A solid rider and a skilled flagger himself, Mars went over a strict set of guidelines that all flaggers should adhere to, putting special emphasis on the point that a flagger should never have his or her back to any approaching rider. In addition to this, flaggers must remain off the track unless there is a rider down, in which case they should move up the track from the crash. In any event, if the yellow flag is being displayed, then the next two flaggers up the track from the incident must present their flags (but not wave them) in order to warn upcoming riders. Mars reiterated this last point, as it is incredibly helpful in smoothly getting riders around a problem area.
Contrary to popular opinion, a flagger does not merely stick his yellow flag out onto the track and hold it there. Mars advises his workers to wave the flag if a rider is stopped on his bike and to wave in doubletime if the rider is actually down. For bikes on the side of the track, the flagger should hold up the flag with both hands to protect the rider. Mars also tells his crew that they should never sit down during the race and that they should be on their feet and attentive, looking both up and down the track. He further reminds them to stay hydrated, wear sunblock, keep rain gear close at hand and take full advantage of breaks when they are presented. Part of a flagger's job is to make sure the course is watered to perfection; Mars instructs his workers on how to water-and not overwater-a section. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mars hands out flags and gives each of the 39 workers their predetermined position on a numbered map, and we all head off for the first round of practice.
As irony would have it, the first wave of my flag went to fellow freestyle rider Brian Deegan, whose racing comeback had temporarily left him cross-rutted on the landing of a large jump. With plenty of flaggers waving and Deegan hopping around on a wounded knee, I ran over and picked up the Mulisha General's bike-an act that we didn't learn how to handle during the flagger's meeting. After handing the bike off to Deegan, I headed over to a veteran flagger to clarify the procedures on downed bikes. "You did the right thing," remarked the flagger. "In the event that a bike is down on the course, you simply go when it is safe, and move it off to the side." Funny, but this flagger didn't seem like a disheveled redneck. I remarked this to him, to which he laughed. "Yeah, I am just a big fan. I do this every year, and it is a great way to help out and get in for free. I miss a lot of the good racing because I am busy with my section, but I know the riders appreciate it."
And they certainly do. Over the next few hours, we flagged for quite a few racers who went down in our section, and nearly all were able to continue within a few quick moments. One thing I quickly learned is that flagging is more than just sitting and watching-you have to stay alert. Keeping one eye up the track and one eye down the track was a chore in itself, not to mention the amount of energy that goes into simply not getting hit.