by Andy Bowyer
One Industries Rev Up: No Fear
Thursday, March 22, 2012 | 2:00 PM
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Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Rev Up. Six rounds remain in the 2012 Monster Energy AMA supercross season and we’re faced with an air of discontent. A lot of the boys have been taken out this year, and it’s melancholy in a couple ways. First and foremost, the weight pressed on the riders and their families in wake of pain and injury. There is nothing worse.
Equally potent is the sting we feel in our progress. We’ve seen record fan attendance, unprecedented live coverage, and a global level of motor sports synergy. A vast window of opportunity was ripe to capture, but the cruelest aspect of our sport decided to prevail. We crash and we get hurt. But, the only way to keep moving to the top is to always look ahead. Just like going fast on a dirtbike. Keep that head up and aim your charge at the exit of the corner, not the rut in front of your fender. Think forward and move forward. That’s what we’re going to do this Saturday night. We’ve got a couple gates to drop.
The theme is clearly crashes and injuries, so I want to expound and offer my perspective.
As a young racer, I can account that there were riders that crashed more than others. When I reached the national level it was Robbie Reynard, Kevin Windham, and then guys like Robbie Skaggs, and Clint Latham that were the heat in my region. Each of those guys could win on any given Sunday, but for some reason Latham always seemed to have those scary crashes. The kind that were on parts of the track that you thought to yourself, “No matter what, I’m not crashing here.” I used to come around to those sections about five seconds behind the aforementioned and see #179 laying in a yardsale. Flaggers, parents, and medics all around. No matter how sharp your focus, you cannot block out the haunting thought of, “I can’t believe what it would have been like to crash there.” There were also guys like Jason Sybert from Florida that had “that speed” but after a few years, if he holeshot, you could pretty much bank that he would go down. He had no fear.
I remember trying to tie a connection to a pattern, but the common thread was simply that it was all around.
Ryan Zimmer and Dakota Tedder letting it all hang out in Indy.
Fredrickson photo
Ahead of us, guys like Jimmy Button, Buddy Antunez, Brian Swink, Chad Pederson and Jeff Emig ruled the world. That said, every year come Ponca City, one of them would be hurt in some regard. One year Swink broke his femur and it sent ripples through the BMX filled hangout spots by the game room. Then there was Jeff Dement and Ezra Lusk. Those two were so fast that they would post the fastest lap times of the weekend on their 80cc machines. But then they would suffer awful crashes. Time and again. Concussions, broken necks, and femurs. They were fearless. I grew up watching pretty much all of my heroes get hurt in ways that truly affected my prowess. I was fast enough to beat everybody except the guys that took to that level. In a lot of ways, I regret it every day. I didn’t want to get hurt and I was afraid. I was one of those guys that squeaked out a few amateur titles, but it was when I was at the top of my age bracket and I never really had the right stuff. I had a lot of fear.
I also never knew what it was like to break my femur, or snap my wrist at 14 years of age. In fact, the first broken bone I had was a collarbone when I was 14. I was more terrified of the thought of getting hurt than the result the actual injury produced. Clavicles are bad, but not that bad. The worst part was being at the hospital and the way they treated me when I came in wearing my motocross gear. That was the first time I heard the word “murder cycle.” I couldn’t believe the way the doctors treated me because I was a motocross racer.
The tales of pain go on and on. One of my best friends, John Fox, told me a story about his Pops, Geoff, who was out racing the early forms of the Vet Nationals in Utah. The father of four was out on his own just racing for fun and glory. John told me about the time he was 16 years old and saw his Dad stumble in through the front door of the house with a broken clavicle, foot, and ribs. Geoff drove to the race solo, and drove home hurt, and solo. The patriarch of the Fox Empire had carted huge and had to load up his shit and drive eight hours home to his family. Alone. Transversely, one of the reasons I’m close with John is our affinity for self-preservation, and our marvel at those devoid of fear.
The marvel of watching those devoid of fear is why our boys are racing in front of packed houses in 2012. I’ve exasperated the notion that this is the last true sport of gladiators. Why did 1980’s motocross t-shirts have girls in bikinis on them? The old MSR slogan said, “She tells me if I go riding one more time she’s going to leave me. I’m going to miss her.” Perhaps masked in that cheesiness is the fact that that line is as pure as they come. Because the passion we have for motocross is as such. There is no room for weakness in our trade. You put your balls on the gas tank and let it fly. What level you take that notion defines your career on a dirtbike. Some take it further than others, some are luckier, but what remains is the fire. That spark which ignites inside your heart the first time you held your Y-Zinger wide open. From that point it is, "Do you have enough talent, will you catch enough luck, and will you be scared?"
Every fast rider knows the consequences of going fast. But he chooses to ignore them.
