Chris Pfeiffer
{{Short description|German motorcycle stunt rider (1970–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{EngvarB|date = March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chris Pfeiffer
| image = Christian Pfeiffer 002 2014 Juli.JPG
| image_caption = Pfeiffer in 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date|1970|04|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Weilheim-Schongau, Bavaria, West Germany
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|03|12|1970|04|20|df=y}}
| death_place = Halblech, Germany
| nationality =
| occupation = Stunt rider
| years_active = 1993–2015
}}
Christian Pfeiffer (20 April 1970 – 12 March 2022) was a German motorcycle stunt rider and multiple time world champion (2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009).{{Cite news |last=Nair |first=Hari Govind |title=Chris Pfeiffer: Tendulkar of stunt biking! |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/life-style/chris-pfeiffer-tendulkar-of-stunt-biking/articleshow/5881996.cms?from=mdr |access-date=17 March 2022}}{{Cite news |title=Chris Pfeiffer's death-defying stunts! – Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/kolkata/chris-pfeiffers-death-defying-stunts/articleshow/7778649.cms |access-date=17 March 2022|website=The Times of India |language=en|last1=Chakravorty |first1=Deblina }} He was a four-time winner of the prestigious Red Bull Scramble (1996, 1997, 2000 and 2004) and he also broke many Guinness World Records during his 20-year professional career as a rider. He was also a four time European Championship winner (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010).{{Cite web |title=Chris Pfeiffer wins 2007 European Stunt Riding Championship |url=https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0019721EN_GB/chris-pfeiffer-wins-2007-european-stunt-riding-championship?language=en_GB |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=www.press.bmwgroup.com}}
Career
Pfeiffer inherited the passion for his motorcycle riding from his father at a young age and his father gifted him a modified bike when he was only five years old.{{Cite news |title=The biker-man – Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/the-biker-man/articleshow/7806427.cms |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} He learnt the art of freestyle biking stunts at the age of 10. At the age of 10, in 1980, he won his first ever trial race on a motocross bike. He took up stunt riding to prolong his career in the mid-1990s.{{Cite web |last=Toma |first=Sebastian |date=15 March 2022 |title=Legendary Stunt Rider Chris Pfeiffer Passed Away |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/legendary-stunt-rider-chris-pfeiffer-passed-away-183993.html |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=autoevolution |language=en}} In 1985, Pfeiffer won the West German national title at junior level in the motocross event at the age of 15. At the age of 18, he won the OMK Cup which is a German National Championship for B license holders.{{Cite web |date=15 March 2022 |title=Stunt driving legend Chris Pfeiffer commits suicide |url=http://techzle.com/stunt-driving-legend-chris-pfeiffer-commits-suicide |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=Techzle |language=en-US}}
His most notable world record came in 1997 when he successfully jumped over 33 people lying next to each other without the use of a ramp.{{Cite web |date=16 March 2022 |title=Legendary stunt king Chris Pfeiffer dead at age 51 |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/legendary-stunt-king-chris-pfeiffer-dead-at-age-51/news-story/7514ad1c12f7532094229973ea4ed5f8 |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}} In 1999, two years later he attempted to break his own world record but he suffered severe complicated fractures due to a technical fault.{{Cite web |title=Chris Pfeiffer – Germany {{!}} |url=https://stuntmasterscup.com/stunt-riders-2/stunt-riding-hall-of-fame/chris-pfeiffer-germany/ |access-date=17 March 2022 |language=en-US}}
He played a key part in transforming the image of BMW in the late 2000s. He became a world champion for the first time in 2003.{{Cite web |title=World champion stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer due {{!}} Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/sports/world-champion-stunt-rider-chris-pfeiffer-due/23-73767 |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}} In 2004, he pulled off a 115 degree wheelie during 'Stuntwars' contest held in Florida and his stunt surprised the viewers that how such stunt can be possible on a bike.