15 07 MXP Magazine by Motocross Performance Magazine

CANADA’S SOURCE FOR MOTOCROSS AND OFF-ROAD

Jean Sebastien Roy 5-Time Canadian Champion

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58 2 015 GOLDEN ELBOW AWA R D S

There were many great performances by this Country’s top riders in 2015. In this story Palm’s honours them with his third annual Golden Elbow Awards.

T E A M M A N AG E R R E P O R T

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ROCKSTAR ENERGY OTSFF YAMAHA After winning their very first Canadian Championship, Team Manager Adam Robinson takes us through the summer of 2015.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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M O T O C R O S S P E R F O R M A N C E // V O L U M E 1 5 , I S S U E 7

MX P C O N T E N T S

COLUMNS

FA M O U S L A S T W O R D S W I T H C H R I S P O M E R OY

Endless Pride

JA MES LISSIMORE SPEAKS

Through the Lens

UPSHIFT W I T H B R I A N KO S T E R

Turning the Page

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INSIDE LINE W I T H A N DY W H I T E

Reflection

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BEHIND THE SCENES WITH MIKE CHAN

Disconnect and Reset

PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE

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CANADA’S MOTORCYCLE FXR YAMAHA Armed with the young and talented duo of Dylan Wright and Jimmy Decotis, Johnny Grant’s Yamaha team came up just shy of winning the 2015 MX2 Championship.

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MXP MAGAZINE

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE VOLUME 15 ISSUE 7

FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES CALL SUBSCRIPTIONS: 416-635-MXP1 PUBLISHER: Charles Stancer/Mark Stallybrass V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING: Charles Stancer EDITOR: Chris Pomeroy MARKETING MANAGER: Cory Mountain SALES MANAGER: Al Jaggard SENIOR WRITERS: Brian Koster, Marc Travers, Danny Brault STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: James Lissimore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Mike McGill, Brent Worrall, James Lissimore, Craig Stevenson, Drew Robertson, Marc Travers, Brian Koster, Bobby Kiniry, Virgil Knapp, Leticia Cline CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Kyle Sheppard, Randy Wiebe, David Pinkman, Clayton Racicot, James Lissimore, Marc Landry, Steve Dutcheshen, John Basher, Marc Travers, Frank Hoppen, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Jean Guy Rollin COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore

MXP has the exclusive rights to the CMRC’s mailing list of racing license holders. Every CMRC license holder from coast to coast receives and reads each issue of MXP. In addition to this exclusive list of readers, we are partnered with several motocross and off-road enthusiast organizations across the country including the FMSQ. TEL: 416-633-1202 Email: charles@mxpmag.com Online: www.mxpmag.com

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TREY CANARD

NO S H O R TC U T S You need endurance to compete, to win, to dominate. But that’s just on the track. When everyone thinks your days on the bike are done and the only thought in your head is proving them wrong, it takes more than endurance. It takes a crazy dose of spirit and tenacity.

SCOTT GOGGLES, MADE IN THE USA.

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2015 | Photo: Simon Cudby

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FA M O US L A S T WO R DS W I T H C H R I S P O M EROY

ENDLESS PRIDE

P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E A N D M AT T W E L L U M S O N

s I sit here to compose my final Editor’s column of 2015, I can’t help but reflect on both the year that has past and what might be ahead on the horizon. It’s almost mind boggling to think that as good as the racing was last year, it more than likely will be even better in 2016. At the pro level in our sport, we are very fortunate to have riders from around the world compete in our National series. From the hot and dry desert landscape of Kamloops all the way to the sands of Ontario, the loamy conditions in Quebec, and the deep, tacky ruts of Walton Raceway, fans got to witness Australian Brett Metcalfe plus Americans Matt Goerke and Jimmy Decotis battle our talented Canadian contingent led by Colton Facciotti and Kaven Benoit. Oh yes, 2015 was one heck of a year at the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan. With the addition of Mike Alessi, Vince Friese and Jacob Hayes for 2016, our popular National series will definitely continue to raise the bar with excitement. On the amateur side of things, right through from the 50cc class all the way up to the Intermediate classes, our kids have never been more prepared for success on the race track. With training facilities like the Moto Park Academy, Frankfit and Kyle Beaton’s Training Centre (just to name a few), as well as numerous talented instructors throughout Canada who give up their time to teach riding schools, so many of our amateur riders are tapping into the wealth of knowledge that is now available. We saw this education pay off in spades last summer as Marco Cannella brought home a very coveted title from the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National in Tennessee. Marco had the entire country glued to the live streaming broadcast from Loretta’s to see if he could pull off the win. After a slow start, Marco made a gutsy last lap pass in the final moto of the week that would secure him his first US Amateur National Championship.

