Throughout his career, Travis Pastrana has done it all. He’s won virtually every action sports award imaginable, made the impossible tricks possible and, most importantly, done what makes him happy. Well, after a brief hiatus from motocross, thanks to rally cross and a NASCAR Nationwide Series experiment, the 30-year-old is back on his bike and taking his show on the road.
Pastrana’s Nitro Circus – a group of friends who push action sports to the extreme – is jumping off the TV screen and taking their show to 13 North American cities this winter. Nitro Circus Live features big-time tricks that push the envelope. Think Jackass meets X Games. But the tour will be even more special for Pastrana, as the motocross star will be back on his bike for the first time in years.
We recently caught up with the Maryland native to discuss the upcoming tour – which kicks off in Hamilton, ON. Jan. 3 – to find out what he likes the most about the event, why he decided to get back on his bike and who he most enjoys watching.
CraveOnline: Let’s start at the beginning, how did you first come up with the idea for Nitro Circus?
Travis Pastrana: Nitro Circus started in a similar way that most success stories start – completely by accident. I had the first foam pit for motorcycles on the east coast and the top action sports athletes from all over the world flew into my house in Maryland to learn new tricks. My friends and I filmed everything and made a DVD of all the carnage. It was mostly a crash reel but people loved it.
Crave: Did you ever think it would take off the way it has?
TP: If you would have told me that action sports would be among the biggest sports in the world, or that my friends and I would still be making a living riding skateboards, tricycles, BMX and dirt bikes when we hit 30 years old, I would have told you: “Of course action sports are going to be huge and why would we ever stop doing what we love!” You see, almost every kid has a dream of being a super hero, or fire fighter, or astronaut. For my friends and I, we all wanted to be action sports stars. Luckily for us, we somehow missed the real world reality that sets in for most teenagers.
Crave: Your Nitro Circus crew has grown significantly over time – how have you picked these athletes?
TP: Nitro has grown exponentially over the years, but we didn’t find these athletes – they found us. If you are pushing your sport, chances are good that you will want to be in a place that encourages and helps you reach your dreams. Nitro has become that foundation for so many great action sports athletes and as we grow, we hope to help grow these sports and our “family”.
Crave: What’s it been like to take the show on the road, across much of the world?
TP: Everyone in the show pushes so hard every night that we didn’t think it would be possible to do more than a few shows in a row. At one point, we had come to the conclusion that more than three days of hanging out with the Nitro Circus “family” was cruel and unusual punishment. Everyone is so inspiring and it’s easy to forget what your limits truly are. We get beat up a lot! But, with anything, you find a way to make it work. Truth is, no matter how tired, or sick, or hurt we might get, there is nothing better and no place we would rather be then traveling the world with our best friends.
Crave: We recently learned that you’re going to be hopping back on the bike and performing at each stop, how excited are you to get back to your first love – motocross?
TP: I love competition. There is no way I could sit on the couch for a year waiting for my ankles or knees to get strong enough to ride again, so I’ve found car racing to be a lot of fun and a great way to let my body heal. My greatest asset and my greatest weakness is my passion, and once I start something, I don’t like to stop until I’m either the best or I’m sure I can’t be the best. So, every couple years I get into something and take a break from the motorcycle – but I always come back with a renewed passion. It’s awesome to be back on tour.
Crave: Do you have a specific bike that you plan on riding each night?
TP: I bleed yellow and I’m a two-stroke man through and through. The Suzuki RM 250 has always been, and will always be, my favorite bike.
Crave: There are 13 stops on the North American tour. Is there one city in particular you’re most excited to perform your motocross stunts?
TP: We have a lot of new tricks, ramps and stunts planned for this tour, as we do for every tour, so the first stop is always the scariest and most exciting for all of us riding in the show. We only have three weeks to prepare from the last tour, so it’s a little rushed and that will add to the chaos. Having said that, Las Vegas is always a good town for us. Madison Square Garden [in New York City] will be cool and Philly is the closest to my home, so all my family will be there. I’m just happy to be touring the U.S.
Crave: You work with some pretty impressive athletes, is there one specifically that you enjoy watching the most?
TP: The motorcycle guys are all amazing, but tend to be very specifically skilled for riding dirt bikes. For me, our best athlete is probably Ryan Williams. Ironically, he is a scooter rider by profession, but he’s also one of our best BMX riders. Almost everyone on the gigantic ramp side are great at everything they touch. The biggest surprise, for me, was Brandon Schmidt. He put up a video online with him snowboarding, BMX riding, roller boarding, skateboarding and rally car driving. My wife saw it and got him on tour. He’s now one of the biggest stars of our show!
Crave: And who has been able to do something that has just blown your mind?
TP: Everyone! The coolest story might be Trevor Jacob. Someone offered him a beer after one of the European tour shows and he responded with, “No drinking for me, I’m making the Olympic team for snowboarding.” This was cool for me because I had no idea he even snowboarded. The guy is so good at skateboarding and BMX that I just assumed that was his day job.
Crave: Back in 2006 you landed the first-ever double backflip. Are there any near-impossible tricks you – or any of the crew – have been working on for the tour?
TP: In almost every show, someone in the crew lands a trick that was thought to be “impossible” before the show started that night. I’m in the show and half the time I’m caught completely off guard!
Crave: What kind of preparation goes into each performance?
TP: It’s a challenge at every show because it’s always evolving. We have so many top athletes from so many different disciplines. Everyone adds something new and exciting, but we have to keep the show moving. It’s always a battle between innovation and entertainment. Some tricks are really amazing to see but the riders don’t like to do the same tricks every night. We walk a fine line and change it up every night.
Crave: Do you ever step back for a second and take it all in – the success of Nitro Circus, the World Tour, etc.?
TP: There is always a point in every show where you look up at thousands of screaming fans and think, “How did we get here!” but if you aren’t moving forward in our industry, you are falling behind. There will be plenty of time for reflection later in life.
Crave: Given the popularity of the last movie and the growing tour, have you considered making another feature film?
TP: I won’t say no to that, but we have our hands full with the tour and TV show for now. Making a movie is really tough for the Nitro Circus because you can only have a few “characters” but we have more fun as a Circus!
For more information and a complete list of tour dates, visit the Nitro Circus Live website.
Photo Credit: Nitro Circus Live
