Fire Drill
We already asked why-now it's time to ask how Brooks and Gerchario turned themselves into human fireballs on wheels and lived to tell the tale. You may or may not be surprised to hear that the process of setting oneself on fire begins with wetting your pants. Show preparation, in other words, begins with the guys donning warm, wet underwear. Minimizing the risk of actually getting burned, while you burn, is the name of the game here, and that begins with soaking everything in water. After the wet underwear come multiple layers of fire-retardant clothing, covered finally with conventional street clothes to look "normal" for the show.
Once they're dressed, the next stage is to climb into a massive plastic bathtub filled with water, so all the layers they are wearing are thoroughly soaked-this is where you hope that the tighty-whities you slipped on first were plenty warm. And that's all we're going to say about that-the rest of the preparation process-specifically that part about what combustibles they use to create the fire-will remain a trade secret, mostly to keep any of you fools out there from trying a dumb stunt like this at home.
All that's left then is to jump on the bike and go-and let's just say that time is of the essence when you are a walking stick of napalm. Once underway, the pair is lit up while moving by a trained assistant, and once they are in flames they have barely 30 seconds to do their thing for the crowd before they'll need to stop at the precisely planned spot to be "put out." Is it hot? Ambient temp immediately outside the Nomex cocoon will spike to nearly 800 degrees Fahrenheit in just half a minute. Yeah, it can be a little tough to concentrate in a situation like that, which is why you won't exactly see the Pyro Punks busting out circle wheelies or acrobatic bar tricks.
Still, even if it's just a simple skitch or christ, the Pyro Punks' show is unlike anything else in stunting, a spectacle that puts the fear into the crowd in a primal way that even the most wild and out-of-control high-speed conventional stunts can't match. It's only more arresting when it's over. Fire extinguishers hissing and going off all over the place, and, as your eyes finally readjust from the brightness of the blinding flames, you'll see Brooks and Gerchario emerge from the chalky white cloud and pull off their helmets, grinning nonchalantly as if what they just did was the most casual maneuver in the world.
So that's the Pyro Punks, two guys who set themselves on fire (repeatedly) for no better reason than to make you smile. Sounds utterly suicidal to us, but as the man said at the beginning of the story: "It's cool. It's what they do."
Fire Away!
Outtakes from ourinterview with these two moto-pyros
Pryo: Jesse Gerchario How old are you? 27
How long have you been riding? Street bikes since my teens and dirt bikes in Jeremy's grandma's backyard as long as I can remember.
Do you remember the first time you were set on fire? It was on set. I was super-nervous, and well, the heat surprised me! My dad was there at the show and he took some pictures-we have this one taken after the show was finished and I was still smokin'.
Is your mom proud of you? She was OK, but then we did a live burn on radio and the woman announcer was screaming, "They can't put him out, he's a ball of flames..." So now she doesn't wanna hear, doesn't wanna know. It was just a bigger fire than usual, that's all.
Most embarrassing stunt moment? Back in Holland I crashed. A lot.
Favorite fire extinguisher? I like CO2, I hate sulfur, but my favorite extinguisher is my best friend Jeremy!
How long have you been riding? Since I was five in the dirt, with jumps and stuff.
Do you remember the first time you were set on fire? Nerve-racking. My cousin was telling me, "It's all OK," but I wasn't hearing it-I watch Real TV! Anyway, we were at Elburg Beach in Holland, so I could just run into the sea if I panicked. But Holland is cold, so I went from freezing to burning. I mainly remember it was fast!
Is your mom proud of you? She's not very thrilled, as I've always been a bit of a pyro. One time when I was a kid, I built a house in a big cardboard box-including a fireplace-that I used a candle for. Of course, in no time at all the living room of our house was on fire. I got out by jumping out of the window, even though we were on the second floor. When the firemen turned up no one knew where I was!
Most embarrassing stunt moment? I screwed up a stunt bad once; I was shooting blanks on stage while walking backward and fell straight back over a guardrail into the crowd. Funniest part was the crowd loved it, and the producers changed the show so that I had to do it every time afterward!
What's your favorite type of fire extinguisher? A wet towel. I hate sulfur-a couple of times Jesse got a mouthful of that, and man, did he puke.