Dave Mirra
Encyclopedia
David Michael "Dave" Mirra (born April 4, 1974 in Chittenango, New York
) is an American
BMX
athlete, Subaru Rally Team USA driver and business owner. Mirra holds the record for most X-Games medals, standing (and gold medals) and has medaled in every X Games since they started in 1995. His current medal count as of July 31, 2009 in the X Games is 24. In 2008, he placed second in BMX Big Air and third in Rally Car Racing at the X Games. He is known primarily as a vert ramp
and park rider. He has ridden and has been sponsored by Haro Bikes since the mid '90s before starting his own bike company. In 2004, Mirra guest starred on an episode of George Lopez (TV series)
.
(Cal Poly Pomona).
is more commonly known as "Protown" in the BMX
community. This is due to the large amount of contest-riding BMX professionals living there. In the 1990s, Mirra's brother, Tim Mirra, moved to Greenville where there was virtually no BMX scene. Mirra was looking to get out of New York, so he decided to move down to Greenville. Not long after, fellow professional BMX rider Ryan Nyquist
moved in with him. Mirra and Nyquist became quick friends and would build and ride ramps together. Greenville is now home to over twenty professional BMX riders.
's Real World/Road Rules Challenge
. He is featured in the Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
video game series and more recently appeared in the 2009 video game Colin McRae: Dirt 2
. He has published a photo-biography titled "Mirra Images", has appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and the "Today Show", was Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher for IRS fraud, and was once one of People Magazine's "50 Hottest Bachelors". He was also featured in Rolling Stone magazine. Dave also rode a $7500 gold plated bike in the 2006 X-games, but was not able to finish the competition because of a crash. He was left with a concussion afterwards.
. Hitting a slump, and reluctant to sign, Mirra's hero Dennis McCoy finally convinced GT to pay him a fair amount for sponsorship. GT wanted Mirra to move to California and tour the country doing stunt shows at bike shops to promote their bikes like the rest of their riders but, since Mirra felt at home on the East Coast
, his relationship with GT eventually faded. He has been sponsored by Haro
bicycles for a number of years. In 2007 he started his own company called MirraCo.Dave Mirra has his own video game for the PlayStation 2 generation consoles.
Aside from bike sponsors, Mirra has had various secondary sponsors throughout the years. His current sponsors are: Recaro
, MirraCo, Monster Energy
, DC Shoes
, Maxxis Tires, Nike
, Bell Helmets, Snafu, and Subaru
.
Chittenango, New York
Chittenango is a village located in Madison County, New York, in the United States. The village is in the south part of the Town of Sullivan. The population was 5,081 at the 2010 census.- History :...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
athlete, Subaru Rally Team USA driver and business owner. Mirra holds the record for most X-Games medals, standing (and gold medals) and has medaled in every X Games since they started in 1995. His current medal count as of July 31, 2009 in the X Games is 24. In 2008, he placed second in BMX Big Air and third in Rally Car Racing at the X Games. He is known primarily as a vert ramp
Vert ramp
A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in "extreme sports" such as skateboarding.Another form of half-pipe is the mini ramp.Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane to a vertical wall....
and park rider. He has ridden and has been sponsored by Haro Bikes since the mid '90s before starting his own bike company. In 2004, Mirra guest starred on an episode of George Lopez (TV series)
George Lopez (TV series)
"The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez...
.
Early life
Dave Mirra graduated from California State Polytechnic University, PomonaCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
(Cal Poly Pomona).
Making Protown
Greenville, North CarolinaGreenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
is more commonly known as "Protown" in the BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
community. This is due to the large amount of contest-riding BMX professionals living there. In the 1990s, Mirra's brother, Tim Mirra, moved to Greenville where there was virtually no BMX scene. Mirra was looking to get out of New York, so he decided to move down to Greenville. Not long after, fellow professional BMX rider Ryan Nyquist
Ryan Nyquist
Ryan Nyquist is a professional BMX rider who has won numerous gold medals in the X Games Dirt Jumping & Bike Park events. He currently rides for Haro Bikes, Osiris Shoes, Rockstar Energy Drink, and The Jiffy Market of Los Gatos.Ryan returned to San Jose, California where he has a home with his...
moved in with him. Mirra and Nyquist became quick friends and would build and ride ramps together. Greenville is now home to over twenty professional BMX riders.
Mass media
Dave Mirra's success has brought him to numerous outlets besides riding his bike, such as hosting two seasons of MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Real World/Road Rules Challenge
Real World/Road Rules Challenge
The Challenge is a reality television game show on MTV that is both dependent on and spun off from the network's two flagship reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled series, Road Rules. It is currently hosted by T.J...
. He is featured in the Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a video game released in 2000 featuring Dave Mirra and other professional BMX riders. It was developed by Z-Axis Ltd. and published by Acclaim, and was released on the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color and the Windows PC...
video game series and more recently appeared in the 2009 video game Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing game released in September 2009, and is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. This is the first game in the McRae series since McRae's death in 2007. It was announced on 19 November 2008 and features Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, and Dave Mirra...
. He has published a photo-biography titled "Mirra Images", has appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and the "Today Show", was Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher for IRS fraud, and was once one of People Magazine's "50 Hottest Bachelors". He was also featured in Rolling Stone magazine. Dave also rode a $7500 gold plated bike in the 2006 X-games, but was not able to finish the competition because of a crash. He was left with a concussion afterwards.
Sponsorship
Dave's first major sponsor in the BMX world was GT BicyclesGT Bicycles
GT Bicycles is a large American manufacturer of road, mountain, and bmxbicycles. The company was founded in 1979 by Gary Turner, a welding engineer and Richard Long, a bike shop owner. The company merged with Schwinn in 1998, but the conglomerate went bankrupt in 2001, and was acquired by Pacific...
. Hitting a slump, and reluctant to sign, Mirra's hero Dennis McCoy finally convinced GT to pay him a fair amount for sponsorship. GT wanted Mirra to move to California and tour the country doing stunt shows at bike shops to promote their bikes like the rest of their riders but, since Mirra felt at home on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, his relationship with GT eventually faded. He has been sponsored by Haro
Haro Bikes
-Haro Designs:The company was founded in 1978 by Bob Haro. Haro started out producing numberplates for BMX bikes in his bedroom. Demand for these stylish plates quickly outgrew his one man capacity. Haro Designs, the first name of the company, was formed in 1980 with headquarters in Torrance,...
bicycles for a number of years. In 2007 he started his own company called MirraCo.Dave Mirra has his own video game for the PlayStation 2 generation consoles.
Aside from bike sponsors, Mirra has had various secondary sponsors throughout the years. His current sponsors are: Recaro
Recaro
RECARO GmbH & Co. KG, commonly known as Recaro, is a German company based in Kirchheim unter Teck in the vicinity of Stuttgart, known for their automobile bucket seats...
, MirraCo, Monster Energy
Monster Energy
-Distribution :Though it is not widely advertised in the media, Monster receives a large amount of recognition from its sponsorship of various sporting events, including motocross and car racing. Hansen Natural Corporation announced a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the U.S. and Grupo...
, DC Shoes
DC Shoes
DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for extreme sports, skateboarding, snowboarding as well as snowboards, shirts, jeans, hats, and jackets.The company was founded in 1993 by Ken Block and Damon Way, and is based in Vista, California...
, Maxxis Tires, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Bell Helmets, Snafu, and Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
.