Crashing an occupational hazard

Kiwi Nitro Circus star Levi Sherwood gets some upside-down air time during a live show. Photo...
Kiwi Nitro Circus star Levi Sherwood gets some upside-down air time during a live show. Photo supplied.

While the Nitro Circus tour promises to go off with a bang, two Kiwi freestyle motocross stars scheduled to visit Dunedin as part of the Waitangi Day high-octane action sports show have been courting a bit of quiet time.

Conquering injury was to the fore in the minds of Levi Sherwood and Nick Franklin before they could entertain the idea of performing their choreographed freestyle motocross (FMX) stunts in the five-city arena tour, which includes Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, on Friday.

Palmerston North's Sherwood has been recuperating at his Manawatu farm after fracturing his right ankle by hyper extending it at the last round of the Red Bull X Fighters series in South Africa in August.

The 23-year-old professional FMX rider and three-time X Fighter champion has only returned to his bike, and although he admits he has had his fair share of injuries, he does not tend to dwell on them.

''There's not a lot you can do to make the healing go faster than just rehab and physio on the injury. You just have to deal with it and move forward,'' he said.

He travels and competes between April and September. Off-season, Sherwood enjoys being at home building jumps and practising tricks on the farm.

''I really like making and building stuff; I actually left school to be an engineering apprentice before going to FMX full time.''

Paving the way for Sherwood in 2002, was Franklin, New Zealand's first FMX rider to take part in the X Fighters series.

The 32-year-old Tokoroa man competed in two rounds in 2002 and 2003, gaining a third placing in Madrid.

He spends six months of the year on the Europe and South America circuit.

It was in Belgium that Franklin's bike lost power during a flip, and he landed on a ramp, breaking his collarbone in two places. He was philosophical about the injury.

''The fall is my own fault for not clicking the spark plug cap on before I rode, and it vibrated loose at the worst possible moment.

"I was getting ready to jump from the bike but decided my flip rotation wasn't as bad as I first thought so I held on, but came up a few feet short after losing distance without my normal acceleration on the ramp.

"I got slammed by my bike into the metal landing. I think I got away pretty good despite knowing I'd busted the collarbone.''

Like Sherwood, he accepts crashing as an occupational hazard.

''There has been around 15 injuries, counting ligament tears, breaks and fractures and nerve damage. It sounds bad like that but you can tick up a few in one crash.

"Crashing and eventually getting hurt is just a part of the game - it's not a fun part - but to do what I love, I accept it as a part.''

Franklin and Sherwood will be joined by fellow Kiwi Jed Mildon, who is the world's first BMX triple back flipper, as the three New Zealanders run away with the Nitro Circus at Forsyth Barr Stadium on February 6.

The show's founder and 17 time X Games medallist Travis Pastrana will be back astride his freestyle motocross bike, performing for the first time in New Zealand since 2011.

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