Video: Kieran Reilly Lands a World's First Triple Flair on BMX

Jan 18, 2022 at 6:28
by James Smurthwaite  

Words: Red Bull

Every iconic athlete on two-wheels has an indelible moment. Matt Hoffman’s no-handed 900, Kevin Robinson’s first-ever double flair or Dave Mirra’s triple X-Games gold - live long in the memory of BMX fans minds. British BMX rider Kieran Reilly may have just made his first lasting imprint on the sport in his early twenties with a world first trick.

Kieran Reilly became the first person in the BMX world to land a triple flair at Asylum Park - a feat that pushes the boundaries of what was thought possible in the sport and a trick that shows the incredible trajectory that the star British BMX rider is on. The trick can be watched on Red Bull UK’s Instagram, TikTok, with a full behind the scenes edit launching on Red Bull’s Bike YouTube channel.

The triple flair was landed after 13 days of riding and around 20 previous attempts. Each failed effort compounding the beating Kieran’s body was taking, but also motivating him to defy the limits of the sport and re-write what is possible. ‘It’s one of those tricks you can only attempt a couple of times because when you crash, you crash hard.’ said the young Red Bull athlete.

There has always been huge expectations on Kieran Reilly, ever since the Newcastle born rider burst onto the scene as an 11 year old when he landed a 720 over a spine at Unit 23 in Glasgow. Over the last 12 months he has positioned himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the BMX world, and now part of the British Cycling setup, he is considered one of the riders to watch out for in the Paris Olympic games.

Little over a year on from landing his first double flair that put him in the same echelon as some of the world’s most iconic BMX riders, Reilly is understandably in a state of euphoria over his latest achievement.

“I couldn’t have done this without the help from Red Bull who assembled an amazing crew for me as soon as I thought I had a crack at pulling off the triple flair. They helped bring in the amazing build crew who kitted out Asylum with a bespoke setup for this trick that was suited to all my needs. It’s a dream to be riding with a Red Bull helmet on my head, everytime I catch a glimpse of it I’m reminded of how far I’ve come and how much further I want to push myself in BMX as a sport.”

Fellow Red Bull athlete Sebastian Keep was there to support the World First successful triple flair “Watching the next generation succeed and own a world first trick is not only inspiring but pushes the whole BMX community to go big. As an athlete you always want to achieve the next ‘big thing’ and seeing Kieran reach this milestone with Red Bull’s support is hopefully encouraging to everyone who wants to achieve great things.”

Author Info:
jamessmurthwaite avatar

Member since Nov 14, 2018
1,770 articles
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

114 Comments
  • 191 0
 Props for starting the video at the right spot in the embed.
  • 8 0
 At first I thought the actual video started with the move in question and I thought "what a rad video, they showed it right out of the gate!" Should've known better.
  • 3 0
 @BiNARYBiKE: hahahha same! I was like "weird, where is the build up?" and then saw the comments here and went back to the beginning.
  • 3 0
 These are the sort of perks u get with Outside Plus.
  • 52 0
 Where the f*ck does he take the rotation energy after two straight backflips... INSANE !!!
Boss !!!
  • 44 1
 Red Bull gives you wings
  • 7 0
 @schwaaa31: don't forget the pain killers!
  • 27 0
 50% geordie beefcake, 50% cat.
  • 2 0
 He's living in a different time signature to us.
  • 53 0
 The fact how he twisted around the 180 in the 3rd flip is just insane
  • 3 1
 he looks like he is on wires
  • 50 0
 Wow. Probably has a slopestyle background.
  • 3 16
flag evilspeed (Jan 18, 2022 at 12:04) (Below Threshold)
 Kieran Reilly is a true BMX rider, most slopestyle tricks are inherited from BMX. But foam pits have changed everything and allowed athletes to go beyond the unthinkable a few years ago.
  • 17 0
 @evilspeed:

Whoooosh
  • 44 17
 Surely that's a double backflip to flair lol
  • 10 2
 that's what I thought, he didn't do three flairs........
triple flip 180?
still pretty mental tho
  • 11 2
 @nojzilla: What do you think a flair is? A flair has always been a backflip 180. Its only because the flair has been watered down over the years to look more like a 540.

This is a perfect example of what it is supposed to look like but obviously x 3
  • 10 0
 Flair = Flip Air
  • 2 1
 @AidenCrocker: it’s a flip air or a flair for short. The 180 isn’t mandatory but how do you air a quarter without doing a 180?
  • 8 1
 @thenotoriousmic: you land fakei......
  • 12 10
 @AidenCrocker: a flair is a flair.. that's what I think a flair is.... he blatantly does two flips without turning at all then does the 180 in the last flip making that a flair, one flare...
If it was a "triple flair" he would do three flairs, meaning he would rotate 540. Which he didn't
  • 6 1
 @nojzilla: Yea that's what it is. But that's what the trick is. You can't actually do two or three full flairs.

