Christian Craig retiring........

velocitygear
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velocitygear 9/5/2013 6:16pm
9/5/2013 6:16pm Edited Date/Time 9/5/2013 6:45pm
That XXX sucks!!!

This Industry is going to smother itself! The people that MAKE the sport continue to get the shaft and I've seen more than a few people on this board call it simply "business". I call it BS!!!

As for Christian; not many people ever achieve what you have to this point and moving on is understandable considering the BS! However, if it's your lifes love Diana Nyad has some insight:

"I decided this year to use a mantra … and the phrase I decided to use was 'Find a way,'

"If something is important to you and it looks impossible and you're up against it, just step back for a minute and say, 'Really? Do I have the resolve to think of everything [to the] nth degree to get through this?' and most times we do," she said. "People give up too quickly."

Either way, I'll miss rooting for CC

Diana is the sixty friggin eight year old who swam from Cuba to Florida on her 5th and final attempt!
petie11o5
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petie11o5 9/5/2013 7:10pm
9/5/2013 7:10pm
Respect the shit out of CC for his decision. Don't blame him one bit.
Crisp BRAAAP! 9/5/2013 7:11pm
9/5/2013 7:11pm
Best of luck, Christian!
Jeff alessi
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Jeff alessi 9/5/2013 7:14pm
9/5/2013 7:14pm
Hman144 wrote:
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when...
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when it's time to move on to something new.

Hey Christian- you should give Broc Hepler a call and maybe grab a pizza with him for some lighthearted conversation someday soon. I bet he has some good advice for you.

H
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk to someone about all that was going in in my head and what was in my future. So I messaged Brock and even with all he had done in his career he gave me a lot of advice and was personal with me with what he dealt with after his departure from being a big part of the sport. Those things still stick with me today, even tho he gave it to me strait and I was very nervous to his response I still knew he knew what he was saying, something I'd learn now 2 years later. He was a great person to talk to and I know he loved the sport because he gave me great advice when he didn't need to and that said a lot about him to me.

The Shop

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velocitygear
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velocitygear 9/5/2013 7:19pm
9/5/2013 7:19pm
Hman144 wrote:
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when...
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when it's time to move on to something new.

Hey Christian- you should give Broc Hepler a call and maybe grab a pizza with him for some lighthearted conversation someday soon. I bet he has some good advice for you.

H
Jeff alessi wrote:
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk...
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk to someone about all that was going in in my head and what was in my future. So I messaged Brock and even with all he had done in his career he gave me a lot of advice and was personal with me with what he dealt with after his departure from being a big part of the sport. Those things still stick with me today, even tho he gave it to me strait and I was very nervous to his response I still knew he knew what he was saying, something I'd learn now 2 years later. He was a great person to talk to and I know he loved the sport because he gave me great advice when he didn't need to and that said a lot about him to me.
Does that mean you've retired? I hadn't heard either way...
EMA884mx
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EMA884mx 9/5/2013 7:22pm
9/5/2013 7:22pm
What is Broc Hepler doing now? I think I remember reading somewhere that he was attending college, but that was several years ago if I'm not mistaken. Hepler seemed like a super humble guy with a good head on his shoulders.
TripleFive 9/5/2013 7:24pm
9/5/2013 7:24pm
I'm 100% sure he's making the right decision.
FIREfish148
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FIREfish148 9/5/2013 7:42pm
9/5/2013 7:42pm
Kid has the sickest style.
disbanded
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disbanded 9/5/2013 8:45pm
9/5/2013 8:45pm
Style for miles
MX Culture
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MX Culture 9/5/2013 8:49pm
9/5/2013 8:49pm Edited Date/Time 9/5/2013 8:50pm
And now Lance Vincent just announced his retirement on Instagram too!!!.......


Well with the season over and my buddy @ccraig_59 hitting the nail on the head ill let everyone know where i am these days.With the industry like it is these days you cant make a living racing dirtbikes unless your a top 3 guy every moto and while im young an healthy i want to be able to start a life outside of motocross so i choose to give it up an ride for fun on my spare time.Just wanted to let all the people who didnt know i quit riding know that i quit an kinda give everyone a look at it from the inside out.Its not what it seems like being a (PRO) dirtbike rider i can promise you that.Some things need to change in the sport or else it wont ever grow.HUGE thanks to everyone who has helped me get as far as i did and along with all my fans that supported me along the way it fun an ill never forget the memories!


lance vincent (lancevincent87)

167 likes

austinboard717, flipcrab85, laineykayd, p_caron68,

18 comments...

