Veteran has a ball on his BMX bike in X Games

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the X Games, where 13-year-olds win gold medals, 36-year-old father of two Kevin Robinson is downright ancient.

But no one feels younger on the games’ mega ramp, where “K. Rob” has to keep himself from screaming “wheeeeee!” when he rolls down on his BMX bike.

“I absolutely love it. It just gets better and better as time goes on,” Robinson said of the behemoth originally designed for skateboarders but quickly adopted by BMXers. “I just get more comfortable on it. I feel like a kid in a candy store on that ramp.”

Robinson has been at the X Games since their start in 1995 when it was known as the Extreme Games. He’s been a rare constant at the always changing action sports showcase.

He has won the only two BMX Big Air gold medals that have been offered and is a heavy favorite for his third straight in the competition on Saturday night.

“I’ve got quite a few new things I’m working on,” he said.

Robinson has added a mop of curly blond hair to his usually close-cropped head, making him look more like a native in his new home in the San Diego area, where he recently moved from the BMX Mecca of State College, Pa.

But unlike many of the skinny, rocker-looking athletes at the games, Robinson is built like a linebacker, making him look like a dad playing on his little boy’s bike.