CHINA: Extreme sports stars prepare for their Nitro Circus debut in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau with a stream of motocross, BMX, skateboard and even wheelchair jumpers

Record ID: 319344

  • Title: CHINA: Extreme sports stars prepare for their Nitro Circus debut in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau with a stream of motocross, BMX, skateboard and even wheelchair jumpers
  • Date: 16th August 2013
  • Summary: MACAU, CHINA (AUGUST 16, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXTREME SPORTS WHEELCHAIR ATHLETE, AARON 'WHEELZ' FOTHERINGHAM, SAYING: "There's other WCMX riders that ride in skate parks and stuff. But right now I'm the only one hitting these ridiculous jumps right now. But I mean, it's great, more people are getting into jumping their wheelchairs in skate parks and it's
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1GR7XMBCRFYF1IW3TK3D4Q7NI
  • Story Text: Extreme sports stars have been rehearsing their acts on Friday (August 16) before Nitro Circus opens for the first time in Asia.
    The live extreme sports show features over 40 of the world's action sports athletes performing tricks in freestyle motocross, BMX and skateboarding.
    Two performers, Taka Higashino of Japan and Adam Jones of the United States, last week won gold and silver respectively in Moto X freestyle at the X Games in Los Angeles.

    "The X Games is like the Olympics for action sports, so that's number one and number two in the world, as of last week, in freestyle motocross, they're both here. As well as 12 other top freestylers. We have the best, gold medallists in BMX, in skate and the rest of the things that we do are the people we've developed, we've found people and developed and grown them. We've taken action sports stars from other sports and taught them to do other things," said Nitro Circus Live general manager, Michael Porra, adding that staging the show in Macau was a springboard into the rest of Asia which they plan to tour next year.
    Jones said touring with Nitro Circus and competing in the X Games was helping bring extreme sports into the mainstream.

    "That's a lot to do with the help of the X Games and the exposure that brings to the general public. It was great to go there and get a medal this year. It's been since 2011 I got a medal, so you work all year for that. Everything else matters a little bit but that's the only thing that matters a lot for us. So to go there and come home with a medal is always great and really rewarding and makes you feel like all the hard work you've done is for something," said Jones.
    The world's only extreme wheelchair competitor, Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham of the USA, was discovered by Porra and his team at a Los Angeles skate park and has become one of the stars of the show.

    "Wheelz" reaches high speeds down the ramp and then jumps or somersaults his wheelchair.
    Fotheringham has become an inspiration to disabled athletes around the world and says his wheelchair is a positive force in his life.

    "There's other WCMX riders that ride in skate parks and stuff. But right now I'm the only one hitting these ridiculous jumps right now. But I mean, it's great. More people are getting into jumping their wheelchairs in skate parks and it's becoming a bigger sport," said Fotheringham.
    Nitro Circus was started by 10-time X Games gold medallist Travis Pastrana who filmed a short DVD series in his Maryland backyard. But the series grew and soon became a successful television show before he took the circus on the road.
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