Fredrickson photo
Ain’t a damn rider on the gate this Saturday night that isn't afraid. But, at the professional level there is no room for fear. They carry it, and drop the damn hammer. They’ve seen them come, watched them go, and they are ready for the show. This is American Supercross, ladies and gentlemen. Every rider letting the clutch out on Saturday night has a little fear. Just like we all do. But they’re going to put their boots on and push their bikes to the line. It’s that special fire that makes them special. It makes them gladiators. Nothing more, nothing less. I remember the time in my career when I conquered my fear. Shortly after came the worst feeling I've ever felt as I was being wheeled off of an international flight with my jaw wired shut and my leg broken. My Mom was the first person I saw. She didn't cry. She said, "It’s OK, son. I'm proud that you went for it."
Thanks for reading, see you next week.
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My Mom was the first person I saw. She didn't cry. She said, "It’s OK, son. I'm proud that you went for it."
.Wow cool Mom!!
I thought this was gonna be an article about what happened to the gear company No Fear and why they're not as big as they once were.
Andy, you're stirring up all kinds of thoughts from the past. Ever lay in bed trying to sleep and THATS when the "fear" hits you. Earlier that day, in a race, practice track, whatever, you somehow survived the wickedest tankslapper/triplecasin', missedshifted endo and you never even thought about it till your all chill in the sack. That sh*t can get scary, it still does.
When I got to the Vet class (40+) we would take 2 "No Fear" stickers and make "Near Fear" stickers for the tool box, Van or what ever. Thats when your past starts catching up to you, but you HAD to save face. Everyone on the line HAD to go to work on Monday morning.
Crashing hard at 40 - 50 yrs. old should knock some sense into most of us, its very difficult have the brain agree that the body maybe can't do the 20 -30 yr old crap as well and "we" should back down. Very frustrating but smartest overall out come. You younger guys reading this, I hope you can "keep the drive' going for as long as you can. I'm still at it in my mid 50's but definitely "Near Fear"
Damn good article!
Fear is a part of it, and how some can learn to live with it and even use it as fuel is always commendable.
Seems like there should be some serious discussion concerning tough blocks. They've been responsible for a few accidents. The covers are a problem too. At least hay bales will explode when you hit them.
@McMoto - well said. When I turned 40 (10 years ago) I was at a point (family and job) where I could put more time into riding. I bought my 500, got into great shape, and rode a lot that summer.
Towards the end of that summer I went riding on a great track (Kahoka, MO - Andy Boyer's territory). Towards the end of a 45 min practice moto I cross rutted a wheelie through a set of wet ruts & wadded it up in a big way into the face of a short uphill section. I remember the rear wheel and sprocket spinning by my head and thinking I was glad that didn't land on me. I was lucky not to break anything but coughed up dried blood for the next several days.
Since then, I go riding for fun and never forget that I have to go to work on Monday.
WOW! Awesome article!!!!!!!
Never really had any fear, even after multiple seasons spent propped up on the couch, until I had kids. Now I fear that I could miss work and not pay the bills, until the gate drops then I go all stupid again.
My moment came at the 1982 Dr Pepper night time national at 59th and Douglas in OKC. Andy may have been there, as he made the trek down from Ks around that time....I was an int. rider and my friend John was an expert racing Trey Jorski and Clay Hoenshell, in the first 125cc moto he came together with another rider over a jump sending John to the ground...when the emt's got his Hi-Point boot off I saw his compound fractured leg...jagged bones and blood ...he had surgery that night but got a staff infection and it took almost 2 years before he was off crutches...I knew I would never have the balls to risk that...so I never got any faster...I was never hurt riding until ..02 when I bailed off over a jump cause the frt end was too high...broke 3 bones in my foot and sprained my ankle real bad....all healed now and still riding ...I dont fear getting hurt as I once did ..but I ride within my comfort zone...as we all have to go to work....Point is injures are part of the sport...the bad part...but there is so much good that we are still willing to go ride...Respect all that ride...for money or fun...we have that common thread...Thanks Andy...
Reality hit me when I was at Magoo's house for dinner. He had recently been paralyzed and I had broke my coller bone. We both had fifteen month old daughters. I watched his daughter try to climb on his lap and I thought "I have to stop riding" I sold my CR500 and took up scuba diving. I missed it too much and bought another bike and just slowed down. I learned to stay in my comfort level even if I have to let the other guys go. Been injured a few times since but it's going to happen sometimes.
Great artical Andy
I feel the same way guys. At 43, I no longer try and keep pace with my sons whe we ride together.. I nailed a tree right in my number plate a few years back trying to catch my oldest in a tight section of woods. and that was enough. I got nothing but a bad headache but was real lucky.. Like alot of you guys, I have to work for a living, and cant get anywhere near my job injured.. So no, I didnt stop, just stay in my comfort level and still ride..
Great article Andy,
YOU MAY HAVE SAVED MY LIFE??
All the years I rode and raced as a kid and teenager, I only ever broke a big toe. Got the itch to start racing again at 40 ( I'll be 49 next month )
Since then, I have had 3 surgeries. Have a plate and a bunch of screws in my lower right leg (broke it same place 2 times in 14 months) Did not crash either time. Landed into the face of a jump with too much toe on the peg, heel dropped down on impact and bam, crush fracture lower leg at ankle. Second time I was a little out of shape and stabbed the foot in the ground for balance and snap again.
Had surgery on both shoulders (rotator cuffs) Broke hand in one crash broke thumb in 6 places in another.
