This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's June 6 World Football Issue. Subscribe today.
DAVE MIRRA IS a BMX legend. For two decades, he was his sport's steely-eyed, strong-jawed representative to the mainstream. He inspired a generation of fans, posing for covers, hosting a show on MTV and fronting his own video game series. As action sports took off, there was Tony Hawk, and there was Dave Mirra. He was the first rider to land a double backflip, the first to win three gold medals at a single X Games.
