The circus is coming to town — but this isn’t like any circus you’ve seen before. This circus features plenty of acrobatics, but notably absent are animals, unless you count skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, BMX superstars Mat Hoffman and Dave Mirra, and motocross daredevil Carey Hart as something other than human for their gravity-defying feats. Add a live band, pyrotechnics and thousands of noisy fans to this mix of aerial sports, and you get the “”Boom Boom HuckJam,”” a one-of-a-kind show sure to dazzle your eyes and ears.
The event, coming to San Diego on Oct. 24 as part of its 22-stop tour, will feature BMX, skateboarding and motocross stunts performed on a custom-made, million-dollar ramp system. The objective of the three sports in the event is the same: to become airborne and perform spins, flips, grabs and other stunts in the air.
Skateboarders will perform on a system of ramps, obstacles and rails located around the arena floor. BMX (short for “”bicycle motocross””) riders will perform around the skateboarders. Floating on a stage above all this, a band will play live music. A light show will illuminate the arena, and motocross stuntmen will perform around — and above — everything else.
In addition to Hawk, Hoffman, Mirra and Hart, other athletes airing it out will include 11-time X Games medalist and six-time skateboard World Cup champion Andy Macdonald, Slam City Jam winner Bucky Lasek, Brazilian aerialist Lincoln Ueda and pro skaters Brian Howard and Sergie Ventura.
Athletes using the assistance of a motor to put them into orbit include 2001 Vans Triple Crown Series Champion Clifford Adoptante; Mike Cinqmars, the world record holder for the longest jump on natural terrain; X-Gamer Ronnie Faisst; and Dustin Miller, the reigning IFMA world champion. BMXers Kevin Johnson and John Parker also join the mix.
The show will be hosted by BMX star and television personality Rick Thorne, who will also join the madness on stage by riding BMX for the “”all out jam”” portion of the show. Musicians selected for the tour vary, and include bands such as The Offspring, Face to Face, Social Distortion, CKY and Good Charlotte. Whipping up the musical portion of the San Diego show will be ’80s new-age band Devo.
Hawk, widely regarded as one of the best skateboarders who ever lived, came up with the idea for the tour as a means to combine the talents of his fellow athletes and musicians. The name of the tour, although bizarre, was also his idea. According to Hawk, “”Huck”” means to launch into the air, “”Jam”” is a gathering of talent, and “”Boom Boom”” reflects the musical element of the show.
Boom Boom HuckJam debuted as a one-time event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas earlier this year. But following its enormous success, Hawk decided to take it on tour across the country.
“”Boom Boom HuckJam is an idea that is long overdue,”” Hawk said. “”It is a skate/BMX/motor show of arena proportions, featuring an elaborate ramp system, music and choreography. We, as professional riders, couldn’t wait any longer to make it a reality. The first show was a blast, and it will only get better.””
San Diego’s Boom Boom HuckJam comes flying into town at the Sports Arena on Oct. 24. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and start at $25. This circus looks to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before, so if you’re into aerial sports, be sure not to miss this show.
