X-Games legend Travis Pastrana is a true family man, whether you’re talking about his own children Addy and Bristol, or the 40 daredevils that make up the Nitro Circus clan.
 
Addy is two years old and is already getting into the family business.
 
“Every morning she wakes me up at six o’clock and says, ‘Dadda, bike,’ and I don’t want to ride a bike at six o’clock, but alright let’s go,” Pastrana told TSN.ca. “We live in the country in Maryland, so we can wake up and just go ride four-wheelers and bikes and she’s starting to figure out the throttle.”
 
Bristol is six months old and does what babies do.
 
Nitro Circus is 11 years old and about to kick off a year-long world tour that will take the live-action sports show to 12 countries and two continents, including 18 dates in Canada beginning in Toronto on Oct. 14.

Nitro Circus
 
To think, it all began when Pastrana - a 17-time X-Games medalist in Motocross (11 gold), rally car and NASCAR driver - had the first foam pit in his backyard.
 
“Guys from skate, BMX, everyone would come over to my house to try new tricks because it’s obviously safer than dirt, or ramps, or whatever they were using, so we started filming everything and it got picked up on Fuel, which was a small network, and then Johnny Knoxville [of Jackass] came to us and was like ‘Hey guys, I got an idea. Want to be on MTV?’” he said.
 
“That got us a good following and then we wanted to try and tour the world a little more so we turned it into a live show and just keep finding more rednecks and lunatics to join our crew.”
 
Pastrana prides himself on working with “40 of the best athletes in the world,” including his wife and fellow X-Games gold medalist Lyn-z Adams Hawkins. With motocross riders, professional skiers, mountain bikers, base jumpers and skateboarders, to name a few, Nitro Circus has just about everything to offer in the world of action sports.
 
It’s this level of ability and the résumés to back it up that has taken Nitro Circus from a backyard TV show, to a 3D movie and touring live shows, all sponsored by Red Bull.

"In Nitro Circus there is a guy jumping a four-wheeler in front of me, a guy jumping a snowmobile behind me and two guys jumping dirt bikes to my sides … if any one of us messes up it’s game over."
Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus

“The first year that we did a live tour was pretty much on us. What can you do? What is action sports? How can you make this entertaining?” Pastrana said. “And when it started doing well we started getting guys who are much smarter than us on logistics and planning and sales and marketing. They really took over, so my job now actually got a lot more simple. All I have to do is continually make the show bigger, scarier and safer.”
 
Saying the show can be dangerous is putting it lightly. Pastrana and his team are constantly coming up with new ideas and ways to push the envelope, all while ensuring everyone makes it to the next show in one piece.
 
“When you say you trust your life with someone, that’s usually a metaphor,” he said. “Well in Nitro Circus there is a guy jumping a four-wheeler in front of me, a guy jumping a snowmobile behind me and two guys jumping dirt bikes to my sides and we’re all flipping and if any one of us messes up it’s game over.”
 
The North American leg of the world tour begins in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 8 and will be in Toronto on Oct. 14 for the first of three consecutive Canadian dates. The show has scheduled stops north of the border in Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Calgary, Lloydminster, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, London, Moncton, Halifax, St. John’s, Medicine Hat, Prince George, Grande Prairie and Victoria.

Nitro Circus Tour Pre-Show Practice In Wellington
 
Nitro Circus’ first and only Canadian appearance came at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton in January 2014.
 
“It was one of our best stops. It was -20 degrees and I promised myself I’m not going to Canada in the winter. It was ridiculous, but we’re coming back because the crowds were awesome and honestly it’s just really cool for us to experience new places,” Pastrana said.
 
“Toronto on the 14th of October, that’s really a big one for us because this is a bigger city and we want to show everyone what’s possible and really put on a good show.”
 
The tour is another larger-than-life journey for a group of larger-than-life individuals and Pastrana wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
“Everyone says, ‘How could you bring your kids up in this, like Carnies traveling around the world?’ and I say, ‘This is the best family I could’ve imagined,’” he said. “Just be waking up in the morning with that big smile on my face and looking at this family … we’ve been able to live our dreams and never grow up.”