Posts
2295
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Clovis, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
3/4/2013 6:48pm
This has been a hard year.
Today marks the third death from this "sport" in seven months to touch me personally. I just want to scream FUCK! (actually I have multiple times) While due to my profession I'm certainly aware of the risks in this sport I also know what happens when people live in a bubble wrap world. They suffer the same result , WE ALL DIE. Sitting on a couch playing video games is just as certain to find you a final resting place as is racing or riding. No one gets out of this alive. For me its always been a matter of you can't let the fear of dying get in the way of the thrill of living. Life is short get busy.
When Nathan died, it was a crushing blow. A great friend, fierce competitor and one of the very best. He died doing a NOTHING jump. It could have happened to anyone of us. It was bad fucking luck and even if he'd been in the ER when it happened he wasn't going to make it. When Ox died it was another mistake and unfortunately for him he wasn't near enough to the latest medical intervention that may have saved his life. While both these deaths were hard to understand, I can accept both of these as tragedies and based on the fact they were professionals. They were doing what they do and sometimes very very bad stuff happens. It comes with the job.
Nick's death however is shaking my resolve. The kid was 11 and right now I am having a really tough time figuring out what it is that makes this even remotely acceptable. Maybe the simple answer is again bad stuff happens and we all need to make sure that the life you're living is the one you want.
Today marks the third death from this "sport" in seven months to touch me personally. I just want to scream FUCK! (actually I have multiple times) While due to my profession I'm certainly aware of the risks in this sport I also know what happens when people live in a bubble wrap world. They suffer the same result , WE ALL DIE. Sitting on a couch playing video games is just as certain to find you a final resting place as is racing or riding. No one gets out of this alive. For me its always been a matter of you can't let the fear of dying get in the way of the thrill of living. Life is short get busy.
When Nathan died, it was a crushing blow. A great friend, fierce competitor and one of the very best. He died doing a NOTHING jump. It could have happened to anyone of us. It was bad fucking luck and even if he'd been in the ER when it happened he wasn't going to make it. When Ox died it was another mistake and unfortunately for him he wasn't near enough to the latest medical intervention that may have saved his life. While both these deaths were hard to understand, I can accept both of these as tragedies and based on the fact they were professionals. They were doing what they do and sometimes very very bad stuff happens. It comes with the job.
Nick's death however is shaking my resolve. The kid was 11 and right now I am having a really tough time figuring out what it is that makes this even remotely acceptable. Maybe the simple answer is again bad stuff happens and we all need to make sure that the life you're living is the one you want.
It used to bother me that my sons weren't interested in riding or racing. Event's like this make me silently thankful for their choices.
There is no easy answer, everyone has to weigh their own options and desires along with their situation and make a decision.
Personally I was terrified every time my kid threw a leg over a bike so I kind of pushed him in other directions and he wasn't that into moto anyways so it was an easy decision.
at my age I contemplate selling my bike weekly just for the simple fact I need to try and stay healthy for my business and family , riding certainly increases the risk.
My only advice would be to not make any quick decisions in either direction based on something that happened to someone else give it some time and follow your own path.
Sad when people get injured or killed, but IMHO it IS worth it. As Anthony Hopkins said in some movie: "I live more in five seconds than most people do in their entire lifetime"....or something like that.
Either is driving to the grocery store..... but it happens!
The Shop
I was there when Jeff(OX) fell and I got to be with him...that day has had the kind of impact that you are speaking to..."Shaking my resolve"...loading someone into a helicopter and saying, "Good-Bye..."...well...it still brings tears. I can't even imagine what Cameron's been thru; but, we all keep moving forward.
The "bortherhood" that my riding family has is simply beyond belief. Seriously.
That is "how" I keep doing it.
S
Theres a million ways we can die everyday, and although it doesn't make it any easier to accept when a young person dies I find it hard to not honor them by continuing to do what gave them the most joy when they where on earth.
Another buds bro in law just had to have 90 % of his stomach removed cos of cancer an sis pretty much f'ed- 41.
Had buds die before hitting 40 from cancer, strokes, heart attacks - all fit athletes as well.
Life's just a f**ing dangerous game.
