The land of windmills is also the home to one of Australia’s top BMX freestyle flatlanders — Ben Moran.

Moran said while spring and winter were the off-season for flatland, things tended to pop up.

‘‘I do a few demonstrations and they’re quite fun — I did a bicycle film festival one and last month I did a Bar Mitzvah, that was interesting and fun to learn about another culture,’’ he said.

‘‘I do go in competitions sometimes, Australia Day long weekend there is the BMX games, I was fourth in that, and Brisbane at the start of (last) month I was fifth

there so I dropped a bit, I didn’t ride too well.’’

The 25-year-old said there were always friends to stay with when he travelled for a competition or demo.

And it all began from watching a video when he was 14 of what some people call ‘‘ballet on wheels’’.

‘‘I saw a video of it and I actually didn’t think it was real — I just hopped on my bike and just kept trying it because it’s a lot of fun,’’ Moran said.

Some people might be surprised to hear the Waubra Oval was a good spot for flatlanding.

‘‘It’s got a flat area at the end of the oval, but there’s a lot of wind of course, but most of the time I ride in (Ballarat), I just work out there.’’

And that work is on a farm, but sheepdogs have no worries that Moran and his FBM bike will take their job

of rounding up sheep.

‘‘I’m not that fit, I let the sheepdog do that.’’

Moran also picks up a bit of cash from his riding.

‘‘For demos I get paid, but competition is mainly just for parts — if the competition is big like the BMX Games it’s

money but nothing major, I just do it for the fun, a hobby.’’

He used to have a training regime, but these days is much more relaxed about it.

One of his favourite tricks sounds like it would be more at home at the beach.

‘‘They have funny names — there’s a hang five, on just one peg sort of, and a cliffhanger, I don’t know who invented these names — it’s just a no-handed trick where you’ve got to hang on or it will hurt.’’

But he has managed to avoid injury, apart from a few twisted ankles, bruised shins and the occasional hit

to his ‘‘private section’’.