AN Australian man defied gravity to become the first person in the world to land a triple front flip on a BMX bike, dedicating the special moment to a close friend who tragically died earlier last week.

    Ryan Williams, a 20-year-old stunt rider from Caloundra, Queensland, overcame five brutal failed attempts to eventually perform a perfect triple rotation on his lucky sixth effort.

    “This one’s for you Erik,” he said, paying homage to former stuntsmen Erik Roner, before zooming down the near-vertical runway and launching off the three-meter ramp for a final time.

    “If I can spin it, and get to my wheels, and get close ... I’ll just keep going,” he said, just moments before completing the impressive trick without hitch. Williams is part of a bunch of fearless daredevils, collectively named Nitro Circus.

    The group, led by American motorsports legend Travis Pastrana, tour the world seeking to outdo each other with the most death-defying, outrageous stunts — across a range of different platforms.

    The triple flip was performed in “Pastranalands” — a custom-built track in Marylands in the U.S., with a runway edged into the forest and a landing zone padded out with a suspiciously thin layer of foam.

    Williams was joined by another pro rider, Andrew Ahumada, who was violently thrown off his bike twice, unable to successfully land the same maneuver.

    On his second attempt, Ahumada was flung off his bike and hit the landing zone with a sickening thud, prompting Williams to rush forward shouting: “No!” — dreading significant injury.

    Thankfully, neither rider appeared to sustain serious injuries in their stunts.

    Williams has been performing with Nitro Circus for three years, shooting to fame as a teenager when he was filmed landing the first fakie front flip on a scooter, reported ninemsn.com.

    The fearless stuntman will return to Australia in May next year, as Nitro Circus tour the nation for their 10th anniversary. (SD-Agencies)