Mat Hoffman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mat Hoffman
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Hoffman (center) in 2006
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| Born |
Mathew Hoffman
January 9, 1972 Edmond, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Other names | The Condor |
| Occupation | BMX rider, organizer |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Spouse(s) |
Jaci Hoffman
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Medal record | ||
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| Summer X Games | ||
Representing  United States |
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| Gold | 1995 Newport | BMX Vert |
| Gold | 1996 Newport | BMX Vert |
| Silver | 2002 Philadelphia | BMX Vert |
| Bronze | 1997 San Diego | BMX Vert |
| Bronze | 2000 San Francisco | BMX Vert |
| Bronze | 2001 Philadelphia | BMX Vert |
Mat Hoffman, born on January 9, 1972, is an amazing American professional BMX rider. Many people think he was one of the best vert ramp riders ever! He was known as "The Condor." Mat also created his own BMX brand, Hoffman Bikes, which was based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Before starting his own company, he rode for famous brands like Skyway and Haro Bikes.
Contents
Mat Hoffman's Early Life
Mathew Hoffman was born on January 9, 1972, in Edmond, Oklahoma. He has two sisters, Lina and Gina, and two brothers, Todd and Travis.
Mat first started riding motocross with motorcycles. But in 1982, when he was ten, Mat and his brothers built their first quarterpipe. They used plans from a magazine called BMX Action Magazine.
In 1985, Mat started entering BMX freestyle competitions. He competed as an amateur rider around Oklahoma. Growing up, Mat also played basketball, football, and wrestled. But he eventually decided to focus completely on BMX.
When he was 11, he got his first real BMX bike, a red Mongoose. A few years later, he and his friends started the Edmond Bike Shop Trick Team. Mat's father and uncle even built a new nine-foot quarterpipe for the team. They would take this ramp to events and put on exciting shows.
Mat Hoffman's BMX Career
Starting Out as an Independent Rider
In the summer of 1985, a Mountain Dew commercial showed pro BMX riders. Mat and his brothers loved watching it. Mat's mom helped them get a sponsorship with Mountain Dew. They painted the Mountain Dew logo on their ramp and got jerseys. In return, they did shows at supermarkets that sold the soda.
In 1986, the Haro Freestyle Team came to Oklahoma. Famous riders like Dennis McCoy were on the team. Mat got to ride their ramp and show off his skills. They were so impressed that they asked him to ride with them during their show! Dennis McCoy even wanted Mat to join them for the rest of their tour.
Mat first became known outside of Oklahoma in August 1986. A magazine called Freestylin' Magazine featured a letter and photo from him. The photo showed him doing a cool trick over a nine-foot quarter pipe.
In 1986, Mat entered two national freestyle competitions without a sponsor. The first was in Oklahoma in August. Mat's father convinced him to enter as an expert rider. Mat wore a full-face helmet and body armor. People soon saw why he needed the protection! He finished first in the 14-15 expert ramp category. He realized he was riding much higher than everyone else.
Mat's second national competition was on June 29, 1986, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He again finished first in the 14-15 expert ramp category. Everyone was talking about his amazing performance. After the competition, more than 15 sponsors wanted him to ride for them. Skyway offered him a spot on their main team with a salary.
Riding for Skyway
In July 1986, Mat signed a one-year sponsorship deal with Skyway Recreation. He flew to their headquarters in California. During a show there, he crashed and broke his collarbone. Luckily, Skyway still decided to keep him on the team.
After healing, Mat rode for Skyway at the IBMXF World Freestyle Championships in Vancouver in August. He finished second in this big competition.
On December 13, 1986, Mat rode in his first 2-Hip King of Vert contest. He was only 15 years old but was already amazing. He was doing aerials eight to nine feet high! People said he was the best rider in his class. They predicted he would become the best rider alive in a few years.
While still only 15, Mat started building an indoor half pipe. It was in his father's warehouse. He called it The Secret Ninja Ramp. This allowed him to train all year, even when it snowed. His father provided the space, and Mat's Skyway salary paid for the materials.
Joining Haro Bikes
In 1988, at 16, Mat signed a one-year deal to ride for Haro Bikes. He had always wanted to ride for Haro because they were the first company to create a freestyle bike. Haro had a "dream team" of riders.
Mat became a professional rider at the 1989 2-Hip King of Vert finals in California. He competed as an amateur first and won. Then he turned pro and won the pro class too! He also won the highest air award. An article in Ride Magazine said he "redefined vert riding" at just 15 years old.
The First 900
On March 25, 1989, in Kitchener, Ontario, Mat Hoffman landed the first-ever 900 trick. This was ten years before Tony Hawk landed one at the X Games. It was only Mat's second pro contest.
In early 1990, Mat signed with Haro again after riding independently for a year. But in 1991, he left Haro for the second and last time. He wanted to start his own company, Hoffman Bikes. He felt that Haro was not focused on inventing new things, but he was. He wanted to design his own parts and keep BMX pure to his dreams.
Starting Hoffman Bikes
In late 1991, after leaving Haro, Mat Hoffman started his own company, Hoffman Bikes. Linn Kasten, who founded Redline Bicycles, helped Mat design a frame and fork. They made five prototype Condor bike sets. Mat wanted a super strong bike that could still fly. He used the best materials, like American-made aircraft-grade chrome-moly tubing.
