As freestyle dirtbike moves go, the back flip is still spectacular to watch, and yet it has been done so much that it has almost become a compulsory trick in a freestyle routine. That’s not true of the front somersault.
Just about anyone who rides freestyle is pulling off back flips. Hell, even farm kids on CRF150Fs are building ramps and pulling mattresses out of their bedrooms to use as safety mats so they can attempt a back flip. Some of them actually pull off the maneuver. Others wind up, well, bed ridden. It has been 17 years since Carey Hart showed us the possibilities by attempting and very nearly pulling off a back flip at the X Games.
But a front somersault? Now that’s a trick that requires a lot more commitment. Think about it it: The gyroscopic force of the front somersault is so much different than a back flip, especially when it comes to the final 90 degrees of rotation. The rider also loses sight of the landing a lot later in the trick than when doing a back flip. And if you over-rotate, the consequences can be more dire than with a back flip as it is harder to get away from the machine.
As this videos shows, when you get it right, a front somersault is an awesome sight to behold. As the clips also shows, when you get it right, maybe you should quit while you’re ahead. This rider went from happy to hapless in the space of two runs.
Still, a front somersault is pretty damn cool and far less common than its counterpart, the back flip.
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