Nitro Circus Live returned to the road in a big way Thursday, October 8 at Washington D.C.’s Verizon Center. After touring nearly non-stop throughout the first half of the year, action sports icon Travis Pastrana and the Nitro crew returned to U.S. arenas. Celebrating his birthday, Pastrana medalist lead the best athletes in FMX, BMX and more in an all-new, action-packed event – the first time the 17-time X Games medalist has performed with Nitro Circus in front of his hometown fans.
The evening took on even more significance following the tragic loss of Erik Roner just days earlier. Nitro Circus paid tribute to Roner’s life both as a world-class athlete and a tremendous person with a moving video segment. The Verizon Center crowd erupted in cheers at the end of the clip to show their admiration and respect. Roner’s fun-loving personality was also remembered as all athletes, cast and crew wore special t-shirts featuring his smiling face on the front and emblazoned with his silhouette in the lower back: an homage to his infamous “tramp stamp” tattoo.
Then Nitro celebrated Roner’s passion for action sports by doing what they do best: putting on the most spectacular show on the planet. Australia’s Josh Sheehan, whose world’s first triple backflip on a motorcycle shook up the action sports world in April, landed a jaw-dropping double backflip, arguably the most dangerous trick performed today. Aussie X Games gold medalists Blake “Bilko” Williams and Cam Sinclair showed off their considerable skills as well, while fellow countryman star Clinton Moore (currently holding 2nd place in the X Fighters standings) showed why he is a force to be reckoned with. Brother and sister FMX duo Matty and Emma McFerran rode tandem, pulling off an unbelievable position swap by switching seats 40-feet in the air (with Emma having to pull Matty back at the last minute as his momentum nearly carried him over the handlebars).
New Zealand’s Jed “The Warrior” Mildon, who also made headlines this year with his world’s first quadruple backflip, rode with his quad flip competitor – BMX legend James Foster – for the first time since NBC’s “Revolution Day” TV special chronicled their epic battle. Mildon also achieved a world’s first, landing the first ever piggyback front flip. Ethen Roberts also displayed his tremendous versatility, pulling unbelievable tricks on mountain bikes, pit bikes, trikes and more. Dual-threat Ryan “R Willy” Williams threw down on both scooter and BMX. His huge 720 frontflip was a highlight of the night. And a host of new outrageous contraptions made their debut with a Wicked Tango barrel, a stretcher and even a kayak going airborne.
“Tonight was amazing. It was so good to be home with all my friends and family,” Pastrana said. “It’s been a been tough time, no doubt. We lost a member of the Nitro family. But getting to ride in my hometown was a special moment. The fans were awesome and their energy really pumped all of us up.”
Washington D.C. also got North America’s first taste of Nitro Circus’ latest production. For its new tour Nitro is going really retro, with the entire performance choreographed and styled as a 1920’s three-ring circus. This stunning set will transport fans into the past, to an eerily haunting, abandoned, derelict Big Top. This all-new theme provides the perfect backdrop for the Nitro crew’s aerial feats.
Fans looking for the ultimate Nitro Circus experience will want to get their hands on the all-new Nitro Club VIP package. Just $99 each (plus applicable service fees), these exclusive passes include the best seats in the house, as well as a chance to get up close and personal with Travis Pastrana and the stars of Nitro Circus during an exclusive Q & A session. Nitro Club pass holders also receive a souvenir lanyard and electronically signed Nitro poster, as well as a chance to win cool Nitro swag.
Nitro Circus Live’s 2015 North American tour continues Friday, October 9th at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Arena and will roll on through the fall. A full list of tour dates is below.
For news, tour updates, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and more, go to http://www.nitrocircus.com. Follow Nitro Circus Live on Twitter: @nitrocircus and Facebook: www.facebook.com/NitroCircus. Athletes subject to change.
Nitro Circus Live Fall 2015 North American Tour
October 9
Philadelphia, PA
Wells Fargo Arena
October 11
Boston, MA
TD Garden
October 14
Toronto, ON
Air Canada Centre
October 15
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Tire Centre
October 16
Montreal, QC
Bell Centre
October 18
Detroit, MI
Joe Louis Arena
October 21
Chicago, IL
United Center
October 22
Milwaukee, WI
BMO Harris Bradley Center
October 24
Minneapolis, MN
Target Center
October 25
Fargo, ND
Fargo Dome
October 28
Winnipeg, MB
MTS Centre
October 30
Saskatoon, SK
SaskTel Centre
November 1
Vancouver, BC
Rogers Arena
November 3
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma Dome
November 4
Portland, OR
Moda Center
November 6
Los Angeles, CA
Staples Center
November 7
Anaheim, CA
Honda Center
November 8
Fresno, CA
Savemart Center
November 11
San Jose, CA
SAP Center
November 13
Glendale, AZ
Gila River Arena
November 17
Denver, CO
Pepsi Center
November 20
Salt Lake City, UT
EnergySolutions Arena
November 21
Las Vegas, NV
MGM Grand Arena
