Christopher Tardieu

Chris was born in Manly, a trendy beach town across the bay from one of the most iconic cities in the world. From the North Head, the Sydney skyline is clearly visible in the distance, with the world famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House only a short ferry ride from the Manly wharf. Just prior to Chris' 4th birthday, his family moved to the tropical paradise of Cairns, a small tourist town in the far north regions of Queensland. Cairns is renowned for its breath taking beaches and islands, untouched rain forests, spectacular waterfalls, large salt water crocodiles, and most notably, the Great Barrier Reef. Millions of international travelers from the far corners of the globe venture through Cairns each year on their way to marvel at one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Chris excelled in all sports growing up as a child, but particularly soccer, cricket and track & field. He amassed many athletic records in track and field, in such events as the 110 meter hurdles, 100, 200 and 400 meter sprints, 800 and 1500 meters, and remarkably, 5k & 10k marathons as well. Several of these records still stand today almost 20 years later. As Chris entered his late teenage years, and much to his parents' detest, he traded in his running shoes for the lifelong lure of motorcycles. He worked several jobs after school and eventually bought an old Honda CBR 600 to learn to ride. At the suggestion of some riding mates, Chris started roadracing shortly after graduation. Chris quickly gained podium finishes and broken bones. With experience came wins and more broken bones. International ambitions soon saw Chris racing in the United States also. His biggest crash to date took place at Daytona International Speedway where in 1999 while leading the 600 Supersport race, a 115+ mph crash exiting turn six high-sided Chris straight into a wheelchair for the next four months, and kept him off his feet for a further two. While an accomplished rider on anything with two wheels, Chris is a skilled driver as well, having spent time in the driver's seat of V8 Supercars back home in Australia in between racing seasons abroad. Chris has also worked as a freelance moto-journalist for over half a dozen automotive online and print publications for the last 10 years, in addition to instructing students at several motorcycle racing schools on how to ride faster. 2007 found Chris on holiday at Walt Disney World in Florida where he witnessed a driving stunt show with motorcycles and cars. He submitted his resume and was invited to audition for Disney's "Lights, Motors, Action" Extreme Stunt Show, was hired and found his start into the world of stunts. The next year he doubled the lead in "Beethoven's Big Break", landed several Toyota commercials and was on his way. 2010 saw Chris relocate to Los Angeles to further pursue his stunt career after he auditioned and was subsequently hired for the "Waterworld" stunt show at Universal Studios. Chris was the sole jet skier and 1 of 3 new hires picked from a crop of over 300 hopefuls...