Torres Family

Highlights:

• The Torres Family began participating in motocross early on and raced professionally on circuits in Latin America.
• The Torres Family performs with 7 motorcycles in a 16-foot steel sphere, where speeds can reach up to 65 mph.
• Whistle blowing and revving their engines prompts the one another and each rider embarks upon a set pattern, or path of trajectory.

Torres Family

Globe of Steel

Imagine a 16-foot steel globe with seven motorcycles orbiting around at 65 miles per hour. Impossible? Not for this thrill seeking family from Paraguay. The Torres Family led by Ariel Torres first joined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® for the 133rd Edition and have been a perennial fan favorite with their record-shattering performances ever since.

Motocross is a very popular pastime for kids in Paraguay, and the Torres were no exception. The family participated in the sport, which led them to race professionally in many circuits that thrived in Latin America. While visiting Argentina the family got their first glimpse of the imposing contraption that would change their lives forever. A fellow motocross competitor and friend who also performed for a local circus had an act that included a steel globe with motorcycles racing around inside. As soon as the family laid eyes on the act they were hooked immediately. “It was a lot like being on a motocross course condensed into a 16-foot, spherical space,” explains troupe leader Ariel Torres.

Within a year the Torres family had learned and perfected the act and was invited to perform in popular Latin circuses, including Circo Nacional de España, Circo Hermanos Muños, Circo del Sol and Circo Tejedos. The troupe has also appeared on well known television programs in both Argentina and their native Paraguay.

Now with over 15 years of experience, the act has evolved with faster speeds, more motorcycles and complex maneuvers. The Torres family describes their technique inside the globe as “very much like what pilots do in an air show.” Blowing a whistle and revving their engines to prompt one another, each rider embarks upon a set pattern. Once the riders are in motion, maintaining constant speeds (which can reach up to 65 miles per hour), distance from one another is critical. Still, when they are inside the globe they are “completely focused on where everyone else is and are making constant, micro second adjustments.” And Although the Torres family admits that being in the globe can be unnerving at times, they find comfort and feed off of the audiences energy and applauses. To them this is not just a job, it is their life, their passion, and love for motorcycles that really drive them to give the best performance they can.

This death-defying family is eager to push the limits of their act even further as they make their appearance with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® Presents Barnum’s FUNundrum!^SM. The family who are tight knit group, both outside and inside the globe is excited to continue traveling with The Greatest Show On Earth^®.