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Caleb Moore
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Caleb Moore (August 28, 1987 – January 31, 2013) was an American professional snowmobile racer, a quad freestyle motocross rider, and the only person (As of 2025) to die as a result of injuries sustained during the X Games.[2] During his X Games career, Moore claimed four medals.[3]

Key Information

His younger brother Colten Moore is also a competitive snowmobiler and quad freestyle motocross rider.

Personal life

[edit]

Caleb Moore was born in 1987 in Ft. Worth, Texas.[1] His parents are Wade and Michele Moore.[4][5] Caleb is described as having been an adrenaline junkie, someone who was not afraid to take risks, and someone that truly loved what he did. He was family oriented, outgoing, personable, and made friends everywhere he went. He graduated from high school early so that he could continue ATV racing on the national circuit. The number 31 was his personal riding number that he chose for himself as a kid when he first got into ATV racing.

Career

[edit]

Caleb Moore began his career as an ATV racer. During an event in Minnesota, B. C. Vaught spotted Moore and signed him up to star in some action sports movies. Vaught eventually became Caleb's agent.[6]

Caleb appeared in several Huevos freestyle movies by H-Bomb Films, he also toured with the Crusty Demons of the Dirt tour, as well as performed in XKnights FMX shows. He traveled around the world performing freestyle motocross tricks on his quad and was one of the very few people in the world who could consistently backflip a quad.

When Caleb decided to switch from ATV's to snowmobiles, he asked his mom and dad to back him as he learned how to do a backflip. Caleb mastered the maneuver in two weeks. Despite being raised in Krum, Texas, Moore practiced by landing his sled in a foam pit built by his father.[4][6]

Moore's first professional competition as a freestyle snowmobile racer was at the 2010 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. With just one month of practice, Caleb earned a bronze medal in the Freestyle division, while finishing sixth in Best Trick.[7]

The next year, Moore earned bronze (Freestyle) and silver (Best Trick) at the 2011 Winter X Games. In 2012, Caleb repeated the bronze at the Winter X Games Freestyle Snowmobile, while his brother, Colten, took the gold.[8] His performance led ESPN to write on his profile that he had "gone from beginner's luck to serious threat".[9]

Injury and death

[edit]
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Moore was injured on January 24, 2013, during the Snowmobile Freestyle part of Winter X Games XVII, which was held in Aspen, Colorado. He was attempting a backflip (a trick he had done several times before) when the skis on his snowmobile snagged the ground as he was about to land. As a result, Moore was flipped over the handlebars and upon landing, was hit by the snowmobile.[2] His brother Colten was also injured on the same day, sustaining a separated pelvis.[3]

Moore was able to leave the scene under his own strength and he was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital to be treated for concussion. Doctors there discovered bleeding around the heart, and he was diagnosed with a heart contusion. He was airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, to undergo heart surgery. While he was being transported, Moore suffered a period of cardiopulmonary arrest due to presumed unrelieved pericardial tamponade. The lack of oxygen to his brain during this time of hypotension caused anoxic encephalopathy. The fact that a brain complication had occurred was announced by a family spokesman in the days after the accident. Moore remained unconscious after arrival at St. Mary's Hospital, and his condition did not improve over the next several days. He was pronounced dead at 9:30 AM on January 31.[2][10] His family invited the public to observe a moment of silence on February 7, 2013, one week after his death. ESPN presented Moore's family with an X-Games gold medal at his funeral to go along with the medals that he had previously won.

Friends, family, and fans of Moore continue his legacy and show support for him and his family by using the hashtags #RideforCaleb and #31Style on their posts in social media as well as put "In Memory of Caleb Moore" decals on their ATVs, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, or personal vehicles.

Moore's younger brother Colten Moore and author Keith O'Brien wrote a book called Catching the Sky which was released January 19, 2016. The book talks about Moore's life, the road to X-Games, and ultimately his death. It gives insight into the world of extreme sports and was at one time listed as the number one best selling book in the extreme sports category on Amazon.

