Bicycles are one of the world’s most popular modes of transportation.

The bicycle is real people power; it’s just you and the machine.

BMX bikes, however, differ from the average bike.

These bikes are like your short, stout cousin that wrestled in high school only after learning he wouldn’t grow any higher than 5’1’’. Though the bikes are still light, swinging from bar to seat. Osprey Productions brought out Rise Above BMX, a Pennsylvania-based company bringing their own mobile equipment, for a show April 6 starting at 5 p.m. in Lot 14.

The team consisted of nine riders and two non-bikers — a skateboarder and an aggressive inline skater.

There were flips, 360s, can-cans, grinds, tail-whips, bar spins, flares. One guy even rode up a flight of stairs.

The list could go on. The performers tore up a brand new track, a full park designed to showcase the wide variety of skills, tricks and talent.

The performers brought a little technical stuff to show, but they knew what the audience wanted, and that was big air.

Air comes in a variety of flavors, but the ingredients are usually the same; speed, vert,  practice and cojones.

Chris Dziema dominated a park designed for BMX on a skateboard, stalling on just the lip of a topless 9-foot ramp.

The youngest rider, Eric Trombley, made mincemeat of the park, showing off skills at the age of 17.

Jimmy Hake tore up the park on Inline skates, cannonballing around the park like a madman.

Riders Cory Wiergowski and Seth Klinger hopped over nine people lying down, including some lucky guests in attendance.

Ellie Hinck, a UNF marketing sophomore, was one of the hopped-over guests.

“[I] saw some pretty gnarly stuff happen, BMX, inline skating and skateboarding,” she said.

However, Hinck was not thrilled with the age of some of the guests, including some children aged 11 and under.

“I would have preferred if there would have been little kids at the event,” Hinck said.

For the riders, the show is business as usual, but they work doing what they love. Dan Seig, rider and manager, said his biggest motivation to ride is because it clears his head and he can do it whenever he wants.

“You don’t need anybody to do it, so you can do it by yourself,” Sieg said. “It’s a self motivated sport. It comes from within, and once you do it it’s so satisfactory.”

Following the show, the team couldn’t keep off the park. They looked like they could ride all day. Even after the last autograph and a wave goodbye, they kept riding.

These guys go all out for crowds of hundreds, or when it’s just them in a park.

Email Jason Howard at [email protected]

Performer List:

Ron Thomas (Announcer) Seth Klinger, Eric Vasquez, Dan Sieg, Eric Trombley,  Cory Yarbrough, Andrew Fox,  Lane George, Chris Dziema (Skateboarder), Jimmy Hake (Inline), Cory Wiergowski (Brought in to replace Tyler Fernengel).