| BrickTop |
22.04.2009 10:42 |
BBC NEWS:
Stunt video reaches new heights
A bike stunt video shot in Edinburgh is wowing audiences around the world, attracting more than 350,000 YouTube hits in its first 40 hours on the site.
Danny MacAskill's mini film, Inspired Bicycles, was one of YouTube's most viewed videos on Tuesday.
The street trials biker is shown jumping off roofs, a tree and even riding along spiky railings.
He told BBC Scotland he took it as "the best compliment" that some people thought his stunts were fake.
Originally from the Isle of Skye, the 23-year-old moved to Edinburgh three years ago to practise and now lives on the city's Leith Walk.
He has been practising several hours a day for the more than 12 years to perfect his incredible skills.
He told the BBC Scotland news website: "My mum used to get pretty sick of the police always being at the door with me because I used to jump onto people's walls with my bike and a couple of times I was sent to a children's panel.
"But since then I have now even done demos for the police who are working with community projects to inspire youths not to drink alcohol, so I'm pretty happy I have stuck at it.
"I achieved most of my goals doing this video with the spiky railing taking eight hours of attempts to get it right.
"I get nervous sometimes but for example when I jumped off the National Gallery front entrance I had to do it quickly so that people wouldn't start gathering to watch so I didn't have time to think."
Mr MacAskill added that he has to take ibuprofen before he rides his bike to stop the pain in his wrists from years of absorbing the impact of his daredevil stunts.
He left his job as a mechanic at Edinburgh-based MacDonald Cycles last month so he could ride full time with his five-man stunt crew, The Clan.
His flatmate Dave Sowerby shot the five-and-a-half-minute video.
|
