Backflip

A backflip is a monster truck stunt done off of a specially built ramp that enables the truck to do a backflip.

History

 * 2007 - In a show in Sweden, Tom Meents and Maximum Destruction completed a Save somewhat similar to a possible monster truck backflip. This started the monster truck backflip idea.
 * 2008 - Travis Pastrana and Nitro Circus attempts the very first Monster Truck Backflip, but ends with a crash.Screenshot 2018-09-01-22-12-35.png
 * 2009 - Tom Meents lands the very first backflip in his backyard. At the Monster Jam World Finals 10 Encore, he tried it again, this time, in front of almost 50,000 people in attendance. However, his attempt was unsuccessful and ended with a crash. A few months after World Finals 10, Larry Quick and Ghost Ryder landed the first backflip in an encore, in front of a sold out crowd in Bradford, VT. After performing this feat, he attempted it in multiple independent shows with some successful attempts.
 * 2010 - Cam McQueen and Nitro Circus successfully completes the first backflip in a scored competition. Later that year, Larry Quick attempts the first Double Backflip at the Domination in the Dome event. His attempt was unsuccessful as he only completed one rotation.
 * 2011 - The first ever ramp designated for backflips in scored competition is built and is used for the Monster Jam World Finals 12. Brutus (Chris Bergeron), Madusa (Madusa) and Nitro Circus (Cam McQueen) were the only ones who used the ramp and Nitro Circus was the only one to successfully attempt the backflip. This move almost won him the Freestyle Championship only to lose to Jim Koehler and Avenger in the tiebreaker. In the encore, Ryan Anderson and Son-uva Digger completes the second backflip of the show in a non scored freestyle exhibition.
 * 2012 - The ramp is seen once again at the Monster Jam World Finals 13. George Balhan and Mohawk Warrior successfully executes the first Consecutive Backflip at the same show. Later that year, the ramp makes its first Monster Jam appearance outside the Monster Jam World Finals. The ramp is used for the Path of Destruction Tour where Tom Meents attempted the first Double Backflip in Monster Jam. His attempt was again unsuccessful.
 * 2013 - Tom Meents attempts two double Backflips, one at the World Finals, and one at the Path of Destruction Tour. The World Finals attempt was landed, although the rotations weren't counted as successful while the Path of Destruction attempt was failed.
 * 2014 - The ramp makes more Monster Jam appearances outside the World Finals and the Path of Destruction. At the World Finals, Cam McQueen, this time driving Northern Nightmare, attempted the first ever Reverse Backflip, however, it was unsuccessful. Dave Radzierez and XDP Diesel becomes the first Diesel powered monster truck to attempt a backflip.
 * 2015 - The ramp is seen in multiple shows of the first Fox Sports 1 Series. At the PoD tour, Tom Meents unsuccessfully attempts another Double Backflip.
 * 2016 - The ramp is almost seen in every Monster Jam stadium show. Cam McQueen and Northern Nightmare makes history once again as he successfully executes the Corkscrew Backflip at the World Finals.
 * 2017 - Neil Elliott successfully does the midair backflip (driving Monster Jam 25th Anniversary) and the reverse backflip (driving Max-D) at the World Finals.
 * 2018 - Tom Meents makes the most successful attempt of the Double Backflip at the World Finals 19 encore (driving Rampage (George)) although, still crashes at the end. Tom Meents is the second driver who completed the reverse backflip in San Diego, and the first driver to do the huge-aired backflip in Foxborough.

Backflip Variants

 * Standard: A standard 360° rotation stunt done by monster trucks.
 * Double Backflip: An additional rotation is done after the standard. As of 2018, no successful double backflip has been attempted by both Quick and Meents (though he landed the truck in the 2013 and 2015 attempts, those attempts did not count because he didn't get enough rotation in the air).
 * McFlip: A corkscrew backflip invented by Northern Nightmare driver Cam McQueen at the Monster Jam World Finals 17. Tom Meents was the first one to do the trick in front of the fans in Baltimore, 2011.
 * Consecutive: A truck performs a normal backflip, but when it hits the ground the truck rebounds and the driver hits the throttle the truck will perform a second backflip from the rebound. George Balhan driving Mohawk Warrior in Monster Jam World Finals 13 is the first one to do this kind of backflip.
 * Back to Backflip: A truck under rotates a backflip and, when the front tires retouch the ground, the driver will hit the the throttle and flip the truck into a second backflip. This is not a double backflip as only one flip is completed at a time in between the wheels leaving, and returning to the ground.
 * Backflip to Moonwalk (also known as Reverse Slap Wheelie): A truck performs a backflip, then the driver selects Reverse during the rotation, and once it touches the ground, the driver will hit the throttle, and it will perform a Moonwalk from the landing. Ryan Anderson driving Son-uva Digger in Monster Jam World Finals 19 is the first one to do this trick in front of the fans.
 * Reverse: When the truck faces the opposite way and lines up against the backflip ramp, and then the driver will select reverse, the truck will perform a "reverse" backflip. The first attempt was at the Monster Jam World Finals 15 with Cam McQueen and Northern Nightmare but the truck ended up crashing and even burned the motor. Since then, drivers like Todd LeDuc and Linsey Weenk has attempted the stunt at least once. Later, at the Monster Jam World Finals 18 in 2017, Neil Elliott successfully performed the stunt in front of spectators.
 * Forward Momentum: A stunt performed by Neil Elliott at the Monster Jam World Finals 18 encore where the truck hits a ramp, performing a backflip while traveling forward over Son-Uva Digger.