“There’s a famous saying that a good photo can say a thousand words. If this is indeed true then this issue is comprised of over 50,000 words as every one of James’s photos tells a different story about what he saw in 2015.” We also watched two of Canada’s top Super Mini riders, Jacob Piccolo and Tanner Ward, win their first CMRC National Super Mini Championships, as they competed alongside their professional heroes at selected Eastern and Western rounds of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals. When you add in talented young riders like Jake Tricco, Casey Keast, Austin Watling, Ryder McNabb, Preston Masciangelo and Tyler Gibbs, there is a large group of fast riders coming down the pipeline in Canadian motocross. These kids are fit, well trained and more motivated than ever as they try to fast track themselves to the Pro class. With even more high profile amateur events planned in 2016, these fast kids will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their amazing talents. As I discuss in this issue in my annual Golden Elbow Awards, there were many highlights from when our riding season began back in March to

when it came to an unseasonable end in early December. At events like the Moto Park Cup, the CMRC Pro Nationals, the Parts Canada TransCan and the new Canadian National AX Tour, I was lucky enough to be able to witness performances that will stick in my mind for many, many years. This is the reason why I feel this issue is so rewarding to put together as the Editor. Although there are entertaining stories in this issue from Adam Robinson and Johnny Grant, the collection of incredible photos from our staff photographer James Lissimore is what really tells the story of the past year. There’s a famous saying that a good photo can say a thousand words. If this is indeed true then this issue is comprised of over 50,000 words as every one of James’s photos tells a different story about what he saw in 2015. In case you don’t know James Lissimore, this is what he does each and every summer for the sport

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that he loves so much. If you include the numerous US Supercross events that he travels to in the early part of the year, James spends about twenty weekends a year at the track. Sometimes he has a list of riders that he has to photograph, other times he just uses his keen eye to photograph what he sees. Whatever process James uses, it has worked for over a decade and has helped to make him one of the most sought after photographers in our sport. For this issue, James has personally chosen each photo and composed each caption to go along with it. I hope you enjoy the story that he has put together to help celebrate the past year in our sport. On a personal note, 2015 was full of entertaining events and numerous exciting trips. One of the most fulfilling adventures I experienced was captured in a story from our April issue called “On the Road with the Orange Brigade.” The story was written about my family’s trip to the Indianapolis Supercross where my son competed in the KTM JR Supercross race. It began with a weeklong trip to South Carolina to ride at the awesome ClubMX Supercross Track, and it ended with a night of racing inside the Lucas Oil Stadium. To be able to sit back and witness my son being treated like a mini KTM factory rider for a day was just amazing. There are few races you attend in your lifetime when your results don’t really matter. For that day in Indiana’s State Capital, it didn’t matter how the kids finished, it was all about their incredible experience under the KJSC tent.

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Later on in the summer, I was fortunate enough to spend a few days test riding the 2016 KTMs and Husqvarnas at Ironman Raceway in Indiana and the infamous Budds Creek facility in Maryland. With perfect tracks and brand new bikes, both of these events were something out of a motocross dream as myself and the other attending media were treated like gold. Since one trip was in early June and the other in August, these unique trips were perfect bookends to my amazing summer; a summer filled with great racing, lots of travel and fun times spent with my extended motocross family. Finally, the summer of 2015 presented me with my third Plus 40 Parts Canada TransCan Championship, a title that appeared easier to win than it really was. Not only are my fellow Vet riders getting faster and faster, but I also had to deal with severe back spasms all week at Walton Raceway. Yes, at 42 and a half, my body is definitely slowing down. However, I think I have a little more left in the tank. The year ahead should prove to be one of the most interesting in Canadian motocross. With new events and a few venue changes at the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, there will definitely be a lot of eyes watching to see what happens in Canadian motocross. In the meantime, let’s all sit back and enjoy this James Lissimore inspired Photo Annual Edition of MXP Magazine. I hope everyone has a safe off-season and I look forward to seeing all of you at the track in 2016!

