Steve Mini & the ShowTime Freestyle Motox Boys Bush Tele Feature
Every night at 8.30pm the Sydney Royal Easter Show turns its eyes, and ears, to the Commonwealth Bank Arena.
Rock music blasts across the Arena to introduce the fearless stuntmen about to perform.
As rock music blasts and engines roar, the audience holds its breath as three men on motorbikes fly through the air in a series of flips, dips and handstands.
One by one, they gracefully land next to their presenter, casually waving to the deafening cheers of the audience.
They are the ShowTime Freestyle Motox boys.
One of these daredevils is 28-year-old Steve Mini. Believe it or not, this world famous performer is one of our own NSW country boys, hailing from a farm near Mudgee.
Unlike most other farm lads at the Show, Steve wasn’t one for woodchopping or sheep shearing, instead opting for a career as an adrenaline junkie.
“I started riding when I was about 5 years old,’’ he said. “I was jumping whatever I could find on my little farm bike.’’
Twenty three years later, Steve’s doing his twice daily routine at shows all over the world.
“I just loved it from the start,’’ Steve said. ‘’I loved doing the shows and I loved showing off, so it was the perfect job for me.’’
As the biggest Australian event, the Show has procured a special place in Steve’s repertoire and he can’t seem to stop coming back.
“This is the eighth year I’ve been at the Show. It’s been getting better and better every year,” he said.
Steve’s career has not been without injury. He has broken 19 bones in his life, and was incapacitated for a good nine months last year. A full shoulder reconstruction later, he’s doing 360 degree flips twice a day.
“You just miss it,’’ he admits. “You just want to be back on the bike.’’
With a long history of competing in Europe and the United States, to doing shows all over Australia, Steve is still going strong.
He has backed out of competing professionally, as he feels that shows are a lot more fun. This is not to say Steve, or his team, is ready to retire completely.
‘’All of us on the team are the same, we all love riding our bikes,’’ he said.