Image: Panzer Photography
Nitro Circus: a Family Business
Bike / BMX
Josh was next, the oldest and calmest of the bunch and the “special one” of the group. Josh described himself as, “The one to do the things that no one else wants to do.” That said, Josh proceeded to tell me about how he has knocked several front teeth out multiple times within the last year. He also showed how he has gained some wisdom through his experience and upgraded to a full-face helmet to keep those pearly whites, or plastics, right where they need to be. Chanler was next around the horn. Chanler is the guy behind the camera when the cameras are not around, as well as a builder, caregiver and is even described as the “landlord” by his clan. When it comes to stunts, Gregg described his son, Chanler, as being the safe guy. “Chanler is a guy who waits back to jump into something. He’ll always do it, but he likes to make sure it’s doable first. I don’t know if he is smarter or just a pussy,” says Gregg. Can you feel the love? Because I know I can.
Next up was Preston, the youngest of the group, who, in Gregg’s opinion, is “the most talented of the whole bunch, but he just doesn’t give a shit.” Preston’s niches include the tricycle, bike and being a full-time ladies man. Last but not least was Gavin, who is the “most competitive of the group,” says Gregg. Gavin is up for anything and prides himself on his bathtub–jumping abilities as well as many other things. Competitiveness is definitely prevalent with these guys, and to say whether it is friendly or not is a call that I can’t make. They’re an eclectic group to say the least, and I think the title of “circus” fits these guys just fine.
As far as contraptions go, this team has quite a few that they have taken off the Mega or Gigant-A-Ramp. Most notably among these contraptions is the tricycle. A big-kids tricycle is, of course, equipped to take an impact, and these guys push the limits that have only been imagined by 7-year-olds. “No matter what you do on the trike, you are going to get jacked up. Either a wheel falls off or you hit your back on the seat—it is different every time. It is just so fun to throw it around,” says Chanler. Obviously, being able to say that you belong to the world’s most talented group of tricycle riders comes with a price to pay. Practicing for such stunts can only be done by sticking it first try or jumping into things like foam pits and reservoir mats, which are padded mats that soften the blow and provide a smooth surface to aid in sliding out when a stunt starts going south. Tyler says that the mat “feels a lot better than hitting dirt.” No matter what these guys are landing on, the great moments are littered with thrills and spills, but that is what keeps the show genuine and keeps these guys pushing their limits along with the rest of their Nitro Circus team.
High points and low points are just part of the game when you take the risks that these guys do, but it is the constant push toward progression that keeps them going. Among these highlights were such things as Tyler nearly learning double back flips on his BMX bike at the ripe age of 15 in the Vegas show and Chanler attempting a front flip in Australia that ended in what Gregg calls “one of the worst crashes I had ever seen.” As these guys say, though, it is all part of the game.
With their first-ever North American Tour kicking off this month, the clan is excited to be in the States and is especially excited to perform for their home crowd. The closest the clan has come to this was a Las Vegas show a couple years back that only included about half of them. Josh gave me a little spoiler alert to some tricks that may be going down this trip around. “I’d say Ethen and Gavin both have triple back flips on hard-tail mountain bikes pretty much dialed in,” he says. Whatever happens, witnessing these guys in action will definitely be a treat.
As far as the future goes, the Godfrey Clan plans to keep it going with Nitro Circus Live and to keep having fun with their family. “The uprising of the Godfrey Clan!” says Josh. Nitro Circus Live is touring North America beginning Jan. 3 and hitting Salt Lake at the Energy Solutions Arena on Jan. 17. Come have some fun and see a great bunch of athletes doing some of the most insane stunts you’ll ever see while having the time of their lives. Until then, catch up on all of the fun with Nitro Circus TV episodes and tour videos. Also, hit these guys with a follow on Instagram, Twitter and all of your other social media sites @nitrocircus to keep your mouth watering.