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THROUGH THE LENS WITH JA MES LISSIMORE

JAMES LISSIMORE SPEAKS

’m sitting in the San Francisco airport typing this out as I make my way down to Anaheim to get another season of photographing dirt bikes going and I thought I’d take a minute to reflect on the images of the past 365 days. This is the third Photo Annual I’ve worked on since I started working with MX Performance and it feels like every year tends to fly by quicker than the one before. One season leads into the next, and the next, and before you know it, you’re right back at the start again. ` 2015 marked my 10th year covering the CMRC Motocross Nationals and it’s crazy to think how much has changed since those early days crossing the country. The bikes have changed, the riders have changed, and most importantly for me, the camera equipment has changed a ton. In 2005, I was fresh off my switch from film to digital, figuring these strange new cameras out that let you see your images instantly. It was a whole new world with all the growing pains to match. It seemed like every week a new camera came out that was twice as good as the one that preceded it. My 6 megapixel camera I used at the time seems like a dinosaur now. I’m honestly amazed at the tools we have now to create images with – we’re at a great time for photography. The pace

“Looking through those initial photos is actually pretty easy, the good ones usually stand out when going through them and you’ve got a pretty good idea of shots that have caught your eye over the course of the year.” of sharing images has also come an incredibly long way. What once took me a few days to drop off my film and get it back has progressed to the near instant sharing that in-camera WiFi and social media has brought us. To take an image and share it on @mxpmag minutes later still takes some getting used to. That’s why I enjoy working on the Photo Annual. It allows me to slow down, sit back, and take a look at all those images that passed through my eyepiece throughout the year. It’s always daunting at first – there’s usually about 10,000 or so photos scattered through my folders that I’ve accumulated as “selects” over the year. Looking through those initial photos is actually pretty easy, the good ones usually stand out when going through them and you’ve got a pretty good idea of shots that have caught your eye over the course of the year.

The tough part, for me, starts once I’ve whittled things down to about 200 shots that make the next stage. There’s only a limited amount of space in these pages and every time you put one shot in it means another one doesn’t make the cut. Plenty of images come in and out as I try to balance things out. Some shots fit better with others, some don’t work with the cropping of the page, others have no real reason for keeping them out – there’s just not enough space. It’s always a good time to look back at my body of work as a whole and see what I could do better. I always wish I had more battles, more emotion, more special moments, the things that make an image stand the test of time. Eventually, though, you settle on the photos that make up this issue you’re holding right now, and hopefully the images make your cut as well. Here’s to another exciting year in 2016.

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U P S H I F T W I T H B R I A N KO S T ER

T U R N I N G T H E PAG E ith the “super” el Nino in full effect in December, we Canadians have had an unseasonably warm and virtually snow free winter…so far anyway. It has been a bonus for dirt bikers and great for road and mountain bikers as well…but not so much for skiers and snowmobilers. I happen to engage in all five of these activities so it’s kind of a win win, but I do hope we get some good dumpings at some point so my friends in the ski and sled industry can do some business and not go belly up! But back to Motocross, the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals were some of the best in recent memory, and anticipation is high for what’s in store for 2016. Man, what a line-up of talent that is in store in the premier MX1 class. I’m sure everyone has heard by now that Brett Metcalfe has signed with Yamaha to be defending champion Matt Georke’s teammate, and that Kawasaki has signed Mikes Alessi and Vince Fresie. After Colton Facciotti dealt with his multiple offers as the most sought after rider in the country, he has re-signed with Honda, and Cole Thompson will be back on a KTM. Whether “Tommy Gun” Thompson will ride in the MX2 or MX1 class remains to be seen as rumours are floating around that he may drop down, but his teammate, Kaven Benoit, who has pointed out of the MX2 class, will definitely be on a 450 KTM. As for fan favourite Tyler Medaglia, things are looking good for him to be back on the sweet looking Husqvarna 450 running a similar program as last season, but as of this writing had not officially signed on the dotted line. As for Suzuki’s National race effort, it looks like another year of them looking in from the sidelines as their only representation seems to come from wild card American riders who venture north to compete in our series. What a shame from a company that was once such a dominant force in this country. Like the old saying goes “What wins on Sunday sells on Monday” definitely rings true, so I would be curious to know how many RMs have actually sold since they pulled out of supporting a National race effort. I rode Suzukis for about ten years and have a bit of a soft spot for the company. Hey, who doesn’t like an underdog, right? Speaking of Americans, there are always rumours circulating around about this fast guy or that fast guy that might show up and put the boots to our boys. There are so many other talented riders and teams like Redemption Racing and RTR in the pits, so when you throw in the excitement of the MX2 class you know it’s going to be another doozy of a season! 2015 will definitely go down in history as a standout season. From the tracks to the weather to the fan attendance, it was an unbelievable ride from the get go in Kamloops. There has been a lot published here in MXP about last season. It has been great reliving the action through the various

