motorcross athlete robbie maddison rides waves with his dirt bike

motorcross athlete robbie maddison rides waves with his dirt bike
all images courtesy of DC shoes

in the summer of 2015, motocross athlete robbie maddison and DC shoes, set out to blur the lines of what’s been done before and what’s only been dreamt of, in an attempt to fulfill a three year long ‘pipe dream.’ his team spent days testing and building fins, waterproof sealed engines and different rear tire designs to accomplished a hydroplaning dirt bike. once completed, robbie dressed with his helmet, motocross boots and gloves, took the bike to the iconic waves of tahiti and managed to ride the unchartered saltwater waves of the pacific ocean like a pro surfer. robbie describes the experience, ‘it’s not about the first or being right, it’s about believing in yourself because you know something is possible.’  check out the cinematic video of DC shoes and robbie maddison’s ‘pipe dream’ below. 

in the waves of tahiti

the bikes uses fins to raise it above water

the project took three years to design

the engine need to be completely sealed to prevent malfunction 

a special rear tire was developed to propel the bike forward

the undercarriage also includes to raise it above water

the hydroplaning is completely controllable just like a regular dirt bike

robbie maddison riding during the sunset in tahiti