Mat rode his prototype frame for seven months, trying to break it. The bike held up to everything he threw at it. He said he hurt his body more than the bike!
In the summer of 1992, the first Hoffman Bikes were available to buy. Mat worked with SE Racing for manufacturing. He paid $18,000 upfront to make the first 200 Condor frames.
Mat also created the Bicycle Stunt (BS) series. This gave riders a place to compete and show off their skills. ESPN joined with Hoffman Promotions in 1995 to produce and show the series on TV.
The growth of Hoffman Promotions led to the Hoffman Sports Association (H.S.A.). This group organizes BMX Freestyle events all over the world. They help with events like ESPN's X Games and other international BMX events.
Mat has also produced and hosted several TV shows for ESPN. These include Kids in the Way and Mat's World. In February 2008, he produced and co-hosted Mat Hoffman's Evel Knievel Tribute with Johnny Knoxville. This show featured amazing stunts.
On April 2, 2023, Mat hosted a BMX stunt show for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Other famous riders like Kenny Belaey and Ryan Williams joined him.
Mat Hoffman's Achievements
Mat Hoffman has helped the sport of BMX grow for decades. He supported many big names in the industry, including Dave Mirra and Kevin Robinson.
Mat and his team were part of the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. In 1999, the H.S.A. started Mat Hoffman's Crazy Freakin' Bikers Series (CFB). This series gives amateur and professional riders a place to compete. The H.S.A. organizes and hosts the series and produces the TV shows for it on ESPN2.
The H.S.A. also organizes the BMX Freestyle parts of annual events. This includes the X Games and all international X Games qualifiers. By 2005, Hoffman Promotions had been producing competitions for 14 years.
In 2001, Mat won a bronze medal at the X Games. In 2002, he amazed everyone by completing the first-ever No-handed 900 at the X Games. This earned him a silver medal.
Mat was the first person to ride an oversized, or "Big," ramp in 1993. He tried to get a "High Air" record off a 24-foot quarter pipe. On one attempt, he got seriously hurt and almost died. In March 1999, he achieved 26.6 feet above the ramp. He had a team of photographers and a TV crew there to record it.
Mat is also known for being the first person to do a double peg grind down a handrail. This was shown in his 1991 video, Matt Hoffman's Head First. This trick became a basic move in modern street riding.
In 2005, Mat was chosen as president of the International BMX Freestyle Federation. This is the main group for BMX Freestyle worldwide. Also in 2005, the Mat Hoffman Action Sports Park opened in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is known as one of the top 10 best parks in the country.
In February 2018, Mat Hoffman was honored by being added to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Mat Hoffman in Movies and TV
Mat Hoffman has been involved in many movies and TV shows.
Movies
- Aggroman (1989)
- Matt Hoffman's Head First (1991) - This is considered one of the greatest BMX videos ever.
- Colony of Summer (1996)
- Keep Your Eyes Open (2002)
- IMAX film Ultimate X (2002)
- XXX (2002)
- Jackass: The Movie (2002)
- Jackass Number Two (2006)
- Jackass 2.5 (2007)
- Jackass Presents: Mat Hoffman's Tribute to Evel Knievel (2008)
- X Games 3D: The Movie (2009)
- Jackass 3D (2010)
- Jackass 3.5 (2011)
- Waiting for Lightning (2012)
- Being Evel (2015)
Television Shows
- Jackass (2001)
- 2004 Kids' Choice Awards (2004)
- MTV Cribs (2004)
- Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004–2006)
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2005)
- Wildboyz (2005–2006)
- Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover (2008)
- Nitro Circus (2009)
- A Tribute To Ryan Dunn (2011)
- Epicly Later'd: Spike Jonze (2022)
An ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Mat, called The Birth of Big Air, was released in July 2010. It was directed and produced by Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, and Mat Hoffman himself.
Mat has also produced shows at Universal Studios in Florida and Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. These include Mat Hoffman's Crazy Freakin' Stunt Show and Mat Hoffman's Danger Defying Daredevils.
The book The Ride of My Life tells Mat Hoffman's story up to 2001.
Mat Hoffman in Video Games
Mat Hoffman worked with Activision to create video games.
- Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX (2001)
- Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 (2002) - This game was released with a TV show called Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 Tour.
Mat also appeared as a playable character in other popular games:
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (2002)
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005)
Music Videos
- Weezer – Memories (2010)
X Games Competition History
| YEAR | X GAMES | EVENTS | RANK | MEDAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Extreme Games | BMX Vert | 1st |  |
| 1996 | Summer X Games II | BMX Vert | 1st | |
| 1997 | Summer X Games III | BMX Vert | 3rd |  |
| 1999 | Summer X Games V | BMX Vert | 7th | |
| 2000 | Summer X Games VI | BMX Vert | 3rd | |
| 2001 | Summer X Games VII | BMX Vert | 3rd | |
| 2002 | Summer X Games VIII | BMX Vert | 2nd |  |
| 2007 | Summer X Games XIII | BMX Big Air | 6th |
See also
In Spanish: Mat Hoffman para niños
