ONE of the most spectacular displays of adrenaline-fuelled extreme sport is coming to Sunderland.
From monster trucks, motorbikes and drift racing, to BMX and the freestyle sport of parkour, the Extreme Torque Show will have it all.
Over two days on May Bank Holiday weekend, Nissan’s Sunderland plant will come alive with the sights, smells and sounds of revving engines, screeching tyres and car-crushing trucks.
Amongst those taking part is Sunderland teenager Karl Southern who is one of the country’s leading freestyle BMX riders.
Karl, who is 17 and attended Farringdon Community Sports College, will be dazzling the audience with a display of acrobatic dexterity performing incredible tricks, jumps, twists and turns on his customised BMX.
He said: “It will be incredible to perform in front of a home crowd. I am fortunate enough to make a living out of something I love and it has already taken me all across the UK and Europe, so it’s great to be performing in Sunderland in front of friends and family.
“There are only a few people in the world who can perform the stunts that I do. My signature trick is the 360 quad bar spin, where I spin the handle bars four times in mid-air. A lot of it is showing off but it’s always fantastic to hear the huge roar from the crowd.”
The Extreme Torque Show takes place between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26, with an area of the Nissan site converted into a huge outdoor arena for the world’s finest bikers, BMXers, truckers and performance car specialists.
Monster trucks Extreme and Lil’ Devil will battle it out in the Monster Arena to prove they are the best car crushing monsters in Europe; while over in the Bike Arena, petrol heads will be showcasing incredible tricks including wheelies, burnouts and stoppies.
The Extreme FMX teams will be tearing up the track with their death-defying stunts including the can can, cliffhanger and kiss of death while the BMX Arena is where you will find the Freestyle BMX team attempting to out-trick each other with bunny hops, barspins, 360s, tailwhips and backflips. You can also catch demonstrations of incredible parkour where fleet-footed jumpers propel themselves across platforms and obstacles in the most dangerous way.
Running continuously through the day will be Extreme Drift displays where drivers manoeuvre across a set course and are judged on their line, angle, speed and showmanship. Massive in Japan and the USA, drift racing demonstrates the agility and skill of some of the world’s finest drivers and their cars.
All of the performances are staggered and repeated throughout the day so there’s no risk of missing any of the action. And with plenty of food and market stalls, fun fair rides and chances to meet the stunt riders and visit the pit area, the Extreme Torque Show has something for all the family.
Also on Sunday, May 25, there will be a selection of live bands performing after all the live motorsport action has finished for anyone wanting to stay around and enjoy refreshments from the bar.
Karl added: “It’s a really fantastic event with something for everyone from little kids to petrol heads and extreme sports fans.
“We are talking about the world’s best performers in freestyling and motorsports. Every single person is an expert at what they do and you will see some amazing things. It’s very rare to get something of this quality with this variety of performers in this country. I can’t wait!”
Tickets for the Extreme Torque Show cost £15 and £7 for concessions bought in advance or £18 and £8 on the door. They are available from www.extremeeventseurope.com.
