Watch freestyle motocross superstar Tommy "Tom Cat" Clowers in action, and what you’re really seeing — apart from outrageous tricks pulled off 60 to 90-foot jumps in rapid-fire succession— is a slice of American history, motorcycle aerobatics-style. See, Clowers is what you might call an "original." A ten-time X Games medalist, Clowers, who now appears regularly with his lifelong buddy Jeff Tilton in Red Bull TNT FMX demonstrations, was an instrumental player in helping elevate freestyle motocross, or FMX, from an intermission attraction to a main event in its own right. Nowadays, FMX is a primetime pillar of ESPN X Games broadcasts. Clowers, 33, is one of the most recognizable names and faces in the sport, a status validated by hardware — four X Games golds, three silvers and three bronze. Still, Clowers remains one of FMX’s most approachable and accessible athletes (to say nothing of exciting). Talk with him for a bit and this much becomes clear: Not only does he love what he does for a living, he still must pinch himself now and then at the notion that his passion doubles as a livelihood. "Just from being in it from the beginning, none of us knew where it was going to go, or even whether it’d go at all," says Clowers, who was in attendance at a then-little known contest back in 1998 in Las Vegas, an event now widely regarded as FMX’s first. "We were just doing it to do it. But it’s worked out for the best, for sure, and it’s given me a career in riding."
Kick Start
Like many elite FMX riders, Clowers grew up in the San Diego area — he calls Ramona home now. Racing BMX bikes by age six, Clowers’ interest in motorized bikes was sparked by a chance meeting with motocross rider Mike Craig. As a motocross amateur, Clowers’ accomplishments were unreal: 14 titles. At age 20, in 1992, he moved up to the pro circuit, impressed some people with a few top-five supercross finishes, then pulled off a huge win at the Anaheim Ultracross — in only his second ultracross ever. "It still ranks as my most memorable race," Clowers grins.
Clowers continued racing through the 1990s, but gradually his focus shifted toward FMX. By 1999, Clowers was pursuing freestyle motocross full-time. It proved to be a wise decision.
In step-up (think Olympic high jumping… just on motorcycles), Clowers won three-consecutive titles in the Summer X Games from 2000-2002. He took second in 2003, third in 2004, but he was back on top again in 2005. Clowers reached his highest-mark in 2000-- 35 feet. Also in 2000, Clowers won the Vans Triple Crown Series and World Freeride Association (WFA) Championship, and he has medaled in every Winter and Summer X freestyle motocross discipline.
Rev-olution
Part of Clowers’ appeal is that although he’s a devoted showboat in the air, when he’s back on earth, he’s laid-back and — well — down to earth. In competition, he uses his compact 5’5" frame to explode off ramps and tweak-out freestyle tricks — moves that just might be considered graceful were the sport any less extreme. But that grace translates to Clowers’ personality, as well. In the sometimes over-the-top world of FMX, Clowers presents a quiet confidence. He eschews a big entourage and "handlers" and makes a point to treat public and press with equal courtesy. The result: pure respect.
Nowadays, Clowers and his San Diego-area friend Jeff Tilton, crisscross the country performing FMX demonstrations. During the busy season, April to November, the duo stages as many as 70 shows, including about 50 as the Red Bull TNT FMX demos. With separate semi-trailers containing all the requisite ramps located on both coasts, the pair has been everywhere — performing on snow, beaches and urban downtowns at night. "Basically, we show up, set up, and we’ll circle around and do all the freestyle tricks we know," says Clowers.
For fans, the experience of watching FMX live — versus on TV — tends to elicit animated reactions. "Yeah, they think we’re crazy, pretty much," Clowers chuckles. "A lot of times, fans just think you’re Evel Knievel, like you just went and tried to do it there — like an untried stunt. They don’t understand that it’s an actual sport sometimes, that that’s what you do for a living."
"And it is crazy, perhaps," he continues. "But that’s why you practice."
Looking forward, Clowers is excited for a very new challenge — fatherhood. "I think about being a father, sure, but hitting ramps is what I do, you know," he says. "But it is getting harder traveling."
In Clowers’ rare down time, he enjoys snowboarding, surfing and — get this — golf. As a competitor in BMX, freestyle and step-up, this Tom Cat has already had a lot of lives — though it seems he’s got many more to come. And he’s planning on enjoying every one of them.
