The sun was casting a warm glow over the dirt jumps at Robbie Maddison’s legendary compound as Bonnie and her dad turned up. Bonnie sat in the passenger seat of the car, staring out at the ramps that stretched high into the sky. Her stomach churned with a mix of excitement and nerves. Today, she was going to learn how to do something she’d only ever dreamed of – a backflip on her dirtbike.
“Are you sure about this, Bon?” Mitch asked as he parked the car. “It’s a big challenge. But I know you’re brave enough if you want to give it a go.”
Bonnie took a deep breath and nodded. “I want to do it, Dad. I know it’s scary, but I want to push myself. If Maddo can teach me, I can learn.”
They stepped out of the car, and Bonnie’s eyes widened at the sight of Maddo and his son Kruz practicing. Maddo launched off a massive ramp, flipping his bike effortlessly through the air before touching down with precision on a dirt landing. Kruz followed right after him, pulling off his own backflip. Bonnie felt her heart race. This was real.
“Bonnie!” Maddo called, riding over to meet her. His wide grin and relaxed vibe instantly made her feel more at ease. “Ready to flip? Kruz and I have been waiting for you to show us what you’ve got.”
Bonnie laughed nervously. “I’m ready… I think. But I’m nervous. What if I mess it up?”
Maddo chuckled, resting his arm on his bike. “That’s part of the process, mate. Nobody nails it the first time. The trick to a backflip is all in the timing and commitment. I’ll walk you through it step by step. We’ll start small. Trust me – you’ll be flipping in no time.”
Maddo wheeled Bonnie’s bike to a stationary stand. “Alright, first things first,” he said, patting the handlebars. “A backflip isn’t about pulling the bike back as hard as you can. It’s about technique, timing and throttle control.”
He demonstrated, miming the motion while explaining. “When you hit the ramp, your body needs to be neutral, not leaning too far forward or back. As your back wheel leaves the lip of the ramp, you’ll lean back slightly and give the throttle a smooth twist. That rotation will come from the bike’s power, not from you yanking it back.”
Kruz chimed in, nodding. “And don’t panic mid-air. If you under-rotate, you’ll land in the foam pit. Just try again. And keep your eyes on the horizon. That helps you spot your landing.”
Bonnie practiced the motion on her stationary bike, mimicking the movements Maddo showed her. Lean back, throttle, commit. Over and over again.
“Got it,” Maddo said with a nod. “Now let’s take it to the foam pit.”
Bonnie climbed onto her bike at the base of the ramp leading to a giant foam pit. Her heart thudded in her chest as she looked up at the towering ramp. “You sure this is safe?” she asked, gripping the handlebars tightly.
“Safe as houses,” Maddo assured her. “This pit’s caught more flips than I can count. Watch me first.”
Maddo lined up his bike, revved the engine with a loud ‘braaap’ and launched off the ramp. He leaned back just as his rear wheel left the lip, his bike spinning smoothly backward through the air before landing with a satisfying ‘thud’ in the foam. Kruz followed suit, nailing the rotation perfectly.
“Your turn, Bon,” Maddo said with a grin, riding back to the ramp. “Just remember: throttle steady, eyes up and commit. If you stop halfway, you’ll end up in the foam sideways.”
Bonnie nodded, her hands shaking slightly. She revved her engine. ‘Braaaap!’ The bike roared beneath her and she hit the ramp. As she left the lip, she leaned back and twisted the throttle, feeling the bike begin to rotate. But halfway through, she panicked, cutting the throttle. The bike under-rotated, and she landed sideways in the foam.
“Ah!” she yelped, pulling herself out of the pit.
“Not bad for a first go!” Kruz shouted. “You’re spinning! Just keep the throttle steady.”
Bonnie tried again. And again. Each time, she got a little closer. One attempt went sideways, another under-rotated, but each run gave her more confidence. Finally, after what felt like a hundred tries, she hit the ramp, leaned back, twisted the throttle smoothly and felt the bike spin perfectly. She landed squarely in the foam pit, the bike upright beneath her.
“I did it!” she yelled, throwing her arms in the air.
Maddo and Kruz cheered from the side. “You’re a flipper now!” Maddo cheered. “Ready to take it to dirt?”
Bonnie froze. “You mean… actually land it? On real dirt?”
Maddo nodded. “The foam pit was just the warm-up. Let’s make it real. You’re ready.”
The dirt ramp loomed large before Bonnie. But this wasn’t just any ramp – Maddo had set up a massive jump over a bright yellow bus. Bonnie’s stomach flipped at the sight of it.
“I don’t know,” she said.
“You’ve got this,” Maddo said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s the same as the foam pit. Same ramp, same move. Just commit.”
Bonnie took a deep breath, lined up her bike, and revved the engine. The sound echoed in her ears. She glanced at Maddo and Kruz, who gave her encouraging nods.
She twisted the throttle, the bike roaring as it surged forward. The ramp got closer and closer. ‘Braaaap!’ The engine screamed as she hit the lip. She leaned back, twisting the throttle perfectly as the bike left the ramp. Time seemed to slow. The bike spun backward, Bonnie’s eyes fixed on the horizon as she spotted her landing.
“Commit, commit,” she whispered to herself. The ground rushed up to meet her.
The bike landed with a solid ‘thud’, her tyres gripping the dirt perfectly as she rode away from the jump.
“I did it!” Bonnie screamed, throwing her arms in the air.
Maddo and Kruz ran over, cheering at the top of their lungs. Maddo pulled her into a hug. “Bonnie, you just landed a backflip over a bus. That’s legendary!”
Kruz high-fived her. “You’re a rockstar, Bonnie! That was perfect.”
As they packed up her bike, Bonnie couldn’t stop smiling. Her arms ached, her legs felt like jelly, but her heart soared.
On the ride home, she leaned back in the seat, replaying the day in her head. The nerves, the foam pit, the bus jump – every moment felt unreal. “I can’t believe I did it,” she said softly. “A backflip. Over a bus.”
“You didn’t just do it, Bonnie,” Mitch said. “You crushed it.”
Bonnie smiled, her head leaning against the window. She felt like she was floating on a cloud, the rush of landing her first backflip still buzzing through her. She couldn’t wait to try new tricks next time she rode with Maddo an Kruz, and while she was thinking about all the tricks she could try and land, she remembered that any day on a dirtbike is a good day.