Keep your head up man!
randygood4

@spidermonkey_48
connordepew

You are a hell of a rider bro. @lancevincent87
lathram237
velocitygear
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velocitygear 9/5/2013 9:11pm
9/5/2013 9:11pm
MX Culture wrote:
And now Lance Vincent just announced his retirement on Instagram too!!!....... Well with the season over and my buddy @ccraig_59 hitting the nail on the head...
And now Lance Vincent just announced his retirement on Instagram too!!!.......


Well with the season over and my buddy @ccraig_59 hitting the nail on the head ill let everyone know where i am these days.With the industry like it is these days you cant make a living racing dirtbikes unless your a top 3 guy every moto and while im young an healthy i want to be able to start a life outside of motocross so i choose to give it up an ride for fun on my spare time.Just wanted to let all the people who didnt know i quit riding know that i quit an kinda give everyone a look at it from the inside out.Its not what it seems like being a (PRO) dirtbike rider i can promise you that.Some things need to change in the sport or else it wont ever grow.HUGE thanks to everyone who has helped me get as far as i did and along with all my fans that supported me along the way it fun an ill never forget the memories!


lance vincent (lancevincent87)

167 likes

austinboard717, flipcrab85, laineykayd, p_caron68,

18 comments...

Keep your head up man!
randygood4

@spidermonkey_48
connordepew

You are a hell of a rider bro. @lancevincent87
lathram237
From the inside out, that's where I want it to come from;

From your perspective would you say that greed is the fundamental reason riders aren't getting their share?
jleews6
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jleews6 9/5/2013 10:19pm
9/5/2013 10:19pm Edited Date/Time 9/6/2013 7:40am
As much as I hate to see this Im glad he is doing the right thing for himself. I always liked the kid and remember watching him at Mini Os and thinking "that kid has cool style" Im glad I got hi to sign my jersey right next to where his dad did over 20 years ago.

Good luck in everything you do kid.
WJB419MX
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WJB419MX 9/5/2013 10:48pm
9/5/2013 10:48pm
Bummer to hear this but i can see him wearing a geico shirt around the pits.
Jeff alessi
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Jeff alessi 9/5/2013 11:02pm
9/5/2013 11:02pm
Hman144 wrote:
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when...
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when it's time to move on to something new.

Hey Christian- you should give Broc Hepler a call and maybe grab a pizza with him for some lighthearted conversation someday soon. I bet he has some good advice for you.

H
Jeff alessi wrote:
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk...
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk to someone about all that was going in in my head and what was in my future. So I messaged Brock and even with all he had done in his career he gave me a lot of advice and was personal with me with what he dealt with after his departure from being a big part of the sport. Those things still stick with me today, even tho he gave it to me strait and I was very nervous to his response I still knew he knew what he was saying, something I'd learn now 2 years later. He was a great person to talk to and I know he loved the sport because he gave me great advice when he didn't need to and that said a lot about him to me.
velocitygear wrote:
Does that mean you've retired? I hadn't heard either way...
I feel when I'm 100% mentally ready and healthy and if the sport becomes healthy for riders to invest there entire lives I will make a second attempt. Right now it's not worth the risk to be taken advantage of as the show to not get a fair share of the pie. I think you will see a lot of people retiring or stopping in hopes that one day they can get what they feel they deserve as a person. Right now I'm going to school for 2 jobs, between those two jobs I can make a living to support myself and what I want and I'll race my bike locally to have run and stay in shape incase I find a way to make it work in the future. I feel really bad for kids like this who have come so far to cut it short. I hope they find themselves making the right decisions to.
kawirider819
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kawirider819 9/5/2013 11:38pm
9/5/2013 11:38pm
Its funny the first time I went to a national,Dilla last year, I said to my buddy I'd give all my college years back just to be in these guys shoes. Kind of reconsidered that statement when the shock and awe wore off. Nevertheless, I have the utmost respect for every guy that lines up on a national gate. Its hard to comprehend just how many hours of their lives they dedicated to make it there.
mxjef
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mxjef 9/5/2013 11:53pm
9/5/2013 11:53pm
All these people talking about how they "need to grow the sport" need to realize that they need to do something for the riders.
Without the riders, there is no sport!
EMA884mx
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EMA884mx 9/6/2013 4:26am
9/6/2013 4:26am
Nobody can ever take your education away from you and I applaud Jeff for going back to school. Being laid up for months due to injury without any other skill set besides racing dirtbikes is risky business to say the least. Everything these guys have worked for can be pulled right out from under them in the blink of an eye (sadly Ernesto Fonseca always comes to my mind). Like Christian Craig and other people have mentioned, the window for opportunity in this sport is small (5 to 10 years at the most). These young guys have to consider their next 35 or 40 years rather than just this short 5-year window. A big pat on the back to Christian and others for coming to their realization now and for moving forward with the rest of their lives. I was in school for 9 years following high school and would never trade that education for anything. Jeff, Christian, Lance, your future is wide open; make the most of it and approach your schooling and new careers with the same intensity you had while sitting on that starting gate each week.
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Shawn142 9/6/2013 4:37am
9/6/2013 4:37am
Christian has had it especially rough. I'm sure everyone remembers the injury he got before even turning a lap in a race as a pro.



