199 Lives

Travis Pastrana has done for motocross what Lance Armstrong did for cycling. He has brought deserved attention to a sport that requires determination and commitment. From his days as a young racer to the beginning of what looks to be a promising Rally career, Travis has done it all when it comes to being a larger than life comic book type hero. If I can remember, I believe his own father said he was a bit of a fictional character come to life for the world to see some of the amazing things you can do when you commit. Having said all that, now comes a reality check.

While leaving the theater I was thinking of the message presented to me in the 2 hr autobiography of the Nitro Circus king. Travis Pastrana is a calculated risk taker. Calculated, but a risk taker none the less. Some of the comments on his own mortality concerns me for our sport. As perhaps the greatest ambassador for our sport at this time I feel that Travis Pastrana has a responsibility to present himself in a way that inspires kids to push their limits, not “the” limit. The whole go big because you only live once attitude never settled with me. It has nothing to do with running scared from a track that has a huge center jump, but rather the conversations I have had with parents that have lost their kids to our sport or that one time customer who now sits in a wheel chair. The image as great as Travis Pastrana is that is portrayed is not what our sport needs. It’s not just Travis. I was disappointed to see RC at a step up competition at some X Games ESPN presentation launching his bike some 38ft straight up and ultimately ending up in stitches. I found it ironic that he ends his career of racing motocross, which made him who he is today, in good health and less torn up then the champions before him with stitches in his jaw from trying to jump over a pole.

I am not saying that Travis is bad for the sport. I am saying that with all the injuries that are causing many to leave the sport or worse lose their lives we need to do more to make the sport safer and not glorify it’s dangers. I am not a Travis “hater”. I am trying to make racing motocross on the weekends fun again. I know that broken bones are a regular part of the sport. I can accept that, but unless we are ready to accept death as a regular part of our sport we need to have ambassadors that promote hard work, determination and good judgment. It might be good judgment for a guy like Travis to do a back flip off the Grand Canyon or jump out of a plane without a parachute, but I think for most of us aspiring to be better racers or keep our kids safe as they get faster and push their limits the Nitro Circus attitude coming from a bigger than life TP could be a bad gate pick for all. As an alternative I think it would be good to see all of Travis Pastarana accomplishments and go for broke attitude backed up with more of the preparation and precautions that it takes to compete in his arena. I also think it might be beneficial for a role model like Travis Pastrana to push the limits of promoting safer riding and racing. Think what you want, but our sport needs safer tracks and responsibile riding and racing before it needs another video of a back flip.