Freestyle motocross riders Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams and Jake Smith experienced their first Seymour expo as performers on Saturday, April 13.
The sound of revving dirt bikes drew a large crowd as Mr Williams and Mr Smith got ready to throttle up the ramp and perform their tricks in the air.
Both riders do big shows worldwide, but country shows are what they enjoy the most.
“Smaller country shows were always good crowds,” Mr Smith said.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve done a show in Seymour,” Mr Williams said.
“I don’t usually get a chance to do too many small local demos, but they’re often the most fun.”
Mr Williams, who’s been doing motocross for 20 years, grew up in Baxter, Victoria, but now lives in California.
He became the first non-American to win an X Games gold medal in the freestyle motocross category, at the Los Angeles event in 2009.
“It’s a nice change from being in big stadiums and wild events,” he said.
“These are all cruisey, relax, and you just get to hang out and chill with your buddies all for the day.
“I enjoy the shows a lot, so the Seymour show has been fun.”
Mr Smith, on the other hand, said Mr Williams was someone he looked up to as a kid.
“I had a poster of this guy on the back of my bedroom door for about 15 years, so it’s cool,” he said, pointing to Mr Williams.
“I have had some pretty surreal moments over the years.
“I remember being a young kid like it was yesterday ... you know, like watching these guys and all the old movies.
“I’d get pumped up and race outside ... I’d hop on my bike and go do something silly and either learn something new or crash.”
Mr Williams said riding with Mr Smith was great.
“It’s more like just two Aussie mates that ride dirt bikes, basically,” he said.
“You don’t look at each other any different other than we’re both here to have fun on their dirt bike.
“We respect each other for what we do and with the risk we both take.”
Both riders said it took a lot of trust and co-ordination to do jumps and tricks in the air together.
“It’s always good to ride with someone that you know you trust and respect they’re not going to mess up,” Mr Williams said.
“Jake’s got plenty of bike skills, and I’m confident in him.
“The biggest shows where there’s 10 of you, you never really throw anyone in the mix that shouldn’t be there because if one goes down, it’s kind of like dominoes.”
The riders said the sunny weather during the expo made all the difference.
“We’ve been blessed with really good weather,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s crucial for us.”
Mr Williams said wind was often a complicating factor.
“If we got a headwind or a tailwind, we can manage, but any kind of side wind, we can still jump the jump (but in a way) that’s kind of boring for the crowd,” he said.
A side wind, which blows across the riders, adds to the difficulty.
“If we let go of the handlebars, and then we come back, they’re not where we left them, and then we go splat,” Mr Williams said.
Due to the nature of the sport, getting hurt is inevitable, whether from minor aches and pains or serious accidents.
Before the show, both riders were sore from minor accidents, but they pushed on.
“Everyone crashes, but sometimes you can crash because you had no idea what you were doing, but you try it anyway,” Mr Williams said.
“It’s an awesome sport. It’s very rewarding.”
“Everyone says, ‘Why do you do it? You get so hurt.’ But we do it because we love it.”
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