Thursday, June 2, 2011

Chair-devil Aaron Fotheringham makes wheelchair jump from 50-foot ramp

From The Daily Mail in the UK:

A daredevil disabled stuntman who became the first man to complete a double back flip in a wheelchair has pulled off his most daring jump yet from a 50ft 'giganta ramp'.

Adrenaline junkie Aaron Fotheringham has gained worldwide acclaim for his stunning wheelchair stunts, including daring back flips.

But the inspirational teenager, who suffers from Spina Bifida which left him wheelchair bound, completed his most spectacular stunt yet when he conquered the massive 'giganta ramp'.

Aaron is set to show off his unique skills at a Nitro Circus show in his hometown Las Vegas on June 4.

The professional wheelchair stuntman is one of the top stars at the extreme sports event, and honed his amazing back-flipping skills during a practice in Pala, California yesterday.

The 'giganta' is normally tacked by skateboarders and BMX riders, who fly down the huge steep 50ft ramp before soaring through the air onto a soft landing surface.

The 19-year-old's incredible stunt sees him propel himself down the ramp before launching through the air and leaning backwards into a back flip before landing on two wheels seconds later.

He has previously jumped from other massive ramps, but Aaron's back flip from the 'giganta ramp' is thought to be a world first for a wheelchair bound stuntman.

A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, he spent most of his childhood at the local skate park in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Aaron said last year: 'I'd practice all the same tricks and stunts as my friends but on my chair.

'I grew to like my chair.'