Nitro Circus comes to Ford Park

The thrill-loving action sports stars of Nitro Circus are celebrating two decades of pushing the limits during their 20th Anniversary Tour presented by PublicSq. Iconic ringleader Travis Pastrana is leading a stacked athlete roster of freestyle motocross (FMX), BMX, skate, and scooter pros with more than 50 X Games medals to Beaumont’s Ford Arena for their 20th Anniversary Tour on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35-$75 and can purchased online at ticketmaster.com or the Ford Park box office.

The new production in the massive tour includes Nitro Circus’ infamous 50-foot Giganta ramp alongside the next generation of FMX kickers and landers. These innovative setups will give athletes the tools to take action sports to new heights as they attempt huge, never-before-done tricks. Nitro’s daredevils will also push the boundaries of sanity revisiting some of the brand’s sketchiest stunts as well as jumping a host of new crazy contraptions.

In all, 19 elite athletes are now set to join Ryan “R-Willy” Williams, Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, Jackson “Jacko” Strong and Adam Jones for not only the biggest action sports tour of the year, but the craziest show in live entertainment.

Jones, from Pennsylvania, began riding a dirt bike for the first time at 10, then entered his first motocross race at 17. An eight-time X Games medalist, Jones, also known by his peers as “Gumby,” has progressed FMX with a series of momentous world’s firsts including the “Cordova Backflip” and “Shaolin Backflip.”

The full audio interview can be heard below.

What is it about Nitro Circus that you really enjoy?
AJ: Indoor settings are my favorite, for one. Nitro Circus is amazing especially with the special effects. The environment you can create indoors is so amazing. It’s so much fun to see in person. It’s the best action sports guys in the world. The crazy stuff you’ve seen in – 75-foot double flips on motorcycles and all the nonmotorized stuff. When I’m not riding, I’m watching. It’s great for families.

What keeps you motivated?
AJ: I started young, so I continue to living dream. I can get an office job or I can keep my body in shape and keep working hard.

Did you know at an early age you would be this good?
AJ: I got some really cool opportunities and did well at it – success and paychecks. Once I became more disciplined and learned to live life as an adult, I began to take it more seriously and work really harder to make it all happen.

How do you remain creative in this sport?
AJ: There is always a group of guys who keep pushing the limit of what’s possible or hasn’t been done. Then there are guys who work on what they have and try to perfect their tricks, and I am one of those guys. I know what I can do, so I ask myself, ‘How can I do those tricks better than what I did yesterday?’ Guys like Harry Bink, Josh Sheehan and Jacko Strong, who are all on the tour, do things that are completely terrifying.

What is your favorite trick?
AJ: I am good at what’s called ‘bar tricks.’ If you are sitting on a motorcycle, imagine picking your feet up in between your arms, but over the handlebars and doing stuff in that space. Not a whole lot of guys do them and I love to do them all the time. I’m not an arrogant guy – but true story – I am the best in the world at bar tricks. I love to perform and going out there to do a trick, knowing that no one else out here can do it. That’s a cool feeling for me. My all-time favorite is something called ‘dead body back flip.’

How has the experience been to watch Nitro Circus grow?
AJ: It’s impressive and it’s an honor to be involved. Everyone at Nitro Circus has put their heart and soul into this show. It will be an absolute spectacle for people to come see. This is going to be an epic year for us.

Chad Cooper is the Entertainment Editor. Contact cooper@theexaminer.com