I discovered the 70's movie "On Any Sunday" a few years ago and I have been hooked ever since. It's a bummer that more kids don't know about Malcolm and the rest of the people from "On Any Sunday". All of my friends at school talk about Travis Pastrana, all day, all of the time. Mainly because he is on TV and in magazines everywhere you look...as he should be. I am a huge Travis fan as well! He and the Nitro Circus crew look like they have a blast. If given the chance, I would be the first one to jump in and try to hang with those crazy nuts.
The thing I love about Malcolm and "On Any Sunday" is the off-road riding. It is completely different than motocross and freestyle. You have to be on the bike for hours at a time and be able to go over rocks, logs, and water crossings. Malcolm has amazing skills at this. It may not look like it's that hard, but after you've tried one of these off- road races you'll know. He was on great bikes for the time, but the bikes are so much better now. With the old suspension, gas tanks, handling, tires...they rode like bucking broncos and would throw you right off.
The first time I did an off-road race I couldn’t believe how fast these guys could go through the woods and nasty terrain. Guys who I would blow away on a motocross track were making me look like a bad beginner once we got in the tight stuff. After a few races, I started to get it down and learned how to set up the bike for the different conditions and conserve my energy.
The best part about off-road riding is the amount of time you get to spend on the bike. At the motocross races it seems like you stand around all day waiting for your moto, while at the off-road races you are on the bike all day! The courses are really long too. Most of them are 5 plus miles per lap. If you want to get started in off-road, but don’t want to race, you can find a poker run. These are usually 25-40 mile rides through the woods. They aren’t a race, but you stop and draw a poker card every five miles and who ever has the best poker hand at the end of the ride gets the trophies and the prizes. Some people even bring their lunches along and take a break during the ride. The poker runs are pretty much a fun family ride day.
If you haven't seen "On Any Sunday" yet, you have to check it out. There is a great overview of it at
www.brucebrownfilms.com/sunday.htm. It was filmed in the early 70's, so the bikes look funny, but these guys can ride. If you've never seen the Nitro Circus crew ( if you haven't, you are the last one), check them out at
www.nitrocircus.com.