Nitro Circus sets new heights for Sunshine Coast events standards

More than 10,000 fans packed council’s Sunshine Coast Stadium to witness the adrenalin-packed Nitro Circus Regional Rampage Tour daredevils perform incredible choreographed riding routines on Saturday, May 6.

Leading the Nitro Circus crew was local performer, Ryan ‘R Willy’ Williams, who, after knocking himself out in practice four years ago, finally got his redemption by bringing his best show yet for his loyal fans.

Williams and the Nitro Circus crew went out of their way to ensure each fan had the chance to meet the stars of the show, starting with a special visit to Buddina State School to inspire the next generation of hopeful athletes to follow their dreams.

This was highlighted again when Bruce Cook, a FMX athlete who lost the use of this legs in a 2014 show attempting a world first, jumped onto a custom made paraplegic-friendly motorbike to perform a highly dangerous backflip, bringing a standing ovation from the crowd.

The crew of approximately 30 extreme sports athletes performed their death-defying tricks choreographed for freestyle motorcross, scooter, skateboard and BMX and also threw in a few curve balls including a large reclining couch, a whiskey barrel, rocking horse and scooter.

Highlights included a four-person backflip on FMX as well as another world first landed by Ryan Williams.

Tourism, Sport and Major Events Portfolio Councillor Jason O’Pray said bringing the Nitro Circus back to the region was an excellent opportunity to showcase the recent $2.5 million upgrade of Sunshine Coast Stadium to a wider audience.

“We received overwhelming feedback from people enjoying the superior vantage points on the new spectator hills for fans to watch the nail biting stunts,” Cr O’Pray said.

“The Nitro Circus promoters were also blown away with the response from the Sunshine Coast community, flagging it as their best Queensland show with hopes to return to our stadium for future events.

“With fans travelling from as far as the Gold Coast and up to Gympie, the hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of economic benefits to the region are a huge boost to the region.

“We surveyed the local punters after the event and their response was outstanding with 95% responding they would recommend their friends and family attend future events at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

“What a tremendous facility we now have here in our region to host and watch top-line sport and events like the Nitro Circus.”

Visit Sunshine Coast Stadium's website for details on upcoming events.