It's all about the bike

A top stunt biker arrives in the city, wanting to burn his bike's wheels on Indian roads
A music channel is trying to find India's next big stunt bikeru00a0-- through a reality show, as is the norm these days. This time round though, 24 year-old Frenchman Jorian Ponomareff, professional stunt biker, will be doing the judging. Although very young, Ponomareff is somewhat of a legend in stunt biking. He travels widely for competitions and shows and is considered to be one of the top freestyle stunt bikers in the world. He recently arrived in Mumbai, and soon enough wowed everyone with a little demonstration of his skills.


Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar

Ponomareff started stunt biking at the early age of 14, with a 50cc bike. "I saw some stunt bikers and got attracted to their bikes. I started practicing my own stunts and slowly it grew into a passion."u00a0 While stunt biking may seem like an unviable career option, Ponomareff points out that 10 years back it was even worse. "Ten years back professional stunt biking was not considered a viable career option. My family was also worried about my safety. But over time, when they saw my passion for the sport, they supported me".

Ponomareff will be judging the contest Stuntmania Underground for MTV. He has also designed the stunts on the show. "Stunts will involve zipping between cars, running red lights, monster trucks, floating ramps, bullet trains, buzzing a helicopter, etc," says Ponomareff. The winner of the show will be awarded a Pulsar bike and the opportunity to train under Ponomareff in France.u00a0

The stunt biker rarely spends time at home, at most about six months a year. At other times, he travels the world for various shows. "It's all about the bike and your love for it," he says. "At the end of the day, love and passion for stunt biking supersedes everything." The show starts on Sunday, at 7pm