Tristan Charboneau Steps Away from Professional Racing

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This isn’t something I want to post, but I have to so here it goes, I have had an awesome 16 years in this sport. Traveled all around the world, accomplished a lot of goals, seen a lot of amazing places and met a lot of amazing people that I will never forget. Motocross has been the only thing and most important thing to me all of my life. But I’ve come to realize that my body can’t handle that stress anymore. Through all of the broken bones, torn muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. and always cutting injuries short to get back to racing. I have a lot of regrets with racing, I wish I would’ve worked harder. I rarely worked out, and when I did workout it was halfass. Always ate the worst food possible for myself as an athlete. I took the talent I had on a motorcycle for granted. I regret that, very much. I’ve got a job now close to home as a Fabrication Welder, just trying to enjoy the real world for once. I just want to thank everybody that was always there for me through the good times and the bad times no matter what. My family for always being behind me with love and support. Huge thanks to the woods family for giving me hospitality and training over the years. The Harrison family for always having my back and helping me out. The Irwin family for the hospitality and wrenching. John Wessling for always trying to push me with training, Mike LaRocco for believing in me and giving me the chance, Frausto, Moore, Bratcher, and many more. It’s been a great career. Thank you to you all.

A post shared by Tristan Charboneau (@tristancharboneau) on Nov 15, 2018 at 5:38pm PST

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jeffro503
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jeffro503 11/15/2018 6:14pm
11/15/2018 6:14pm
Hmm? I wish him luck at whatever it is he decides to do , but I aint gonna lie , it's kinda bitter sweet. A lot of people out here in the NW knew he was capable of so much more , but like he stated , he was freakin' lazy when it came to training , and basically wouldn't listen to anyone trying to help him in that area. His parents put out all that money and time in his AM day's , to have him do nothing but slack off after he turned pro. He used to ride my indoor track I ran , and always thought he was going to make a name for himself.......been kind of a let down. But.....it's his life. Good luck Tristan , and welcome to the 9-5 grind.
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KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 11/15/2018 6:31pm
11/15/2018 6:31pm
Congratulations on moving on.

It is indeed surprising to see the diet and exercise portion.
Crisp BRAAAP! 11/15/2018 6:43pm
11/15/2018 6:43pm
At least he owned it-I think it’s big of a young man to say that straight up.
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jeffro503 11/15/2018 6:52pm
11/15/2018 6:52pm
Crisp BRAAAP! wrote:
At least he owned it-I think it’s big of a young man to say that straight up.
It is for sure. What the shame is....it took him years and having to now quit and get a normal job before he realized it. If he would of played his card's right , trained and did what everyone out here knew he could do.....he wouldn't have to do the 9-5 job for the next 50 years.
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devindavisphoto
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devindavisphoto 11/15/2018 6:52pm
11/15/2018 6:52pm Edited Date/Time 11/15/2018 6:52pm
Good on him for being honest. I think I could have done a lot better as an amateur if I ate healthier and worked out like I should have. I'm not turning this thread about me, all I'm getting at is that there's a lot of kids who you'd be surprised how little they actually work out off the bike and it shows when they turn pro. He always had sick style, so it'll be a bummer that is isn't out there anymore. I think we're going to see a lot of these scenarios in the next couple years with younger riders realizing they're better off working a 9-5 than throwing away their money pursuing a career racing.
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Mr. Info
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Mr. Info 11/15/2018 7:26pm
11/15/2018 7:26pm
No regrets you did something you loved for 16 years while others worked 8 to 5. Saw the world and made a ton of friends. Thank you. I am sure there are those few who lived life through you. Live life and enjoy.
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TRAVO 67
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TRAVO 67 11/15/2018 7:35pm
11/15/2018 7:35pm
Riding a Dirt bike everyday to sitting at a weld table will be terrible. might sound like a good plan now but 5 years down the road he will be wishing he stayed on that bike longer. Adult life working everyday sucks.
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observeroffacts
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observeroffacts 11/15/2018 7:38pm
11/15/2018 7:38pm
KDXGarage wrote:
Congratulations on moving on.

