Nitro Circus Live writes history in Antwerp Sportpaleis + photos.
Yesterday was a great day for fans of roaring engines and rolling daredevils, because for the 3rd time the world-famous Nitro Circus Live by multiple X-Games medalist Travis Pastrana was a guest in the Antwerp Sportpaleis. And history was made; for the first time there was a female volunteer who took part in a stunt. Top performances were delivered on a sporting level; William 'Willis' Van den Putte once again showed why he is the best Belgian FMX rider of the moment. For BMX athlete James Foster, the evening almost ended on a down note, when he crashed to the ground after a perfect triple front flip.
It is unbelievable how driven and passionate Travis pastrana is busy with his profession. The godfather and co-founder of the largest live action sports event in the world still enjoys every moment of the traveling circus. “This is much more than a group of friends putting on a show on a motorcycle or BMX. These are athletes who challenge each other evening after evening to deliver better performances. Antwerp is the penultimate show of this European tour and you can see that everyone is exhausted. That is why exceptional things happen", say MC'er en Janez Dedt. frontman Nikolas Van der Veken.
Before the show really starts, Nitro Circus Live pays tribute to their late friend and live action sports hero Eric Roner. He died a few months ago and his exceptional achievements are once again shown in a moving video. “This tour is all about Eric. We are all devastated by his loss. We would like to thank him with a video for what he did for us,” Travis Pastrana said on stage, followed by cheers.
In any case, the Antwerp audience got more than their money's worth last night. The show started with a few laps and stunts from the master himself. “Who says Nitro, says Travis Pastrana. More than ever, it is a whole and that is why he now drives around during the shows in our outfits and no longer advertises a sporty energy drink”, it sounds in the Nitro Circus entourage.
History
No Nitro Gigant-A-Ramp this time, but a jet-powered crank that ensures that BMXers and other rolling athletes can do their thing in the show. Things suddenly became very exciting for one lady when she signed up as a volunteer for a stunt. “It is almost always the men who put themselves forward as candidates. It was a bit of a shock for us, but it is the first time during this European tour and, as far as I know, in the history of Nitro Circus, that we had a woman from the audience participate in a stunt", says the organization.
William 'Willis' Van den Putte
There was also disbelief and amazement for the wheelchair athlete Bruce Cook. For years, Bruce performed stunts as an FMX rider, but a serious motorcycle accident left him paralyzed. Despite that handicap and with the support of the Nitro Circus family, Bruce fought back. Today he is the only paralyzed athlete in the world who manages to perform front flips on a motorcycle.
There was also a lot of attention and applause last night for our best Belgian FMX rider William 'Willis' Van den Putte. A few months ago he was invited, thanks to his girlfriend. “II still can't believe it. This is a truly unique experience and the ultimate reward for years of hard training. I am happy with the attention that freestyle motocross is finally receiving in Belgium. It is an honor for our country that Nitro Circus is also giving a show here and that a Belgian can ride along. I'm really walking on a cloud."
It became clear once again a few weeks ago that live action sports shows are not without danger. Things went terribly wrong during a Nitro Circus show in Glasgow when a motorcycle ended up in the audience, injuring three people. Fortunately, things went well during the penultimate show in Antwerp, except for the BMX rider James Foster. "I had a bad landing. My triple backflip went well, but then it went wrong and I hit the ground pretty hard. The damage is not too bad. It's going to be just a few bruises. I was lucky."
After 15 performances, the European Nitro Circus Live tour ends tomorrow in the Gelredome in Arnhem. “It is not yet known when Nitro will return to Europe. Their focus now is on the very first Nitro World Games, which they will organize themselves this summer. In any case, we have argued that if a new tour arrives, they should not forget Belgium as a motorsport country.", says Kurt Frederickx of Upstars, who, together with Cathy De Wilder (Marketing Manager – Focus Projects), was responsible for the communication of the show.
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