Now the engine roars at the limit. Seconds later, the ramp is reached. With speed 60 it goes there steeply into the height. At the top, ten, 15 meters above the ground, the world seems to stand still. But in the next moment, the machine tilts. Driver backwards away. A blink of an eye, hold your breath for a moment, and the backflip is over.
The public cheers. It roars, stomps and claps that the hall shakes. But what exactly happened, only the actor himself can explain – Luc Ackermann.
The 20-year-old comes from a village between Kyffhäuser and Wartburg. He is considered the world's greatest talent in freestyle motocross. The pro from Niederdorla in Thuringia describes how his backward somersault works like this: "I control the flight with gas and brake."
For example, if the speed increases, the rear wheel lowers. He also needs strength in his arms. A short, strong impulse, says Ackermann, then the bike takes the desired direction.
That sounds simple at first. But only a few have mastered the art. A look at the Guinness Book of Records, where his name is already listed once, proves it.
Bikers at the "Night of Freestyle": Luc Ackermann taught himself his tricks
For the spectators, the back flip, as the scene's technical term goes, is an insane jump. Ackermann counts the element of course to the standards in his extreme sports show. He taught himself this and other tricks by experimenting – long before his professional career, as a sixth-grade student.
"I learned it from my older brother Hannes, who is also a freestyler."But they don't want to see each other as direct competitors. On the other hand, they already compare the trophies won. But the younger of the two agrarians remarks that they will soon be evenly matched.
Meanwhile, Luc Ackermann also manages two somersault turns when everything is right. "That's my attraction," he explains his daring. Show manager Sven Macha, who knows him very well, says: "He flies like a young king, a huge talent."
Recently in Hamburg a machine had broken down. "Half an hour later, he sat on the spare as if nothing had happened, and shone with a feat of the highest category."And his succinct explanation for the rapid comeback after the crash, according to Macha, virtually puts the spectators into a frenzy: "But it's my birthday today," says Ackermann modestly as self-confidently.
It's not for nothing that he's drawn to one of his many training tracks every day. Some are near Barcelona in Spain. That's where he likes to go when the weather in central Germany is rather uncomfortable.
"At 15 to 20 degrees, the technique simply works better, and my muscles are also more at operating temperature." But training is on the agenda every day, especially at home on the old sports field complete with practice track and foam rubber pit.
"Some tricks I learn in a few minutes, with others it can take years." Endurance is indispensable there. Luci", as his friends call him, gets plenty of it during runs over hill and dale. In addition, the strong athlete likes to torture his bike on cross-country courses.
Three times a week, the six-foot-one man can be seen sweating it out in the gym. Unlike his colleagues, he doesn't listen to heavy metal. He likes electronic sounds better.
Luc Ackermann: Motorcyclist trains a lot for the "Night of Freestyle
"My goal is power," explains Ackermann, who is by no means a lightweight. The extreme athlete weighs in at 95 kilograms. His favorite dish also goes well with this: wellness steak, 500 grams a portion and also likes to be bloody.
Alternatively Ackermann feasts on homemade wild boar salami. Father Dirk is hunter, then by Quad on the way. Mother Melitta spices and smokes. Dog Charlie watches. Look forward to the sausage tips.
Luc Ackermann says his parents are the biggest motocross fans imaginable. "They had to pay for their first motorcycles and clothes."Today he works as a factory rider for Husqvarna on his own account and is a partner of well-known sponsors.
Next Saturday, 20. January, Ackermann makes a guest appearance at the trade fair with the "Night of Freestyle" in Halle. This is the show of the best European freestylers. 30 athletes present crazy stunts and tricks. By his side are his parents. One of the reasons: Extreme sport also means extreme danger.
Light and shadow belong together in the industry that magically attracts many viewers year after year. You even have fatalities to deal with. Ackermann – mechanic, acrobat and sporting buddy – still plays it cool. Adapted chassis, extra-flat seat, higher handlebars, additional support levers on one side, highest concentration and fitness on the other: "Together this is the best life insurance, but of course the risk always rides with you."
Biker at the "Night of Freestyle": Luc Ackermann lost a friend in a motorcycle crash
As if to prove it, "Luci" lists the low blows he has already had to take. Especially painful, one of his buddies had a fatal accident in the sport. The list is long. Both collarbones and the shoulder blade are already broken, cruciate ligaments torn.
After a fall from a great height, a massive platinum rod, 38 centimeters long, is now stuck in my thigh. Ackermann can still laugh: "It's true, what we're doing is very risky. But it is also a lot of fun." His mother, however, can no longer watch the performances after the crashes. Your weak nerves just couldn't take it anymore.
Tickets for the "Night of Freestyle" are available, for example, at TiM Ticket. Subscribers of the MZ and the Naumburger Tageblatt receive a price advantage of 15 percent in each price category for the tickets of the event at 2 p.M. And 8 p.M. At the advance booking offices of TiM Ticket in southern Saxony-Anhalt.