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Mike Jones (motocross rider)

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Mike Jones
Personal information
Full nameMichael Jones
Nickname"Mad" Mike Jones
Born (1966-02-28) February 28, 1966 (age 58)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1]
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight182 lb (83 kg)
SpouseChristine Jones
Children1
Sport
SportFreestyle motocross (FMX), Freeride Mountain biking
Event(s)X Games, Gravity Games, Red Bull X-Fighters
Medal record
Winter X Games
Representing  United States
Gold medal – first place 2001 Vermont Moto X Big Air
Silver medal – second place 2002 Aspen Moto X Big Air

Michael Jones (born February 28, 1966) is an American freestyle motocross competitor with over 35 years of professional rider experience. He started his motorcycle racing career in 1972[2][1] aged six. Continuing to race up until his last Fastcross in Italy 2000, he became increasingly involved in the emerging sport of Freestyle Motocross, performing half-time jump shows at football games as early as 1987. He is attributed as being "one of the founding fathers of the sport of freestyle motocross" and became known as "Mad" Mike Jones after an Italian promoter described his stunts as "Mad" and "the name stuck".[3] He has appeared in numerous movies, including Crusty Demons and Eight Legged Freaks, and also goes around North American schools to share about his experience.

Early life

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Jones was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 28, 1966.[1]

Career highlights

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"Mad" Mike is the 1998 World Freestyle Motocross Champion. In 2001, he was the first ever to win the Red Bull X-Fighters competition. "Mad" Mike is the 4 time German Supercross Champion.

Trick development

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Jones is attributed to being co-inventor of the trick "Kiss of Death" along with Ryan Leyba. The trick was developed by the two riders at Manny's yard in Elsinore. He went on to use this trick at Winter X Games Vermont, where Jones achieved a gold medal.[4] He also claims in an interview that he invented the "Coffin", the no-handed landing, and various trick combinations including "Kiss of death Indian" and "Heal Clicker Nothing".[3]

Media appearances

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  • Disturbing the Peace (1997)
  • Children of a Metal God Trilogy (1998)
  • Surviving Extreme Sports (2001)
  • Global Addiction (2002)
  • Freekstyle (2002)
  • Crusty Demons 8 (2003)
  • Freestyle MetalX (2003)
  • Ski to the Max (2004)
  • Mad Mikes Mayhem (2005)
  • Fall Out 2 (2006)
  • Crusty Demons XII: Dirty Dozen (2006)
  • MotoXmania (2008)
  • Mythbusters: Sharkus Maximus (2011)

Music

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Jones likes nu- and alternative metal. He has released the compilation album Mad Mike Presents: Mototrax, Vol. 1.

Events

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  • 2000 Australian X Games - Moto X Freestyle: 1st
  • 2001 Red Bull X-Fighters - Freestyle: 1st (Valencia, Spain)
  • 2002 Red Bull X-Fighters - Freestyle: 2nd (Madrid, Spain)

X Games competition history

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GOLD (1) SILVER (1) BRONZE (0)
YEAR X GAMES EVENTS RANK MEDAL
1999 Summer X Games V Moto X Freestyle 4th
2000 Summer X Games VI Moto X Freestyle 5th
2001 Winter X Games V Moto X Big Air 1st
2001 Summer X Games VII Moto X Freestyle 5th
2001 Summer X Games VII Moto X Step Up 14th
2001 Summer X Games VII Moto X Big Air
2002 Winter X Games VI Moto X Big Air 2nd
2002 Summer X Games VIII Moto X Freestyle
2002 Summer X Games VIII Moto X Big Air 10th
2003 Summer X Games IX Moto X Big Air 12th

Gravity Games

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YEAR GRAVITY GAMES LOCATION EVENTS RANK MEDAL
2000 Gravity Games II Providence, Rhode Island Moto X Freestyle 7th
2001 Gravity Games III Providence, Rhode Island Moto X Freestyle 10th

References

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  1. ^ a b c "L&H Tour to Honor Jones at Steel City". racerxonline.com. August 28, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Dirt rider online: http://www.dirtrider.com/community/staff-blogs/tonight-s-show-ricky-carmichael-mad-mike-jones-other-pit-pass-radio-guests
  3. ^ a b "Mad" Mike Jones profile - FMX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZByT6XYjI
  4. ^ 'Freestyle Motorcross 2: Air Sickness' Garth Millan, MBI publishing, 2002.