When the Rain Comes the Show Never Stops: Freestyle Now BMX Stunt Shows at the Beaufort Car and Truck Show
The forecast wasn’t kind. The night Freestyle Now arrived in Beaufort, Victoria to deliver BMX stunt shows at the Beaufort Car and Truck Show, the rain moved in and didn’t hold back. By morning the ground was saturated, the air was biting cold and a light mist hung low over everything like it had no intention of leaving.
The trip started with Cooper Wilson and Shaun Jarvis swinging past Melbourne Airport to pick up Sam Grace who had just landed in from Queensland, before pointing the truck toward Beaufort. It’s a decent drive and the kind where good conversation fills the time without you noticing. Shaun kept the jokes coming from pretty much the moment they hit the highway and by the time Beaufort came into view the crew was already in good spirits.
Andrew Ahumada and his son Arlo were already there waiting when they pulled in, the crew settling into the cabin park right next to the show grounds for the night. It’s that kind of trip, close enough to walk to the venue, far enough from home to feel like a proper road mission. That evening the rain started doing its thing and by morning the ground told the full story.
Andrew Ahumada did many suprmans or is that supermen at the Beaufort car and truck show. This superman seat grab was just on of them.
The crew was at the show grounds by 8am and the wet ground made it clear straight away what kind of day it was going to be. Ramps don’t build themselves and a soggy paddock wasn’t going to change that. Hands were cold, the ground was soft and the sky was doing nothing to help. The Freestyle Now crew might be sweet but we’re not made of sugar. We won’t dissolve in the rain. When the weather turns, we step up and get the job done. By the time the show was underway the mist had made way to light rain, steady and stubborn like being stuck behind a slow driver on the freeway with nowhere to go.
The crowd that showed up in those conditions were legends, plain and simple. Anyone willing to pull on a jacket, brave the cold and stand in the mist to watch a BMX show is our kind of people. They didn’t have to be there. They chose to be there. And the moment the first rider dropped in it was clear this crowd was going to make the day something special. They rode every trick with us, cheered every run and by the third show the numbers had grown to the biggest of the day. A packed crowd in the cold, locked in and loud. The kind of crowd that makes riders push harder than they planned to. The kind of crowd that turns a tough day into a great one. They deserved a great show and that’s exactly what they got.
Between shows there was time to breathe and wander through what the Beaufort Car and Truck Show had on display. The lineup of d cars and trucks was something else. For Shaun it got personal pretty quickly. Sitting there among the classics was a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air and for someone whose first ever car was a 1961 Chev Bel Air, that was a moment. He was absolutely elated. Some things just hit different.
Around midday the weather finally showed some mercy. The rain held up, a bit of blue sky broke through and Beaufort looked a whole lot different in the light. But don’t let the sunshine fool you. Wet ground doesn’t dry instantly. Wet ground means wet tyres. Wet tyres means a wet ramp. And a wet ramp means the margin for error gets a whole lot smaller. The riders knew it, they adjusted and they got on with it anyway.
Clockwise from top left -Sam Grace throwing a very big no footed can can. – Cooper Wilson was determined to do the highest backflips even if the ramp was wet. He succeded. – No hands x 2. Andrew over Shaun. – Cooper Wilson has the best Xups and a dachshund that also appreciates them. – More photos can be found on our Facebook page here.
Out on the ramp the riders were firing. Cooper Wilson threw down a postman, hand forward through the bars, the kind of trick that makes the crowd go quiet for a split second before they realise what just happened. Sam Grace was doing Sam things, bar spins to no handers flowing like it was all completely effortless, because for Sam it pretty much is. Andrew Ahumada had the supermans on lock, and if you lost count of how many he threw you weren’t alone, because he just kept going back to them. Superman after superman, each one cleaner than the last. And riding alongside his dad for the trip was Andrew’s young son Arlo, who was very much in the mix and soaking up every moment of it. And then there’s Shaun Jarvis, the Freestyle Now CEO. Holding it all together on the mic, keeping the crowd locked in and the energy up between runs, then jumping on his bike to show exactly why he’s been doing this for as long as he has. The bike balancing alone had people doing double takes. Some shows you remember because everything went perfectly. This one will be remembered because nothing about the day was easy and the crew delivered anyway. That’s Freestyle Now.
After the last show the ramps came down but the riding wasn’t done. Word had got around that a BMX crew was in town and a few of the local kids had shown up at the Beaufort Skatepark. Shaun, Cooper, Sam and Andrew didn’t need much convincing. They headed over, dropped in and had a session with the locals. No ramps, no crowd barriers, no microphone. Just riders and kids sharing a skatepark in a small Victorian town on a cold afternoon. That’s the part that doesn’t make the flyer but it’s often the part that means the most. For those kids, having a crew like Freestyle Now roll through their local park and ride alongside them is something they won’t forget in a hurry.
A big thanks to the Beaufort Car and Truck Show for having us. It’s exactly the kind of event we love being part of and we look forward to coming back.
Freestyle Now remains committed to delivering high-energy performances and inspiring communities. Freestyle Now is Australia’s premier BMX stunt show team, committed to delivering high-energy performances and inspiring audiences. From thrilling to engaging , Freestyle Now promotes active and healthy lifestyles while pushing the boundaries of Action Sports entertainment. Stay connected with us on our Facebook and Instagram social media channels and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated on our latest news, events, and behind-the-scenes action. For booking inquiries or to learn more about Freestyle Now’s BMX stunt shows please contact us directly. To look over the history of the stunt shows Freestyle Now has undertaken check out our past stunt shows page for a full 39 year list. We look forward to bringing our high energy BMX stunt shows to your next event.
We would like to thank our partner, Right By You. Rightbyyou.org.au is a mental health resource made for young people, by young people. There is easy to understand, useful information on the website if you or your friends are in a mental health crisis situation. Head to rightbyyou.org.au if you need to help a friend or yourself today.
