Daylight out and stunting - Famed stunt rider wants to go international

Watching Barrington 'Daylight' Heslop bravely and effortlessly perform stunts on his motorcycle is quite the spectacle.

The 24-year-old daredevil is adept at performing all kinds of manoeuvres, including wheelies, stoppies and burnouts. He is easy on the eye and is a picture of calm as he undertakes moves that he admits to be very dangerous.

"Mi born and grow inna bike, enuh, because mi two bredda dem a stunta and my father was a rider, so I get to love it because it inna mi blood," Daylight told THE STAR outside his business place, Daylight Motor Sports, which is located on Waltham Park Road in Kingston.

The youngster said that he has grown accustomed to the wide-eye glares and admiration as he has been stunting across the island for the past seven years.

"Mi start out with having a small bike and just grow to where I am. I have no fear whenever I get on that bike. It is something that I enjoy doing and getting paid for it at the same time," he said.

In addition to being one of the most sought after riders at shows, Daylight's skills have seen him being included in a number of music videos, among them being Shenseea's Ludi, Popcaan's Family and Teejay's Braaf.

He said that his dedication and professionalism in the sport have contributed to his success.

"When mi finish perform, sometimes people come lift mi up off the bike and a just bare excitement. I am not a street stunter, so you will not see mi in the streets doing any form of stunt so the crowd will never know what I am going to come with, or say that they see me performing the same stunts on the road. I aim to please, so after every event I will watch back the videos and rate my performance," he said.

But Daylight was quick to point out that stunt riding is a very dangerous sport, noting that the simplest wrong move could lead to serious injuries or even death.

"I have never got any serious injuries. It somehow gives me an adrenaline rush so the more mi drop, the more mi love it. However, it is a very dangerous sport, every time I go on my bike, it is a life and death situation, so in God we trust."

His advice to other riders is that they should take the necessary precaution before attempting manoeuvres.

"I am advising all riders to not just wear a helmet but strap the helmet on, because while we are devoted to confronting danger, it is important to apply safety ," said Daylight who is also in the motorcycle repair business.

When he is not riding, the young businessman is holding down the fort at Daylight Motor Sports, which has been in existence for more than a year.

"I am proud of myself and I aim to be a role model for the youths around me. ... I am hoping to take my stunt riding on an international level and just continue to grow in the business. I have always had an obsession with bikes and I am going to be in this business as long as ever," he said.