Red-hot stunt master

Bangkok — To most people, the humble motorcycle is simply a mode of transport. But to German stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer, a motorcycle can be used on one wheel or two, backwards and forwards, or even twirl like a top. In his hands, a motorcycle is a form of mass entertainment.

Stunt riding is the sport of using a motorcycle to perform tricks. With a pro like Pfeiffer, man and bike can defy gravity to perform an acrobatic routine which requires a high level of skill, fitness, concentration and creativity. The sport has outgrown perceptions of hooliganism and is now more widely accepted around the world.

Pfeiffer has won the World Stunt Riding Championship four times, along with many other stunt titles. He has also won the world’s hardest short-distance cross-country bike race, the Erzberg Enduro, four times.

His eye-opening stunts show us what a motorcycle can do in the right hands. Thus, it is all the more shocking when he says he nearly became a high-school teacher.

“I actually intended to become a teacher in sports and biology,” he said. Thinking he’d be an educator for the rest of his life, he took six months off for stunt riding, which somehow extended into a 17-year career.

Pfeiffer, now sponsored by BMW, does shows all around the world and was in Bangkok to launch BMW’s motorcycle production in Rayong. He is phenomenally hard-working. He estimates that he has done more than 1,000 shows to date and is on the road up to 11 months a year.

He also said he enjoys performing at exhibitions.

“I love riding shows. I never liked riding competitions ... you don’t ride for yourself, the crowd or your soul, you just ride for a couple of judges for points,” he said, adding that fan appreciation and the satisfaction of coming up with better routines drive him.

A brake failure 14 years ago caused his most serious injury — he sustained fractures on his face, ribs and wrist, and his knee was destroyed. Doctors said his career was over, but he persevered because of his passion for the sport.

“Doctors told me it was over ... but in the end they were totally wrong. It took me 13 months to get back to competition, but I never gave up.” Derryn Wong

Check out Pfeiffer’s skills as he scales the BMW tower in Munich. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gLknpv9Ksc