And here's the crash that put him out all summer.



I've never met either rider, but they're both making smart decisions here. The risk is simply too great.

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Markee
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Markee 9/6/2013 5:08am
9/6/2013 5:08am
Some say you do something you love for a living and you never work a day in your life. That might be true for about .001% of people out there. But what really happens when you take something you love to do and try to make it a living, you ruin it.

Good for CC. Find a living in a industry that is strong. Telecommunications, oil, steel, utility distribution, etc.. Do some man shit, don't go to school and come out working at a desk or taking my deposits. Good industrial mechanics / machinist are in high demand. I work in the steel industry as a mechanic, pulling 6 figures, all came from working on my 1988 CR80 as a kid. Thanks motocross.

or.. if you don't want to work. Do the Twich thing, be cool, play ride, make tons of videos, make sponsors happy, get paid. :D
GeorgiePorgie 9/6/2013 6:09am
9/6/2013 6:09am Edited Date/Time 9/6/2013 6:10am
Sandberm wrote:
Finally one of these guys has normal fears about getting hurt. Its really surprised me over the past few years to see guys like RV(shattered leg)...
Finally one of these guys has normal fears about getting hurt. Its really surprised me over the past few years to see guys like RV(shattered leg) Canard(back and leg) Millsaps(lost kidney and misshapen leg) and Hill(foot) come back from horrific injuries to still have the DESIRE to race.

Best of luck to Christian Craig in his future if he is indeed retiring from racing.
Craigs paychecks aren't retirement worthy as Villopotos. I don't think RV could do anything else and come close to what he's making on a bike.

If you pay these guys they'll come back.

Craig seems to be looking at the sport and life as a whole. If these guys were paid what they're worth for putting on a show for all of us they all should be able to retire from a moto income. At the end of the day with all the responsibility and risk for injury these guys have is it worth it for a non-salary, bikes only ride in hopes to land a salary ride when the manufacturers are struggling to sell bikes and cutting support?

Sucks he has to quit, but he's smart for realizing there is life after motocross. However, with that nasty scar down his back.....that would make anyone think twice about if racing was worth it no matter what they're getting paid.......
22Ryann
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22Ryann 9/6/2013 6:53am
9/6/2013 6:53am
Fuck i hate this sport sometimes.
Big E
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Big E 9/6/2013 7:14am
9/6/2013 7:14am
Christian, I remember when you were a little BMXer with TONS of style that wanted to be like Mario Soto (344). You took all of that and made your own path. You went 110% all the time. I wish you best of luck in all that you put your mind to.

Hope to see you around my friend.
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Mx4life320 9/6/2013 7:14am
9/6/2013 7:14am
I am sad to see him leave, but hope the best for him. Good to see him walk away and retire, rather then be forced into retirement.. Good luck in the coming days CC!!!!
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Taylor156 9/6/2013 7:17am
9/6/2013 7:17am
If he sticks to this really bummed, I was a fan of his dad back in the day and then CC. Hope the best for him as always !

Just curious who is on Troy Lee next year ?
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MXisLIFE 9/6/2013 7:21am
9/6/2013 7:21am
Hman144 wrote:
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when...
I feel bad for him that he feels he must step away from his dream, but good for him that he's mature enough to realize when it's time to move on to something new.

