What do you get when 23,000 screaming people and 12 daredevil riders assemble in one of the world's grandest bullfighting arenas? Either a killer headache, or in this case, the adrenaline charged Red Bull X-Fighters Motocross Event where freestyle motocross (FMX) riders perform death defying stunts while flying at 15 metres in the air on their bikes.
After yesterday's qualifier, the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, Spain is throbbing with excitement as bikers turn up the heat for today's finale. Every trick in the stunt dictionary will be on display, with innovative moves including the tsunami, the whip tabletop and even a double backflip.
"Freestyle motocross began in the 1990s as an extreme leisure pursuit of riders with a weakness for performing jumps. It has since become an unbelievably spectacular sport in its own right, with live television broadcasts and worldwide sale of DVDs and the emergence of new stunts and talent," says Dalal Harab, communications manager, Red Bull UAE. "Since 2001, when the first Red Bull X-Fighters event was held, every event has sold out."
Tonight's extravaganza is the fourth in the 2008 world series, following action-packed shows in Mexico, Rio De Janeiro and Texas. The winners go to Germany next on August 16, with the grand finale on September 6 in Poland.
And spectators in the UAE may soon get their chance to watch the X-Fighters right here. "Abu Dhabi, which is putting its efforts into becoming the world's motor sports destination, and Dubai, the UAE's glamourous address for world class events, are both equipped to feature an event of the magnitude of the Red Bull X-Fighters in the coming years," says Harab. "If that happens, the search for talent would be the next logical initiative, keeping in mind that FMX sports require a different set of skills than the ones mastered by the normal motocross riders."
The birth of the Red Bull X-Fighters dates back to that first event in Valencia in July 2001, when Spain woke up to the buzz of two-stroke engines resonating through the very ground where toreros go head-to-head with bulls. The engines belonged to the eight riders aboard their motocross bikes and none was more impressive than the man whose tricks have already become legendary – American "Mad" Mike Jones, the superstar with two plates, six screws and a wire in his neck, says Harab.
The popularity of X-Fighters has soared, thanks to top names such as Dany Torres and Robbie Maddison. And though four-time reigning champion Travis Pastrana will not be in attendance since joining the professional ranks, his double backflip (rotating 360° twice in midair on his bike) is a hard act to follow.
Tonight's crowd favourite is homeboy Torres, who is in a do-or-die situation after his dramatic fall in Texas, earlier this year. And Torres is thrilled about his comeback in Madrid, saying: "On home turf, in a bullring and in front of my public: on paper, the odds are stacked in my favour. I want to tell all my supporters I'm really motivated and should be able to give my 150 per cent in Las Ventas."