Defined - Men

Motocross. The sport of men: only the toughest and roughest. The bigger the balls, the faster the rider.


But that isn't remotely true on so many levels. Sure it takes a man to line up and do two thirty five minute motos in the 100 degree heat, but thousands of racers of all types do it every year, week in and week out. Can you call the amateur riders at Loretta's "men"? How about the women riders? Do the peewee riders qualify in the "men" category?

At the pro level, how many riders would you classify as "men". I mean the rough and tumble type man with a full, thick beard and a "man's" build? How many riders can you call a John Wayne? With the average age in professional motocross likely under 21 or 22, can you really call those riders "men"?

These days, the true rough and tumble image of a "man" --- a grizzly beard, one scar on his cheek, cigarette permanently located between his lips --- are over in the motocross world. It has been replaced with young riders who have more balls than brains, and the raging hormones necessary to put it all on the line day in and day out (you would have to think seeing how fast they go!).

An outsider looking in on the sport would think the T.V. shows were previewing the up and coming amateur riders to the real professional sport of motocross, and with a name like Lites class, you can't really blame them for thinking so.

Only a handful of riders are left of which you can confidently call a "man" are in the sport, and many are on their way towards a limited schedule as is.

All that said, assuming that I am taking away from the younger riders by not classifying them as a real men is ridiculous. The punishment they put their body through in one national race is more than 90 plus percent of the human population will ever endure in their lifetime, and that is when the riders are healthy!

Imagine the pain Ryan Villapoto put himself through this Supercross season with his injured wrist, or the pain Tyler Bowers felt all season with two broken wrists hampering his well being.

As most good Westerns put it, most every racer is still wet behind their ears. Modern times have evolved into young guns airing it out, throwing caution to the wind sailing to the finish line on an ocean of adrenaline.

So are motocross riders men? No.

They are so much more than that.