The Masters of Dirt putting on an amazing show

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: The Masters of Dirt putting on an amazing show Watch the gravity-defying stunts and pyrotechnics, hear the roar of the machines and live DJ sets, smell the petrol and feel the excitement in the air – the Masters of Dirt (MOD) is a feast for the senses, and it’s coming to Dubai this National Day weekend. Presented by XDubai, the freestyle motor exhibition show will feature daredevils on high-flying machines for entertainment of the extreme kind from Wednesday to Friday. MOD started when Austrian Georg Fechter had an idea at the tender age of 13. The BMX rider was fascinated with American freestyle videos he used to watch. “I was always a motocross fan because my dad promotes indoor motocross racing shows and he was excited to bring them to Vienna,” Georg, now 28, recalls. “We did the first show at 13. I grew up on the road with my dad doing big productions, so I handled the event, the financial part, ticketing, contract. In three years we were on our own feet and officially founded MOD.” Since then, they’ve taken MOD across the world and thrive on the collective gasps and cheers from the crowd, which is easy when you have 17 athletes from eight countries doing backflips and switching motorbikes mid-air. “You don’t have to be into bikes to understand how crazy the stunts are,” he says. “You’ll be blown away by the talent and great atmosphere. In a way, you’ll get pulled out of the everyday life and absorbed in the Masters of Dirt world of explosions and dangerous tricks. It’s always stunning to see how many generations and types of people attend our show. It’s a great product and we hope this is the beginning of a long future in Dubai.” Here’s a video of some of the stunts: Georg has now been working on MOD for nearly half his life, but there’s no sign of him slowing down – he’s inspired to work even harder. “We do 10 to 25 shows a year and every time I see it, it still blows my mind. Of course there’s that bit of anxiousness, but even after years in the business, I get goose bumps whenever I see the boys out there.” Georg is a BMX rider himself and he usually performs at his home turf, and the team would ask him to ride with them during stunts. “Of course my mum doesn’t like it all,” he laughs. “It remains a dangerous sport and we train every time in the foam pit, but still my mum’s not so happy about it. But riding is the best feeling of freedom. You have to be so focused that there’s no space for everyday business. You forget all the drama and just focus on the bike.” Among the highlights of the show is Ales Rozman’s amazing quad jumps. The 34-year-old Slovenian, nicknamed ‘The Multi-player’, started riding at age four and was a champion motocross racer until he had to stop at age 18 due to a shoulder injury. And like Georg, he got into freestyle in 2000 when he saw some videos that inspired him to build a ramp: “I just kind of paused the video, put a paper on the TV and I drew the ramp. I guessed the dimensions and that’s how I built my ramp. I didn’t even know what distance it was, so I completely overshot the landing. But luckily I was OK.” “I learned a lot from my mistakes, and by mistakes I mean I crashed a lot back in the day, because, well I can say I was kind of stupid,” he laughs. Ales started riding quad bikes in 2005 and eventually tried snowmobiles in 2009. Today, safety, entertainment and fun are his priority: “Some people would think were just crazy guys doing all this, but it takes a lot of practice and discipline. When you’re flying through the air, it’s just a great. I ride a lot so I learn a lot, build more confidence and you just know how to do it right. Now, I think and train before I do anything.” glaiza@7days.ae Read the original story at: The Masters of Dirt putting on an amazing show