Dear Ping,
I was watching the RedBud National and saw Marvin Musquin do some kind of ground trick and end up with his leg stuck in the back end of his KaTooM. What exactly was he trying to do, a nac-nac? And the AMA official jumped out on the track to assist him in unraveling himself —is that legal or is that outside assistance?
DC (the other one)
DC,
The trick Musquin was pulling off there was called a "Try Not to Eat It." The right-hand turn before that jump provided some type of difficulty for Musquin, and in the process of attempting to remain upright, his foot swept back and got sucked up by the wheel. With the deep ruts the riders face at the nationals, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often, honestly. How many times has your foot dragged behind you as you exited a corner with a rut? Musquin's legs were just long enough that they got sucked into the wheel. Sweet trick, Marv. Now let's see you do it with BOTH feet at Budds Creek and really score some TV time.
PING
Hey Ping,
I like your articles... they are "cool as crap". And you know "Those French don't want none."
I do like the "I wouldn't take him out to dinner, but I'll shake his hand" remark. It's good to hear someone basically say, “Hey; I'm here to win not make friends.”
You can respect a competitor but not be buddy-buddy with them (even on your own team).
Don't bust his balls too much, personality is good… even an unpolished one.
Thanks,
Mike Stith
Tega Cay, SC
Mike,
Hey, look, I'm all for personality, or any type of genuine emotion from guys on the podium. Anything that doesn't include them rattling off a list of sponsors after being asked a specific question, is fine by me. Pull your helmet off, and tell me a story about the one time you went camping and your big brother put your hand in a glass of warm water while you were sleeping and you wet your sleeping bag. That would be terrific; it doesn't even have to be about racing. I liked Cooper Webb's candid response about his relationship with Jeremy Martin and didn't even mind him calling Blake Baggett a "Joker." I just couldn't help but drop my face into my palm when he said the crowd was "cool as crap." Some guys have media savvy and some just don't; Adam Cianciarulo wouldn't have told the Tennessee fans they were cool as crap. Cooper hasn't had nearly the exposure to the media that Cianciarulo has, so hopefully he'll polish up over time. Here's something that won't change: when you compare racing fans to fecal matter in a podium interview, you are going to get some feedback from the media.
PING
Dear Ping!
We have all seen products come and go in the evolution of motocross…neon gear, kidney belts, open face helmets, etc. I think I have identified the latest trend to start disappearing: those humps in seats. It seemed like a few years ago everyone had a stepped seat because it was the latest “thing to do,” but did you ever try riding with one? It isn’t like we are being launched down a dragstrip and have to stay that planted, and last time I checked, they don’t make very good bitch seats, either. Besides, bikes just look plain ugly with those things. Am I missing something, or are you seeing this trend, too?
AGB
AGB,
Some of those things are fads and some are fashion trends. If you think the neon colors are gone, you haven't been paying attention lately. Kidney belts disappeared over time for no particular reason at all. Open face helmets went away because people don't like getting their teeth knocked out by rocks if they can help it. That was just a simple progression of safety and technology. The seat humps were a trend, and while you might see one here or there still, they have mostly been replaced by better means of holding riders in place. Gripper seats have come a long way over the years. Factory Honda brought over kangaroo skin seats in the 1980s that were smooth one direction, but grippy the other; that was the start of it. Now there are ribs, folds, sticky materials, and synthetic fabrics designed to keep you from sliding back. No, we aren't be shot down a drag strip but coming out of a tacky turn, and going up a hill on a factory 450 will send you flying off the back of the bike if you aren't holding on. And that arm pump-causing death grip is what riders are trying to correct by running the gripper seats. I'm in complete agreement with you about the humps… they were ugly and always looked like the bike had some kind of awful venereal disease that contact cleaner just wouldn't cure. Good riddance, I say.
PING
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