Dawid Godziek, a renowned BMX and mountain bike (MTB) trick cyclist, has once again pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of freestyle biking. His latest feat involved performing an intricate set of BMX tricks atop a moving train, a stunt that highlights his unmatched skill and determination to continually challenge himself.
A journey from backyard stunts to global fame
Godziek, now 29 years old, began honing his BMX skills at the age of 12 in his backyard in Poland. Over the years, his dedication and creativity have earned him a place among the elite of the BMX and MTB world. He is currently the only cyclist to have won gold medals in both BMX Dirt and Freestyle MTB competitions within the same season, a testament to his versatility and technical expertise.
Throughout his career, Godziek has gained a reputation for executing complex and innovative stunts on BMX courses, defying gravity with spins, flips, and other breathtaking maneuvers. His thirst for adventure and new challenges, however, led him to embark on a project unlike anything he had attempted before — performing his tricks on a moving train.
Building a BMX course on a train
To bring his vision to life, Godziek teamed up with his brother Szymon to construct a custom MTB course atop a series of 10 train cars. This project, which took over a year to design and build, posed numerous logistical challenges, from ensuring the stability of the course to accommodating the train’s movement. The track needed to be solid enough to withstand Godziek’s high-speed tricks while in motion, adding a new layer of difficulty to an already extreme stunt.
The centerpiece of the course was a flat-drop backflip, a trick that had never been landed before, especially under these conditions. The backflip was to be performed at the base of a set of stairs built onto the train’s surface, further complicating the execution. Speaking about the obstacles, Godziek explained, “When I saw the train in person, I noticed the stairs were higher than I thought. Of course, I knew the dimensions beforehand, but you know how it is when you see the obstacles live.”
Performing this trick on the train, with no margin for error, required precision and a high level of physical endurance. “The punch on landing on the flat was so strong that all my joints were getting hit hard,” he added. Despite the risks, Godziek was determined to add this trick to his already impressive list of accomplishments.
The challenges of performing on a moving train
Executing BMX tricks on a moving platform introduced new challenges that Godziek had not faced in traditional BMX environments. The movement of the train, combined with variations in headwind, forced him to adjust his approach and adapt to an unfamiliar riding experience. In an interview with his sponsor Red Bull, Godziek revealed how the lack of air resistance, a factor that usually helps maintain balance in freestyle BMX riding, became a unique challenge during the stunt.
“It was quite a crazy experience, the opposite of what I usually do; it was me ‘hanging in place’ and the route going underneath me,” he said. “In theory, this could have made it easier, but the opposite was true. The air resistance creates a tunnel that somehow keeps me in a straight line and doesn’t allow me to shift right or left.”
The moving train also posed additional hurdles. According to Godziek, the slight unevenness of the train tracks created an unstable riding surface, which required constant adjustments during the stunt. The sensation of the train moving underneath him, while everything else appeared stationary, added to the disorienting nature of the experience. “My head didn’t quite grasp it,” he said, describing the mental and physical demands of riding in such unusual conditions.
A dizzying and unnatural experience
Godziek’s account of the stunt illustrates just how challenging it was to adapt to the environment. He described a feeling of turbulence and disorientation during the initial runs, comparing the sensation to a mix of sea sickness, air sickness, and altitude sickness. “For the first couple of rides, I felt slight turbulence in my head – it was something unreal,” he explained. The train’s uneven motion and the lack of natural points of reference made it difficult for him to maintain balance and control.
Despite the obstacles, Godziek ultimately pulled off the world-first trick, solidifying his place as one of the most innovative riders in the sport. The video footage of his performance reveals a rider completely in command of his craft, seamlessly executing a series of complex moves atop a moving train, a feat that few could even attempt.
Source: Red Bull
