X-Games gold medalist Andy Macdonald says he’s not an extreme athlete. Sure, he was the first guy to do a backflip on a skateboard. He has even jumped over four cars, setting the record for skateboarding’s longest distance jump: 52 feet. And he just won the vertical (halfpipe) competition to qualify for his sixth X-Games. But Macdonald, 27, says he’s simply an athlete. "It doesn’t take a crazy person to learn to skateboard," says Macdonald, who started at age 12. He credits the sport for his discipline, practicing up to seven hours a day. But it’s not all work: "Every time I do it, I have a good time."

Daily News from TIME for Kids

May 4, 2001 World Report