25 August 2014 1 Min Read

In Photos: Head-over-wheels

in News by Words by Sipho Masombuka, Pictures by Waldo Swiegers

- FLIPPING OUT: Josh Sheehan, of Australia, won every heat of the Red Bull X-Fighters freestyle motocross competition at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, on Saturday. This was the last round of the competition for the year. It has been held in stages around the world. Sheehan also won the series overall

- LOOK MA, NO FEET: Frenchman Remi Bouzouard in freestyle free fall

- FANFARE: Adam Jones, from the US, salutes the cheering crowd before performing one of his breathtaking stunts

- PAROWPHERNALIA: Rapper Jack Parow winds up the fans at the first Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour final on African soil

- WE ARE THE WORLD: A capacity crowd of 22000 joined the global madness that is freestyle motocross

- SPANISH BULL: Dany Torres, of Spain, came second on the day and third in the World Tour

- RALLYING CRY: Dakar Rally favourite Giniel de Villiers shows the bikers how it's done on four wheels

- MAN DOWN: Thomas Pages, from France, eats dirt in one of the world's most challenging sports. Luckily, there were no serious injuries on the day

- UNSTOPPABLE: Aussie Josh Sheehan gives a victory salute

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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".