Glory, it seems, is in extremely short supply in motocross. Normally reserved for winners and heroes, most racers will only attain brief glimpses of glory. Weekend warriors receive less still, and casual riders will only find glory, in its purest forms, once or twice. But without a doubt, the rock-bottom, lowest of the low, least glorious position in all of motocross has to be that of the flagger. Sunday after Sunday, moto after moto, the flagperson is required to stand at attention through rain and shine, dust and mud, cold and heat, all for the express purpose of providing a touch of safety to an anonymous racer. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, no one bothers to ask for an autograph, hand out a trophy or even say thanks to the flagger. This underappreciated job-if, considering the pay is little to none, you can even call it that-is executed with the knowledge that no praise or fame will ever result from the long day of efforts. And this is precisely what makes flagging so cool.
As part one of Dirt Rider's new Day in the Life series, I quickly volunteered to hop into the trenches and try my hand as a motocross flagger. In all my days of racing, I have been held at the mercy of many a yellow flag but have ironically never even held one of my own. With plans to attend amateur day at the upcoming Hangtown Classic, I set things up with the Dirt Diggers North motorcycle club to volunteer as an event flagger. They were stoked to have an extra set of hands lined up to work, and I was pumped on the simple idea of watching the races from the track!
For some reason, flaggers are famously given the short end of the stick. The most common flagmen photo is that of a young kid fast asleep in his chair or perhaps the one with an old man picking his nose while a rider cartwheels by. Almost all flaggers are usually portrayed as lazy, unaware, disheveled rednecks. Au contraire. From my weekend of working at the Hangtown track in Prairie City, I quickly realized the stereotypes of flaggers are ill-deserved and uncalled for.
Upon arrival, I signed and picked up my official bright green flagger T-shirt, wristband and extra tickets. Flaggers at Hangtown aren't paid for their efforts, but they do receive a handful of tickets for friends and family to the event, as well as meal tickets to a few club-hosted barbecues. Sweet! Once I was signed in, I made my way over to the starting area, where Dirt Diggers club member and flagging coordinator Mike Mars was holding a meeting for all the flagmen and flagwomen who would be working the weekend.