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Caleb Moore

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Caleb Moore (August 28, 1987 – January 31, 2013) was an American professional freestyle snowmobile rider and quad ATV motocross competitor renowned for pioneering backflips across multiple extreme sports disciplines. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, and raised in Krum, Moore began his athletic career as a teenager racing ATVs alongside his younger brother Colten, eventually becoming one of the first riders to land a backflip on a quad in 2006, which led to international tours with shows like Crusty Demons and Nuclear Cowboyz. Transitioning to snowmobiles in his late teens with sponsorship from Polaris, he debuted at the Winter X Games in Aspen in 2010, quickly establishing himself as an innovative force in the sport through his persistence and creativity despite suffering numerous injuries, including a broken back, torn ACL, broken ankle, broken wrist, and eight concussions. Moore's competitive achievements included four Winter medals: three bronze medals in Snowmobile Freestyle (2010, 2011, and 2012) and one silver in Snowmobile Best Trick (2011), with his 2012 freestyle bronze earned alongside Colten's gold, marking a family podium moment. He was also celebrated for being among the first to master backflips on , a feat he accomplished after just two weeks of practice, and he traveled extensively—logging 60,000 frequent-flier miles annually by 2012—for global freestyle demonstrations. On January 24, 2013, during the Freestyle event at the Winter in , Moore attempted a but under-rotated, causing his 450-pound snowmobile's to catch the landing lip; he fell head-first to the snow, and the machine rolled over his chest and head. Treated initially at Aspen Valley Hospital for a and bleeding around the heart, he was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction, where he suffered cardiopulmonary arrest during transport and was later declared brain dead from anoxic following a blunt force that included multiple fractures, cardiac contusion, and chest wall contusion; he was removed from on January 31, becoming the first athlete to die from injuries at the in its 18-year history. His death prompted safety reviews by organizers and tributes from the extreme sports community, including Colten's gold medal win in Freestyle at the 2014 Aspen in his brother's honor.

Early life

Family background

Caleb Moore was born on August 28, 1987, in . He was the son of Wade Moore and Michele Moore, who raised him in a supportive family environment. The Moore family relocated to , Texas, during Caleb's early years, where he grew up alongside his younger brother, Colten Moore, who would later compete in similar extreme sports events. The brothers spent much of their childhood in rural , including time in areas like Clyde near Abilene and the Panhandle, fostering a close-knit, family-oriented dynamic. Wade Moore actively encouraged his sons' adventurous spirits by constructing a ramp and foam pit in the family's backyard, providing a for practicing stunts. Moore exhibited an outgoing and thrill-seeking personality from a young age, often characterized by those close to him as possessing an easy manner and a relentless drive for adrenaline-fueled challenges. Demonstrating his commitment to his passions, he graduated from High School early to dedicate more time to his interests.

Introduction to motorsports

Caleb Moore's introduction to motorsports began in his youth in , , where he developed a passion for (ATV) riding, supported by his family, including his father Wade Moore, who constructed a foam pit in their backyard for safe practice of advanced tricks. With this foundational setup, Moore honed his skills and committed fully to the sport by graduating from High School early, allowing him to pursue ATV racing on the national circuit without delay. Upon entering the competitive scene, Moore adopted the racing number 31, a personal choice he made as a child starting out in ATV racing, which he carried throughout his career. His talent quickly drew attention during an ATV racing event in , where promoter B.C. Vaught spotted his freestyle abilities and signed him to appear in action sports films, marking Moore's entry into professional circuits and eventually leading Vaught to become his agent for nearly a . This breakthrough propelled Moore into international action sports tours, where he performed high-risk freestyle maneuvers on his ATV, including backflips, for audiences worldwide as part of shows like Crusty Demons of Dirt. These early experiences solidified his reputation as an innovative rider and laid the groundwork for his ascent in the freestyle motorsports world.

