Mike Metzger

"I have reached a point in my life where I don’t want to wreck my body anymore"

The Godfather of freestyle changes direction

Nicknames are a curious thing. People can collect them for a myriad of reasons ranging from the significant to the frivolous. But when you are dubbed ‘The Godfather of Freestyle Motocross’, there’s got to be a damn good reason why.

Around the time of the new millennium, Mike Metzger fully earned this accolade by mastering tricks that many had previously deemed impossible on a motorbike. When it came to learning the holy grail of stunts, the backflip, Mike opted to throw himself into sand dunes “until my bike was wrecked” while others were launching into the safety of foam pits. He’s one of only two men to have successfully jumped the fountains at the Caesar’s Palace, in Las Vegas, a stunt made famous by Evil Knieval’s spectacular failure, and managed to get in the Guinness Book of Records for the 125ft backflip he did whilst clearing the monument.

A change of (s)pace

But Mike has since moved on, stepping away from doing such stunts after his last attempt at a back flip between two barges in 2006 left him temporarily paralysed. “I have reached a point in my life where I don’t want to wreck my body anymore,” he says. “I want to focus on the talent God has given me as an artist and make something of it.

He has recently launched a line of clothing apparel called Metzger Brand. All of the brand’s designs are based on years of Mike’s art from scribbles to canvas paintings. Curiously enough, one thing that is distinctly missing from his designs are motorbikes.

“I mostly worked on my artwork when I was recovering from injuries,” he says, “and I wanted to be as far away from motorbikes as possible. I didn’t want to ever paint about biking because I didn’t want to think about why I was in so much pain.” In the end it was painting, Metzger says, that kept his sane through those difficult times

Bodyart

His artwork also extends onto the flesh as a tattooist. It’s something he’s dabbled in since doing tattoos for fellow riders to make a bit of extra cash in his early motocross days. These days he works as a tattoo artist out of Side Show Studios in Murrieta, California. “I have had my fair share of trial and error when learning tattoos,” he admits. “In a way it’s like motocross: you don’t land every trick you try. But at least with a tattoo machine you don’t break your back if you make a mistake!

Now concentrating on his art and bringing up his two children, Metzger just considers himself “lucky to be able to walk”. Even a Godfather has to know when to put his feet up.