Las Vegas Weekly

December 30, 2008 · 10:29 AM

Robbie Maddison inspects stunt jump site at Paris Las Vegas

By Robin Leach

Robbie Maddison at the construction site of his New Year's Eve jump at Paris Las Vegas.

Photo: Harrah's

Even for stunt motorcyclist Robbie Maddison, it is a scary and horrifying sight. Tomorrow night, the Australian daredevil will hopefully speed up this ramp and fly through the air to land atop the Arc De Triomphe at our Paris Las Vegas on the Strip.

If he’s one inch or one second off in his calculations, Robbie knows he could die or be seriously injured. Says Robbie: “It makes you sick just to look at … I have no idea how I will feel when I do it.”

Work is underway on the complicated series of ramps being constructed inches off the famed Vegas Strip, and Robbie’s arrived here to ensure that everything is perfect before the jump.

Photo: Chris Tedesco

Robbie Maddison.

Click HERE for the exclusive Vegas DeLuxe interview with Robbie as he details exactly what he must do so he doesn’t die. He’ll race some 120 feet to land on top of the Arc before free-falling nearly 50 feet back to a netted landing ramp.

In the meantime, ramps are being moved into position in the parking lots of The Rio, where New Zealand’s Rhys Millen will backflip his off-road truck over an 80-feet distance some 50 feet in the air. Click HERE for that exclusive Vegas DeLuxe interview with Rhys.

Both stunts will be telecast live on ESPN’s Red Bull New Year No Limits tomorrow between 8 and 9 p.m. our local Pacific Time just before the Times Square midnight ball drop back East. Late yesterday morning, both athletes conducted satellite media tours to ESPN affiliates across the globe from the Arc and afterwards compared notes and strategies while having lunch at the resort’s Burger Brasserie.

Grandstand seating is now being set up for hotel guests; additionally, there will be viewing areas on the Strip once it is closed to traffic at 6 p.m. Our Vegas DeLuxe photographers will have the full electrifying coverage for us on New Year’s Day, and both drivers have promised to try and talk with me after the jumps!

Robbie Knievel.

Meanwhile, U.S. stunt king Kaptain Robbie Knievel is preparing for his simultaneous dice-with-death jump across The Mirage volcano for Fox’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast, and we’ll have that incredible story in full tomorrow morning.

— From Vegas Deluxe

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