Sunday evenings are mostly laid back, with everyone preparing for the week to come. It was a different story last Sunday for those present at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium as they watched a spectacular action-sports stunt show, the India edition of the Mountain Dew Xtreme tour that kicked off in the city
Ten international action sportsmen took to the stage and demonstrated some of the best stunts in inline skating, skateboarding, freestyle motocross (FMX) and bicycle motocross (BMX,) including their signature moves that left the crowd screaming and wanting more.
If loud music is what gets one going, this was the place to be. The sound of the ripping bikes was accompanied by the latest party tracks that kept the crowd going. The opening performance by the Bangalore-based heavy metal band Kryptos set the tone for the evening. .
The FMX pros performed bike stunts in mid-air that included stunts where the bikers let go from a height and landed with precision. Kavya Subbaiyah, an IT professional who attended the event with her seven-year-old son said, “The stunts are great. Everytime they indulged in mid-air acrobatics, I kept my fingers crossed and prayed. It felt like I was on the bike.”
The excitement among the spectators peaked when Rajiv Laxman of MTV Roadies fame, took to the stage, explaining what the stunts were all about. “We are having such a stunt show for the first time in India. Such shows will encourage youngsters to engage in such sports,” he said.
After the men on bikes, came skaters and BMX riders. The audience witnessed young men take to their skateboards, flipping through the air, more than 25 feet above ground; with some of them spinning in the air before they landed. World number one in inline skating, Eito Yasutoko set the ramp on fire with his skating stunts and showed why he is ranked the best in the world with skates. “For me, this is my life. I want to do it well with every opportunity that I get,” Eito says.
But it was the BMX that stole the show. Dennis McCoy, with his bike performed the most unbelievable stunts that even caught the eye of the commuters near the Kanteerava stadium. A dazed 10-year old, Rishi Gulati could not believe his eyes and quipped “Did you see that? I think he has some kind of superpower, like a Spiderman or something!”
Jimmie McGuire, an FMX legend, was quizzed about the dangers involved in the sport and said, “It is very risky. One has to learn the sport for years before deciding to seriously pursue it.” But for most of these athletes, fear is secondary to the excitement of travelling to different corners of the world. Gearing up for his stunts, FMX pro Myles Richmond said, “I am here, so far away from where I belong. That is the thrill I get from FMX. Travelling to so many places and meeting so many people.”
Towards the end of the three-hour extravaganza, the audience adjudged Nick Dunne from California, as the best in FMX and Eito as the best in inline skating. After Bangalore, the action sports tour is all set to travel to Delhi, Ludhiana, Jaipur and Lucknow.
