INTERVIEW: Vicki Golden poised to break motorcycle firewall record on ‘Evel Live 2’
Photo: Vicki Golden will attempt to break the motorcycle firewall record on Evel Live 2. Photo courtesy of The History Channel / Provided by press rep with permission.
The History Channel is ready to pay homage to Evel Knievel and his daredevil legacy by hosting Evel Live 2, an unprecedented three-hour live show that will feature the daring acts of four-time X Games medalist Vicki Golden.
The event, airing Sunday, July 7 at 9 p.m., will feature Golden’s attempt to break the motorcycle firewall record, which will essentially see her speeding through a series of flaming wooden boards.
Golden will be the first female athlete to try and break the firewall record. She’ll have to make it through more than 12 flaming wooden boards to do so, and her chosen motorcycle for the feat is the Indian FTR1200 S with a 1203cc V-Twin engine, 120 horsepower and 87 foot pound-force of low-end torque.
Evel Live 2 is part of History’s overall Car Week. The two-hour death-defying event will be the hallmark of the special programming and feature co-hosts Travis Pastrana and Matt Iseman.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Golden about her big attempt. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Before a big TV spectacle like this one, do you get nervous, anxious, excited, fearful?
I always get a mix full of emotions before any big stunt. I do my best to block them out leading up to the event, but we have a saying in action sports — turn your brain off and go. Meaning the thinking is done, and we let our natural skill take over.
How do you train for a record-breaking event like this? What’s your routine like?
This stunt is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Everything I’m doing is a lot different than what I’m used to. What I’m wearing, riding and even my body positioning. So there’s a lot for me to remember. Unfortunately there’s no good way to practice going through firewalls except to just go through them. (Ha!) Our recent testing for the stunt went good though!
When did you first get into motorcycles and motorcycle stunts?
I first got into dirt bikes when I was 7 years old. My dad and brother got bikes, so jealousy got the best of me. I bugged my parents for months, and that Christmas I got my first bike. I grew up as a racer and continued to be a racer all the way into the pro ranks racing Supercross. I developed Epstein-Barr and knew the training schedule that came with racing was just too intense for my body to handle, so that’s when I made the switch and started learning freestyle.
Is it as dangerous as it looks?
Yeah, its dangerous. We do our best to practice these stunts so that it lowers the chances of danger, but everything in action sports is dangerous, especially with a stunt like this. Fire is not something to be taken lightly.
Do you feel like you are trailblazing for other women in the sport? How does it feel to make strides in the male-dominated motocross world?
I never set out to be the first woman to do all these things. I just wanted to do them and just so happened to be one of the first women. I take pride in my accomplishments and am always striving to add more and keep pushing the limits.
Why did you choose the Indian FTR1200 S for this particular stunt?
Axell is riding a dirt bike for his stunts. As much as I love riding dirt bikes, this is a tribute to Evel, so we all felt that I should do this stunt on an Indian motorcycle. Plus I think the weight of a motorcycle will help me get through the firewalls.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Evel Live 2, featuring Vicki Golden, will air Sunday, July 7 at 9 p.m. on The History Channel. Click here for more information. Please note: Evel Live 2 was originally scheduled to also include a record attempt by Axell Hodges. Hollywood Soapbox recently received this update from the network:
Update from The History Channel (July 5) — HISTORY in partnership with Nitro Circus announces a revamped format of the Sunday, July 7 live television event Evel Live 2 due to renowned freestyle motocross athlete Axell Hodges crashing during a practice jump of the longest motorcycle jump in history. In the spirit of daredevil Evel Knievel, Hodges recently attempted to jump farther than anyone ever has on a motorcycle — a distance that was set in 2011 at 378 feet and 9 inches by Robbie Maddison — and severely injured both ankles prior to the live show. In the revamped show, beginning at 9 p.m. ET, exclusive crash footage of Hodges will be revealed and four-time X Games Medalist Vicki Golden will aim to set a new world record in an epic live motorcycle firewall stunt.
