of that roll-in ready to drop in. Oh well, I just went for it and hoped for the best. It sucked … I needed that preparation to get dialed on the course and get my timing down with the new set-up.
All in all it was my fault and I screwed the pooch big time and what do you do? My crew and I worked ourselves to the bone and we tried our absolute best. We are all fighters and we gave it heck! In FMX that's all you really can do! Give 'er heck!
What was the feeling like on your couch watching Jacko Strong win a gold medal with a trick you had dialed a few summers before?
It bothered some of my friends, but it actually brought a big smile to my face! It has never been about a gold medal, a big paycheck, or being famous for me. It goes much deeper than that. Indirectly we were competitors, but in a way I think we are more so on the same team on the same mission.
So with that being said, it was like if I was playing in the Super Bowl and one of my teammates scored the last-minute, game-winning touchdown. I still won the Super Bowl, but I don't get any of the hero glory my teammate got for scoring the winning touchdown. Does that help you understand?
I would love to meet Jackson Strong some day! I consider myself a fan of his …
Today is a totally different story, you have put yourself back in the map with what myself and many other people thought was absolutely impossible. You have been successfully completing double front flip into a foam pit …
Today isn't a different story at all. I do what I do for the same reasons I did in the past. I am here to challenge myself and prove this trick can be done. X Games, glory, or just for fun … I love riding, and pushing the limits of what others think is possible on a motorcycle. The beat goes on no matter what, man.
Paris, are you nuts?
Yes, I'm nuts!
When and where did you decide a double front flip was a possibility?
Unlike many others, not only did I know the double front flip was possible … but I knew how the trick could be done. It was around this time last year that I came to the realization that this trick could seriously be done.
I had a game plan but also had life plans. I planned to get a house in the summer and get married in the fall. So all the blueprints, plans and dreams of a double was put off until December of 2012. It drove me nuts having to wait almost a year to put my ideas to the test, but my family and personal life comes first now whereas in the past I would have done the opposite … putting riding ahead of all else.
We know you are out at Vince Morgan's house using the foam pit, but what ramp are you hitting?
We built a super kicker ramp similar in style used for double backflips.
Is this set-up that could be used in a contest format?
Definitely …
So I am trying to understand this trick. Is it just a "huck" trick and hope for the best or is there a midair strategy involved?
Like any "trick" there are "tricks" to pulling it. One interesting thing I learned in the development of the trick is that with all the centrifugal force involved: the rider and bike try to separate almost immediately. So I need to squeeze my bike from the moment I leave the ramp until I bring the second rotation around.
Paris … you are crazy and we look forward to watching you stomp this to dirt this summer. Thanks, man …
Thank you, and I want to thank all my friends, family and supporters I've had throughout my deranged riding "career." Without them, none of this progression would be possible. I also want to thank all the FMX riders out there who have inspired me over the years while breaking their own bones to progress our sport.
