{"id":61169,"date":"2018-05-22T19:26:42","date_gmt":"2018-05-22T19:26:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/22\/daredevil-travis-pastrana-black-rifle-coffee-partner-for-death-defying-stunt\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:09:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:09:23","slug":"daredevil-travis-pastrana-black-rifle-coffee-partner-for-death-defying-stunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/off-duty\/2018\/05\/22\/daredevil-travis-pastrana-black-rifle-coffee-partner-for-death-defying-stunt\/","title":{"rendered":"Daredevil Travis Pastrana, Black Rifle Coffee partner for death-defying stunt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The twisted minds behind Black Rifle Coffee Company<\/a> managed to find an even crazier partner to film one of the more insane stunt sequences you\u2019ll see in a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daredevil and Motocross legend Travis Pastrana joined forces with the popular veteran-owned java crew to choreograph the stunt, and with Pastrana\u2019s family history of military service, he said the decision was an easy one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t throw a stone around my family without hitting someone who was in the military,\u201d Pastrana told Military Times. \u201cI have three cousins who went to the Naval Academy. My dad was a Marine, my wife\u2019s father was a Marine, my mom\u2019s father was in the Navy and my grandpa on my dad\u2019s side was a chef on the USS Hawkins during WWII.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Rifle approached Pastrana with the idea after others told them it was too crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first three people we asked to do it said \u2018Hell no,\u2019\u201d said Jarred Taylor, Black Rifle VP of business operations. \u201cAnd we\u2019re talking some of the biggest names in the moto world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In stepped Pastrana, who, after being pitched the idea of jumping a motorcycle over an in-flight helicopter firing two miniguns as a rally car performed doughnuts underneath and explosions encircled the scene, was pleased to oblige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pastrana posted video to Facebook on Monday, seen below, of this and other unbelievable stunts. The helo jump can be seen at about the three-minute mark.
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\u201cThis sort of started out as a joke,\u201d Pastrana said of the idea, but the merger between military and action sports communities was hard to resist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs much as we think we\u2019re crazy, you know, action sports or civilian life isn\u2019t really comparable with the military,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like, \u2018Oh you were parachuting and someone\u2019s shooting at you?\u2019 It\u2019s a completely different level of badass, pride and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite Pastrana\u2019s enthusiasm, though, the idea hit a snag just before filming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first it was supposed to be me on the motorcycle,\u201d he said, \u201cbut right before the shoot, I broke my wrist really bad, so we got the most American person we could find, Ronnie Mac, to do the jump.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The helicopter featured in the stunt, along with its mounted minigun. (Carlos Torrejon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mac, who the crew simply refers to as the \u201cgreatest moto rider ever,\u201d was immediately thrilled to come on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just one of the perks of having a legend of death-defying motorsports vouching for the idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe coolest part about where I am in my life is like, be careful what you ask for because you just might get it,\u201d said Pastrana. \u201cWe\u2019ve had just enough success \u2014 with a hell of a lot of failures \u2014 that we now have a lot of resources \u2014 military, action sports, guys who love to do crazy stuff.\u201d
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Doing \u201ccrazy stuff\u201d with such a diverse crew is just one way the team from Black Rifle says they want to breathe positive life into the military community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than just a jump,\u201d said Evan Hafer, CEO of Black Rifle Coffee. \u201cIt\u2019s the significance of it. If you\u2019re not pushing the limits sitting on this rock that\u2019s spinning 1,000 miles an hour in the middle of this black abyss, you\u2019re kind of defeating the whole purpose of life,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ronnie Mac, who the crew simply refers to as the “Greatest Moto Rider Ever,” launches off the ramp to clear “Little Bird.” (Carlos Torrejon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Along with Pastrana\u2019s Nitro Circus team, Black Rifle is receiving support from bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Asking Alexandria, Breaking Benjamin and All That Remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lead singer of Asking Alexandria, Danny Worsnop, actually joined in on the stunt and was in the car with Pastrana, even pulling the hand brake to spare Travis\u2019 broken wrist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Rifle and Pastrana expect to work together again soon, Taylor said, and the coffee company envisions no slowing when it comes to establishing mutually beneficial relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd by the way, these aren\u2019t paid partnerships,\u201d said Hafer. \u201cWe\u2019re not like Dan Bilzerian \u2014 we don\u2019t have to f–king pay people to be our friends.\u201d
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Developing these positive relationships is something Pastrana cherishes. Work ethic and character mean a lot to the daredevil, values he\u2019s applied from his upbringing in a military household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you say you\u2019re going to do something, you do it,\u201d Pastrana said. \u201cYou have respect and you work hard. I feel like the military has shaped my entire life.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any sane family may have expressed concern about Travis\u2019 career choices, like when he rode a motorcycle off of a ramp into the Grand Canyon, only to ditch the bike and pull a parachute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But despite his ground-breaking vocation, Pastrana\u2019s Marine father offered him a word of advice long ago that he keeps with him to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you love what you do, ride the train until the wheels fall off.\u201d
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