The 2005 season was one that Darin Connet would rather forget. In the Spokane, Washington, round of the IFMA Series, he crashed and sustained a hemorrhage to his eye, which forced him to sit out a large portion of the tour. Darin showed great resiliency and rebounded in the summer, and after filming for Travis Pastrana’s Nitro Circus 3 video in August, he finally nailed the backflip, a trick he’s wanted to do for a long time.

Darin got his start in freestyle motocross in an unusual way: After attending a round of the series as a spectator a few years ago, he told his girlfriend, Rebecca, “Hey, I could do that!” Soon after, he became a regular competitor on the tour.

Another accomplishment for this Colorado Powersports-supported Yamaha rider is qualifying for a round of the Dew Action Sports Tour last season, a series he hopes to compete in more during 2006.

You can expect to see Darin in the IFMA Series this year, and he will also try to qualify for the X Games for the first time.