Quote - Bob “Hurricane” Hannah 1981
How often do we say comments like this “He’s so fast if he could just stay off the ground”
It pains me to say this, especially given who my own favourite riders are. But maybe we are looking at something wrong? Isn’t crashing bad riding? Sure, there is some luck involved in crashes, things happen in front of you, at speed or in the air. But some racers seem to ride with the awareness to even minimise those incidents, where as some have difficulty reading front wheel traction.
Don’t get me wrong, anyone who races professionally is a bad ass of epic proportions, and a slow old hack like me sure doesn’t have the answers. But should a racer who rips fast qualifying times and has a season of podiums, DNF’s and DNS’s be more celebrated than an guy who finishes 5th to 10th week in week out?
Of course, professional sport is a business and fans love guys that ride on the edge, or off the edge! Fans buy the tickets, the merch, the sponsors products, the streaming services, the gear and the energy drinks. Oh, and don’t forget the bikes. The lightning-fast crasher will always get the better ride.
Is the strength of staying off the ground down to technique, is it mental, maybe it’s training or the ability to set up their bike? Probably all of the above, I guess. Or is the crashing due to only riding perfect training facilities in fine weather with the same dirt? Maybe its spending all their junior career out in front of the field, choosing any line they want, taking the same perfect lines over and over, not having to learn passing and defending in the heat of battle?
Sometimes racer’s change from a crasher into Mr consistent, usually due to their own maturity or a new coach or mentor sorting them out. But what do we say then? Something like “We just haven’t seen that blinding speed this year”
Yeah, no one has the answers, and never will. like all humans, dirt bike riders are complex beings, just much cooler versions.
Crashing is bad riding, let’s just give an extra cheer for the riders who stay on the bike.
Written - Steve Hall
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