Cycling's Greatest Misadventures
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| Local rider Todd Glasgow gets familiar with the Wall Ride feature of Granny's Kitchen trail. Black Rock Mountain Bike Area, Falls City Oregon - March 2006. Photos: Joe Rykowski. | Trail manager Troy Munsell demonstrates the proper technique for riding the wall. Black Rock Mountain Bike Area, Falls City Oregon - March 2006. Photos: Joe Rykowski |
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| Taking part in China's National Day celeberations, Wang Jiaxiong, 30 years old rode a BMX bicycle down a 240 foot ramp attempting to jump the Great Wall of China. As he left the top of the ramp, he was over 100 fett abobe the ground. Jiaxiong was the second of two riders attempting the stunt that day. The first rider cleared the wall without incident and touched ground safely in a special landing pen filled with large foam pads. Jiaxiong was not so lucky. On his attempt, he flew from the take off ramp and reached an apex of 138 feet high, clearing the wall with ease. But to the shock of hundreds of onlookers, he also cleared the foam landing area - a safety zone 250 long and 70 feet wide, providing enough coverage, the stunt coordinators had calculated, for any possible undershooting or overshooting of the wall. | Jiaxiong let go off his bike in mid air, presumably in an attempt to land himself within the safety area. Instead, he landed headfirst in the shrubbery, rocky hillside. Spectators and event officials dragged him out of the bushes. Jiaxiong dies several hours later at a nearby hospital. Organized by China's Great Wall Tourism Bureau, the stunt was part of a series of Great Wall "fly overs" that began in 1992. Previous to this bicycle attempt only cars and motorcycles has succesfully cleared the wall - an act that most Chinese see as part isiotic, part unifying (in a Nationalistic sense) and part shameless tourism promotion. Huangya Pass, Tianjin, China-October 2, 2002. |