Martti Kuoppa: The legendary flatland BMX rider
There are people who manage to make an ever-lasting impression in something, raising the bar so high that one is forced to believe that nobody would ever be able to rise up to that level. Martti Kuoppa has done exactly that. The flatland BMX legend has made
such a huge impact in the sport through his contribution to the progression of the sport and dedication to the promotion of originality and innovation. In less than two decades, the Finnish rider has left a mark in flatland that will surely live on until eternity.
Born in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, on November 1, 1978, Kuoppa stepped into the flatland BMX scene in 1991. After competing with fellow amateurs and polishing his skills in the process, he turned pro in 1996. One of his earliest sponsors was
Chiquita Bananas, who took care of his travel expenses and paid for his entry fee in the contests.
Kuoppa announced himself as a formidable force to be reckoned by making a solid impact in U.S. contests and amassing victories before heading to X Games in 1998, where he put on a remarkable performance to take home the bronze medal.
The Helsinki-based rider kept making waves in flatland BMX competitions, winning competition after competition to become recognised as one of the best in the sport. His biggest success came during the eighth edition of X Games in 2001, when he defeated the
best riders from around the globe to clinch his first X Games Gold Medal. Kuoppa asserted his dominance in flatland BMX competitions outside America as well, which included the BMX World in Germany in 2002.
Not satisfied with collecting medals for his skills on the bike, the flatland BMX star began to drift away from competitions and started to focus on pushing the boundaries of the sport. He devoted his time to discovering all the tricks that he could possibly
do on his bike. The world remained updated with his progression on almost daily basis through the videos that he uploaded on his YouTube channel.
Kuoppa’s obsession with flatland BMX practice resulted in his getting plagued by injury in 2005, but the legendary rider simply was not ready to give himself any rest. He kept pushing himself harder to develop new manoeuvres, which included newer versions
of whiplash techniques, challenging switches and much more.
In his quest to promote originality and innovation, Kuoppa joined hands with his friend Viki Gomez to establish KGB Bike Company, which revolutionised the sport by producing a frame that made even more room available to rider for execution of tricks, along
with creating a foot-clearing front brake system. The two breakthroughs played a huge and vital role in the progression of the sport.
While KGB Bike Company failed to survive beyond 2009 due to the demands of running a company and its interference with his flatland practice, Kuoppa launched his own brand by the name of Jungle Rider a year later and provided a forum for flatland BMX riders
to show off their skills and prove their mettle in Ground Tactics, an online flatland contest series.
On December 20, 2011, Kuoppa announced his retirement from flatland BMX, stating that he believed that he had reached his personal limit in progression and therefore had no further business on a bike. His decision to bid farewell to the sport came as a huge
shock and disappointment for his fans and the entire flatland community as they were hoping to see the maestro in action for a few more years.
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