Petr Pilt is considered the biggest FMX talent of the present day, and not just among the Czechs. He recently performed his first backflip - at the age of 14!

Granted: Petr Pilt cannot jump as spectacularly, confidently, or powerfully as Nate Adams or Travis Wunderkind" Pastrana - not yet, anyway. But this young man from Pysely now has a claim to Pastrana's nickname as no one before. On November 20, 2005, in front of 17,000 spectators at Prague's Freestyle Motocross competition, he spun his KTM 125 into a flawless backflip across the arena. And in the world of FMX, the backwards somersault is the trick that separates the men from the boys. At that time, Petr was barely 14 years old. Until then, no ONE of that age had ever performed a backwards flip in midair while being on a motorcycle.

Petr competed in his first motocross race at age six. At age seven he won his first event, and at nine he became the Czech champion in the 65 cc class. At age 10 he first tried FMX - for the adrenaline, he says. His motto is "I ride to live, and I live to ride!" - as long as the school allows it. Along the way, the young star has been supported by an old star: Petr Kuchar, Europe's first backflipper and the Czech Republic's great FMX legend, was also there when Petr's initial backflips landed him first in the foam pit and then in the dirt.

Petr has already experienced the triumphal side of FMX. There have been some less sunny moments along the way. In August 2004 he took a hard slam, damaging his lungs, liver, and spleen, and breaking both arms. He was 13. After an enforced break of a half year away from his bike, he was back on it as though nothing had ever happened - and backflip training was finally there waiting for him. Meanwhile, mentor Petr Kuchar began calling his young charge "the Czech Pastrana" and playing with Pastrana's nickname, so that "zazracne dite" is no longer the only Czech word for "wunderkind" - these days the name "Pilt" works just as well.

It's rather easy to diagnose Petr Pilats incurable obsession: he is in love with a motorbike. "I don't think there is a chance he could be cured of this obsession", says Czech motocross Guru Petr Kuchar. Not even an injury...