PROVIDENCE — If at first you don't succeed, try again. At least give it one more chance.
East Providence native and Barrington resident Kevin Robinson set a new Guinness Book of Records world …
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PROVIDENCE — If at first you don't succeed, try again. At least give it one more chance.
East Providence native and Barrington resident Kevin Robinson set a new Guinness Book of Records world mark for the longest assisted back flip on a bicycle, easily covering 84 feet, 8 inches on the second of two attempts at the milestone Saturday afternoon, Aug. 13, in Kennedy Plaza. The previous record was 65 feet.
"I said, 'I'm not doing that again,'" Robinson said as an aside to his family after he stuck the landing on what was his second go at the record.
On his first attempt the front tire of Robinson's ride struck the flat top of his landing ramp, bouncing once on the down angle before crashing to the street seemingly in a rather painful manner.
"The first try, as we were approaching, I was like I don't know, I think we're going a little too slow," Robinson said. "And as I took off, I started rotating and I saw the deck approaching and I said I'm not going to make it. I'm going to case. So I didn't know. I was like just let your body stay loose and try to ride it out. It worked O.K. I got up fine."
Undeterred, Robinson quickly shook off any aftershocks he was feeling from the first attempt and went at it for a second try. This time, he succeeded with plenty to spare.
Using the aid of an ATV to gather the appropriate speed, as he did during his first attempt, Robinson nailed the jump, sticking the landing and coming to a halt in the midst of a throng of supporters.
"The second attempt, I actually, as I was approaching the ramp, I gave it good pull like a sling shot and I yanked real hard," Robinson said of the successful try. "As I was coming around, I wanted to go a little bit farther, but I landed right on the knuckle. And I ride away safe. I'm a 44-year-old retired athlete and I just set a world record."
Robinson and a trusted group of friends were intimately involved in staging the event, determining the length of the attempt and building the ramps themselves. They worked into the night on Friday setting up and he spent the better part of Saturday morning practicing. His efforts paid off.
"And the most rewarding part of this is being part of the process," Robinson added. "I can't thank my family and friends enough for all their support."
The attempt, which was billed as "K-Rob Flips Providence," was shown nationally on ESPN and as part of the sports network's X-Games series. Robinson, a legendary performer in his genre, has made 18 appearances in the X Games, earning 10 medals total, four of which were gold.
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