From Backyard Ramps to BMX Royalty

For Kevin Peraza, riding starts with a surge. Rubber hits dirt, adrenaline snapping through his veins. The first trick sets it off. What keeps him moving is raw speed, the taste of freedom, and the sense that anything can happen when his wheels leave the ground. That charge has been his driving force for about 15 years.

“(Bike riding) is a freedom of expression, and it’s an outlet to just get out there, do your thing, and enjoy it,” Peraza says. “There’s no right or wrong way of doing it.”

That same unyielding energy propelled him from Tucson’s sunburnt tracks to X Games gold and to the edge of the Olympics. At 31, Peraza is still in motion: no finish line, just the next jump, the next rush.

Peraza was raised in a BMX family, the middle brother, surrounded by bikes and a backyard that doubled as a proving ground. His dad caught the BMX fever in the 80s and never let it go. He was hooked. “He built us this backyard setup that was built on dirt,” Peraza shares. “We had a dirt jump in the backyard. We’d make all these sketchy jumps with tires under them. We would go into a ditch and build a takeoff. You name it.”

What began in the dust behind his house became a passport to the world: thirteen X Games medals, podiums around the world, a collection of stamps and scars. But the win that matters most isn’t about metal or learning the hardest trick.

“My biggest accomplishment would be being able to inspire kids with the way I ride a bike and through my personality,” Peraza says. “Whether you know BMX or don’t know BMX, I always feel like I can share a smile and positivity through riding.”

Peraza stirs park, street, and dirt into something unpredictable, rewriting the rules every time he rides. “Nowadays, I’m considered one of the few well-rounded athletes who does every discipline,” he says. “I try to bring it all into a mix and showcase, most importantly, my personality through my riding and just try to be as unique as possible.”

That disposition and dexterity put him in the tattooing chair for “SELF MADE,” the Monster Energy series in which athletes take a break from the competition spotlight for the tattoo needle. No tricks, no trophies. Just the stories that shaped them. For Peraza, it was a chance to lay bare what matters: family, identity, and the mark he wants to leave behind.

A Japanese-style snake coils around his leg, inked by Monster Energy’s tattoo ambassador Luke Wessman. The snake is wavy, unpredictable, and kind of wild. “The snake is something meaningful as far as how I ride, to growing up in Arizona. Lots of snakes. A little reminder of home,” Peraza shares.

Wessman softened the tattoo by enveloping the rattler with a chrysanthemum, balancing Peraza’s personality: sincere and cheerful with a competitive bite. Peraza rides with teeth bared, but off the bike, he’s generous, gracious, and impossible not to root for. That balance is why he’s earned his place among BMX’s most respected.

Today, Peraza is building as much off the bike as on it. He sketches BMX courses for Supercross, dreams up wild projects with Swatch, and fights for new skateparks in Mexico, where the scene is still finding its voice.

“My parents moved away from Mexico for better opportunities in the States,” he says. “There’s so much talent in Mexico. If I’m the voice and I (can) be that role model and that example of the few Mexican athletes that are traveling abroad with BMX, I think it’s that much more motivating to the kids that are starting or chasing the same dream as I am.”

Fatherhood has changed him. With a wife and child at home and new blueprints on his desk, Peraza rides smarter. “I’m a little more in control when I ride,” he explains. “I try not to do crazy tricks that are out of my comfort zone to prevent injury because I still want to get home and be a dad.” Some days he’ll cut a five-hour session to two or three hours. He applies more meaning in every practice, never forgetting to enjoy the moment.

“(I fall) all the time. I fell yesterday, so hard, so dumb,” Peraza says, laughing. “But like I said, with BMX riding, it’s a risk we’re willing to take, you know? One of the greats in BMX, Dave Mirra, has a quote that says, ‘I’d risk the fall just to know how it feels to fly.’ That’s so powerful.”

Determination, intention, and focus get Peraza through the falls, and the scars and tattoos he’s collected along the way are evidence of the blood, sacrifice, and love he puts into everything. Success and failure are part of the package, and they’re proof of what it takes to be “SELF MADE.” 

Get the full Monster Energy experience and watch Peraza’s complete “SELF MADE” episode.