Mykel Larrin might be the X Games' busiest athlete this weekend.
Fatigue is a price the 30-year-old stuntman says he's willing to pay to represent BMX, a sport that's become a "lifestyle" he first adopted during his childhood on the western shores of Lake Michigan.
The Racine, Wis., native is set to become only the second BMX athlete to compete in three disciplines — Park, Vert and Big Air — in the same X Games. He started Thursday night competing in the BMX Vert final, only hours after his practice runs on the MegaRamp and Park courses.
"It's a huge privilege to be here now doing something that hasn't been done in a long time," Larrin said. "And kind of have my name in the same sentence with [Dave] Mirra, [Dennis] McCoy and all those guys, I mean that's a huge honor."
Taking part in three disciplines wasn't on Larrin's radar until an invite came to the X Games' BMX Park qualifier in Boise. He crushed his runs in Idaho, leading to a win and first-time bid to the BMX Park competition.
Really, competing on the park course is a throwback for Larrin. He grew up biking through skateparks in eastern Wisconsin. Initial tricks were learned in concrete bowls and over rail-studded ramps.
"The Vert and Big Air, those were things that were already outside the box for me," Larrin said. "So when the invite came for the park qualifier, I was all over it. This is a cool opportunity. I get to tap back into being 12 all over again."
Passing the torch
Adam Jones is the owner of six X Games medals and has just about seen it all in the past 13 summers. So Jones said he's content as the lone American representative entering Moto X Freestyle on Friday night, even if he admittedly isn't aiming for the podium like previous years. His last medal, a silver, came five years ago in Los Angeles.
