The world of motorcycles -after all, as passionate as that of fashion or cinema- is not being at all alien to the taste for a return to retro styles and shapes that has clearly established itself in the market. The most obvious example of this is the large number of models that evoke the motorcycle lines of the fifties and sixties, with brands such as Triumph or Royal Enfield at the forefront.
At the same time, other ways of enjoying the motorcycle are also being recovered -more linked to lifestyle than to speed- and even other ways of experiencing it as a spectacle. Undoubtedly, the resurrection of the "Walls of Death" is one of the most striking.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the motorcycle taking its first steps as a mass vehicle, there was no fair worthy of the name that did not present a Wall of Death among its attractions.
A show born in the USA -although it also ended up reaching Europe- that after decades relegated to second-rate circuses is being recovered with star honors in the main motorcycle events around the world.
In the first decade of the last century, motorcycle races were held in the so-called "Motodromes" which were basically velodromes for cycling, adapted and reinforced for the new use. They were very complex facilities - the "Motodrome" in Columbus (Ohio), for example, had a capacity of more than 100,000 people - so for a mere question of profitability the "Motodrome" could only be set up in large cities.
The showmen then created a secondary racing circuit to bring the excitement of motorcycles to the many fans who lived in smaller towns and could not attend the big "Motodrome".
At first, since they couldn't legally call them "Motodrome", they called them "Silodromes" -because of their resemblance to grain silos- but it wasn't long until, with the usual dramatic circus style, they began to promote them under the name "Wall of Death”.
The first Wall of Death appeared at the Coney Island fairground in New York in 1911 and reduced the concept of the "Motodrome" to its minimum expression; a removable cylindrical wooden track - between 6 and 10 meters in diameter - within which the motorcycles performed various acrobatics. Although the exact number is difficult to pin down given the itinerant nature of the business, it is estimated that between 1910 and 1915 there were some 100 walls of death permanently rotating across the USA.
But in addition to bringing motorcycling closer to second-rate American populations, the "Walls of Death" represented an unexpected leading role in the fight for equality between the sexes on the handlebars at a time when women began to claim themselves without complexes. And it is that the vast majority of the "troupes" of fairgrounds dedicated to running the Wall of Death had female pilots in their ranks.
The basis of the Wall of Death is that the motorcycles gain more and more speed and height until they roll completely perpendicular to the ground, which is visually very impressive. There are variants that can include a looping or a pulley system that raises the track in the air while the pilots run inside it. However, despite its spectacularity, it is not a particularly dangerous discipline if you have adequate training from the professionals who practice it. The key is to take advantage of the centrifugal force, be able to withstand the effects of the G force on the body and always roll at the right speed.
After decades of oblivion, the Wall of Death are beginning to be recovered as a "vintage attraction" in the most important motor events and are even being heavily sponsored by motorcycle brands as a different way of promotion.
