Blog Post

"I was thinking of going." 31

Over the years as Content Director for Vital MX, that line was a running joke of mine in the Vital MX forums, whenever site members would ask who'd be attending a particular race. Of course, I'd always be going. Apart from just a few missed events, I've been covering the Nationals and Supercross events for Vital since...well, before Vital even existed. (We needed some content to launch with.) And as some of you recently noted, I just passed my 15-year work anniversary here at Vital. That's 15 Supercross and 15 National series. Tons of plane flights, hotel nights, and even ten years of towing a trailer around the country during the summer. It also meant dealing with heat and cold, occasional torrential rain, and scary (and way too close) lightning strikes.

Now that "I was thinking of going," phrase is about to take on a somewhat different meaning. It's time for me to move on. I've made the decision to step out of covering the races at the end of the '21 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

This is something I've been considering for a while. I love covering the races, and the revolving circle of people involved with the sport. But I also turned 60 last year. Toting the gear, hiking all over the tracks, and trying to bring home the best photos I can is one thing. But it's been tougher to rebound from the all-nighter post-race editing sessions that come along with it. I just can't do that like I did in my 30s and 40s.

Eyesight is another factor. Canon kept me in the game probably longer than I would have been without their amazing EOS autofocus. But as I was talking with another photographer while we were waiting for the gate to drop at one of the Loretta's Nationals in '20, I had a huge new floater show up in my right eye. Those are something I've always dealt with, but this was due to a retinal tear that I later had repaired.

I've been lucky to do this through some interesting times. I got to see Carmichael, Reed, and Stewart at their best. I've gone in times (like during the Dungey/Villopoto era), where I knew who'd be on the podium before the flight even left Orange County to head to the race. And now we have probably the deepest fields I've ever seen, and I have no idea who'll be winning from week-to-week. I far prefer that. It sure makes it a whole lot more fun. 

I’ve seen riders, teams, manufacturers, and tracks come and go. Now it’s my turn. But I know Vital will benefit from some new youth and energy. Besides, there are some cool new things coming up for the site.

So, what's next? Good question. I’m not sure. But I’ll keep an eye on things. I’m sure some of the past and present linesteppers in the forum will celebrate my departure. Whether you agreed with me or not, I’ve tried to be even-handed in there, and it’ll be interesting to see how you deal with a new admin. (Please be nice to whoever it is.)

Fortunately, this one (like the title image) is Photoshopped.

For those of you who may be interested in filling my shoes, look for a Help Wanted ad on the site soon. I lived my dream job for a long time. Soon it’ll be someone else’s turn.

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