{{Cite web |title=Pfeiffer goes to Jaffna |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/120226/Sports/spt16.html |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}{{cite web | title=Chris Pfeiffer pushing boundaries of Streetbike | website=Scoop News | date=6 November 2006 | url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0611/S00049/chris-pfeiffer-pushing-boundaries-of-streetbike.htm | access-date=17 March 2022}} He became a European championship winner for the first time in 2004. He won the Florida Stuntwars in 2006.{{Cite web |title=Christian Pfeiffer to wow UK crowds in June |url=https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0019606EN_GB/christian-pfeiffer-to-wow-uk-crowds-in-june?language=en_GB |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=www.press.bmwgroup.com}}{{Citation |title=Chris Pfeiffer @ Stunt Wars 2006 in Florida. | date=12 September 2006 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmJ4MgoHDfw |language=en |access-date=17 March 2022}}
File:Chris Pfeiffer stunt BMW F800R.jpg
The BMW F800R was first introduced when Chris Pfeiffer started using the custom bike for his tricks. Pfeiffer first started using a BMW F800S in January 2006, and eventually transformed the S into an R model in order to lighten the weight of the bike and make it more suitable for motorcycle stunt riding. In honor of Pfeiffer, BMW started offering a limited edition of 68 Chris-Pfeiffer-Edition BMW F800R models,{{cite news | url= http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2009/August/aug2809-New-BMW-F800R-Chris-Pfeiffer-replica/?R=EPI-117989 | title= New BMW F800R Chris Pfeiffer replica | first= Chris | last= Newbigging | date= 28 August 2009 | publisher= Motorcycle News | accessdate= 18 March 2022}} which has custom paintwork and an Akrapovič exhaust.{{cite web| url= http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2009/10/bmw-f800r-chris-pfeiffer-riding.html| title= BMW F800R Chris Pfeiffer: Riding impression| publisher= Faster and Faster| accessdate= 18 March 2022| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091029144912/http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2009/10/bmw-f800r-chris-pfeiffer-riding.html| archivedate= 29 October 2009| url-status= dead}}
He travelled all around the world to complete and to promote stunt riding for free of charge. In his professional career, he travelled to approximately 94 countries.{{Cite web |last=Tibu |first=Florin |date=2 September 2015 |title=Legendary Stunt Rider Chris Pfeiffer Retires at 45 |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/legendary-stunt-rider-chris-pfeiffer-retires-at-45-video-99481.html |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=autoevolution |language=en}} During his visits to various countries, he had exhibited various stunts including high chair wheelies, no hand wheelies, stoppies, circular wheelies, rolling and burnouts.{{Cite web |title=Stunt maestro Chris Pfeiffer talks on deadly wheelies and killer burnouts |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-stunt-maestro-chris-pfeiffer-talks-on-deadly-wheelies-and-killer-burnouts-1377978 |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=DNA India |language=en}}
He remains the only person in history to have scaled the level three climb at Via Tina in Arco, Italy on his bike.{{Cite web |title=Red Bull biking legend to storm Colombo, Jaffna {{!}} Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/sports/red-bull-biking-legend-to-storm-colombo-jaffna/23-74383 |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}} During his playing career, he worked alongside Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and skateboarder Tony Hawk. He won the Red Bull Scramble four times, achieving this feat with the final victory having come in Austria.{{cite web |last1=Otto |first1=Tyson |title=Chris Pfeiffer dead: Motorbike stuntman, BMW rider, Red Bull athlete, family |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/legendary-stunt-king-chris-pfeiffer-dead-at-age-51/news-story/e714f611105c9986d3b616e5c8b4d5f4 |website=news.com.au |access-date=16 March 2022 |date=16 March 2022}} He rode his last stunt riding contest in 2010. He announced his retirement from the sport in 2015 in order to spend quality time with his family.{{Cite web |title=Chris Pfeiffer Retires from Stunt riding: xBhp News – xBhp.com : The Global Indian Biking Community |url=https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/news/29047-chris-pfeiffer-retires-from-stunt-riding-xbhp-news |access-date=16 March 2022 |website=www.xbhp.com |language=en}}
Death
Pfeiffer died by suicide on 12 March 2022. His death was announced three days later.{{cite web |last1=Goodwin |first1=Sam |title=Chris Pfeiffer death: Sporting world rocked by tragedy |url=https://au.sports.yahoo.com/chris-pfeiffer-death-sporting-world-rocked-tragedy-013958906.html |website=au.sports.yahoo.com |access-date=16 March 2022 |language=en-AU |date=16 March 2022}} He had depression.
References
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Category:German motorcycle racers
Category:People from Weilheim-Schongau