FMX INSIDER No.46: FREESTYLE KINGS 2015

The ‘Freestyle Kings’ boys have now capped off their second successful year at the Royal Queensland Show (The Ekka) in Brisbane last week. The busy schedule kept them on their toes and in the air, performing daily in front of thousands of screaming Queensland fans. I caught up with FK owner Josh Hannah to chat about the show and all the action that went down.

BH: So what is the Ekka?
JH: The Ekka is better known as the Queensland Royal Show. It’s based in Brisbane City and goes for 10 days with our team performing twice a day.

How how many shows did you ride in total over the 10 days?
Our day show is a standard 20-minute Freestyle Kings show. Then at night, it turns into what they call the extreme show, which ran to a ‘Transformers’ theme this year.

What do the shows consist of?
It consists of our team performing on both sides of the stadium. We also had two FMX quad riders and a Razor car jump to our truck. This is all amongst V8 utes, monster trucks and one crazy pyrotechnic/laser show. After the extreme show, the team jumps on quad bikes with pyro attached to them, riding around for a bit fun amongst the other fire works.

Who rode the shows this year?
Myself, Josh Hannah, Pat Bowden, Jake Smith and Brodie Markham rode this year.

I think I saw a RC buggy jump the FK set up. Tell me about that?
Yeah it did! We had a Razor RC buggy jump 55ft to our truck. It was pretty wild to watch but the driver nailed it every time.

Are there any more interesting stories from the event – on and off the bike?
We have a few funny stories, but unfortunately we can’t elaborate over an interview. Sorry, Benny.

Was this year’s show different to last year’s?
The show itself was similar although the theme changed. FMX quad riders and the Razor jump was added to the show, plus there was also more pyro was added to the mix.

How did the Transformers theme come about?
The promoter came up with the idea; it wasn’t our decision. We were lucky enough to have our sponsors Tee ‘N’ Cee Graphics and Troy Lee Designs helping with our gear and bikes to match the theme. The idea was Bumble Bee versus Optimus Prime.

What sort of feedback did you receive from the Brisbane crowds?
The feedback was amazing. We had a rider meet-and-greet after our lunchtime shows and the fans had nothing but nice things to say. When it came to the night show, the crowds were so loud, which helped our riding each night. It was such a good atmosphere to be a part of.

What’s it like working in such a massive event with so many different entertainment categories?
It’s great. Sometimes stressful for myself, but my team know what they have to do and I can always rely on them to get the job done. It’s great exposure for our team and like I said before, you feed off the amazing atmosphere. It’s always fun being a part of such a big event.

Have you already made plans for next year’s event?
Yeah, we are currently deciding on how we can make the show bigger and better each year.

I would just like to thank the team and shout out to Ben Hannah for all his and the teams efforts over the busy two weeks. And also big thanks to our sponsors, Troy Lee Designs, Ogio, Von Zipper, Action Cam, Tee ‘N’ Cee Graphics, Maxima Racing Oil, Zeta and City Coast Motorcycles.