Five years after announcing his retirement from racing, multi-time SX/MX champion Ryan Dungey surprised everyone when he announced he was coming back for more this summer in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross

WORDS: DAVEY COOMBS
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA

One of the biggest decisions any professional athlete faces is when to call it quits. Retirement is a heavy subject, because it comes with huge changes in one’s everyday life. It takes you away from the spotlight and adds many hours of free time to your day. If you’re lucky enough to be financially independent as a result of your success, well, that’s a bonus. But what you give up is all the action that comes with being a competitor: the team, the travel, the triumphs, and all that adoration. And if you can’t find something else to fill those new gaps in life, all that you’ve left behind can become a siren song, urging you to get back in the ring one more time, turn the clock back, and give an encore performance. . . .