FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 9th, 2015
NITRO CIRCUS “ROAD TO THE UNTHINKABLE: THE QUEST FOR THE FIRST MOTORCYCLE TRIPLE BACKFLIP” SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT 11:30 PM ET ON NBCSN
Television Special Chronicles the Journey to Achieve the Most Difficult Trick in the History of Action Sports
Interviews with Freestyle Motocross Icons Travis Pastrana, Carey Hart, and Mike Metzger
Featuring Action Sports Legends Tony Hawk, Matt Hoffman and Brian Deegan
Stamford, Conn. – September 9, 2015 – Nitro Circus and NBC Sports Ventures’ second project, Road to the Unthinkable: The Quest for the First Motorcycle Triple Backflip, a 90-minute television special that chronicles the journey to conquer the most dangerous trick in the history of action sports, will debut Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The documentary will give viewers a behind the scenes look at what it took for the best freestyle motocross riders in the world to defy gravity and make history.
On April 28, 2015, action sports fans around the globe watched Nitro Circus star Josh Sheehan attempt and successfully complete the world’s first ever triple backflip on a motorbike. Since that day, the history making trick has been viewed more than 11 million times on YouTube and covered by media outlets across the globe. Yet, after all the viral views and global media attention, only a few select athletes truly know the risks that Sheehan – and other athletes who pushed the limits – faced in an attempt to land a backflip on a motorbike.
“After all of the stress and apprehension, it was such a relief to finally land the triple,” said Sheehan. “In the moment I was just so focused. There was so much adrenaline it felt like time slowed down. It was only days later that the full extent of what happened set in. Road to the Unthinkable will give viewers a chance to see everything that went into making the attempt a reality.”
Road to the Unthinkable documents fifteen years of progression in the evolving sport of freestyle motocross. From motocross icons Carey Hart, Caleb Wyatt and Mike Metzger setting the tone with their groundbreaking backflips in the early 2000’s, through Travis Pastrana’s sport changing double backflip in 2006, freestyle motocross exploded in creativity and difficulty.
With commentary from action sports legends Tony Hawk, Matt Hoffman and Brian Deegan, as well as renowned broadcaster Sal Masekela, Road to the Unthinkable analyzes the history behind the defining achievement in action sports.
As previously announced, NBC Sports Ventures, a division of NBC Sports Group, and Nitro Circus formed a multi-year partnership in May. Revolution Day, which revealed Jed Mildon’s attempt to land a record-breaking quadruple backflip on a BMX bike, was the first all-new production as part of this agreement. In addition, Nitro Circus: Crazy Train, a new eight-part reality series, will debut October 15 on NBCSN.
ABOUT NITRO CIRCUS
Recently named by Forbes as one of America’s Most Promising Companies, Nitro Circus continues to position itself as the leading youth action sports & entertainment brand on the planet. From humble beginnings, with Jeremy Rawle, Gregg Godfrey and extreme sports superstar Travis Pastrana producing DVDs from a Utah garage in 2003, to a smash TV series which has aired in over 60 countries, Nitro Circus has exploded to global popularity, leaving a burning impression on the minds of young people across the planet. Nitro Circus: The Movie, featuring cast members from the hit television series, was released in 2012 in cinemas worldwide.
In 2010, the TV show was transformed by current CEO and action sports industry guru Michael Porra into a must-see live event, creating the global touring phenomenon that is Nitro Circus Live. Since its inaugural Australian trek five years ago, the show has travelled the globe, obliterating box office records and cultivating a legion of diehard fans. Nitro Circus has now rolled across five continents, blown away over two million fans and sold-out shows in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, the Middle East and South Africa.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS VENTURES
The NBC Sports Ventures Unit, a division of the NBC Sports Group, is charged with acquiring and developing new and existing sports properties for NBC Sports, NBCSN and Golf Channel. Properties under the NBC Sports Ventures umbrella include the Red Bull Signature Series, Reebok Spartan Race, and Nitro Circus.
–NBC SPORTS GROUP–