Broke 4 ribs, knocked 4 front teeth lose and bit off a chunk of my tongue in another. All Motocross incidents. It took me too long to realize, every time I hit the ground hard at 40+ I was going to break something. My brain would tell my throttle hand you can do it but my diminished skill, reflexes and limited conditioning would not let me.
I have finally learned (just recently) that you don't have to jump everything on the track, you don't have to turn a faster lap, every lap, to have fun. Basically I had to rewire my brain to hand in order to stay healthy.
Unfortunately I did all this at the expense of some family fun. I have 3 kids and a garage full of motorcycles. We used to all go to the track together. Some of my big getoffs, injury then recovery and an ambulance ride in front of my whole family. Have taken their toll on my families enjoyment of the sport. While they still enjoy the desert, most days I am going to the track by myself.
I share all this for the younger guys or the guys just getting into it with families, if you are NOT getting paid to do it, try like hell to stay injury free. Yes crashes are a part of it, but so is intelligence. I am a smart guy who took a dumb approach to racing again. I have slowed down to have fun and I am sure there are some guys on here who should do the same!
RUBBER SIDE DOWN FELLAS!
The E.R. used to be a cruel place for me. No minded bimbo nurses yelling " who has the motorcycle"...after sitting there 2 hrs with a badly broken .whatever...........used to yank my chain, I worked to hard at the sport to be gaffed off. At least I didn't hear the "donor cycle" until I married my wife, long after Motos. Yeah, she's a nurse :).
I didn't really like the story that much because I feel Andy was trying to dance around the subject of why so many of the top 20 SX riders are hurt.Everything Andy said is true and makes sense but there has never been a year where 6 or 7 of the top SX riders that had broken necks or backs (vertebrae).I can't ever remember a year that was this bad.I think the AMA and FELD need to take a serious look at why this is happening.It's pretty obvious what some of the problems are and what needs to be done.
This year's injuries are the other end of the spectrum compared with a year like last year where there weren't a huge amount of injuries. It's like the weather one winter is the worst, and then the next year it is way warm (this year compared to last year?). MX is dangerous and there are always injuries. Sometimes it's just the way the ball bounces. The tracks of today seem pretty tame compared to not too long ago. I think the biggest issue is people riding beyond their comfort zone. Riding on the verge of disaster to keep someone riding comfortably in sight is going to end in disaster at some point......guaranteed. Riders need to learn to elevate their speed/comfort levels not their speed /fearless levels. Most every champion was able to ride the fastest pace with the most comfort. Not many have been able to maintain riding over their head for an entire season.
Great article Andy! In reading it and the conversations above it highlights the difference between riding with fear or near fear VS riding with no fear. And, it's that ability to ride with no fear that elevates riders to the professional level. So, you are right, even though our star riders are hurt we shouldn't forget the guys who are still out there riding riding without fear. And when you think about it from that perspective, the series is still just as exciting.
Wow!! great article, cont believe one guy says he didnt like the article, unreal. Must be having a bad day.. I thought it was very well written myself. Injuries always have been and always will be a pert of out sport. The competetion is so high, everyone is going for it to make it.. All out all the time. And with a bad economy, riders aredoing whatever they can to win or have good results to keep thier jobs and be successful. When you have that you have injuries.. It isnt the difficulty of the tracks, the whoops are lame..
Once and a while a top rider going down leads to another rider stepping it up..it gives the 4-5th place guy the extra boost needed to find that extra something to find the box..and once they taste success they dont let go ....Stanton and Canard are good examples of that...maybe Brayton dicing with Potp will give him that little bit of confidence needed for the next step up..
Yes Andy what a great article. Seems like we all have been through it. I guess I retired at the young age of 38. My body had pretty much gave out.Raced to many times when I shold have waited to heal up. I can still feel it still dream about it and since I am posting I still love the sport.
Yes I trhink I have raced agtainst some of you? Good times ,bad time you know we have bbeen through it all.
My mom was/is cool but she would have summed it up in one word, "Idiot" she still doesn't like the fact that I ride and I have to continually remind her that I'm 46 now and she's "not the boss of me" anymore. So now when I get hurt I don't tell her!
I really liked your article Andy, It's a good thing when we realize that we are all somewhat alike in our fears and desires.
I hope that a few years from now we will look back at this time and marvel at the lack of real protection that our racers compete with. "How nuts was that?" I hope we shake our heads in disbelief at the fact that top athletes raced with no real protection between their head and ankles. And I hope that personal protection for athletes really is where the next technological breakthrough in our sport comes from.
As someone that thinks about this every time I put boots on my 54 year old feet, I hope that some of the design talent in our industry, will focus a little more on rider safety.
For the sake of their families.
While this is no solution, it may be a start
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2YuZJ61wkg&feature=player_embedded
Let's get thinking and bring the rider safety in our sport to the highest level it deserves.
The article could have gone into the psychological tendencies of MX racers (and/or extreme sports athletes) and how they deal with fear.
Why does RacerX seem to post such a large amount of LCD work? THE CONVERSATION(s) afterwards appear to be better reads ....
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