Ken Roczen has ridden the highs and the lows. These days, all of it is all right for the 31-year-old veteran

WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA

With his natural talent, charisma, style, and general “it” factor, it’s easy to see Ken Roczen as someone born for stardom. More than half of his life ago, we ran a feature in this magazine with a 15-year-old Ken in a fashionable suit, the moto world already knowing “That Fast German Kid” was destined for greatness. If greatness was his destiny, though, why has it been so hard? His massive, career-defining 2017 crash has led to dark times both physically and mentally, and, worse yet, that darkness often manifests itself under a full spotlight. As a racer, Roczen still gets to the front and still attracts a lot of eyeballs. There has been triumph for Kenny, but those victories are a counterbalance to the tough times. When you celebrate his success, it practically begs to bring up the low points again. It’s part of his story, forever.