Evel Knievel said it could never be done, but a brash young Aussie from Kiama has stunned the world and jumped 322 feet and seven and a half inches on his Honda CR500 in front of a sellout crowd at the Rio Casino and Hotel, Las Vegas last night.
The jump proves that Robbie Maddison is the man to beat at the upcoming Crusty Demons Night of World Records after the New South Welshman set a new record for the longest distance jumped on a motorbike.
Last night’s event was the perfect warm up for Maddison, who on Saturday 29 March will suit up for the biggest night of his life when Melbourne plays host to the greatest event in extreme sports history.
Maddison will attempt to break his own world record when he goes head-to-head with American legends Seth Enslow and Ryan Capes in a jump-off for the longest distance ever jumped on a motorbike.
“There are a lot of people who have wanted to see me, Ryan Capes and Seth Enslow go head-to-head to see who can go the greatest distance – now their dreams have been answered. One man will walk away with the title, and I am going to make sure that one man is me.
“I know I can go further than tonight. I wasn’t going to show my full hand before March 29. There is definitely more left in the tank and I believe with the support of the Aussie crowd and the awesome facilities being constructed I will be able to nudge the 340 feet mark,” Maddison said.
Having recently attended the funeral of his idol Evel Knievel, Maddison admitted he wished the world’s most famous daredevil had been around to see him make history.
“Evel Knievel inspired me to get involved in distance jumps,” Maddison continued. “It was just such a shame he wasn’t here to see the jump as he has always said it couldn’t be done.
“There is no doubt in my mind that if this next jump doesn’t work out it will be death. While a number of things have changed since Evel first attempted this feat in the 1960s one thing remains the same and that is the element of danger associated with it.”
At least ten Guinness World Record attempts will take place at the Crusty Demons Night of World Records, with a turnout of more than 30,000 people expected to witness history. New boundaries will be created on four wheelers, mini-bikes, road bikes and snow mobiles.
To complement the record breaking component of the event, a full Crusty Demons freestyle motocross show will be presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and includes US freestyle stars world number one Nate Adams, 2007 X Games gold medallist Adam Jones, Mike Mason, along with Aussies Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams, Steve Mini, Matt Schubring, Joel Balchin and Cam Sinclair.
Tickets for the Crusty Demons Night of World Records are available at www.crusty.com and are selling fast.
Robbie Maddison is one of the most exciting talents in the world of freestyle motocross with numerous international titles to his credit and two other current world records under his belt. One for the longest distance jumped on a 125cc motorbike and one for the longest distance jump with a trick.
