FMX
in the
Middle
Kingdom
Pro freestyle motocross brothers
Luc and Hannes Ackermann hit
up the NIGHT of the JUMPs World
Championships in China for an
FMX contest like no other.
Words: Oliver Franke
Images: NIGHT if the JUMPS
T
HE SECOND HALF OF the 2015 NIGHT
of the JUMPs season kicked off in
October in the Chinese economic hub of
Shenzhen. With ten of the best freestyle
motocross riders in the world battling fiercely
for the remaining 2015 FIM Freestyle MX World
Championships points, two German brothers;
Luc and Hannes Ackermann from the state of
Thuringia are pushing hard towards the final
round.
For the fourth consecutive year, the NIGHT of
the JUMPs (NOTJ) crew travelled to China.
Separated from Hong Kong by the Sham Chun
river, Shenzhen is located in the south of the
Guangdong province and is one of the fastest
growing cities in the world. Shenzhen has grown
from 30,000 inhabitants in 1979 to more than 15
million residents in 2015!
Preparations for the Freestyle MX World
Championships in Shenzhen began months in
advance and were not without their problems.
With the bikes and ramps to be shipped, along
with all the track building equipment, container
shipping had to start at least two months before
the event. Every piece of equipment down to the
last screwdriver had to be weighed and listed
on the customs documents. Even with diligent
preparation, there will always be surprises and
this year was no different. When the containers
arrived in China, Chinese customs found soil u
Hannes Ackermann
Name:Hannes Ackermann
Date of birth: 5
th March 1990
Residence: Niederdorla/Germany
Bike:KTM 350 SX
FMX since: 2
001
Best Tricks:Volt, Porti Air Flip,
Rowedova Flip, Hart Attack Backflip,
Cliffhanger Flip, Tsunami Flip,
Airplane, Holygrab
Sponsors: KTM,
LS2 Helmets, Alpina
Sports, Maxxis Tires, O’Neal