Motocross star and X Games medalist Jayden “Jayo” Archer has died following an accident while practicing a triple backflip. He was 27.
Archer’s death was confirmed in a statement by Nitro Circus, an actions sports company where Archer was a member.
“The Nitro Circus family is mourning the loss of Jayo Archer,” they wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, February 21. “Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & determination. He pushed what was possible on a dirt bike to heights never seen before. A positive influence to those around him. And above all else a great human being and friend to us all.”
The statement continued, “Sending our thoughts and love to Jayo’s family and friends. We love you mate. Ride in peace.”
Archer’s fiancée, Beth King, took to her Instagram Story to repost a compilation video of Archer on Thursday, February 22, writing, “My beautiful, beautiful boy,” alongside a crying face emoji.
After Archer’s death, Nitro Circus founder Travis Pastrana spoke out about his impact on the sport.
“This really hit home,” Pastrana told ESPN on Wednesday. “Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren’t a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks. He’d get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work so he could ride his dirt bike. When he came to Maryland to train, he stayed at my house and was an incredible role model to my kids. He was a great human first, a hard worker second and a bad motherf–ker third.”
Archer was one of only three riders to land a triple backflip in a motocross competition, landing it in October 2022 at the Best Trick at Nitro World Games in Brisbane, Australia.
After nailing the trick, Archer gushed in an interview via YouTube that he “cannot describe this feeling,” saying, “This is so much more than a trick to me. I’ve dedicated my entire life the last three years to this moment. There were a lot of obstacles and broken bones and knockouts, and I would do it 100 times over to relive that moment again.”
In a clip shared via Instagram, he proceeded to get down on one knee and propose to King after his interview. The pair jointly wrote at the time, “Worlds first TRIPPLE in a competition & 💍. I’m so SO proud of you jayo!” They were set to tie the knot this year.
Archer last publicly performed the triple backflip at a Nitro Circus Live Show in Jay, Oklahoma, in June 2023, per ESPN. He was working to become the first rider to land a quadruple backflip.