Professional career

ATV freestyle achievements

Caleb Moore began his professional career in ATV racing before transitioning to freestyle, where he quickly gained recognition for pushing the boundaries of quad-based tricks. In , at age 19, Moore became one of the pioneers of ATV freestyle by successfully landing the first on a quad to dirt, completing six consecutive flips during practice sessions in as preparation for live performances. This achievement marked him as an innovative rider, earning widespread respect in the industry and transforming him from a local competitor into a pro freestyle sensation. Moore's involvement in action sports films further solidified his reputation, particularly through his appearances in H-Bomb Films' Huevos series from 2007 to 2009. In Huevos 9 (2007), he showcased early backflip attempts and other high-risk stunts alongside top riders like Matt Buyten and Jeremy Lawson, filmed in locations including , , and . He continued performing and acting in subsequent installments, including Huevos 10 (2007), Huevos 11 (2008), and Huevos 12 (2009), where he executed advanced freestyle maneuvers such as massive jumps and flips on quads like the Yamaha YFZ450. These films not only documented his technical prowess but also highlighted his role in elevating quad freestyle's visibility through cinematic storytelling and global filming. Complementing his film work, Moore participated in numerous freestyle ATV tours and promotional events that built his international profile. Following his backflip breakthrough, he and his brother Colten embarked on worldwide tours, performing high-flying demos at events like the Weston Beach Race in and shows in and , often drawing sold-out crowds. By the late 2000s, these tours included collaborations with teams like , where Moore's innovative tricks—such as uphill triples and combined flips—inspired a new generation of riders and expanded the sport's reach through live spectacles. His contributions helped professionalize ATV freestyle, shifting it from to a distinct discipline focused on creativity and risk.

Transition to snowmobiling

Seeking new challenges after establishing himself in ATV freestyle, Caleb Moore transitioned to snowmobiling around late 2009 to early 2010, motivated by the greater television exposure and sponsorship opportunities in the discipline, particularly through events like the . His prior experience in ATV freestyle provided a strong foundation for adapting to the heavier, more powerful , allowing him to leverage skills in aerial maneuvers and balance. Moore quickly mastered the snowmobile backflip in approximately two weeks, practicing extensively on a custom foam pit and training course constructed by his father, Wade Moore, at their home in Krum, Texas. The setup featured artificial turf leading to a ramp and a foam landing area, enabling safe repetition of high-risk tricks without snow; Moore and his brother Colten would spend hours refining techniques there, often simulating competition runs. This intensive, self-directed training regimen, combined with short winter sessions on actual snow, accelerated his proficiency despite the vehicle's 450-pound weight and different handling compared to ATVs. Moore's early snowmobile competitions began in early 2010, with rigorous preparation on the home course and limited on-snow practice that honed his ability to execute complex flips and spins under pressure. He entered his first professional event at the 2010 Winter in , where, after just one month of overall practice, he became the first rider to successfully land a in official competition. This pioneering achievement marked his rapid ascent in the sport and set a new standard for freestyle snowmobiling innovation.

X Games competitions

Caleb Moore made his debut at the Winter in Aspen in 2010, just 32 days after his first time riding a , where he earned a in the Freestyle event. He competed consistently in the event from 2010 through 2012, establishing himself as a key figure in freestyle by securing multiple finishes. Moore's X Games medal tally in snowmobile events included three bronzes in Freestyle across consecutive years and one silver in Best Trick, totaling four medals overall.
YearEventMedalScore (if available)
2010Snowmobile FreestyleBronzeN/A
2011Snowmobile FreestyleBronzeN/A
2011Snowmobile Best TrickSilver90.33
2012Snowmobile FreestyleBronzeN/A
His performances featured innovative tricks that raised the bar for technical difficulty in the discipline, including backflips and variations like the carrola with no-handed lander, which helped redefine expectations for freestyle maneuvers. Moore's brother Colten also competed alongside him, culminating in a family podium sweep at the 2012 Winter when Colten claimed gold in Snowmobile Freestyle while Caleb took bronze.

Fatal accident

Incident at Winter X Games XVII

On January 24, 2013, during the Snowmobile Freestyle finals at Winter X Games XVII in Aspen, Colorado, Caleb Moore, a 25-year-old professional rider, suffered a severe crash while competing. Moore was attempting a backflip on his 450-pound snowmobile when the vehicle's skis snagged on the lip of the landing area, causing him to be ejected over the handlebars and land face-first in the snow. The snowmobile then rolled over him, resulting in immediate unconsciousness. He briefly regained consciousness and walked off the course with assistance from event staff before collapsing again. Earlier that same day, Moore's younger brother, Colten Moore, had also crashed during the event, sustaining a separated in a separate incident. Caleb was initially evacuated by ambulance to Aspen Valley Hospital for treatment of a suspected .

