ADV Pulse

NEWSLETTER
Get ADV Pulse delivered by email
Sign up for ADV Pulse Weekly

Newsletter

Get ADV Pulse delivered by email
Sign up for ADV Pulse Weekly

Connect With Us

Follow On Facebook:

ADV VideosThis is What Robbie Maddison Went Through for a Pipe Dream

This is What Robbie Maddison Went Through for a Pipe Dream

Behind-the-scenes look at Robbie Maddison's Record-Breaking Wave Ride.

Published on 09.03.2015

The crazy giant wave ride by Australian daredevil Robbie Maddison astride a modified dirt bike off Tahiti has ignited the imagination of motorcycle lovers across the globe. His feat on the KTM 250 SX, complete with skis, is captured in an exquisitely produced video that pays tribute to the immensity of this first-ever achievement.

bike being rescued
Robbie Maddison launches his KTM into the water from a barge designed to get the bike up to skimming speed.

Even more dramatic is the behind-the scenes story of “Maddo” turning his bike-surfing dream into reality, and almost paying the ultimate price. The three-part series, “Behind the Dream: The Making of Robbie Maddison’s Pipe Dream”, is a riveting account; not only does it outline the unique challenges of mounting an insane adventure on a tropical island, it also exposes the raw emotions of humans who are both terrified and enthralled by the enormity of their mission.

bike being rescued
Each time the bike was sunk it would take 5 to 7 hours to clear out the sea water and get the bike running again.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bike surfing a giant wave demands a fair deal of preparation and innovation, as Maddison’s support team discovers. So too is handling a bike on skis and powered by a paddlewheel, a technique Maddison masters with maddening ease.

The video series also speaks of a remarkable man who, notwithstanding a life-long flirtation with death, is also a doting father and loving husband. And yet, such is the humility of Maddison that these apparent contradictions are seamlessly woven into a charismatic, and disarmingly complex, man.

Robbie Maddison close call
“This is the most I’ve ever wanted to quit on something” – Robbie Maddison

Like the video capturing Maddison’s historic ride, the behind-the-scene series is also tautly edited, as the climatic end of Part 3 attests.

Whether Maddison’s feat represents the first tentative step of a new two-wheel discipline remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt his feat will inspire others; after all, and in Maddison’s words, “an idea is only crazy until someone does it”.

Author: Derek Alberts
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Stories

Related Stories

Notify me of new posts via email

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
ADVERTISEMENT

Watch: Moto Morini X-Cape 650 Walkthru and First Ride Impressions

These days we are spoiled by choice with so many adventure bikes to choose fr...

ADV Mission: On The Hunt For Secret Motocross Tracks In The Desert

From abandoned homesteads to strange memorials, geologic wonders and weird work...

GIVI GRT724 Cargo Bag Review

Adventure and Off-Road riders are all too familiar with the importance of modul...