Travis Pastrana’s Nitro Circus Live tour is currently dropping jaws and bulging eyes across New Zealand as the star-studded crew begins an intensive year of touring around the world.

We caught up with WA Double Backflipper Josh Sheehan to see what sort of craziness he’s got up to and what we can expect when the tour hits Australian shores next month.

Josh Sheehan is primed for a big 2013 season ahead. Image: Red Bull.

How’s the Nitro Circus Live NZ tour been going so far, mate?

Yeah it’s been amazing so far. The first show in Dunedin was in a covered stadium, so we weren’t affected by the wind at all. We had a slight head-wind at the second and third stops in Christchurch and Auckland, which meant some of the Giganta-Ramp riders having issues. But the shows themselves have been great. I’ve landed all my Double Flips so that’s a bonus.

What’s been the highlight from a show perspective?

I think the new Zorb (huge clear ball) stunts have been awesome. Basically the guys jump the Giganta-ramp and are trying to fly through a small hole in the Zorb and landing inside it. It’s been pretty nuts and Dusty Wygle had a huge crash when he landed on top of the Zorb then bounced all the way to the bottom of the lander.

It was pretty gnarly! The side-by-side whips with Tom Pages and Beau Bamburg, and the side-by-side Volts with Tom and Clint Moore have been great too.

With Cam Sinclair sidelined you have the responsibility of landing the Double Backflip at each show now. Do they get easier?

Aah, I wouldn’t say they get easier, but I’m not as nervous about them now as I have a bit of experience in landing them and I’m a bit more sure of myself.

If I have plenty of grip-tape on the bikes so I can really grab with my knees, then I’m fine. My biggest fear is not having enough grip-tape and my feet coming off the pegs and sliding up the frame. If that happened I’d fair crap myself [laughs]!

So what exactly happened with Sincs’ crash? We know he’s shattered his heel and is facing a lengthy lay-off, but details of what actually happened are a little sketchy.

It happened within the first half hour of our first practice for the tour. We were joking with him about Shaolin Flips and how hard they must be with a gut. His bike had been sounding doughy all session, but he did a couple of upright Shaolins, then went for a flip.

His bike cut out as he left the ramp, he was vertical and there was no way he was coming back, so he stepped off the back. He hit the top of the down ramp so hard he left two footprints on it, and that was his Nitro tour done.

Damn that sucks. Being on tour, the actual shows are only a small part of what you guys get up to. What’s been the highlight of your spare time?

When the rest of the crew went to Hamner Springs (north of Christchurch) for a couple days, I went and hung out with one of the fans that Bilko knew. The first day we cleared a natural spring by blowing holes in the ground with dynamite, then went deer-hunting in the afternoon and shot two deer.

The second day we blew a heap of tree-stumps out of the ground to clear some land, then went rabbit-shooting in the evening and met up with the rest of the Nitro crew on the way to the Christchurch airport. It was an awesome couple of days.

Sounds like a fairly normal Kiwi thing to do! Now I know a lot of the Aussie readers are going to be wondering if the show has been ramped up from last year. Are there many changes to the actual show or is it similar to 2012?

It’s definitely changed up. Last year we had the tandem moto flip, whereas this year it’s now a three-person flip. They landed it for the first time on Saturday in Auckland.

Then there’s the new side-by-side stuff with Whips, Ruler Flips and Volts, Jed Mildon is busting some crazy new tricks on the BMX, and there are quite a few changes to the gadgets that are getting used on the Giganta-Ramp.

Sheehan is looking ahead to the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour following Nitro Circus in NZ. Image: Red Bull.

Can’t wait to see it. While the attention is all on Nitro right now, the first round of the Red Bull X-Fighters is only a month or so away. Have you been thinking about that at all?

I’ve been thinking about it a lot. X-Fighters is always at the back of my mind at the moment. When I get home next week I’m going to start training hard in the foam-pit and get more tricks down.

I really want to challenge for wins and hit the same level that Levi Sherwood and Tom are operating at. Sure I’m aiming to win, but my biggest focus is just to get through the whole season injury-free. Between the Nitro tours, X-Fighters and X Games, 2013 is going to be a massive year.

Sure is, mate. Okay, finally, here’re some quick-fire questions about the tour for ya. Who’s the crowd favourite?

Wheelz and Jed Mildon, especially when he gets his shirt off and leads the haka at the beginning of the show.

Best new trick?

The snowboard guy had a crack at the triple flip the other day. That was nuts.

Best food you’ve eaten?

I have to admit the burgers here are amazing. They all taste homemade.

Who’s got the most annoying habit?

Chucky [Michael Norris] gets really loud when he’s drunk. He gets his spastic-hands going and he talks to you as if you’re at the other end of the street!

Best tour buddy?

Tom Pages has been a real crack-up. After a big night he’ll call in to our room in the wee hours just “check to make sure we’re alright”.

Craziest show moment?

The Godfrey cousins Josh and Ethan jump a tandem trike, but at Auckland they came up short into the airbag and the fireworks attached to their bike went off in their faces! It was lucky no-one has burnt or hurt.

Funniest crew members?

Bilko and Tom Pages together are insane.

Favourite stop so far?

Auckland. The crowd was huge and responsive.

Wicked stuff! Thanks for the chat mate – good luck for tomorrow night in Hamilton.

Thanks mate! Speak to you soon.