BMX rider switches bike mid-stunt

Extreme sports athletes need nerves of steel and an active imagination to keep pushing the boundaries.

And American BMX rider Pat Laughlin showed why he's regarded as one of the best after ditching one bike for another between jumps during a recent stunt in China.

Laughlin, known in BMX circles as 'Big Daddy', is renowned for bike-to-bike transfers, but left fans stunned with his most recent trick in Shanghai.

After dropping into a giant ramp, the big air king flew at least two metres high and just as long before ditching his bike mid-air to land on another BMX and launching straight into another trick on a half-pipe ramp.

A miscalculation could have been catastrophic for 'Big Daddy's' future hopes of fatherhood, but fortunately he nailed the stunt without a hitch.

Making the trick even more remarkable, Laughlin had only spent about 90 minutes riding the ramp for the first time when he took on the move.

It took him four attempts to succeed, with his first three runs finishing with him either missing the back-up bike or landing near the handlebars - fortunately without injury.

"It's not like I was trying to win anything," Laughlin said after the jump. "That was just a personal battle. That was so fun."

Understandably, Laughlin's been hailed on social media, with the high risk move garnering over 9000 views on YouTube and the kudos of extreme sports fans, amazed at his skill and daring.

We can only wonder what's next for the Californian daredevil.