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Moto X - Mike Metzger (Menifee, Calif.)
It will be extremely hard for Mike Metzger to top his performance from this summer's X Games VIII in Philadelphia during his first appearance in the Winter X Games. Known as "The Godfather" for his innovative presence in freestyle motocross, Mike made jaws drop this summer when he pulled the first back-to-back backflips to win the gold in Moto X Freestyle. He then added variations to the backflip for yet another gold medal in the Moto X Big Air competition, and followed those performances with a silver medal in Step-Up. His riding crowned him X Games VIII's Best Overall X Games Athlete with a signature custom Fender guitar. After Mike's accomplishments in Philadelphia, the sport of freestyle motocross will never be the same.

Metzger was rock solid at X Games VIII in Philly.

The backflip has definitely changed his life. "I've been traveling a lot more than I ever have," Mike says. "I've always paid my bills riding my motorcycle. Now I make a lot more money." The Motoworld opinion poll of the week in Oct. 2002, gave Mike the title of "Most Talented Rider in the History of Motorcycling," or as he calls it, the "Two Wheel Deal."

Mike credits his family for keeping him grounded. He and his wife Mandi are the proud parents of daughter Michaela Rose and are expecting a second child in January. By the summer of 2003, Mike plans on using a new motor home to keep his family with him during his travels.

Mike isn't going to guarantee a back flip attempt on the snow in Aspen, but he hasn't ruled it out either. "I haven't been to Winter X so I'm not really worried about the back flip," Mike says. "I can't set myself up and say I'm definitely going to do a back flip because I haven't seen the jump. But, if there are gold medals involved, then yeah, I'm probably gonna back flip."