Supercross is an exhilarating sport that pushes both the physical and mental limits of its riders. However, along with the thrill of racing comes the undeniable danger of certain track features. Three elements stand out as particularly dangerous: the whoops, the tabletop, and the triple jump. These obstacles, while seemingly simple in design, are capable of causing severe injuries if not approached with the utmost skill and precision, pushing riders to the limit.
The whoops, a series of small hills, may appear harmless, but they’ve sent countless riders flying when they make a mistake. A single wrong move can lead to catastrophic results, even injuries as severe as broken backs. Then there’s the tabletop, notorious for wreaking havoc on suspension systems and causing injuries when riders land improperly or fail to control their descent. Finally, the triple jump, a massive leap that requires perfect timing and control, can end disastrously if misjudged. A bad landing or an unfortunate “case” could lead to broken bones and an end to a rider’s race.
For any young rider hoping to make it in the world of supercross, safety and consistent training are key. A solid foundation of 8-9 months of regular practice, followed by years of experience, is essential to handling these challenges safely. Let’s dive deeper into why whoops are so dangerous in Supercross. Whoops have been a staple of Supercross tracks for a long time, but they’ve evolved significantly over the years. Initially, they were smaller and spaced further apart, making them more manageable. However, as the sport has progressed, these obstacles have been positioned closer together, forcing riders to skim across the tops rather than jump over them. This shift has made them much more dangerous and aggressive. To clear these whoops, riders need to maintain significant speed, as it’s nearly impossible to jump over them at
lower speeds. Without enough momentum, the only option is to roll through them, but trying anything else could lead to disaster. A single mistake can cause a crash at any point in the section.
Take Ken Roczen, for example. During a race, while he was performing well, one wrong move sent his rear shock (back suspension) exploding. White smoke poured out across the whoop section, creating a dangerous situation for the riders behind him. They were momentarily blinded, but fortunately, they managed to avoid crashing. Roczen wasn’t so lucky. His bike essentially exploded, and he was thrown over it, landing flat on his left foot. The impact broke multiple bones in his foot and also resulted in a broken tibia—all from one small mistake. Whoops may seem like a simple part of the track, but they pose serious risks that riders must navigate with extreme caution and skill. Even the smallest error can result in severe injury or worse.
Another one of the “big three” in Supercross is the tabletop. This obstacle has many dangers within its tall, lengthy sides, with riders slipping, breaking their hands, or over-jumping and landing flat, which can cause the suspension to bottom out and injure them. When riders are racing in Supercross, they’re going 50-60 mph down the track and then have to slow down to avoid slipping out. About 45-50% of tabletops are positioned right after sharp, high-skill turns, requiring riders to avoid riding too low on the berm or too high on the turn to manage their speed. After all of that, they have to face the massive tabletop staring them down.
Mastering all of this is essential if you want to race in the big leagues. Take Rider Cameron McAdoo as an example; he races a Kawasaki motocross bike, and he had hit a jump wrong and over-jumped it, landing straight into the face of the tabletop. He couldn’t handle the height at that speed, causing him to front-flip. Even though he came back and won his next race for how tough he was, he went from not being able to walk to being the Supercross champion all in 25 minutes. But it happens to everyone—even the franchise faces—which leads many people to believe that the future of Supercross needs to show just how dangerous these jumps are.
A supercross triple jump is when riders have to jump over three huge bumps in a row, sometimes with very little space between them. To make it even harder, the jumps are often huge, and the riders have to land perfectly after each one to avoid crashing. If the rider doesn’t time their jump or throttle just right, they could end up coming up short, landing hard, or even over-jumping and crashing. These types of jumps are dangerous because there’s little room for mistakes, and a bad landing can cause serious injuries.
The risk of injury is so high that riders have to be extremely skilled to even attempt a triple jump. They need to know how to control their speed and body position in the air. Even a small mistake can lead to disaster, like losing control of the bike or landing at the wrong angle. Riders wear protective gear like helmets, neck braces, and pads to reduce the risk, but it’s still a dangerous challenge. That’s why only the most experienced motocross riders even think about attempting a supercross triple—one wrong move, and it could end their race or hurt them badly.
In conclusion, supercross is an exciting sport that races blood through the veins when they ride, but that doesn’t mean they are capable of just hopping on the bike and riding through everything on the track. They need to be trained and practice every day of the week with blood sweat and tears because of the three things that will end a career (triple jump, whoops, tabletop) these three things can end a career and even a life this shows every rider that they need years of practice before they even attempt to try one of these jumps.