FMX Teaser Video
Just days before the opening event of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010 in Mexico City, local hero Johan Nungaray (MEX) and FMX legend Ronnie Renner (USA) held a final warm-up session at the Central Ceremonial Otomi.
On Friday the best FMX riders in the world perform at the first stop of the World Tour 2010 in the Monumental Plaza de Toros.
The riding conditions at the legendary Central Ceremonial Otomi, however, are certainly not easy: the Central lies 3000 metres above sea level and puts both athletes and their machines through their paces, with the thin air leading to a loss in performance meaning that the riders must adapt their riding style to suit the new handling conditions.
The Central Ceremonial Otomi is approximately one-and-half hours drive from Mexico City, where the traditional curtain raiser of the biggest FMX tour on the planet will take place on Friday.
Among the favourites for the win at the first of six stops on the World Tour 2010 are both familiar faces Robbie Maddison (AUS) and Red Bull X-Fighters World Champion 2009 Nate Adams (USA) as well as rookie Levi Sherwood (NZL).
The 18-year-old from New Zealand won the opening event in Mexico City in 2009 with tricks that more than justified his nickname "The Rubber Kid". Back then Sherwood only received a wildcard to compete in the event at the very last minute; this season he will be riding all six stops of the World Tour 2010.
The Central Ceremonial Otomi is a symbol of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic roots. Build in the 1980s by the famous architect Carlos Obregon Formoso, the Central also hides 54 snakes representing the weeks of a calendar year, slithering their way through 365 steps symbolising the days of the year. The traditional local language, Otomi, is among the oldest in Mexico but is today only spoken by less than half of the Otomi population.
Local rider Johan Nungaray knows all about the cultural importance of the Central Ceremonial Otomi in his home country of Mexico: "This place symbolises the seasons, traditions and methods of communication of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. It is a very special honour for me to be allowed to ride here. And I am so excited about riding in front of 42,000 fans in the Monumental Plaza de Toros!"