At least all those lads were doing what they loved when they went - not much compensation for those they left behind I know.
But I do not really like what it's become. When I started, we didn't have 100+ foot doubles. triples and table tops. The bikes weren't as fast and weren't as easy to go fast. To go really fast, you had to be good. To go really fast on today's bikes you just have to twist the grip.
It hurts when we lose another rider. We have lost more than 4 over the last year. Ashlee Sokalski died at LL's last year, the first to die at that race, I believe.
I love this sport, but I have also said it needs better policing and some standardization. If we don't start policing it, someone else will and we're not going to like it. I have been saying this for years. All you have to do is look back at the old ATC's and wonder if that can happen to this sport.
Is it worth it? That's an individual choice, like sky diving or skateboarding.
You can only answer that question for yourself.
But I do know I can no longer honestly look a parent in the eye and say it's a relatively safe sport when the proper equipment is worn. That doesn't seem to matter any longer.
I love this sport and always will, but my time in it as a participant has been over a while now, and I don't see that changing in the future.
not to change the subject too much but this really resonates with me...
this is my argument for lowering the cc limit with the new fourstrokes. we now allow (at amateur level) 250cc 2 strokes in the "lites" class, what was the 125cc class!
with modern technology making bikes faster this logic seems completely backwards to me... doesn't it to anyone else?
if they want to allow 250 2's to compete with 250 4's fine, make it the premier class then. make the lites class like 180cc 4's and 125cc 2's or something. Lets not keep increasing the cc limit, while technology increases hp output.
I decided a few months ago to hang it up. I've ridden almost all of my life. It's just not what it used to be for me. i hear of things almost daily that confirm my decision. I had no qualms about my son quitting a few years ago when he watched a good friend die after a crash.
It's become a very brutal sport. WAY too many deaths the last several years.
There are times that I am so thankful that my son (12 years old) has chosen to not even want a motorcycle, although I had one for him when he turned 3.... but he never liked it.
There are also times that I wish he was involved, as I see the joy that some families and father/son's get from being at the track all day together. We do other things together, but I think a father and son that race together, form a very tight bond, as most people don't even understand MX in general...or the commitment that it takes.
Being a parent seemed a lot easier when I was on the other side of the relationship...and KNEW EVERYTHING.. lol
I am not sure that you will ever be able to link deaths to machine types, nor do I think it should be...BUT, I agree 4 strokes are going to kill this sport either $$$$$ way or another...
Pit Row
Dave you are correct if "we" don't fix this someone else will. The parents should take responsibility but sadly they won''t/don't and with the nature of todays society the answer will be to take away the choice from the responsible and irresponsible equally.
Chad Reed seemed to get his going pretty quick when it stalled after a HUGE crash.
Ryan Villopoto seemed to get his going pretty quick when it stalled after a crash.
Jumps are bigger now, than ever....and people are going faster. Doesn't matter if you're on a 4 stroke or 2 stroke....seems like there are a lot less pro riders getting paralyzed now... does that mean that 2 strokes cause people to be paralyzed?
first off, how can you quantify "a lot less" pro riders are getting paralyzed?
my point wasn't that fourstrokes are hurting the sport, it was that the larger displacement they were given is hurting the sport. Bikes are getting better and faster, we should be reducing the cc limit not increasing it (250cc 2 strokes in the lites class).
My point was/is...4 stroke or 2 stroke, it doesn't matter... people die and get paralyzed from MX...
These thoughts run through my head every single time I put my helmet on....it eventually led to me selling my street bike...but every time I put on my gear, these thoughts run through my mind. But as soon as the engine fires....they go away (they didn't go away when i'd start my street bike...so I sold it).
I give myself a mental reality check-in which I leave my pride on the start line, and remind myself I'm racing/riding for fun and have nothing to prove-so that I don't make stupid decision and take unnecessary and unwise risks. And if I'm "not feeling it" on any given day, I pack it in. I feel I'm as safe and smart as I can be about it. As of now, it makes me happy. I have fun doing it...and I'll keep doing it until the purrrr of the motor stops drowning out the negative thoughs (i.e. when it stops being fun for me). And when that day comes....I'll gladly hang up the boots, remember all the good times, and all the good friends.
Just my .02
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