Monday Maniac #6

I’m back after a little vacay to the sunny south, but this trip has come with a price. Have you ever heard those horror stories of your friend or somebody’s friend that went south and got super sick? Well, add my name to the group. I left to Montego Bay, Jamaica on Thursday Jan 31st. The first three days were as per usual on a trip like this, eat, drink, get sun burnt, sleep, then do it all again the next day. For me, three days of that is more than enough to say it was a good time. After that I’m basically forcing myself to enjoy the “groundhog day” type scenario you get when you’re down there doing the exact same thing day after day. What can I say, I’m Canadian and I like the snow and the comfort of home. The group of people I went with really made the trip super fun but these trips just aren’t my thing. I did it last year and felt the same way. I tried it twice and that’s enough for me. But this time is really different because after I landed from the trip I was literally two minutes from home when I got an unreal sensation of stomach cramps that nearly forced me off the road and go total old school in the bushes. Luckily I made it but since last Thursday my bathroom and I have become very tight buddies. Best friends if you will. It’s been a struggle to say the least; in fact so bad that yesterday I spent eight hours in a hospital hooked up to an IV while I got all the bells and whistles checked out. If you’re sick and semi depressed from it, the hospital doesn’t help. It’s a sad place to be. I think a good form of punishment for wrong doers is to send them to the emergency unit at a hospital. There’s a true “scare ya straight” type place. Anyway, after the day of weird smells, sars masks, screaming kids, etc., I did feel better but was sent away with no real answer as to how to fix the issue. God love the free health care. The IV helped, but I’m still planning a nice Valentine’s Day with my trusty Ferguson (that’s the name Al Bundy used to call his toilet in the show Married With Children). I wish this on no one, and I’m the only one in my group  (of 15) that seemed to get anything. I am rarely sick but these trips and I are just like peanut butter and tuna fish – a bad mix. So that’s my excuse for being off the grid for nearly two weeks and missing this column yesterday. It’s funny. I was trying to lose ten pounds before I went on this trip: going to the gym, eating better, no cocktails. I should have just found a way to get this sick earlier because I’ve managed to lose 10 pounds in 5 days. YIKES!!!

Back to reality – right away I have to thank Brett Lee for filling in while I was away. I believe he did a masterful job keeping the site up to date and for that I say “Cheers Brett”. Charles will buy you a beer each day this weekend at the hotel between 4 and 7 because he is that kind, good hearted boss that we all want. (It’s free happy hour at the hotel in Indy this weekend LOL). Unfortunately I will be missing the Indy Trade Show this weekend due to my condition. This is the last year of the show in Indianapolis and it will also mark the final time the industry hockey game will be played. Always a good time had by all. Have fun boys.

How about the San Diego SX last weekend? It was another exciting night and another unreal effort by Rockstar Suzuki’s Davi Millsaps. We need to get serious now. What the hell has got Davi riding so well? Again, he found the reason why he chose this sport. He’s all smiles, he’s enjoying life, and he’s not taking it too seriously. Could he be on some sort of enhancing drug? Not a chance. This guy has something to fight for now – his son. He’s realized that this is his future and the love and passion for the sport he had when he was a kid dominating the amateur scene has once again risen back to the top of the reason why he wakes up in the morning. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s his Canadian Team Manager Dave Gowland telling him Ross “Rollerball” Pederson inspirational stories from back in the ‘80s. Hahhaha However or whatever it is, it’s one hell of a story and a truly inspiring one at that, especially after that great episode of the Outdoors: Inside the Moto show of Davi and his struggles early on with his mother and pro career. It nearly brought a tear to my eye knowing all that and seeing him win again last Saturday night. I don’t know that guy one bit but real life stories like that are truly beautiful to hear.

How about the CBS Special of Ryan Villopoto and his story on Sunday? OMG. It was unreal. To think that this kid that has been on top since he turned pro has been through so much behind the scenes is another eye opener. For one, did anybody know the guy had a sister? Hell, until 2011, basically nobody knew he had a brother. These in-depth, behind the scenes shows are amazing for the people that love the sport but I really think they are a bit negative for the new people we try to attract to the sport. Hear me out here. I always talk about the stick and ball sports and how they get more money and people involved. It’s an easy answer for that because the sports are easier and cheaper to begin therefore they get more applicants trying them out allowing organizations to build their respective sport from the bottom up. The behind the scene stories are usually a heart warming piece of family and hometown life that draw the eyes of, well, anybody. The stories in moto, as of late anyway, seem to really show a different type of struggle between racer and family. They’re almost something that someone on the outside of the sport would never want to bring into their family life. Why would some mother or father watching that on Sunday that has a 4-6 year old kid want to buy a dirt bike for little Tommy this Christmas? If they see one of those moto shows of Izzi, Millsaps, Grant or the CBS special of Villopoto, they would see the battle between family members where the word “hate” is tossed around. For me and you, the true passionate motocross fan, we love it. We thrive for that to realize how tough our sport is to become the best. I want them to do a story like this on every rider in the class and see how many are like this. It’s just wild to think about it all. It’s another way that convinces me that we can only get so big. It seems that we could never reach the same levels of what the “TSN” sports reach. I wish I had the answer. I will continue to spend my money, my time, and my passion to find out why and show the world why this sport is as good or better than anything in the world.

These are done really well, and for a true moto fan they are amazing to see the behind the scene look. Is it a good portrait of our sport for newbies?

The KTM Arenacross series wrapped up this past weekend. GA Checkpoint rider Spencer Knowles is the champion. Once again, the series gave us couch racers something to cheer for this winter in Canada and it was awesome to follow. Thanks again to Jamie and John Hellam for taking all the risk for a small reward. Now what’s in store for Champion Spencer Knowles? Could this be the shot in the arm telling him that he can be the man, he can win, that he can be a champion? I know this was a good feeling for Spencer, but I also know winning the MX2 title at the 2013 Monster Energy Motocross Nationals would feel a little better. With this notch in his career, he should know now that he belongs on top with other winners. Dusty Klatt and Colton Facciotti have won this title and went on to winning outdoor titles; many of them. He is the next guy. No longer is he in the shadow of his mentor Kyle Beaton. In my eyes, this title puts him on the map of one of the guys that can win this summer. It’s now up to him to make it happen. I believe Spencer, do you?

Okay, that’s all I have for my return. I have a million things to catch up on. Our first issue goes to press in a month. The Ferguson has been missing me for about two minutes. LOL