Types of Backflip Ramps

 * Dirt: The typical backflip ramp. Built just like a regular dirt ramp, but significantly steeper, to a 90 degree angle straight up.
 * Shipping container: A shipping container (or sometimes two put together) elevated on a few feet of dirt with ramps on either side. Generally used where the dirt is too soft or loose to build a proper dirt ramp.
 * Wall: Used exclusively at the World Finals when the near side of the wall, next to Thunder Alley, is designed specifically for backflips using dirt and specially designed boxes (there are usually sponsorship banners on the wall itself). This was originally built with dumpsters on top, but currently use shipping containers.
 * Dumpster: A dumpster is set on a pad of dirt and the sides are used as the 90 degree portion. Used for the backflip wall at World Finals XIV and XV. Now used for all Monster Jam ramps, for support it's filled with dirt.
 * Trailer: Done off of a large transport trailer, similar to that of the large trailers used for the largest obstacles for the early Monster Jam World Finals tracks, although these are stuffed so that the truck goes up and not straight through it.
 * Car: Like a dirt ramp, but with cars placed on the ramp to project the truck up in the air and eventually backwards back onto its wheels.

Even when not a "car" ramp, cars are often used in construction of backflip ramps, believed to be for support.

Drivers Associated With the Backflip

 * Travis Pastrana (Nitro Circus) - first driver to attempt a backflip (2008)
 * Larry Quick (Ghost Ryder) - first driver to land a backflip in front of a crowd (2009), first driver to attempt the double backflip (2010).
 * Tom Meents (Maximum Destruction) - first driver to successfully land a backflip (2009), first driver to attempt the stunt in front of an audience (2009), first driver to attempt the stunt at the World Finals (2009).
 * Cam McQueen (Nitro Circus / Northern Nightmare) - first driver to land a backflip in scored competition (2010), first driver to land a backflip at the World Finals (2011), first driver to attempt a reverse backflip (2014), first driver to land the corkscrew backflip (2016).
 * Madusa (Madusa) - first female driver to attempt a backflip (2011).
 * Kaila Savage (Heart Breaker) - first female driver to land a backflip (2011)
 * Corey Clark (Freak Show) - first driver to attempt a backflip in Australia. (2011)
 * George Balhan (Mohawk Warrior) - first driver to land the Consecutive Backflip (2012)
 * Linsey Weenk (Lucas Oil Crusader) - first driver to land 2 backflips in scored competition (2012)
 * Dave Radzierez (XDP Diesel) - first driver to land a backflip in a diesel powered monster truck (2014).
 * Neil Elliott (Monster Jam 25th Anniversary / Maximum Destruction) - first driver to land the mid-air backflip (2017), first driver to land the reverse backflip (2017).
 * Ryan Anderson (Son-uva Digger) - first driver to land the Backflip to Moonwalk (2018).
 * Peter Nyman (EarthShaker (Viking Monster Trucks)) - first European driver to land a backflip. (2018)
 * Hayden McLeary (Buddy) - first Australian driver to land a backflip. (2018)

Controversy
The backflip is not universally popular among Monster Jam enthusiasts. Many fans have criticized the backflip for being over-used and, during some shows, the judges tendency to score a freestyle off of quantity of backflips, rather than the quality of them or any other means of variety the freestyle has.

​Trivia
Monster Jam's current dumpster ramps are sponsored by Monster Energy products, and are referred to as the Monster Energy Backflip Ramp.

For a period the Monster Jam ramps were called the Mutant backflip ramp, but it was changed after Mutant was discontinued.

It is only called the Monster Energy backflip ramp at events where Monster Energy is competing.