Jayden “Jayo” Archer, a motocross star who is best known as the first person to land a triple backflip in competition, has reportedly passed away at the age of 27 following a trick practice accident.
Nitro Circus, the action sports group behind Archer, revealed in an Instagram post that the motocross athlete died while attempting to recreate his upside-down move during drills in Melbourne on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
“Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work [and] determination,” Nitro Circus stated. “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.”
In a statement to ESPN, Nitro Circus’ Travis Pastrana stated that Jayo Archer’s death really hits home. “Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest,” Pastrana stated. “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.”
Pastrana also said that Archer would get up every morning and go to the gym before work just so he could ride his dirt bike. “When he came to Maryland to train, he stayed at my house and was an incredible role model to my kids. He was a great human first, a hard worker second, and a bad motherf—er third.”
Jayo Archer Landed the Triple Backflip During a Nov. 2022 Competition
ESPN further reported that Jayo Archer landed his famous triple backflip during the Best Trick at Nitro World Games in Brisbane, Australia in Nov. 2022.
“I cannot describe this feeling,” Archer stated after the event. “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.”
Following the interview Jayo Archer proposed to his girlfriend, Beth King. They were set to get married this year.
Ricky Melnik, senior vice president and GM of Nitro Circus, stated that no one had a bigger heart or more determination than Archer. “We called him the Incredible Hulk. 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.”
Archer was a member of Nitro Circus for more than 10 years. He performed his first motocross show in 2012. Archer appeared at the 2021 X Games and placed 6th in Best Trick.
Scott Guglielmino, interim COO at X Games, issued a statement about Archer’s sudden death. “We are deeply saddened by Jayo Archer’s passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and fiancée. One of the most committed and charismatic FMX riders, Jayo will be missed by the X Games family.”