DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT – August 17, 2009

Decatur Daily Democrat covering freestyle riding and Borne Freestyle Entertainment: Decatur, IN; featuring Josh Borne

DECATUR — Josh Borne has made his mark on Decatur — literally. The Adams County native is also making his mark internationally in the field of acrobatic motorcycle riding.

Borne, 27 and a cycle rider for just five years, was a featured attraction of a large motorcycle gathering in the city on June 7, when some 1,400 cyclists rode in for part of the day. Borne performed on Court St. downtown and left black skid marks up and down it, even on newly-painted white parking lines, as he did “wheelies” and “stoppies.” A wheelie is riding a cycle on the rear wheel; a stoppie is riding it on the front wheel.

Borne, a 2000 graduate of Bellmont High School, is one of two sons of Richard “Dick” Borne and wife Laverne of rural Decatur. He is also a nephew of Adams County Auditor Bill Borne. Josh was in school at Kettering University of Flint, Michigan, when he first got a chance to ride a cycle and really took to it. He liked the freedom and excitement of two-wheeled motoring so well that he is delaying putting to use the engineering degree he received at KU in 2005.

He called his early experiences aboard a bike “fantastic” and mindblowing as he spent six to eight months getting used to riding. Borne, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Georgia, has performed in most of the 48 contiguous states and in Switzerland and Germany. Last year, at Zurich, Switzerland, he finished ninth in a world invitational contest of 16 riders held before a crowd of 65,000. He also participated in the world finals in 2007.

He said Christian Pfeiffer, a 38-year-old German, is perhaps the No. 1 cycle acrobat on the planet, but Borne’s goal is to be number one. He says Germany is the leading nation in this sport, with the United States lagging back in the pack. Ironically, he noted, Japan, which produces Yamaha, Honda, and other cycles that are very popular, has more cycle speed racers than acrobatic ones.

Borne said he has been able to use the knowledge he gained in his engineering classes to help him create and perform stunts on cycles. He makes a living in the sport and has been seen on ESPN, ESPN 2, and the Speed Channel on a show called “Superbikes.”

He performs at monster truck shows and many other events and estimates he drives 2,500 miles per month in the U.S. and Canada. He performs four to eight times a month, but arrives several days before each performance to get everything set up right, practice, do publicity, etc. Josh Borne and his girlfriend, P.J. Smith, travel in a pickup truck that pulls a long trailer which doubles as a mobile home and as a carrier for his two bikes: each a 2002 Honda. Smith, who is from Marietta, does not drive cycles any more because she had a wreck when she was 17 and broke her jaw into seven pieces, which were nicely reconstructed. Borne has never had a bad accident, although he has taken some spills, and says he never performs without full protective gear, meaning a helmet and lots of padding all over his body. He says he is always trying to find new things to do with a cycle, such as dismounting and remounting while the bike continues to move. Another trick he does is bring a cycle to a stop just inches in front of Smith, then she kisses his helmet. Borne has attempted just a few jumps, but may do more. Recently, just for fun and without any audience, he leaped his cycle over the head of a fellow biker, clearing him by at least a foot.

He said that when he began riding cycles, he did not tell his mother for three months, then showed up at home one day aboard a cycle. His parents are very supportive of his current career choice. When Borne performs, he does not do wheelies and stoppies at high speeds. He most often is moving at 25-40 mph, since safety (for himself and for the fans) is always first in his mind. He says he likes meeting kids to show them and tell them what he knows, thus expanding the sport. Borne says he would like to perform for 10 or 12 more years and has his sights on setting at least one world record: for riding the longest wheelie. The current mark is an amazing 204 miles! The longest stoppie is 1,124 feet because that is much more demanding. Josh’s longest stoppie is 613 feet. He noted that it takes strength and coordination to be good, but also a lot of practice. He practices several hours each day to stay sharp.

Borne relishes his fun career so much that “at the end of the day, I get to say I ride a motorcycle.” His career, he says, is “absolutely fantastic, better than I ever expected.” He concluded, “If you have a dream, chase it.” Smith agrees and says people should live their lives so that, when they turn 80, they don’t look back and regret what they missed doing.

For more information on this story, please visit Decatur Daily Democrat.

Article by: Decatur Daily Democrat; Eric Mann