It is indeed surprising to see the diet and exercise portion.
Makes me wonder if there are other front runners who don’t train “hard” or aren’t dedicated in other ways? I always assumed anyone in the top 20 was training their ass off...
Shawn142
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Shawn142 11/15/2018 8:23pm
11/15/2018 8:23pm
Wasn't this kid killing it on 250EMX in Europe?? I was sure he was winning motos. I know he blew out a knee last summer, maybe this has more to do with lingering effects of that?
jeffro503
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jeffro503 11/15/2018 9:19pm
11/15/2018 9:19pm
He won a few overall's and the EMX 250 class is no joke. This is without training and being lazy. He always had really fast speed , but would fade and make mistakes. I believe he took a 6th place in one moto here in the nationals his first year pro. You don't do that while sucking. He's one of those guy's that " Could of been " but just never really cared. I actually despise this stuff when I hear about it , mainly because I know how much effort a family puts into their kid's to get them there , and then they just slack off. He had it all right there in front of him , and just pissed it away. I dig Tristain....but god damn kid.
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devindavisphoto 11/15/2018 9:56pm
11/15/2018 9:56pm Edited Date/Time 11/15/2018 9:57pm
He could have trained his ass off and still end up paralyzed or dead so I'd say he's doing fine stepping away on his own terms. I'm sure he could have been a title contender if he had an Aldon Baker level training program, but training isn't fun and if you aren't down to train like a psycho then you aren't going to last long in the sport. No need to bash the dude for it.
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captmoto
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captmoto 11/15/2018 9:58pm
11/15/2018 9:58pm
TRAVO 67 wrote:
Riding a Dirt bike everyday to sitting at a weld table will be terrible. might sound like a good plan now but 5 years down the...
Riding a Dirt bike everyday to sitting at a weld table will be terrible. might sound like a good plan now but 5 years down the road he will be wishing he stayed on that bike longer. Adult life working everyday sucks.
I don't think he will ever quit riding. Where did he say that? He is ending the pro racing grind.
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Bidirella 11/15/2018 10:02pm
11/15/2018 10:02pm
Wow, this went quick. Saw him ride a few EMX250 over here and he was flying and won a few moto's right in front of me. I thought he would be the next Convington in Europe...

Bummer, liked his style and way of racing. He is still young, so who knows if there is ever a comeback..

Best to him
Cheers
woody woodpecker 11/15/2018 11:17pm
11/15/2018 11:17pm
If he has regrets now I can only imagine how he'll feel when he's 50 and reflects on the talent he let go to waste.
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jeffro503
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jeffro503 11/15/2018 11:24pm
11/15/2018 11:24pm
devindavisphoto wrote:
He could have trained his ass off and still end up paralyzed or dead so I'd say he's doing fine stepping away on his own terms...
He could have trained his ass off and still end up paralyzed or dead so I'd say he's doing fine stepping away on his own terms. I'm sure he could have been a title contender if he had an Aldon Baker level training program, but training isn't fun and if you aren't down to train like a psycho then you aren't going to last long in the sport. No need to bash the dude for it.
It doesn't hurt to criticize someone when they don't perform even close to their potential either. You can find that all day long , in the normal life job's that he'll now be a part of. And if he thinks he has regret now......just wait. For Tristan , he's still young and talented enough to do something in this sport. But it sounds like he already gave it up.
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Cortami79
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Cortami79 11/15/2018 11:52pm
11/15/2018 11:52pm
Man what a shame, if you can win EMX250 moto's pure on talent and without training, just imagine how much talent he wasted. That class is no joke. Anyway, at least he said straight up how it is and you have to respect that. I just hope he doesnt live a life full of regret

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Frank Tuesday 11/16/2018 4:52am
11/16/2018 4:52am
jeffro503 wrote:
He won a few overall's and the EMX 250 class is no joke. This is without training and being lazy. He always had really fast speed...
He won a few overall's and the EMX 250 class is no joke. This is without training and being lazy. He always had really fast speed , but would fade and make mistakes. I believe he took a 6th place in one moto here in the nationals his first year pro. You don't do that while sucking. He's one of those guy's that " Could of been " but just never really cared. I actually despise this stuff when I hear about it , mainly because I know how much effort a family puts into their kid's to get them there , and then they just slack off. He had it all right there in front of him , and just pissed it away. I dig Tristain....but god damn kid.
The family put in a lot of money and effort. But how much of that was at Tristan's request. How many 5-15 year olds really want to give up a normal life to train constantly. The riding is fun, but the rest of it? How many parents want their kid to do what they never did, and push their kids into an abnormal life as a result.

Some people have the desire to give up anything necessary to achieve a goal, but not the talent to actually get there. Others have the talent, but not the desire. Nothing wrong with either case. Different people want different things out of life.
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agn5009
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agn5009 11/16/2018 5:03am
11/16/2018 5:03am
It’s too bad he can’t continue to race in Europe and actually train his butt off. I was really excited to see him continue to grow and hoped it led to him racing MX2 In the GP’s.
shaffstall721 11/16/2018 5:18am
11/16/2018 5:18am
I hope he decides how stupid a 9-5 is, trains his ass off, does the Dean Wilson and gets a ride.

He has the speed, just not the fitness.

