April 19, 2009 may not tell you anything, but that day the world of BMX changed forever. A Scotsman nicknamed Danny MacAskill uploaded a video to YouTube that would give rise to a new way of cycling. Tricks on the bike. The competition passed into the background and the artistic gained weight.
The video itself was the germ of ‘freestyle’ on pedals. With the theme ‘The Funeral’ in the background, MacAskill put together a compilation of tricks that would go down in BMX history. Not only because they are impressive, but especially because of the way they are presented audiovisually. A blow of effect to what had been seen so far.
From there, MacAskill’s life changed forever. The video went viral at spectacular levels for the time and today it has more than 39 million views. The Scotsman became a pop icon who quickly transcended his cycling niche.
The father of freestyle BMX as we know it now opened the doors of Hollywood to work as a stuntman and thus he was able to quit his job as a mechanic to be able to dedicate himself to cycling full time. Many were the successful projects that followed this decision.
Now, 14 years after that first video, Danny MacAskill continues to be a benchmark in his own. His videos continue to have millions of views and now, with sponsorships and a production company behind them, the quality is even higher. MacAskill certainly started a new way of cycling and he still rides the wave today.
