COURTESY OF SHAZAMM / ESPN
Honolulu-born Clifford "Flyin' Hawaiian" Adoptante performs the "Superman" stunt.
Moto-X insanity THREE MONTHS after the Blazin' Circus wowed fans with its high-flying skateboard, BMX and in-line skating stunts at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, event promoters Nippon B.C. Hawaii are prepared to take the insanity to another level. When Fabiola Da Silva, the Yasutoko Brothers and Mat Hoffman visited in July, they relied solely on the strength of their bodies to propel themselves into the air.
on Sunday
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.comOn Sunday, however, 250cc motorcycles take centerstage when the "Pro Series Freestyle Moto-X" gets under way in the larger Blaisdell Arena. The change in venue is necessary to accommodate the height requirements needed to stage a free-style motorcross competition. Making the trip to paradise this weekend are four riders who between them share over 65 years of competitive experience and who knows how many broken bones. Clifford Adoptante, Tommy Clowers, Doug Parsons and Trevor Vines headline the "Pro Series Freestyle Moto-X," which will also feature skateboarding and BMX half-pipe demonstrations, along with live entertainment by Means to an End.
ADOPTANTE, known as the "Flyin' Hawaiian," was actually born in Honolulu back in 1973 before moving to the mainland; he now resides in Riverside, Calif. If you've seen the extreme sports flick "ESPN's Ultimate X: The Movie," then you probably have a good idea of the crazy stunts that have made him famous over the past 16 years. Adoptante is widely recognized as one of the innovators of free-style, performing tricks like the "Heel Clicker" (bring both feet over the handlebars during a jump and touch heels), "Lazy Boy" (hook each foot under the motorcycle's handlebars and lean back onto the seat with hands extended) and the "Superman" (remove both legs and elevate to a horizontal position above the motorcycle while in mid-air) along with other heart-stopping maneuvers.
Clowers, who also appeared in the IMAX flick, is another superstar rider making an appearance at Sunday's event. Fresh off a gold medal performance at last month's X Games VIII in Philadelphia, the California native is also the only rider to earn top honors in the step-up discipline in all three years since its addition to the X Games in 2000. Sunday's freestyle competition will also provide Adoptante a chance to get some payback, since Clowers placed higher than him in the same type of contest at this summer's X Games.
AND IF Moto-X riders risking life and limb for their fans isn't enough to persuade you to check this out, maybe the appearance of three stars from the MTV show "Jackass" is. The notorious Stephen "Steve-O" Glover is scheduled to be here this weekend, raising hell along with Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna and the hefty Preston Lacy. The three will be in town to promote the film "Jackass: The Movie," which hits theaters on Oct. 25. "Jackass: The Movie" promises all of the over-the-top antics of the MTV series and some stunts that are just too graphic for broadcast television.
It should be interesting to see if Glover actually makes the trip to Honolulu, however; the stunt man and clown school graduate who has been called "the most disgusting person on television" was arraigned earlier this week in Louisiana in connection with a "Don't Try This at Home" show that took place in July. After using a staple gun on his private parts and allowing bouncers at the event to brutalize a volunteer from the show's audience, Glover was hit with felony obscenity and second-degree battery charges that could land him in prison for up to eight years. That's show biz!
Where: Blaisdell Arena 'Pro Series Freestyle Moto-X' and the
'Don't Try This at Home Live Tour'
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $15; $10 for keiki 9 and under
Call: 531-4000 or 591-2211
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