Dirty dozen readies to pull stunts on viewers

FYIu00a0drops in on the set of MTV's reality show Stuntmania, now in its second season, to get a taste of the action up close and personal

Always thought of a bike as just another machine where valves inject fuel into a cylinder, which in turn makes it run on the road? Welcome to the real world. Bikes are as much about mechanics as they are about guts and glory.

We are on the banks of the Beas River in Manali, Himachal Pradesh where 12 finalists from the second season of MTV Stuntmania have gathered to challenge the laws of gravity and the limits of a 180-cc bike.
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At first, one can only hear the roar of water crashing on rocks at Ground Zero, but soon enough the bikes vroom past us.

We hear the bikes, before we see wheelies, stoppies, tanks, flamingoes, 12 o'clock wheelies, burnouts, froggers and rolling stoppies, being performed on Pulsar bikes.

Contestants had been confined to their cottages without any cell phones or communication with the outside world.

Their rooms are at the periphery of a large, circular expanse of tarmac, which serves as their practice track, and is right next to stunt guru Allan Amin's den.

Participants were brought blind-folded to the location in a truck, which was later blown up by Allan as a prelude to what TV audiences can expect from what's being touted as India's deadliest stunt biking reality show.
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"What the world's best stuntman Chris Pfeiffer can do on his super bike, my 12 street bikers from across the country will do on their Indian bikes, and that too at 13,000 feet above sea level," claims Allan, who is among Bollywood's top action directors.

Select contestants will perform specific tasks, including death-defying bike stunts, choreographed by Allan himself.

"The first season was about elementary bike stunts. This season, we challenge nature. Stunts will be performed in the forest, on water, and in the air," says Allan.

The Himalayan Challenge is about surviving ravines and snow-clad mountains, crossing furious rapids and doing a stoppie at a log above the river.

Allan cautions, however, that a team of experts has tested all the stunts before contestants are challenged to try them out.

"Stunting has to be done under guidance. We have adhered to international safety standards so as not to compromise the safety of the contestants," assures Allan.

Stuntmania Reloaded airs every Saturday at 7 pm on MTV.

The Fast and the Furious

Wheelie
The front wheel of the bike is raised so that the vehicle is temporarily balanced on its rear wheel. The throttle and rear brakes are used to pull off the stunt, while a rider uses body mass and steering to control the direction of the bike.

Stoppie
Sometimes called a front wheelie, the back wheel is lifted and the bike is ridden on the front wheel by carefully applying brake pressure. If the stoppie goes wrong and the rider is thrown over the front wheel, it is called an endo.

Christ
The biker stands on either tank or seat with both hands stretched out on either side in an open-arms position, assuming the pose of Jesus Christ.

Flamingo
The biker stands on the seat with one leg sticking out behind him.

Stunts are dangerous and should only be performed under expert supervision by trained professionals.