Travis Pastrana talks Nitro Circus ahead of Wilkes-Barre show

WILKES-BARRE — Nitro Circus is coming to Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on Tuesday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m. Ahead of the show, The Weekender spoke to sensational Nitro Circus founder and American action sports extraordinaire, Travis Pastrana in a phone interview.

He promised those attending the live Nitro Circus show can expect thrilling stunts from the talented athletes behind the exhilarating franchise. Hopefully they'll land it, but rest assured this crazy team will push the limits of physics.

"Bring your excitement and your loudness and we will send it big," said Pastrana. "That's the best part of the live world, because every time, somebody tries to do something that's never been done anywhere in the world."

Travis Pastrana is an American professional motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships, world records, and X Games gold medals in supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, rally racing, and pretty much any vehicle you can imagine. When it comes to action sports, he's either done it or attempted it all!

Nitro Circus has evolved since its inception in 2003. Starting as just friends having wild fun together, then becoming a popular video series, and eventually growing into something so much more.

In the 90s, action sports went mainstream for the first time; X Games began its first season in 1995, MTV began airing stunts, and Tony Hawk'sTM Pro SkaterTM was released. Skating, biking, and eventually motocross were all suddenly in the public eye. And Pastrana said he and his friends couldn't get enough!

"Your typical American rednecks if you will," laughed Pastrana.

When action sports legend Evel Knievel passed away in 2007, Johnny Knoxville reached out to enthusiastic stunt-master Travis Pastrana for an MTV special. No stranger to stunts himself, Knoxville had always been a huge inspiration to Pastrana. MTV aimed to air more action sports, so Pastrana gave them a pitch and they've been touring the world with Nitro Circus ever since.

"The best part for me is that it gave action sports a different image," said Pastrana. "In "Jackass", their goal was entertainment, and they knew that 99% of their stunts would fail. In Nitro Circus, our general difference is that we never intend on failing them."

Through Nitro Circus' updated depiction of action sports, everyone is beginning to see the passion, the excitement, the joy that goes into everything they do. It gives parents, guardians, and teachers a new appreciation for what their kids love to do. People began to see that maybe there IS a greater purpose to extreme sports.

"Parents and teachers saw this and are now supporting the kids and the next generation. Before, they just saw fails and injuries with no upside, but now it's the parents standing on their feet and yelling!" explained Pastrana.

The Nitro Circus team is full of innovators of the action sports world. With their passionate team and passionate fans, the Nitro Circus live show is really one of a kind. They also still exhibit that same care for one another that made us fall in love with them in the reality television series.

Ryan Williams, a.k.a. R-Willy, is currently running the Nitro Circus show. He is one of the most successful big-air X Games competitors ever and one of the most viral extreme sports stars today. Pastrana says he's taken charge of the creative for the first time here on this tour.

"This show, we have so much new that's going into it. Ryan Williams has taken the reins," said Pastrana. "Right now, he's the man."

The Nitro Circus lineup for Wilkes-Barre still boasts much of the original Nitro Circus crew we've come to know and love through their popular MTV series that put polished action sports on the map.

Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham always brings the excitement. Fotheringham pioneered his own sport, "WCMX," after being the first person to successfully perform a backflip in a wheelchair. He takes on bold adapted tricks from skateboarding and BMX to wow the crowd. "It's so amazing to see. So many kids come out to see him," said Pastrana.

Also joining him will be Adam Jones, a six-time X-Games medalist in Freestyle Motocross, and Andy Buckworth, a BMX icon and the first rider to successfully land the superman double front flip. These athletes will push the boundaries of what's possible with high-flying stunts, tricks, and heart-pounding excitement.

So, how does multiple world record holder Travis Pastrana continue to top what they've accomplished on Nitro Circus to this day?

"The interesting part is that passion is what leads this," said Pastrana. "The hardest part on tour is that everyone doesn't try everything they're dreaming of the first day."

Although there is technically a set script for their live Nitro Circus shows, Pastrana says for the second half — they rarely stick to it!

"Every person coming on tour, Olympian or whatever, they all want to push themselves and the show is pretty cool because every night, someone else will step up," said Pastrana.

Nitro Circus also makes everything they do as safe as possible while still blowing minds! When one of their athletes wants to try something new, they figure out the best way to make it happen while minimizing risk and ensuring safety. They even have best practices just in case something goes wrong too.

"There is always risk. There's no reset button, and no one wants to see that," said Pastrana. "A good crash does happen from time to time, but for me, it's more the physical preparation that goes into all the events."

Nitro Circus keeps doing the very best they can to continue to delighting audiences worldwide. They always have kept a strong connection to their fans, especially because they love giving them something they've never seen before!

Nitro Circus has also been diversifying their audiences more than ever before, hitting new countries and exposing all different cultures to the world of action sports, everywhere from Japan to France. He says he just wants to inspire kids stop staring at screens and get out there!

"You know, at the end of the day; my goal is to provide a platform for kids anywhere in the world. No matter where you come from, wherever you are," said Pastrana. "You want to have fun and travel the world, and Nitro Circus is there to help you accomplish your dreams and that's the most gratifying thing we've been able to do. Hopefully, at Nitro Circus we'll be able to continue doing that."

With Nitro Circus, Travis Pastrana redefined the perception of action sports and brought a more professional understanding of what it means to jump off the roof or fly over a ramp. He is truly living his dream in both his career and his personal life.

"I'm in my 40s still making a living, traveling the world with my friends, with my family. Just being able to show my daughters that, despite what it looks like on TikTok and Facebook, these are extremely hardworking athletes," said Pastrana. "The family side of it has been very cool and I've been very fortunate to have great friends around me."