No matter how many times Bubba Blackwell lands one of his death-defying jumps, he never lets it go to his head. After a tragic crash in 2001 while attempting to clear fourteen semi-trucks, Blackwell nearly lost his life.
“It was one of the scariest moments in my life,” he says. “I had a major head injury, 19 broken bones, and two collapsed lungs when I woke up in the hospital three days after the jump.”
But that didn’t stop the daredevil performer from pursuing his passion for putting on the most exciting motorcycle stunt shows in the country. In 2005, he got back on the jump bike to prove that he still deserved the world records he had earned for the longest motorcycle jumps on a Harley-Davidson XR-750, beating out even the legendary Evil Knievel.
Bubba will be bringing his heart-pounding stunt show and motorcycle jump to Great Bend, Kansas during the fifth-annual Big Bend Bike Rally on Sept. 22. The rally takes place at the Great Bend Expo Complex, located 2.5 miles west of the city limits. The two stunt shows are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., with the jump taking place after the evening performance. Blackwell will be jumping over ten Ford F-150 pickup trucks, provided by Marmie Ford of Great Bend.
“This motorcycle rally has historically drawn between 1,200 and 1,500 people to the Great Bend community over the last few years,” said the event’s founder, Robin Fabricius. “Our goal is to use the S.R.C.A. dragstrip and the Expo Complex to host a unique event that will bring people to town and benefit the local economy.”
In addition to the shows from Blackwell, there will be all sorts of other family-friendly entertainment taking place that day. Anvil shooting demonstrations, bike games, a parade ride through town, vendors, Run What Ya Brung drag strip racing, nitro bike exhibitions, all day live music, shaded beer garden, free mechanical bull rides, and a free bike wash are just a few of the attractions that spectators can look forward to. Admission is just $10 per person, with kids 12 and under getting in free.
After 8 p.m., admission drops to just $5 per person which serves as a cover charge for the live concert featuring bluegrass sensation Split Lip Rayfield performing in the Coors Light beer garden. The community firework display will take place at approximately 8:15 p.m., so anyone who pays the cover charge can stay for the live music afterwards. For more information about one of the state’s largest motorcycle rallies, visit www.BigBendBikeRally.com or contact the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development at 620-792-2401.