A flair is flip with a 180. So take a double flair for example. If you did two flips and two 180's, thats a total of 360 rotation, meaning the rider would be facing the quarter pipe and landing backwards upon landing. So that doesn't work.

If you were to theoretically do three full flairs, flip three times and rotate a total of 540 it would in theory work, but would be nearly impossible do.
  • 31 8
 @nojzilla: Sorry bud, this is how double flairs have been done since Kevin Robinson landed one back in 2006. Your opinion doesn't matter, this is accepted fact. This was a legit triple flair and its absolutely insane.
  • 9 0
 The triple flair is correct. If you have three flips with a 180 at the end, you would have a triple (flip) flair, same as it would be with a double (flip) flair with two back flips.

It's a similar thought process to a double truck driver being a 360 with two bar spins rather than a 720 with a single bar spin in each rotation.
  • 4 18
flag naptime FL (Jan 18, 2022 at 9:21) (Below Threshold)
 @scott-townes: wrong
  • 8 2
 @nojzilla: How is he wrong? It really doesn't matter if this is actually three full flairs or two backflips and a flair. Within the BMX community this is what is considered a triple flair. And what K-Rob did back in 2006 was a double flair. Thats all that matters.
  • 3 5
 @sino428: watch Kevin Robinsons double flair. He starts the 180 as soon as he leaves the lip making it one movement. Watch Kierans, he performs two flips THEN starts to rotate the 180 making it two separate movements a double flip to flair.....
  • 2 8
flag naptime FL (Jan 18, 2022 at 9:42) (Below Threshold)
 Not sorry for riding in a time when BMX'ers could count......
  • 2 2
 @nojzilla: No he doesn't. After he does one full flip he's still facing directly at the ramp. His first flip just looks slightly off axis because he moving more horizontally across the vert wall than Kieran's triple.
  • 2 3
 @sino428: well he aint Jerry Gally, an if he aint Jerry Gally he aint shit
  • 9 1
 @nojzilla: he aired and did three flips which makes it’s a triple flair. It’s not that difficult to understand.
  • 4 0
 @Iwebs: Not being pedantic but it’s name derives from Flip-Aerial. Some kid thought of the name, wrote a letter to Go magazine offering $100 to whoever pulled it first. Mat Hoffman who’d already pulled a Flip-Twist took the $100 and went with Flair.
  • 1 1
 @nojzilla: Right, how ya gonna control a flip for 3 rotations after doing a flair on the first.
  • 1 7
flag naptime FL (Jan 18, 2022 at 21:28) (Below Threshold)
 @thenotoriousmic: well if thats the case, I've got a triple hundred pounds for that frame that's selling for £300
(it's only 1 hundred pounds...)
1, 2, 3....it's not that difficult to understand

he did not do three flairs
triple fliar in name only

this is getting f*cking booooooooooring now
  • 10 1
 @nojzilla: No he didn’t do three flairs he did a triple flair. Don’t worry about it bro, stick to riding mountain bikes neither of us are ever going to do a triple flair anyway so it doesn’t matter.
  • 5 1
 @nojzilla:
A triple flair is three backflips with one 180° rotation, you must be thinking of three flairs which he didn't do, that would be a 540° triple backflip.
See above comment about double/triple truckdrivers, a double truck isn't 720° double bar spin.
  • 1 5
flag naptime FL (Jan 19, 2022 at 2:06) (Below Threshold)
 yawwwwwwwn
  • 1 1
 @DC1988: you don’t have to do a 180 just like you don’t need to do a 180 to air a quarter. The air is the important bit. Whatever gets you back down safe after your air is fine. A 90 would be more than enough.
  • 5 2
 @nojzilla: Is that why you keep responding? You're wrong, time to move on buddy.
  • 5 2
 @nojzilla: Just be a big grown up, admit you are wrong and sign out.
  • 3 5
 @scott-townes:
triple kick flip = three kick flips
triple bars = 3 bar spins
triple flip = three flips
but
triple flair = one flair
OK dip shit
  • 3 1
 @AidenCrocker: borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring
  • 1 0
 @nojzilla: wait you actually think he should have done one 180 for every flip in the same air? So three flips and a 540?
  • 1 0
 @nozjilla
all your examples involve multiplied single trick movements. we are talking about a combination movement. A flair is combination of moves like a truck driver. When you say double truck driver you're still only doing a 360 but you add an extra barspin you dont do a 360 bar and then another 360 bar. Also the physics of what you think is a triple flair are impossible seeing as after the first rotation you would be forwards and getting pitched into a front flip. This happened in skiing decades ago and the trick got a rename as a result of of the change of movement. There is an evolution of newer tricks like a 540 flair and off axis spins and thats a differnt discussion. What you think is correct is actually impossible and would be more like a gymnastic move not yet pulled on ramp. thats why in sports that are dealing with high spin to flip ratios like skiing and snowboarding the off axis cork has evovled as the method of getting inverted multiple times. although some modern vert riders seem to be heading that direction. this is a triple flair that kieran has pulled. No need to get upset.
  • 3 0
 @nojzilla:

simple question which kind of contradicts everything you are on about.

Why do double flairs land forward in the tranny?

Its because they only have 180 degrees of rotation...By your logic double flairs should be to fakie which they definitely are not.
  • 2 2
 Yawwwwwwwn
  • 1 1
 @nojzilla: damn how does it feel to be smarter than the whole bmx community? Must be nice
  • 2 1
 @kanioni: yawwwwwwwwwwwn
  • 2 0
 Haha...only just signed back in...look at the trouble I caused hahaaa
  • 21 0
 Hot damn, and did it absolutely perfectly!
  • 17 1
 Back in the day playing PlayStation I couldn’t even do this on Dave Mira’s BMX with the slimjim guy. This is both awesome and insane.
  • 2 0
 Just listened to the awesome soundtrack yesterday!
  • 19 2
 He did a Flippy spinny thing!
  • 5 0
 several of them!
  • 1 0
 A triple floppy-spinny thingy
  • 1 1
 Maybe it's just me but I find that phrase super cringe, especially when you hear it on the podcast from an otherwise top bloke... Kaz.

Evokes similar cringe as: "sports ball" and folks that go on about how shit they are cooking "duh, I can't even boil water! Hur hur hur".
  • 3 0
 @dirtyburger: I just hear ozzy man review in the original comment.
  • 1 0
 @tim-from-pa: Yeah, I was channeling Ozzy Man there.

@dirtyburger: Out of the podcast presenters, I identify most with Kaz. I think his point in saying that stuff on the podcast is that these tricks are so next level that they're not even relatable for people who are otherwise dedicated and skilled mountain bikers (I realize this particular video is BMX, but whatever). Slopestyle MTB is like a completely different sport these days. I've been mountain biking for 18 years and yet my skills probably have more in common with a professional speed skater than with a top level FMB slopestyle rider (mostly kidding, but that's what it feels like when I can't even watch a slopestyle trick in slow-motion and figure out what's going or what the name of that trick might be).
  • 11 0
 That was one of the most insane things I've ever seen. The rotation right at the end to face down the ramp was unbelievably fast!
  • 12 0
 "One of the most impressive things I've seen, by far."
  • 11 0
 Did Kieran Reilly do that?
  • 7 0
 Ridiculous air awareness. How you keep track of the ramp and spot a landing flipping that hard I have no idea... I was expecting more spin, like Webby's double flair tire blowout, but this is still just ridiculous...
  • 5 0
 Has to be muscle memory/timing. I can't imagine he's spotting the ramp spinning that fast. Insane fitness to being do a double flip... Then arch to one side to make the last flip a flair. High level BMX riding is getting closer to gymnastics with a bicycle compared to what dudes were doing in the 90s.
  • 1 0
 but webbie's was a flair to front lol,thats why it put so much pressure on the back wheel when he landed
  • 7 2
 Let's get this shit straight for all the punters that think they know what the hell theyre looking at. This is absolutely a triple flair .
As you add flips to a flair it multiplies the trick. A flair is a back flip to half twist out to forward on transition therefore as you add flips it becomes a double or triple flair the same way when u add bars to truck drivers it becomes a double or triple truck or whips to 3whips becomes 3 dub whip or 3 trip whip.
You don't add half twists for each flip as so many people here seem to think. No 540 is required here to claim. That would be a completely different type of off axis trick not even remotely resembling the flair movement type. By this logic double flairs would be landed to fakie which they don't . Think about what a double flair is ... A double flip to forward involving a total of one half twist there fore triple flair is three flips with one half twist. If he was going to try and do 180 for every flip it would end being some kind of corked out rotation instead of the flair trick that it clearly is. Also it makes no sense calling it a "double back flip to flair " that's literally what a triple flair is or would be like calling a double flip a flip to second flip.
Obviously over the years the trick style has evolved in comparison to when Hoffman first did it. Guys travel along the deck and set the rotation cleaner but at the end of the day a flair is still a half twist out of a flip and in this case three!
Well done Kieran on attacking this NBD with full commitment!
Triple flair stomped yo!
  • 9 0
 Must have a bmx background
  • 6 0
 Guys we are living in times when dave mirra frestyle bmx becomes to be a realistic game.
  • 4 0
 Been following the kid since Bas started showcasing him on the Tall Order YouTube channel, really something else. X games, Olympic gold for sure.
  • 2 0
 The way the 180 seems to initiate suddenly makes me think this *might* be an example of the Dzhanibekov effect (Tennis racket theorem)? Sort of?
  • 3 0
 I see why it looks that way but in this case the rider is providing input the entire way. He’s tucking, pulling back on the bars, etc the whole time.

