Mirra, Dave

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Dave Mirra

1974-

American BMX rider

American Dave Mirra is a dominant BMX freestyle rider who won a number of extreme sports competitions, winning at least thirteen medals at the X Games, the most of anybody in his sport to date. Nicknamed "Miracle Boy," Mirra has suffered a number of injuries but continues to ride.

Mirra was born April 4, 1974, in Syracuse, New York, and grew up in Chittenango, New York, outside the city. His father was a VCR and television repairman, while his mother was a surgical technician. Mirra began riding a bike when he was four. After witnessing his first BMX freestyle demonstration when he was ten, he began using his own bike to do tricks, turns, and flips in the air, often off a ramp.

Mirra soon became obsessed with the sport, and did not pay attention in school. Many kids were doing BMX

at the time, making it a popular, if underground, phenomenon. Mirra told Kevin Gray of the Morning Call, "It became an addition. I didn't really choose stunt riding. It was just what I did." Mirra would show up at a local bike shop's ramp and do tricks other kids could not do. Lance Stonecipher, the co-owner of Bike Loft told Laura Lee of New York Times, "He came in here and could do all of these tricks that kids were seeing on video and magazines. Everybody was like, 'Who is this kid?"

Began Competing

In 1987, when Mirra was only thirteen years old, he began competing and had a sponsor, Haro Bikes. It was already a career for the teen. Haro gave him a bike and paid for him to go to competitions. As ESPN2 started airing BMX stunt competitions on the air, the sport exploded in popularity, and Mirra was one of its best known young riders.

Mirra was given the nickname of Miracle Boy in 1992 because he did tricks that observers thought could not be pulled off as well as the ability to make the tricks look easy. Mirra invented moves like the half-hairspin tailwhip, which has not been repeated. Describing what it feels like to ride in vert (tricks done on a half pipe), one of the BMX events Mirra competed in, Steven Daly wrote in Rolling Stone, "Take the most cursory of spins on a BMX bike and you'll discover just how sensitive the handlebars are; look directly down one of those eleven-foot half-pipes and your stomach will do a half-barspin tailwhip. To even think about hurling yourself off the edge with forty pounds of BMX between your legs brings home the spleen-shattering reality of Dave Mirra's chosen profession."

Suffered Injuries

In 1993 (some sources say 1994), Mirra suffered a serious injury when he was struck by a drunk driver as he was crossing a street in Syracuse. He was sent to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder, fractured skull, and blood clot on the brain. Mirra returned to the bike within six months of the accident, after doctors said he would not ride again.

Mirra also suffered injuries in his sport. In 1995, he was injured while doing a performance on the vert ramp, and had to have his spleen removed. That same year, he moved to Greenville, North Carolina. By the mid-1990s, Mirra was considered the best and most dominant rider in his sport, and contributed to making the sport popular. Such attention was unexpected by Mirra.

Advent of the X Games

BMX stunt riding had another high profile venue with the advent of the Summer X Games in 1996. These games, aired on ESPN, featured a number of extreme sports. At the 1996 games, Mirra won gold in street (doing stunts on an urban-like street course) and silver in vert (on the ramp). In 1997, he won golds in both street and vert. In 1998, he won three gold medals in vert, street, and vert doubles. That year, Mirra was named X-Games Male Athlete of the Year.

Mirra continued to do well in 1999. That year, he won gold in street at Summer X Games, first in vert at B3, gold in vert at Gravity Games, and the BS Series Year End title in vert. He was voted Freestyler of the Year by BMX Plus Magazine. That year, he also signed an endorsement deal with Acclaim Entertainment, to develop video games based on him. His Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX was a leading seller in 2000.

Chronology

1974	Born on April 4 in Syracuse, New York
1987	Begins competing professionally in BMX stunt riding
1992	Given nickname of Miracle Boy
1993	Suffers accident that could have ended career—hit by drunk driver while crossing street
1995	Has spleen removed; moves to Greenville, North Carolina
1999	Signs endorsement deal with Acclaim Entertainment; founds the Dave Mirra Woodward Scholarship Fund
2001	Signs endorsement deal with DC Shoes
2002	Signs sponsorship deal with Bell Sports

Mirra would sign a number of endorsement deals in this time period. In 2001, he signed three-year endorsement deal with DC Shoes, and developed a signature line of shoes. In addition, he also had deals with Haro Bicycles, Fox Racing, Slim Jim, and Arnett Opticals. Mirra also appeared in television commercials for Burger King and AT&T. In 2000, Mirra appeared on an episode of The Jersey on the Disney Channel. By 2001, he was making $1 million a year. But Mirra did not forget his past. He sponsored scholarships to Woodward Camp where action sports are taught to kids.

In 2000, Mirra won gold in Japan X Games in vert, won gold in vert at the Gravity Games, and won gold in street and silver in vert at the X Games, but he sat out the Gravity Games in 2001 because of injuries. Mirra would do this as his situation warranted. He rebounded in 2002, placing first in park (stunts done on a skatepark or skatepark-like course) and second in vert at Gravity Games, and second in vert at the EXPN Invitational.

Mirra plans on riding as long as he can. He told Mokhshin Abidin of New Straits Times, "I don't call it training because it is something which I love doing, riding and gym work, I never really think about it. I just want to ride every day."

Awards and Accomplishments

1996	At Summer X Games, won gold in street and silver in vert
1997	Won golds in street and vert at Summer X Games
1998	Won three gold medals at the X Games, in bicycle stunt vert, street, and vert doubles; named X-Games Male Athlete of the Year; won BS Series Year End Title in street and vert
1999	Won gold in street at Summer X Games; won first place in vert at B3; won gold in vert at Gravity Games; won BS Series Year End Title in Vert; voted Freestyler of the Year by BMX Plus Voted favorite rider by readers of Ride and Snap BMX vert at Gravity Games; won gold in street and silver in vert at X Games
2001	Named ESPN Action Sports and Music BMX rider of the year; placed second at Vans Triple Crown of BMX; at B3 Event in Anaheim placed first in vert and park; at B3 Event in Louisville, Kentucky, placed first in park and 13th in vert; at UGP Roots Jam placed first in park
2002	At Gravity Games, placed first in park and second in vert; at EXPN Invitational, placed second in vert and tenth in park