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Death Defying: The Art Of BMX Stunts

Nitro Circus
Michah Kranz (left) and Trevor Piranha (right) at a BMX exhibit.

Loop de loops 25 feet high. Guys flying through the air on bikes with no brakes. Death defying tricks done on bikes that look like they couldn’t hold the weight of the rider. It’s Bicycle Motocross, or BMX, and it’s Micah Kranz' passion.

The West Bend native makes his home in Cudahy now — at least he does when he’s not on the road, announcing BMX events. The Harley Davidson Museum has an exhibition on daredevils currently running, and Kranz and the Division BMX stunt team are featured prominently. 

He's still pinching himself.

"[In] this demographic I’m a world class action sports announcer. And I’m just as floored as you are by the whole thing: that this event exists, that it can be supported, that you can make a living, that people want to watch guys fly through the air… it blows my mind. I sit back and take it all in at this point. I’m lucky to have grown with it," he says.

The second day of the Harley-Davidson Museum Daredevils Summer Exhibit will feature the Division BMX stunt team on Aug. 10.

Bonnie North
Bonnie joined WUWM in March 2006 as the Arts Producer of the locally produced weekday magazine program Lake Effect.