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KIERAN REILLY: Landing the world’s first triple flair

Photos: Adam Lievesley & Eisa Bakos

What just happened?! Kieran Reilly, ladies and gentlemen. UK BMX progression. Lad can take a bow. We caught up with him about his completely ridiculous world first trick, the triple flair. Read on for Kieran’s insights into landing this beast.

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Q&A with Kieran Reilly

–When did you first think about the triple flair?

I feel like the seed first planted after trying and learning doubles. Eventually getting that trick dialled in and doing it more, the hype and adrenaline had kind of gone from them and I thought I was pretty capable of another rotation and Red Bull helped make that possible!

– Double flairs are only just becoming a trick people are doing now. How long have you been doing double flairs?

I think I did my first ever one around 2 years ago but it wasn’t something I did frequently, and then in the last year I’ve tried to do them a lot more to dial them in.

– How does a triple flair compare to a double?

So so different! I completely underestimated this trick, the height, momentum and impact is way crazier then on a double to say the least!

– What was the hardest part about doing the triple?

For me it was probably the mental side as it was a trick I know I’d only land if I gave it 110%, I also knew if I didn’t it was gonna hurt so it was really tough to actually attempt.

– How did you prepare for it? Mentally and physically?

Doing a lot of double flairs, haha! This trick was probably the closest feeling to the triple and so I just made sure I had those the best I could prior!

“I completely underestimated this trick, the height, momentum and impact…”

– Why did you go straight from foam to wood, no resi?

So basically, the idea of resi is amazing but, if I had landed it on resi it wouldn’t have counted and so having to wait for a set up to be built again to then do it on wood just felt like it’d be more stress then needed. I can’t imagine resi doing all that much you after come down from that height, haha.

– When you landed it how did it feel?

AMAZING! The relief… My body had taken a beating and each attempt was getting tougher, I couldn’t have been happier, honestly it felt insane!

– Do you think you will ever do one again?

Maybe… the right set up maybe at a best trick comp? ?

– What’s next?

I’m already excited for the next project! Stoked to get back to competing this year too but I’m sure me and Red Bull will think of something insane again soon!

Kieran Reilly attempts a triple flair during the Triple Flair project at Asylum Skatepark in Nottingham, on May, 14 2021

Kieran Reilly attempts a triple flair during the Triple Flair project at Asylum Skatepark in Nottingham, on May, 08 2021

Kieran Reilly celebrates during the Triple Flair project at Asylum Skatepark in Nottingham, on January, 06 2022

Kieran Reilly is seen during the Triple Flair project at Asylum Skatepark in Nottingham, on January, 06 2022

Red Bull press release:

Every iconic athlete on two-wheels has an indelible moment. Matt Hoffman’s no-handed 900, Kevin Robinson’s first-ever double flair or Dave Mirra’s triple X-Games gold – live long in the memory of BMX fans minds. British BMX rider Kieran Reilly may have just made his first lasting imprint on the sport in his early twenties with a world first trick.

Kieran Reilly became the first person in the BMX world to land a triple flair at Asylum Park – a feat that pushes the boundaries of what was thought possible in the sport and a trick that shows the incredible trajectory that the star British BMX rider is on. The trick can be watched on Red Bull UK’s Instagram, TikTok, with a full behind the scenes edit launching on Red Bull’s Bike YouTube channel.

The triple flair was landed after 13 days of riding and around 20 previous attempts. Each failed effort compounding the beating Kieran’s body was taking, but also motivating him to defy the limits of the sport and re-write what is possible. ‘It’s one of those tricks you can only attempt a couple of times because when you crash, you crash hard.’ said the young Red Bull athlete.

There has always been huge expectations on Kieran Reilly, ever since the Newcastle born rider burst onto the scene as an 11 year old when he landed a 720 over a spine at Unit 23 in Glasgow. Over the last 12 months he has positioned himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the BMX world, and now part of the British Cycling setup, he is considered one of the riders to watch out for in the Paris Olympic games.

Little over a year on from landing his first double flair that put him in the same echelon as some of the world’s most iconic BMX riders, Reilly is understandably in a state of euphoria over his latest achievement.

“I couldn’t have done this without the help from Red Bull who assembled an amazing crew for me as soon as I thought I had a crack at pulling off the triple flair. They helped bring in the amazing build crew who kitted out Asylum with a bespoke setup for this trick that was suited to all my needs. It’s a dream to be riding with a Red Bull helmet on my head, everytime I catch a glimpse of it I’m reminded of how far I’ve come and how much further I want to push myself in BMX as a sport.”

Fellow Red Bull athlete Sebastian Keep was there to support the World First successful triple flair “Watching the next generation succeed and own a world first trick is not only inspiring but pushes the whole BMX community to go big. As an athlete you always want to achieve the next ‘big thing’ and seeing Kieran reach this milestone with Red Bull’s support is hopefully encouraging to everyone who wants to achieve great things.”