Transport ships and party boats, the River Thames moves through London as hub of activity, which today, exhibited an Evel Knievel flair when a motorcyclist completed a 75-foot backflip from one barge to another.
Extreme sports athlete Travis Pastrano successfully landed the stunt, which saw the American motorist jump between two barges in front of the 02 arena, with only 150-feet for acceleration.
Speeding towards a ramp on the moving barge, video shows the gravity-defying moment Mr Pastrano launches into the air, turning upside down to make a full 360 degree turn.
The crowd goes wild for the trick, lasting mere seconds, with Mr Pastrano only given 36-feet on the opposite barge to bring his motorcycle to a stop.
Following the stunt, Mr Pastrano told Press Association: ‘I always wanted to do it and was hoping the outcome would be like it was today. I wanted to go home when I saw the weather this morning because live events, you go. No matter what. It’s raining? You go. You gotta figure it out.’
He added: ‘It’s pretty awesome.’
The barge-to-barge stunt was attempted by motorcyclist Mike Metzger, one of Mr Pastrano’s heroes and general motorcross icon, in 2006 in Long Beach, Los Angeles.
Daredevil Travis Pastrana accelerates on the ramp, pictured, preparing to launch into a backflip between two barges on the River Thames
Daredevil Travis Pastrana does a backflip on his motorcycle across a 75-foot wide gap between two barges on the River Thames in London, pictured
Travis Pastrana only had 150-feet to accelerate into stunt, which saw him flipping 360 degrees between two barges on the River Thames in London, pictured
Travis Pastrana had to contend with the choppy water of the Thames that made his landing ramp a moving target
Mr Metzger did not land the jump and was seriously injured as a result.
Organisers of today’s event in London said Mr Pastrano is the first person to land a barge-to-barge stunt successfully.
He is currently on a world tour – ‘You Got This’.
High winds on the River Thames also threatened to send him flying off course and miss the 27-foot landing barge
Once landing the jump, daredevil Travis Pastrana only had 36-feet to come to a full stop before sliding into the river
In front of the O2 arena daredevil Travis Pastrana successfully lands his backflip stunt between two barges on the River Thames in London
Organisers said that Travis Pastrana is the first person to have successfully completed the backflip stunt between two barges