Mic Rodgers
Has won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the invention of the Mic Rig (an action stunt vehicle), Member of Stunts Unlimited for 20 years, founding member of Brand X (stunts), Mel Gibson's stunt double since 1984 including all the Lethal Weapon movies, Braveheart AND Maverick. 55 years old.
www.brandxstunts.org
I got into riding dirt bikes through my dad. He would take us up to the Cajon pass on the weekends. That's where I learned about BSA Gold Stars. I had a Tote Gote, and started when I was five.
Before I found out about stunt work, I was going to be the next Mert Lawwill, a flat tracker. Then I discovered motocross in 1970. My first race was with Stu Peters and the CMC at Carlsbad on my 250 Harley-Davidson, which was an Aermacchi, with 19-inch Pirellis. At first, Mr. Peters wasn't gonna let me race because it was such a junk bike, but he let me ride and I got 22nd out of 24 guys.
I've been hurt more racing than in stunts. I've broken my pelvic bone doing stunts, but that's about it. But in motocross I got off really bad one time, and that was about 10 years ago. I broke my tibia plateau, I dislocated my left hip and broke out the pelvic joint, I broke my left shoulder at the ball, I broke my right arm, I got knocked out, broke my nose... It was a long recovery. The day after that wreck I was supposed to go to my first production meeting for Mighty Joe Young. I didn't make the meeting, so they got somebody else.
Racing motocross is really good for your timing, and that's all stunt work is-timing and judging distance and speed. But in the movie business we throw in some explosions and some fire.
2008 was the 11th Day in the Dirt and my 11th year as an Ironman (five Grand Prix races in one weekend). I ride my Dick Mann-built 1960 BSA Gold Star 500, which is totally the wrong thing to ride here because there's no class for it. I just charge it around and try to entertain people and survive the weekends.
The bike's a piece of history, and it gets me closer to my father who's passed on, because that's what he rode.