The transformation of Mt Smart: From Taylor Swift to double flips
It has taken 6000 tonnes of dirt,
10,000sq m of thick geotech cloth and three days to transform Mt Smart Stadium into a motocross lover’s dream.
Earlier this month the venue hosted chart-topper Taylor Swift, but tonight the venue better known for concerts and league games will play host to the world’s best supercross and freestylers at the Monster Energy S-X Open.
The daredevils of motocross can take their
100kg machines 40m into the air, flip them frontways, backwards and sideways.
But to do that they need tracks, ramps and a lot of dirt.
More than 200 truck and trailer loads of topsoil were transported to the Auckland venue this week..
“It is quite the operation with
6000 tonnes of soil shaped into tracks, banked corners and jumps,” Mt Smart head of stadium events David Williams said.
“They bring specialists from Australia to operate the machinery. They are so skilled and move soil around like we would use a knife and fork.”
Because of the weight of the soil, and the cost to maintain the grass at Mt Smart, a specialist geotech cloth is laid then covered with large sheets of plywood.
The soil is built up and compacted to 300mm before vehicles are allowed to drive on it.
By Monday it will all be gone again.
“They start first thing Sunday morning and before you know it it’s gone — back to normal,” Williams said.
“It’s not too different to Taylor Swift where it was nine days to load in and they were out within two. Adele was also a huge set-up and they were out the next day.”
Top FMX star Australian Blake “Bilko” Williams said the Monster Energy S-X show promised to be a crowd pleaser, comprising double backflips, front flips, 360s and high-speed action. “It’s choreographed mayhem and it’s one hell of a show. There are no safety nets.”
It is the first time the show has visited New Zealand with one of the most extreme tracks and the promise of pyrotechnics too. It features the final round of the Monster Energy S-X Open Supercross FIM Oceania Championship in 2018, and the SX1 Champion will be crowned in Auckland. Freestyle riders will contest the FMX “Best Trick” competition.