Motocross Star Jayden “Jayo” Archer Dead at 27

The Jayomotocross community is mourning the loss of a promising athlete.

Jayden "Jayo" Archer, an Australian rider known for being the first to land a triple backflip in competition, died Feb. 21 while practicing the trick, according to ESPN. He was 27.

"Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & determination," Nitro Circus, a sports media brand founded by Travis Pastrana and of which Archer was a member, wrote on its Instagram. "He pushed what was possible on a dirt bike to heights never seen before. A positive influence to those around him. And above all else a great human being and friend to us all."

The post continued, "Sending our thoughts and love to Jayo's family and friends. We love you mate. Ride in peace."

Archer worked for Nitro Circus, per ESPN, as an assistant mechanic for a number of years before performing in his first show in 2012. In November 2022, he cemented his place as one of the sports rising stars when he was the first to successfully perform the triple backflip on a dirt bike in front of a live audience at Nitro World Games in Brisbane, Australia.

"I cannot describe this feeling," Archer said following his successful performance, per the outlet. "This is so much more than a trick to me. I've dedicated my entire life the last three years to this moment. There were a lot of obstacles and broken bones and knockouts, and I would do it 100 times over to relive that moment again."

The athlete then took the microphone and proposed to his girlfriend Beth King. The pair were engaged to be married later this year. 

Ricky Melnik, senior vice president and GM of Nitro Circus, told ESPN of Archer, "No one had a bigger heart or more determination than Jayo."

"We called him the Incredible Hulk," he continued. "He was a beast on the bike and a gentle giant off it. Watching him go through the process of learning and landing the triple flip in competition was so inspiring. He wanted to take FMX to the next level and go further than anyone had gone before."

Pastrana, the organization's founder, also told the outlet, "This really hit home. Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren't a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks. He was a great human first, a hard worker second and a bad motherf--ker third."

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