By DAVID BELL
Today’s News-Herald
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 9:23 PM MST

Fans of the IJSBA Personal Watercraft World Finals are used to seeing some amazing flips and spins through the air. But usually the rider starts on the water.

Tuesday, spectators saw the Bomb Squad Battalion fly Polaris 525 all-terrain vehicles through the air during the lunch break in the PWC racing. The demonstration was thanks to the team’s manager, B.C. Vaught, who has family at both Vista Del Lago and Havasu Landing.

David Bell/News-Herald. This photo, shot from the Kent Kawasaki Trailer in Performance Alley, shows Bomb Squad Battalion’ Caleb Moore perform one of three, 360-degree flips he performed with his quad during a show at the IJSBA Personal Watercraft World Finals at Crazy Horse Beach Tuesday.

“We just did a show in Paris, Calif. on Sunday,” said Bomb Squad Battalion team owner Wes Miller. “Since the guys were coming here anyway for the World Finals, we said let’s see if we can come together. Hopefully, this will lead to more cooperation.”

The riders – Nick Hickey, Dylan Mason, J.R. Heinds and brothers Caleb and Colten Moore – jumped their quads over a 72-foot gap, reaching heights of 20- to 25-feet above the pavement.

“It felt good to be out there but the wind was throwing us around,” said Heinds of the crosswind that topped out at about 19 miles per hour, hitting the riders at the peak of the jump. “We were just trying our best and you do what you have to do when you’re a professional.”

The crowed was wowed by tricks like the Can Can, Hart Attack, Rodeo Air and the Superman. But it was Caleb Moore’s three, 360-degree flips – once with a stunt – that brought the loudest cheers.

“It was full adrenaline out there,” Moore said after the jumps. “The wind makes it really crazy but I wanted to do it for the fans. And then after I did it the first time, I wanted to do it again with a variation.”

Fr more information about the trick-riding group, go to http://www.bombsquadbattalion.com.