Mat Hoffman is one of our favourite people on the planet.
There’s the obvious stuff to start with. The fact that his influence on BMX and his ultimate badassery progressed the sport an unmeasurable amount, that he stayed with the sport through thick and thin and has an imagination bigger than Dr. Seuss.
There’s the big ramps he used to ride, the motorcycles he used to get to tow him towards ramps and the fact that he managed to get kicked out of the X-Games… twice.
Of course, there’s also the reason that makes the rest of the world sit up and shout curse words every other month – that Mat Hoffman is hard as nails.
Last year when we caught up with Hoffman, he was on crutches at the time. He was somewhat of a master at moving on the things.
On that occasion he was still recovering from the almost-fatal, absolutely terrifying collision he had with fellow-BMX legend Dennis McCoy, an accident that left Mat with a fractured pelvis and Dennis sliced open.
He explained on that occasion how he once underwent an incredibly sketchy, experimental ACL surgery without anaesthetic back in 1999, completely awake and aware of the crazy doctor in front of him putting a massive drill into his knee.
What to take away from all this? Well, firstly that Mat Hoffman is fairly injury prone. It comes with the way he lives his life. And second? That he’s unstoppable, outrageously brave, and that our love for him will never end.
Winstanleys BMX Page recently posted this pic of Mat Hoffman’s body, with the arrows explaining every injury that he has indeed had – or near enough, anyway. Have a look and if you didn’t already, we’ll sure you’ll agree that this man is super human.