Hey Christian- you should give Broc Hepler a call and maybe grab a pizza with him for some lighthearted conversation someday soon. I bet he has some good advice for you.

H
Helper is a college boy now as he attends the local college in my town.. He still rides and has incredible speed i got to catch him out riding with Darryn and Shane Durham and he had no problem with them pretty cool to get to watch him ride!
velocitygear
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velocitygear 9/6/2013 8:54am
9/6/2013 8:54am
Shawn142 wrote:
Christian has had it especially rough. I'm sure everyone remembers the injury he got before even turning a lap in a race as a pro. [img]https://rx.iscdn.net/2009/12/craigback.jpg[/img]...
Christian has had it especially rough. I'm sure everyone remembers the injury he got before even turning a lap in a race as a pro.



And here's the crash that put him out all summer.



I've never met either rider, but they're both making smart decisions here. The risk is simply too great.
Holy hell! I hadn't seen either of those photos! Clearly, you can still have a passion beyond racing and considering the Industry, I don't know why one would bother! I live for riding and haven't raced for over 10 years, yet I'm faster at 38 than I have ever been!

Definitely life beyond racing!
DownSouth
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DownSouth 9/6/2013 9:06am
9/6/2013 9:06am Edited Date/Time 9/6/2013 9:06am
Taylor156 wrote:
If he sticks to this really bummed, I was a fan of his dad back in the day and then CC. Hope the best for him...
If he sticks to this really bummed, I was a fan of his dad back in the day and then CC. Hope the best for him as always !

Just curious who is on Troy Lee next year ?
TLD has Cole Seely, Jessy Nelson, and Shane Mcelrath under contract, and possibly Malcolm Stewart stays.
DanDunes818 9/6/2013 9:09am
9/6/2013 9:09am
With Christian's fluid style I was always dumbfounded by how often he got hurt--especially on the 450. He made going fast on the 450 look effortless outdoors. Here's another angle of that crash above. By Vital's favorite former poster: Devin Davis.

velocitygear
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velocitygear 9/6/2013 9:46am
9/6/2013 9:46am
Jeff alessi wrote:
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk...
I remember after my last foot injury I was laid up on the couch for 8 months (2011) and I decided one days needed to talk to someone about all that was going in in my head and what was in my future. So I messaged Brock and even with all he had done in his career he gave me a lot of advice and was personal with me with what he dealt with after his departure from being a big part of the sport. Those things still stick with me today, even tho he gave it to me strait and I was very nervous to his response I still knew he knew what he was saying, something I'd learn now 2 years later. He was a great person to talk to and I know he loved the sport because he gave me great advice when he didn't need to and that said a lot about him to me.
velocitygear wrote:
Does that mean you've retired? I hadn't heard either way...
Jeff alessi wrote:
I feel when I'm 100% mentally ready and healthy and if the sport becomes healthy for riders to invest there entire lives I will make a...
I feel when I'm 100% mentally ready and healthy and if the sport becomes healthy for riders to invest there entire lives I will make a second attempt. Right now it's not worth the risk to be taken advantage of as the show to not get a fair share of the pie. I think you will see a lot of people retiring or stopping in hopes that one day they can get what they feel they deserve as a person. Right now I'm going to school for 2 jobs, between those two jobs I can make a living to support myself and what I want and I'll race my bike locally to have run and stay in shape incase I find a way to make it work in the future. I feel really bad for kids like this who have come so far to cut it short. I hope they find themselves making the right decisions to.
Sounds like a good plan, clearly nobody is looking out for the riders, including the Billionaire dude that runs SX. Forget his name but considering what he isn't doing for the sport, I'd rather see him go! People say he's a "good dude" but anyone with a BILLION dollars can surely do more to support the people that are the show!
jmx411
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jmx411 9/6/2013 9:58am
9/6/2013 9:58am
Whats sad is everyone seems to agree that he is making the best decision because of his financial reasons. Its sad that the toughest sport in the world isn't worth going pro or being one of the best at it because in the end you will still have to find another job. These guys should be able to retire a comfortable life after the things they put their body through in this sport.

No I am not blaming DC or Feld on this. I have said this before until we get big time outside sponsors the big money will never come in. Pro golfs didn't make anything before Tiger because gold companies were the main sponsors. When Tiger came the big time outside sponsors stepped up and so did the purses. We just need to somehow make this sport relevant

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