Meet Weston Lukens: The 10-Year-Old Who Just Landed a Double Backflip

At an age when most kids are focused on video games, 10-year-old Weston Lukens is focused on dialing in his next line. This mountain bike freerider is already making waves on the scene with skills, style, and courage that defy his age. He’s ridden at huge events like Freeride Fiesta and the Cam Zink Invitational, and he just stomped his first double backflip. We caught up with the young phenom to get his thoughts on riding, progression, and what it’s like to be a 10-year-old heavy-hitter in the world of mountain biking.

Marlee: Hey Weston, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. It’s not every day we see a 10-year-old with your level of skill and confidence.

Marlee: Okay, so you've ridden at huge events like Freeride Fiesta and the Cam Zink Invitational. What’s it like standing at the top of the course with all the pros? Is it just pure fun, or do you get nervous?

Weston: It's a mix of both. You're scared, but you're also having fun because it's super cool to watch everyone else. It's scary because you don't know how every run is going to work out, you might land different, or the speed might be a little off. So it's scary, but it's also really fun at the same time. It's also really awesome to ride with all these pros, sit up there and talk to them, and do the same tricks they are. It's probably the coolest feeling ever.

Marlee: Who are some of the riders you look up to the most? Is there anyone whose style you think is super cool?

Weston: I look up to Cam Zink, Asa Vermette, Neko Mulally, and Jaxson Riddle.

Marlee: What's the best part about riding for you? Is it the feeling of being in the air, learning a new trick, or just riding with your friends?

Weston: I really like riding, meeting new people and trying new tricks, and it's just really fun to ride with all my friends. I like really trying to push myself to try a new trick on a trail or on something really big or scary.

Marlee: You just landed a double backflip, which is absolutely insane! How long were you thinking about that trick before you decided to just go for it? What did it feel like to finally land one?

Weston: I mean I've been thinking about it for almost a year now, and the only hold-up was finding the right place to do it. It felt like the coolest feeling ever to land this trick after thinking about it for a while and it's just super cool to be able to do it now. It's just really awesome!

Marlee: Gotta ask about your bike! What are you riding right now? Is there a favorite part of it that you think is the sickest?

Weston: For mountain biking, I ride a tiny 24-inch Rocky Mountain Slayer alloy. Then for dirt jumping I have a Prevelo Bravo 3, which is probably my favorite for sure. My favorite part is probably my 5Dev cranks.

Marlee: When you’re not on your bike, what’s a normal day like for you? Are you into video games, other sports, or just being a regular 10-year-old kid?

Weston: I like playing with my RC cars and my finger bikes a lot.

Marlee: You’ve already accomplished so much. What’s the next big goal for you? Is there a dream trick you’re working on or an event you can't wait to ride in?

Weston: I'm really trying to work on a few tricks I want to get badly: flip double-bars, flip-whips, and a 720. And I'd really like to ride in Rampage one day.