He thinks he hated training, he is really going to hate welding all day.
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TMessi111 11/16/2018 6:41am
11/16/2018 6:41am
One of my best friends recently retired from playing baseball. Made all Star teams all the way up to triple A. Made the Rockies big league spring training team and got one bad demotion and lost his interest in the sport due to all the bus travel and low pay he had already been through. He called me the day he wanted to retire and you always think you would tell someone they are making a mistake when you are on the other end of hearing someone giving up on a dream, all I could hear was the stress in his voice when talking about the sport and the relief he had when talking about retiring. As much as I wanted to see my best friend pitch in the majors he didn’t want that for himself so why should I pressure him. I told him I’m proud of how far he had made it and would be just as proud to have him back around town. He’s now back home and working a 9-5. Some days he misses it and other days he’s glad he made the decision. To think guys on here would give limbs for Tristan’s talent and he would rather do what many people on here do is the ironic part of being successful in a demanding sport. It’s not the fact people like them want to quit, it’s the fact that they want to move on and be more than the Rider or Pitcher everyone knows them as.
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Michael Scott 11/16/2018 7:18am
11/16/2018 7:18am
jeffro503 wrote:
He won a few overall's and the EMX 250 class is no joke. This is without training and being lazy. He always had really fast speed...
He won a few overall's and the EMX 250 class is no joke. This is without training and being lazy. He always had really fast speed , but would fade and make mistakes. I believe he took a 6th place in one moto here in the nationals his first year pro. You don't do that while sucking. He's one of those guy's that " Could of been " but just never really cared. I actually despise this stuff when I hear about it , mainly because I know how much effort a family puts into their kid's to get them there , and then they just slack off. He had it all right there in front of him , and just pissed it away. I dig Tristain....but god damn kid.
It's still the parents decision to dump the money. My parents weren't afraid to call out my laziness in high school cross country and that was them only having to dump $80 in shoes once a year and with no expectation of results. They knew my potential and knew I wasn't meeting it.
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Talisker
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Talisker 11/16/2018 7:21am
11/16/2018 7:21am
shaffstall721 wrote:
I hope he decides how stupid a 9-5 is, trains his ass off, does the Dean Wilson and gets a ride. He has the speed, just...
I hope he decides how stupid a 9-5 is, trains his ass off, does the Dean Wilson and gets a ride.

He has the speed, just not the fitness.

He thinks he hated training, he is really going to hate welding all day.
X2....WoohooWoohooWoohoo
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KennyT
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KennyT 11/16/2018 7:23am
11/16/2018 7:23am
Good for Tristan. 16 years of the lifestyle he had must have been exhausting for a child. He experienced some amazing things thanks to his talent and now he realizes its time to move on. A lot of people refer to the 9-5 as something to not be proud of. If you are doing the right thing the 9-5 is good for a lot of people. He may enjoy being in fabrication....it’s always cool to make things
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Trickamoto
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Trickamoto 11/16/2018 7:23am
11/16/2018 7:23am
In a sport full of bullshit, smoke and mirrors...that's one of the greatest posts ever. How many other guys in the sport right now are collecting big money at 18/19 and doing nothing? A bunch i bet.
Lightning78
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Lightning78 11/16/2018 7:28am
11/16/2018 7:28am
So thats why he was 1 - and done at Geico.....makes sense now
Talisker
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Talisker 11/16/2018 7:36am
11/16/2018 7:36am Edited Date/Time 11/16/2018 8:47am
Bob Hanna said it best. The only reason he became a champion is because he feared having to work at Mc Donalds.
Guess kids nowadays just don't have that drive.
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BigDaddyG
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BigDaddyG 11/16/2018 8:08am
11/16/2018 8:08am
There is a chance that taking a year off will heal his body and while working 9-5, breathing that nasty exhaust from welding might getting him thinking about a come back, especially if he gets healthy during that time. He is a big enough name that he could come back in 1-3 years and still land a descent ride.
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orange_44 11/16/2018 9:18am
11/16/2018 9:18am
devindavisphoto wrote:
Good on him for being honest. I think I could have done a lot better as an amateur if I ate healthier and worked out like...
Good on him for being honest. I think I could have done a lot better as an amateur if I ate healthier and worked out like I should have. I'm not turning this thread about me, all I'm getting at is that there's a lot of kids who you'd be surprised how little they actually work out off the bike and it shows when they turn pro. He always had sick style, so it'll be a bummer that is isn't out there anymore. I think we're going to see a lot of these scenarios in the next couple years with younger riders realizing they're better off working a 9-5 than throwing away their money pursuing a career racing.
Idk dude. Your scrubs were pretty sick.
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