HE is considered a modern day Evel Knievel.

Robbie Maddison, the man who has pulled off some of the most outrageous stunts in the world, is now in Nowra.

Married to the sister of former world champion wakeboarder Josh Sanders, Amy, Maddison is always keen to get back to the local area when he is in Australia.

Mind you that’s pretty rare these days.

However at 31, Maddison admitted his days in the high carnage sport may be coming to an end.

“Retirement is something I definitely think about, I’d say in five years,” he said with a slight grin.

You get the feeling that he certainly has plenty of outlandish plans yet to be unleashed before he does eventually hang up his helmet.

His body will probably rejoice at the break.

He has broken his back twice, fractured his neck, ruptured a disc in his back, broken ribs and punctured a lung.

“It’s all part of the sport, sooner or later you are going to get injuries, you just have to try to minimise what happens to you,” he said.

Even now he is recovering from a full shoulder reconstruction.

He admitted retirement might not be far too away.

“Sure, maybe in about five years,” he said.

“I’d like to come back here and eventually retire.

“I’d like to play it right and go out on my terms.”

He revealed property development was something that interests him.

“Honestly, the best investment I ever made was when I was a second year electrical apprentice and I bought a house for $170,000,” he said.

“It grew in value and when it reached $250,000 I took out a loan with it as equity and hit the freestyle circuit self-funded and that put me onto the path where I am today.

“Sure I’ve been lucky and things have fallen into place for me, but that first investment allowed everything to happen.

“That property has been really good to me and property investment and development is something I’m interested in.

“I’ve even just bought a home here in Nowra.”

He said when he comes home to Australia it is a chance to relax.

“If I’m in the US the phone is always ringing, if I’m out of the country they seem to leave me alone,” he said.

Although he still gets recognised and is happy to chat to fans when he’s home.

“I was in the pub with some mates the other day and some guy thought he recognised me, but then wouldn’t believe I actually was Robbie Maddison,” he laughed.

“It’s good to come home and just chill out with family, being able to slow down,” he said as he dashed off to play with his son Kruz and his three young nephews who are visiting their grandparents.

“Once Josh and his brother Justin get together with Kruz there are eight or nine kids and they all just go for it, it’s great fun,” he said.

He dropped a bombshell that there is another young Maddison on the way, with his wife Amy expecting again.

“What I do is tough on Amy and the family,” he admitted.

“My work does take me away for long times but where we can, we try to travel as a family,” he said.

He said having children has changed him.

“Certainly it has,” he said.

“But I’ve done a couple of big shows and jumps since we’ve had Kruz, I’ve just got to make sure I’m fully focused,” he said.

It is a deadly business.

In the last couple of years he said he has lost some great mates – the likes of Jeremy Lusk, Eigo Sato, Jeff Kargola, Jim McNiel and snowmobile rider Caleb Moore.

And just recently youngster Tyrone Gilks.

“You have to ensure your ego doesn’t get out of control and tell you you can do things when you can’t,” he said.

“There are a lot of bright up-and-coming guys taking to the sport but you have to be careful, this sport will kill you if it goes wrong.

“You have to decide if the jumps are too risky.

“Sure you have to be confident you can perform a certain stunt or jump but you have to also realise you aren’t indestructible, you aren’t super-human.

“I’ve been lucky, I’ve played Russian roulette in a sometimes deadly sport.”

Does he ever get the chance to just ride for fun?

“No not really,” he said.

“I have fun when I ride but never really get the chance just to go for a ride with mates and relax, it’s usually work.

“That’s a bit of a bummer about this trip being injured, I really just wanted to get on a bike and go for a trail ride with my dad and a few mates.”