Brian Deegan (born May 9, 1974)[1] is an American professional freestyle motocross rider and racing driver.
Deegan was the first to land a 360 in a freestyle motocross competition. With a total of 16 X Games medals across multiple disciplines, he is one of the most decorated athletes in X Games history. Of his 16 total medals, 12 of them are in motocross and 4 of them are in rally car racing.
A co-founder of the Metal Mulisha[1] clothing line, Deegan is one of the most recognizable names in action sports. In the 2010’s, Deegan transitioned to rallycross in the Global Rallycross Championship and off-road trucks in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Championship series. In 2010, Deegan earned double silver in Rally Car Racing and RallyCross. In 2011, he took RallyCross gold and came back to earn bronze in 2012.
Deegan became a professional supercross rider with Team Moto XXX at age 17. In 1997 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Deegan won the 125cc main and ghost rode his bike across the finish line.
In 2004, at the Winter X Games, Deegan crashed while attempting a twisting backflip 360 over a 100 ft (30 m) jump, landing on hard-packed snow and ice and breaking his femur and both wrists. He returned 6 months later to place fourth at the 2005 Summer X Games.
Switching to four wheels in 2009, Deegan ventured into short course off-road racing in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series' Unlimited Lites division. He ultimately won the championship over more experienced off-road drivers.[2]
At the 2010 X Games, Deegan competed in the Rally Car event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He finished second behind Tanner Foust after making a wrong turn during the race. He also competed in Rally Car Super Rally, again finishing second behind Tanner Foust.
In 2012, he debuted the Metal Mulisha Monster truck. Todd LeDuc officially debuted it at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas in January 2012. Deegan drove the truck at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Deegan also won his second championship in the Pro 2 class of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
Deegan raced an OlsbergsMSEFord Fiesta in the Global RallyCross Championship, earning runner-up in 2012, fourth in 2013 and 12th in 2014. He also continued his Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series career, winning the Pro Light Unlimited championship in 2013 and the Pro 2 championship in 2014. In 2015, Deegan was hired by Chip Ganassi Racing to compete in seven Global Rallycross Championship races in an M-Sport Fiesta along with former professional motocross rider Jeff Ward.[3]
Media appearances
During a 2005 taping of MTV's Viva La Bam, Deegan under-rotated a backflip and suffered a strong impact from the handle bars in his midsection, almost losing his life. He lost a kidney, lacerated his spleen, and lost a significant amount of blood. He now has a long scar down his stomach, that he calls his "zipper", spanning almost his entire abdomen, as a result of the accident. While the accident was cut out of the show, Bam Margera dedicated the episode to Brian.
In 2006, Deegan and Berkela films released a film entitled Disposable Hero that follows him through the struggles and rewards that accompany the freestyle motocross sport and lifestyle. Jesse James, Ronnie Faisst, Jeremy Stenberg, Cameron Steele, Chris Ackerman, Nate Adams, and Seth Enslow are a few of the featured cast that talk about Deegan and his life's journeys. The film aired on Spike TV on December 5, 2007.
In 2018, Deegan was the subject of the documentary Blood Line: The Life and Times of Brian Deegan.[4]
Other ventures
In addition to supporting riders, the Metal Mulisha has a clothing line and other related merchandise. Deegan also has a toy line called Heavy Hitters distributed in retail locations such as Walmart. Most recently he teamed up with Illektron to create Battlez FMX, a collectible card and dice game featuring Deegan, Todd Potter and Jeremy Lusk.
He is the former owner of the FMX park, the Compound, which he later sold to Nate Adams. At the 2007 X Games Deegan stated he sometimes regrets selling it.
Personal life
He has been married to Marissa Deegan since 2003. Together, they have three children: Hailie, who currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for AM Racing; Haiden, who was recently signed to Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing as a amateur/pro rider; and Hudson, who competes in youth motocross.
At the 2002 Winter X Games, Deegan pulled off the Mandatory Suicide (Super Can to Side Saddle Lander), its named after his favorite band Slayer and wins his first ever Winter X Games Gold medal.
2003 Featured Rider on Tony Hawk tour
2003 EXPN Rider of the year nominee
First to land a 360 in an FMX competition
2004 ESPY award nominee
Holds the 2nd most medals in FMX X Games history: 12 medals
2004 ESPN top 100 athlete of all sports
2007 Winner Best Biography X Dance Action Sports Film Festival for Brian Deegan: Disposable Hero
2009 Awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award At The Transworld Motocross Awards In Las Vegas.
