Freestyle motocross athlete Jayden “Jayo” Archer, a revered figure in the Australian motocross community and a prominent member of Nitro Circus, tragically passed away at the age of 27 while practicing the triple backflip, a groundbreaking maneuver he pioneered.
Archer, an X Games medalist, made history as the first rider to successfully execute the triple backflip in competition. His untimely demise has deeply saddened his fellow riders and fans worldwide. Pastrana told,
“This really hit home.”
“Jayo grew up in a time when action sports were atheists’ 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’d get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work 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 mother f—er third.”
Archer, one of just three riders to conquer the triple backflip on a dirt bike, etched his name in history by being the first to nail the maneuver in competition. In November 2022, during the Best Trick event at Nitro World Games in Brisbane, Australia, he executed the triple backflip flawlessly, solidifying his status as a pioneer in freestyle motocross.
“I cannot describe this feeling,” Archer said that day. “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, Archer seized the moment, dropping to one knee and proposing to his girlfriend, Beth King, who stood nearby. Their joyous engagement marked a beautiful chapter in their lives, with plans for a wedding later this year.
“No one had a bigger heart or more determination than Jayo,” Ricky Melnik, senior vice president and GM of Nitro Circus, told ESPN. “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 the competition was so inspiring. He wanted to take FMX to the next level and go further than anyone had gone before.”
Part of the Nitro Circus family for over a decade, Archer’s journey began in 2012 when he first joined the crew. Starting as an assistant mechanic, he gradually ascended to become one of its brightest stars. His daring feats, including the triple backflip, mesmerized audiences worldwide.
Archer’s last public performance of the triple backflip occurred at a Nitro Circus Live Show in Jay, Oklahoma, in June 2023, as he pursued the unprecedented challenge of mastering the quadruple backflip.
A distinguished figure in the motocross realm, Archer’s accolades include two X Games medals. Beyond his stunts, he applied his expertise as a suspension technician and mechanic for Raceline Performance and Factory Husqvarna Racing in Australia.
Notably, Archer clinched bronze in the Best Trick category at last summer’s X Games California in Ventura, further solidifying his legacy as a multifaceted talent in the sport.
“We are deeply saddened by Jayo Archer’s passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and fiancée,” Scott Guglielmino, interim COO at X Games, said in a statement to ESPN. “One of the most committed and charismatic FMX riders, Jayo will be missed by the X Games family.”