Medical response and death

Following the crash during the Snowmobile Freestyle event at Winter XVII on January 24, 2013, Moore was initially treated at Aspen Valley Hospital in , where he was diagnosed with a heart contusion. Due to bleeding around the heart, he was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center in , where he underwent emergency surgery on January 25 and remained in critical condition in the due to complications including cardiopulmonary arrest during transport. The heart contusion led to oxygen deprivation, resulting in anoxic encephalopathy—a form of brain damage from lack of oxygen—and multiple rib fractures from blunt force chest trauma. Moore was declared brain dead on the morning of January 31, 2013, and officially pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m. that day at age 25; his family authorized , with maintained until the procedure could be completed. An autopsy report released in May 2013 by the Pitkin County Coroner's Office confirmed the as complications from the blunt force sustained in the crash, including the cardiac contusion, chest wall contusion, and subsequent brain damage. The was ruled accidental.

Legacy

Tributes and memorials

Following Caleb Moore's death, his family and the extreme sports community established several lasting tributes to honor his life and contributions to snowmobiling and ATV freestyle. In 2016, his brother Colten Moore co-authored the book Catching the Sky with Keith O’Brien, which chronicles the brothers' shared journey in extreme sports, their family sacrifices, and the profound impact of Caleb's passing during the 2013 Winter X Games. The narrative emphasizes themes of brotherhood, risk, and perseverance, serving as a personal memorial to Caleb's innovative spirit and the family's resilience in the face of tragedy. Fans and fellow athletes expressed widespread support through initiatives, including campaigns using hashtags such as #RideforCaleb and #31Style—referencing Moore's racing number—to share stories, photos, and messages of remembrance. These efforts extended to physical symbols, with many riders affixing decals featuring Moore's number 31 on their snowmobiles, ATVs, and equipment as a visible during competitions and events. In a poignant family-led , Colten Moore dedicated his gold medal in the Freestyle event at the 2014 Winter Aspen to his late brother, just one year after Caleb's crash on the same course. Colten, who had suffered his own injuries including a broken in the 2013 incident, scored 91.33 points to secure the victory and raised his hand skyward in tribute, stating, "To come here and get gold for him, I couldn’t ask for more." He also wore a emblazoned with Caleb's number 31 during the event. The broader community marked the one-year anniversary of Caleb's death with a dedicated ceremony at the 2014 Winter Aspen, where family, friends, fellow athletes, and fans gathered to celebrate his legacy. Wade Moore, Caleb's father, joined other riders and supporters in reflecting on his son's passion and influence, highlighting the emotional weight of the occasion amid the return of the Freestyle competition.

Influence on extreme sports safety

Caleb Moore's death marked the first fatality in the 18-year history of the . This tragedy prompted , the event's organizer, to immediately initiate a comprehensive review of snowmobile freestyle protocols, with commitments to implement appropriate enhancements for future competitions. The incident also triggered heightened scrutiny of the 2014 Winter permit process by local authorities, focusing on public measures to prevent similar accidents. In response, ESPN introduced several targeted changes to mitigate risks in snowmobiling events. These included mandatory protective gear such as body vests and chest protectors for riders, aimed at reducing the severity of blunt force injuries from the approximately 450-pound machines. Snowmobiles were required to incorporate ski springs to maintain ski tip elevation and improve ground clearance during tricks, addressing issues seen in under-rotated flips where the vehicle could catch and roll over the operator. Additionally, equipment inspections were intensified, with a focus on retention systems for helmets and other gear to ensure secure fit during high-impact scenarios. One significant structural adjustment was the elimination of the snowmobile best trick competition in 2013, which had encouraged increasingly complex aerial maneuvers without sufficient oversight (though the event was reinstated in 2017 following further safety refinements). Perimeter protections around competition areas were also bolstered, including reinforced fencing and throttle safety leashes to prevent errant vehicles from entering spectator zones, as highlighted by a related incident during the same games. Over the longer term, Moore's amplified broader discussions on the inherent dangers of freestyle snowmobiling, particularly the combination of high-speed aerial tricks with heavy machinery that can lead to catastrophic compression injuries during failed landings. It spurred increased regulatory attention to extreme sports, influencing considerations and athlete training standards beyond the , as evidenced by ongoing analyses of head, neck, and torso trauma in such disciplines. These developments underscored a shift toward prioritizing athlete welfare, with and event organizers continuing to refine protocols based on incident learnings to balance spectacle and safety.

References

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