Jamaica Stunt Fest returned after a lengthy hiatus to the National Stadium Car Park, St Andrew, on Saturday, April 8.

“Jamaica Stunt Fest stems back to 2005 and continued on up until 2015, which was the last one. We had a little hiatus due to venue issues, then COVID-19 came in and lengthened the hiatus. During that period there was a lot of built-up anticipation for the event,” Marlon Brown of Jamaica Stunt Fest told the Jamaica Observer‘s weekly Auto magazine.

Brown explained that the event had been moved to the National Stadium due to its more central location and space for the performance of the stunts the fans would expect.

Tapping into the local extreme sports culture, Jamaica Stunt Fest featured action from BMX and motorbike riders, and skateboarders. The venue had a multi-halfpipe ramp set up for the bicycle and skateboard stunts, while the roads around the stadium were reserved for the faster motorbikes.

Joining the locals were several overseas BMX stars, the likes of X Games Champion Kaine Mitchell, who was making his first trek to Jamaica and enjoying it.

“It’s been lovely. Had a little walk around. Saw some nice places, weather has been good, catching a nice tan, so good times,” he said.

He was also impressed by the turnout by both fans and local riders.

“I thought Jamaica might have a few riders, but as I saw today, big turnout, lots of people riding, so it’s good to see,” Mitchell added.

He was also surprised to be recognised by a few of the fans and happy with the level of the talent of the Jamaican rider, whom he had no problem giving pointers to. For Brown and his team this was one of the reasons for staging Jamaica Stunt Fest.

“At this event we had a meet and greet, so most of the patrons could come up to the riders and talk to them, as well as the stunt enthusiasts, so they could understand how these champions got to the level they are at. We want to build our stunt performers in Jamaica by exposing them to the top levels of the world and that’s why we’re doing it this way,” said Brown.

The reintroduction of Jamaica Stunt Fest included an expansion of its entertainment offerings, catering to those looking for a family atmosphere and music lovers alike. Brown said this would continue forward with the next event scheduled for October this year.

“Going forward we’ve planned a second event for October this year, it’s going to be promoted a lot differently, not as an introduction anymore, but as a follow-up to this event, and we’re going to add some more facets to make it a lot more exciting, and a lot more engaging for the family,” said Brown.