(July 16) - While everyone is scrambling to find out what Travis Pastrana's future with Suzuki holds, we know one thing is certain: he is coming to the X Games and Gravity Games this summer with a full arsenal of tricks. And of course, his bag of goodies includes the acclaimed backflip, which has yet to be successfully landed in competition.

It was just a few weeks ago when the backflip was still considered the most insane and impossible trick in freestyle motocross. Attitudes and action have changed, and very quickly, as a handful of freestylers are pulling the trick, some with consistent ease.

"It's easy!" Pastrana quipped last Friday after leaving a Puma conference. "But of course the first time is the scariest."

Pastrana and Mike Metzger have the backflip down so well, they're doing it off ramps and 50 foot gaps. Pastrana estimated his backflip total to be around 100 already. He also tries to reassure that it's not all that hard of a trick. Yeah easy for him to say! "Everything happens on the takeoff and you can control your movement. You can speed up the rotation and slow it down as you like"

Travis' mother, Debbie, always on the sidelines hoping the best for her son said it doesn't make her nervous at all. "I think Travis can backflip better than he can walk," she said. "He just looks like he's in complete control doing a backflip. I get nervous watching him 30 feet in the air hanging off the back of the bike, but the backflip looks so smooth."

So what's been the hang up? Carey Hart shocked the world when he pulled it in competition at the 2000 Gravity Games. He landed it, but was ripped off the back of the bike from the force. A monumental moment in the sport, indeed, but his attempt one year later at the X Games ended in a gruesome heap. Pastrana also gave the flip a shot at the 2000 X Games but under rotated and landed on his feet.

"It's as simple as knowing you can do it and everyone has just been putting it off," Pastrana said. "Carey had a real good attempt at it the first time. It takes a lot of commitment especially on the takeoff. But when you're in the air it doesn't feel like you're rotating. You're just going around and around and you have to be patient with it. If you're not, you'll rip yourself right off the back of the bike."

The moment Pastrana was released from the hospital for his broken wrist he was in the back yard practicing. The only question is, if several riders pull the trick in Big Air, how do you differentiate for scoring? "I'm already pulling backflip can-can's, backflip no-handers, and back-flip no footers," Pastrana boasted.

All this coming from a guy who can't ride a roller coaster or read in the car.

"I get sick. I've never been able to go on merry-go-rounds, even the Ferris Wheel. I'm done. Reading in the car? Forget it."

Other flip notes: Kenny Bartram is also said to be pulling the backflip as well as Travis' cousin, Greg Powell, who learned how to ride a motorcycle only last week. As far as the innovator of it, Carey Hart, as of June 13th, he said he has no intention of pulling the trick at the X Games Big Air competition.

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