In Photos: Head-over-wheels

20,000 adrenalin junkies flocked to the Union Buildings in Pretoria for a rally with a difference

"THESE guys are crazy," screamed accountant Julie Truter, 26, as motorcycles flew overhead.

Truter was one of more than 20,000 adrenaline junkies who flocked to the Union Buildings, Pretoria, on Saturday for the finals of this year's Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour freestyle motocross tournament.

Created in 2001, the X-Fighters concept has become the biggest freestyle motocross tour and features the world's best riders performing death-defying tricks across the globe.

Australian Josh Sheehan, 28, dominated the Pretoria event, winning every heat by unanimous decision to take the day's event and the World Tour championship.

But it's not all fun and games.

As South African rider Nick de Wit, 33, attests, injuries are part of the excitement.

"We are high up in the sky with all these crazy tricks . . . all the riders here have suffered some sort of injury," said De Wit.

There were some close calls on Saturday but no major injuries.

Injury kept New Zealander, Levi Sherwood, 22, the master of the Shaolin back-flip, from performing.

Pretoria North bricklayer Ricky Hall, 60, said the event was "worth every penny".