User:Niccikwoo/DaveMcKenna

Dave McKenna (born 8 September 1987) is an Australian street bike stunt performer from Ballarat, Victoria. He is the second person in the world to be sponsored by Yamaha Motor and the first Australian to be sponsored by a major Japanese manufacturer and is voted Australia’s #1 freestyle stunt rider.

Early life
McKenna developed his passion for riding at the early age of 5 on Moto X bikes, influenced strongly by his father who was a former Moto X rider.

Career
Mckenna started his career at the age of 20. Having watched street bike stunt riding in his teens, he took up the sport professionally in 2007. In 2013 he was the first Australian stunt performer to be signed by Yamaha Motor. The official partnership then launched the new Yamaha MT-09 in the Australian market with a full length TVC and Yamaha providing Mckenna several MT-09’s to be stunt modified. Resident in Sydney, McKenna performs both internationally and nationally all over the country at a range of events such as the A1 Grand Prix, China Super bikes Championship, V8 Supercars, Moto GP, Nitro Championships, and more recently the Australian Tattoo and Body Expo, Ballarat Swap Meet, and York Motorcycle Festival. .



Charities
Having himself beaten cancer twice during his life, and losing his father at a young age to depression McKenna has undertaken charity works and awareness raising performances for a number of organisations including: Make a Wish Foundation; Cancer Council Australia; the Sony Foundation; Breast Cancer Network Australia; and the Black Dog Ride.

Sponsors
McKenna’s sponsors include Yamaha Motor Australia, Sony Australia, OGK Kabuto.

Pop culture

 * In 2009, McKenna relocated to China to live and work after being discovered performing on Youtube
 * In 2012, McKenna relocated to Sydney to join Servin' It Up Australia, a stunt riding team started in late 2006 by the creators of the "Servin' It Up collection of extreme DVDs". McKenna also joined the Great Australian Ride on their 18 day trip from from Byron Bay NSW to Steep Point WA whilst touring in Alice Springs.
 * In 2013, Yamaha Motor signed on McKenna as their factory backed stunt rider.
 * In 2014, McKenna featured in the new Australian commercial filmed by Zoom TV’s award winning creative director, Mark Toia for the global launch of the Yamaha MT-09. The story parallels the motorcycle with the uncertainty principle of Heisenberg and showcases the motorcycle's agile, sexy and powerful nature and in an attempt at humour, concludes with a late night milk run highlighting the machines extreme versatility.