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National | Entertainment

Nitro Circus daredevils converge upon Whāngārei for nail biting spectacle

Thousands turned out at Whāngārei's Toll Stadium for the famed and jeapardous spectacle, Nitro Circus. International dare devils took to their bikes in a spectacular show of nail biting stunts including the Māori BMX world record holder, Jed Mildon.

Some might call it brave and others, literally flipping crazy.

A Whāngārei first, over 12,000 people turned out for the high intensity action filled show drawing it's largest crowd since the circus first traveled to Auckland in 2012.

Jed Mildon - Ngāti Kahungunu, says “They're going to see first-hand what their noise and rowdiness does to us it helps us perform and it lets us send it big.'

But there was no doubting the big star of the night, Ngāti Kahungunu's internationally famed daredevil Mildon. Mildon says it's a day he's been long anticipating.

Mildon says, “Since I was 14, I've been preparing for this day. Now I make sure I just eat healthy, make sure I meditate every day, I stretch every day, I basically make sure my mind is cleared, my nutrition is feed correctly, I get the right sleep and I keep on top of my game.”

Mildon joined the Nitro Circus in 2012 after becoming the world's first stuntman to crack the BMX triple backflip in 2011. In 2015 he set records again with a quadruple backflip. But Mildon makes no promises of a fifth backflip anytime soon.

“There's always world firsts in our shows. I'm just looking at going as big as I can and stomping it on the wheels. Maybe you'll see five backflips, but it might be over five different jumps (laughs),” says Mildon.

It's a high risk occupation, however Mildon says achieving the impossible for the happiness of others is his biggest reward.

Mildon says, “I get to open people’s eyes up to things that aren't meant to be done on a bike and it makes people happy. It's just so rewarding and so gratifying.”