The tennis racket theorem applies to a rigid body in motion.
  • 3 0
 So clean. He does the 2.5 backflip first and only then he does the 180. How? I don't know. Probably cgi...
  • 1 0
 Good to see Kade there hanging out with him, they ride together on a Matt Jones vid and you can see Kade making huge progress riding with him.
  • 2 0
 A lot of you folks just shouldn’t comment. It’s a completely stomped triple flair. It’s what it is. Accept it.
  • 2 0
 I'll try spinning. That's a good trick!
  • 2 0
 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is now a reality
  • 1 0
 that there is a lot of twisty spins
  • 1 0
 The kids got talent, big style
  • 1 0
 I wonder if he could do a simple backflip after that.
  • 1 0
 Insane!! Big props to Kieran on this one. What a mad man.
  • 1 0
 Great reason to flip out!
  • 1 0
 Woah. That's pretty spectacular. Let's bring that to the mega ramp.
  • 1 0
 Imagine how good he'll be when he grows up!
  • 1 0
 Incredible skill and the mullet is a close 2nd.
  • 1 0
 Props to him for landing onto wood instead of resi as that wouldn't count!
  • 1 0
 That was so insane!
  • 1 0
 That's MAD...
  • 1 0
 #20aintdead
  • 1 0
 fucken hell
  • 1 0
 11:37

You welcome Smile
  • 5 8
 Three backflips and a flair doesn't quite have the same ring to it I suppose.
  • 5 1
 Two because the last flip was the first part of the flare.
  • 8 3
 *Two backflips and a flair
  • 1 0
 @mi-bike: Yea makes sense
  • 4 6
 @mi-bike: Yeah that was not the trick I expected to see. Wildly impressive, without a doubt, but oddly named.

3 flairs (triple flip 540) ... would need some serious airtime!
  • 9 0
 @pourquois-pas: a flair isn't a 180 back flip, it's a back flip on a quarter where you're required to do a rotation to come out facing the right direction so a triple flair is a triple flip on a quarter with a rotation to come out facing forwards...which is exactly what it was.
  • 2 0
 @el-nombre: Exactly, it's a flip air, so in this case it was a triple flip air, i.e. a triple flair.
  • 3 0
 @Blerger: What is a flip air? Are there flips without air?
  • 1 0
 @el-nombre: Uh, whats the difference between "180 back flip" on a quarter and your definition, "a back flip on a quarter where you're required to do a rotation to come out facing the right direction"??

Not that I actually care.
  • 1 0
 @JonnyTheWeasel: An "air" in BMX and skate terms is a jump in a quarter pipe or a bowl in which the rider (or skater) jumps above the coping, (the metal rim) and then lands back into the quarter pipe.
  • 1 0
 @JonnyTheWeasel: To air a quarter is to leave it, rotate to come back down normal, ie front wheel first.

I guess if that is the root of "flair", a flip air, triple flair makes way more sense to a layman like me
  • 1 0
 @Jaib06: I see. That term just sounds odd to me. I am no expert though, clearly.
  • 1 0
 @JonnyTheWeasel: The opposite, would be a "fly-out", where the rider jumps up the quarter, and lands on top of it. It takes some getting used to all the BMX and skate terms, but that's where the BMX background is handy Wink
  • 2 0
 @pourquois-pas: admittedly in that scenario, there is no difference, but a flair is the name given to flips specifically when airing a quarter pipe. If someone did a flip 180 over a jump box or double or whatever, that isn't a flair. It's not massive difference, but there is a difference
  • 1 0
 @Jaib06: Does somebody have a bmx background?!
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.083110
Mobile Version of Website