Maybe he stopped for a rest on the way up? It was a long ramp...
Based upon the size of the audience and (at least) two video cameras, I'm thinking this wasn't a large surprise to the spectators.
I remember our neighbor Bill DeVries used to pinstripe bikes some 40 odd years ago. One day we watched him back a chopper down a 2X8 by just throwing a leg over, taking a seat, and letting it roll down the plank without looking back. Perhaps he was showing off for we tykes. It worked. From then on we regarded him as a motorcycle God. Plus he had a 3' pony tail, and we thought that was pretty cool too, what with our bowl cuts and all...
