The adventurous souls that enjoy MX are a special breed. They throw themselves and their vehicles into the air at every opportunity, with no thought for pain or personal injury. Surprisingly few screams are heard, though perhaps they are hidden by the roar of engines as screaming bikes fly overhead. My feeling is, if MX riders as a class are looking for a motto, it should be simply, “Aaaaargh!”
There is only one breed of human that suffers more from Motorcross Madness than they: Any idiot that stands in front of them. And that would be me.
Last weekend some of the last good weather of the year made a welcome appearance, and I went out to the Welland County Motorocycle Club location to visit these intrepid adrenalin-fuelled individuals at the well maintained and managed dirt track behind the speedway.
After a quick walkthrough with Kim, proudly declaring herself the only female rider, I stood with veteran Paul for a while watching his son and the other riders going through their paces, getting a feel for them and the track as they got used to the sight of a new visitor with a camera. I figured the best and safest places to stand, then off I went, striding onto the track with a cheery “Don’t get hit in the head with a bike!” ringing in my ears.
Good advice which I was happy to follow.
Safety First
Joking aside, safety is paramount for everyone and taken seriously. Even though I got up close I chose spots where I wasn’t in the way or likely to get hit by a passing (or crashing) bike. Which can happen to even the best rider. I didn’t scream either. Even when the wind from those airborne bikes mussed my hair. Close enough to get good images, far enough away to jump in case of need. Case in point.
While I took a lunch break one rider came a cropper and speared his thigh with a broken handlebar. Those continuous hard landings are brutal on bikes and flesh. Fortunately, there was bruising but no blood. See the final image of his broken bike, seen in other images around 20 feet in the air. His answer? He walked it off.
Before I left a new set of handlebars were on order and set for delivery. He will be back next week to test out the new bars. As I said earlier, a special breed. Good man.
Onwards and Upwards
I hope to go back again this weekend, weather permitting, and shoot some more. It wasn’t a great turn out, only four or five bikes. I’d like to see more and maybe get some drone footage this time.
I would like to thank the riders for inviting me out, trusting me not to get hurt or cause them to. Thanks for the warm welcome, and for the guided tour. I look forward to good weather and seeing you all again, and maybe a few more riders this weekend. Let’s do this.
