BMX Rider
Pat Casey
Pat Casey was an American BMX park and dirt rider from California who won X Games Dirt gold in 2021 and died in a motocross accident in June 2023, aged 29.
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Pat Casey was an American BMX rider from Southern California who competed at the top level in park and dirt for more than a decade. He was known for riding with huge amplitude and for technical trick combinations, and his results included a FISE Montpellier park win in 2011 and gold in BMX Dirt at the 2021 X Games. He died in June 2023, aged 29, after a motorcycle crash at a motocross park in California.
Early life
Casey was born on 26 December 1993 in California and grew up in the southern part of the state, which has long been one of the centres of park and dirt riding in the United States. He started riding young and progressed quickly on ramps and dirt jumps.
He turned professional at around 16, the age given by most profiles (one source says 14), and was competing against established pros while still at school.
Career
Breakthrough years
Casey's international breakthrough came in the early 2010s. In 2011 he won the BMX park contest at FISE Montpellier in France, one of the most important events on the calendar. He is commonly credited, including by the San Diego Union-Tribune, with landing the first backflip decade in competition in 2011, a trick in which the rider spins the frame a full rotation around the handlebars while also flipping backwards.
In 2012 he won bronze in BMX Park at the X Games, his first X Games medal. He went on to medal again at X Games events in the following years, including a silver in BMX Park at X Games Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil in 2013, behind his Monster Energy teammate Kyle Baldock.
Park and dirt
Through the 2010s Casey was one of the few riders who could contend in both park and dirt finals. Park contests reward variety, height and use of the whole course, while dirt contests are built around big jump lines. Casey's combination of size and technical skill suited both formats.
He also took part in invitational events outside the standard contest circuit. In 2013 he won Red Bull Dreamline, a judged jam on a huge dirt course in Angel Fire, New Mexico, ahead of TJ Ellis and Kyle Baldock. He was also a regular in web videos and contest edits.
X Games 2021
The 2021 X Games, held in California during the pandemic, were the high point of his contest career. Casey won gold in BMX Dirt and silver in BMX Park at the same event. The following year he won silver in the Mega Park event at X Games California 2022.
Death
On 6 June 2023, Casey crashed while riding a motorcycle and attempting a jump at a private motocross park in Ramona, in San Diego County. Emergency responders tried for close to an hour to revive him, but he died at the scene. He was 29.
He was survived by his wife and two children. Riders, brands and event organisers across BMX and action sports paid tribute to him in the days that followed.
Riding style
Casey was best known for amplitude. He rode park and dirt jumps faster and higher than most of the field, and he made big airs look smooth and controlled. He paired that height with technical combinations, including backflip variations, tailwhips and bar tricks, which made his runs both large and difficult.
His ability to move between park and dirt was unusual. Many riders specialise in one, but Casey stayed competitive in both for most of his career, and his style carried over between the two.
Contest results
Commonly cited results include:
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | FISE Montpellier, BMX Park | 1st |
| 2012 | X Games, BMX Park | Bronze |
| 2013 | X Games Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, BMX Park | Silver |
| 2013 | Red Bull Dreamline, Angel Fire, New Mexico | 1st |
| 2021 | X Games California, BMX Dirt | Gold |
| 2021 | X Games California, BMX Park | Silver |
| 2022 | X Games California, BMX Mega Park | Silver |
The table lists five X Games medals in all. Medal counts in news coverage of his death vary, partly because some reports counted only certain events, and a few reports name the 2013 Brazil event as BMX Air rather than Park.
Legacy
Casey is remembered as one of the most talented park and dirt riders of his generation, and as a rider who could match anyone for height. His X Games Dirt gold in 2021 came more than a decade after his first major win, showing a rare level of consistency at the top of the sport.
His death, at a time when he was still competing and riding at a high level, was felt widely across BMX and the wider action sports community. He shared contest finals with many of the leading park riders of the 2010s and early 2020s, such as Kevin Peraza and Logan Martin, and tributes from across the sport focused on both his riding and his place in the community.
Sponsors
Casey rode for Mongoose and Vans and was a Monster Energy athlete, the three sponsors named in DIG's memorial piece. Earlier sponsors changed over the years and are not consistently documented.
Related
Frequently asked questions about Pat Casey
How did Pat Casey die?
He died on 6 June 2023, aged 29, after crashing a motorcycle while attempting a jump at a private motocross park in Ramona, San Diego County. He was not riding a BMX bike at the time.
Did Pat Casey win X Games gold?
Yes. He won gold in BMX Dirt at the 2021 X Games in California. He also won several other X Games medals, starting with a bronze in BMX Park in 2012.
What tricks was Pat Casey known for?
He was known for very big airs on park and dirt, and for technical combinations such as backflip variations. He is commonly credited as the first rider to land a backflip decade in competition, in 2011.
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