Bavarian Stunt Warrior

Although Chris Pfeiffer studied biology, in his job he’s more concerned with physics. He’s a professional motorcycle stunt rider – and one of the best in the world, as he demonstrated at the recent Stuntwars in Florida.

If something tips backwards to the point that it’s at only a 65-degree angle to the ground, it will fall over. But if this “thing” is Chris Pfeiffer and his Ducati Monster 1000, then it doesn’t fall over; rather, it’s the world’s only 115-degree wheelie. The laws of physics say it can’t work; Chris Pfeiffer goes and does it. Four attempts fail, but the fifth is successful. Very slowly, very carefully, he uses the rear-wheel brake to tip the Duc forward again. Finished: an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. And it’s not the first.

Cow or bike

Chris Pfeiffer was born 36 years ago in Germany’s Allgäu region, an area with a lot of cows grazing in pastures. There, you either become a farmer or you go to Munich, study biology and physical education and then become a pro freestyle biker. Chris, whose nickname is Pfiff, decided to pursue the second option, since he had been training for it since childhood. He entered his first trial race at the age of ten. While studying in Munich, he ended his trial career and switched to freestyle riding. He participated in shows in the Olympic Hall and then all over Germany, becoming one of the world’s top bike acrobats. “You can never let yourself choke”, says Chris about his recipe for success. “Instead, you hit it even harder.”

The streetbike challenge

And hitting it harder is just what Chris did recently in Florida, winning the Stuntwars, a streetbike freestyle competition held in especially high esteem on the international biking circuit. The word streetbike indicates his career direction: for quite a while now, Chris has been practicing his stunts primarily on streetbikes. This is exceptionally difficult, which is why the glory it gains you is also exceptional. Streetbikes are powerful, fast and heavy. They have to be kept on a tighter rein than any other type of bike, and this job requires an iron will.

Climbing and circling

Chris has this in spades, as he demonstrated in 1999 after a crash into a concrete wall – caused by brake failure - during his first attempt to better his jumping-over-people-record of 1997 (33 people). He broke bones instead of a record. Game over, said the doctors. “I have to find someone who can give me hope”, said Chris. He found her, and six months later he was back in the saddle and back in the game – in several different areas. First Chris won the European and World Stunt Riding Championships, and then he rode up the 250-meter “Via Tina” climbing wall at Lake Garda (difficulty level: 3) with his bike. Another time he burned 15 wheelie circles into the asphalt within half a minute, and along the way he won the Red Bull Hare Scramble on Austria’s Erzberg – one of the world’s toughest bike races. For that he was even willing to leave his beloved Ducati streetbike in the garage.