Elias Ruso landed a world’s-first frontflip heel-clicker during a heated session on the Big Air jump situated in the Birkenfeld Quarry in Germany’s Hunsrück-Nahe bike region. This complex aerial trick involves the rider and bike doing a forward flip in the air, while simultaneously lifting his feet over his arms and bringing them close enough to click his heels together in front of him.

“There’s so much force involved and you have to be super careful with not over-rotating it. You pull the rear brake, lift off, snap the front flip, pull off the feet and click them together, and hopefully land it!”, said the 22-year-old from Vienna.

He did the trick on the largest jump at the Audi Nines venue, a 5 meter tall kicker requiring the rider to clear a 12 meter gap. He was also riding a downhill mountainbike, which are much heavier and harder to manoeuvre than the hard-tail mountainbikes often favoured for freestyle riding.

He has been watching the event since he was 14 years old, and is absolutely elated to be riding alongside his older brother Daniel and his mountain bike idols.

“Audi Nines is one of the sickest events. I’ve been watching it every year since 2013, and to be here and to land my first ever frontflip heel-clicker is a dream come true. I can’t believe it to be honest”.