The sky’s no limit for these daredevil motocross freestylers, entertainment writer WAYNE SAVAGE looks ahead to this weekend’s FMX championship event in Rougham

It will be edge of your seat thrills all the way as daredevil riders go for glory at the Freestyle Motocross Championship at Rougham Airfield, near Bury St Edmunds, this Saturday.

The UK’s top freestyle motocross riders will go head-to-head in a true test of nerve, throwing the biggest tricks they can to win over the crowd and the professional judges in the Bolddog Lings FMX Championship - the first UK Freestyle competition for two years.

Hurling their bikes more than 40ft into the skies over gaps of up to 80ft, they’ll perform a mix of tricks usually only seen on television including backflips, look back heart attack, holy grab, switch blade, kiss of death, dead body and many more.

Many involve them leaving their seat, taking their hands and feet off the motorcycle and rotating their body around the bike. There will even be on-board commentary provided by one of the riders as he flies through the air while performing his tricks, giving the audience a true taste of what the riders are doing.

“This will be the first time ever the region has witnessed anything of this kind. Usually to see a freestyle motocross competition you’d have to turn on your TV and watch something from abroad like the well known X Games in America, The Redbull X-Fighters world tour or the European IFMXF championship,” said Andy Godbold, managing director of organisers Bolddog.

“All the riders are born and bred English and there are four local guys to come and support. If this goes well we hope to make this part of the British Championship next year.”

Riders taking part include the UK’s current number one FMX rider Chris Birch from Haverhill, the only UK rider to be invited to compete in the Redbull X-Fighters International Championship at Battersea, London, last year. Other local pro riders expected to make an impression in the results include Dan Whitby from Fakenham, Samson Eaton from Harleston and Arran Powley from Dereham.

The best from the UK’s amateur scene will also be given the chance to shine.

Visitors can also enjoy some street bike freestyle, the UK’s number one street bike freestyle rider Paul Hanks will show off the latest tricks and there will be a mini-bike freestyle competition and race.

Other entertainment includes local rock band L.A.F, professional dancers, fire breathers and the Bolddog Babes brolly girls.

The Bolddog Lings Freestyle Motocross Team have been traveling the UK and Europe for the past 17 years, performing mindblowing shows for live and film and TV audiences - including performing with Chris Evans on Channel 4’s Famous and Fearless this year.

The Bolddog Lings FMX Team have developed the largest, most advanced ramps and landing systems in the industry, with the hi-tech mobile ramps enabling a performing arena to be set up in just minutes.

This makes it possible for the public to see one of the most spectacular sports in the world at a local event as, traditionally, supercross arenas and freestyle motocross demos were constructed using earth ramps which take days to build.

Auto Cycle Union chairman Brian Higgins said: “The ACU are quite encouraged about eventually engaging in this exciting sport, we are currently speaking with the lads at Bolddog and I am sure it is only a short time until we can announce an ACU British Championship.”

Gates open at 5.30pm.