Nik Soar — United Kingdom

Nik Soar (born 1966) is a cycle jumper who currently lives in Malta. Nik is originally from Ipswich, UK and had worked a years ago with Eddie Kidd. After taking a five year break, he's back and ready to set new records for himself. Besides ramp-to-ramp jumping, Nik does freestyle jumping and car stunt work. He currently works in the movie business there in Malta.

Nik's plans include breaking Jason Rennie's motorcycle jumping distance record of 253', breaking the record for jumping the most buses and recreating Eddie Kidd's last jump. But currently Nik's attention and time is spent on his latest death defying plan. Nik hopes to jump from one side of the Grand Harbour in Malta to the other side sometime in the future. The jump will be at least 200 ft across. He will have to use a ski-ramp to get enough speed, but the stopping area on the other side will be very tight with only 100 feet to stop. Nik will keep us posted on how his plans are coming. Nik will be available for show bookings in the UK and Europe. For booking info contact nicks@onvol.net

Left: Nik jumping over some Coca-Cola trucks on Friday the 13th, 2002. | Right: Nik doing a wheelie, January 2004

Left: Jump a line of cars. Right: Nik at the age of 17 in 1983.

Above: The construction of Nik's new takeoff ramp. Right: Practicing jumping October 2003.

Above: Nik performing a jump for a television program January 2004.

Moscow International Stuntman Festival — August 2003

Nik with his team represented the UK at the Moscow International Stunt Festival and Prometheus last August 2003. It is not just a stunt festival, but a film festival whereby the 8 teams that entered have to script, direct and edit actual tiny movies which include the stunts they perform.

The judges then judge all films/stunts and knockout the first 4 teams, the next level is more complicated and so on. Nik's team had to make three small movies to get to 2nd place under the conditions set out in the strict regulations which was very hard. They had to script and prepare all day as well as be interviewed and filmed on location and around Moscow for one of Russia's biggest TV stations, then perform and film on stunt days (all day from morning till night then TV filming again and editing all night with no sleep). Then they attend the judging ceremony, be awarded and start the process all over again, trying to steel sleep when possible.

Nik's UK team was more scared of the fact that, the location of the festival was the same location where Chetchnians had bombed 2 weeks earlier, than of actually performing the stunts. Needless to say, the security was heavily machine gunned. They never imagined that they would rank at all but they did their best against Japan, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Russia, Brazil, Lithuania, and even veteran Hollywood stunt men from the USA. Their wildest dreams came true when they came in 2nd place!

It was an honour for Nik and his team to be invited to the only stunt festival in the world and to meet such amazing people from around the globe. Learning more about the trade and most importantly making many new friends and contacts.

Left: The team at the finalists award ceremony and parade attended by politicians and a crowd of 5,000. Right: Team member Mario Camilleri performing a car stunt.

Left: Performing a stunt at the festival. Right: Nik being interviewed afterwards by a top Russian actor and award presenter.

Special thanks to Nik Soar for the information and use of photos!