journalists’ eyes and to get the different takes on what went down. From my perspective, the major highlights occur on track but behind the scenes there is so much more going on that the casual fan does not see. Everything that happens on Sunday happens for a reason and has a time and a place in the program. There are so many details that need addressing to pull off the “perfect” National. To me perfection is overrated, but it is something good to strive for. This so called perfection rarely happens but when it gets close it is a joyous occasion for all of the hard working staff. Everything from banner placement to stage location to Pro pit parking to the sound system to scoring, sign in and even to lunch, everybody on staff has a job to do. One of the biggies is the priority of the television package to be as best it can be. Rob Hill from Hill’s Production steers the ship but many people work hard together to make it all happen. One of the key jobs is to find the best camera locations, where and how to run all the wires, and where to locate the production vehicle. These guys are pros right from the lead tech guy to the audio person and camera operators; this job has to be done right. Marc Travers, our Director, wears many hats on a race weekend. This position can get awfully hectic at a moment’s notice but he has developed a system to deal with the pressure to get the job done…and done well. One of the most thrilling jobs from the production end is directing the roaming cameraman. I did this job for ten years. At certain tracks it can be a taxing process on the body. You see, it is your job to keep the cameraman safe while trying to get as close to the action as possible and inform him of what to shoot and of the key battles as the race develops. When it’s a big hilly track like Deschambault or Ulverton, as an example,

both individuals need to be in pretty damn good shape to trek around and capture the essence of the race and speed of the bikes. We all know television does not do speed or elevation changes justice when compared to being there live, so this is the art of the camera operator to try to capture these nuances. Plus, when you are walking around the track filming and being the spotter, you get a much better understanding of the gnarly nature of our sport and a greater respect for the athletes’ abilities to overcome the obstacles. Sometimes at thirty or forty feet away you can’t see or get a handle on the size of some of the bomb holes or the depth of the ruts like you can when you are right in the thick of the action filming. In all those years directing the camera we have been stuck in torrential rain, pelted by hail, been knee deep in mud from overwatering and covered in roost, but most importantly we’ve never been hit by a bike. I had one camera guy sprain his ankle slipping in the mud but other than that it was a relatively injury-free decade of capturing the action that our race series delivers. I must say, at times I do miss the challenge and excitement of being the spotter, but I don’t miss the clumps of roost in the hair and the perpetual sweat and mud caked footwear. Next time you are at a live event when things don’t go exactly as planned, maybe try to not be to overly critical but instead yourself in the promoter’s shoes. I know in this world we are conditioned to expect perfection and instant gratification, but in reality, how often does everything go perfectly according to plan in your world? I know we all plan perfection but when it doesn’t happen, about all we can do is go with the flow. As they say, “Everything seems to work out in the end.”

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This was my favourite image from the 2015 season. The motion blur, the reflection, Bobby Kiniry hauling along the straight away at Sand Del Lee – everything about it came together. I’m going to miss shooting photos of Bobby K in 2016.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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As much as the riders are the stars in our sport, sometimes it’s the photographers, trying to get the perfect shot, that are the real heroes.

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He may be far removed from his days as an AMA National Champion but Travis Pastrana can still wow the crowd like nobody else. Shot at the Vancouver, BC stop of the Nitro Circus tour.

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Arenacross allows me to experiment with different lighting setups. Here, Ross Johnson comes out of the shadows at the Cloverdale round of the Future West Arenacross series, enroute to repeating as Champion for 2015.

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I love reaction photos. With his arm freshly bandaged up, Ross Johnson and his mechanic, Chris Sweet, get a champagne shower from the peanut gallery after the final round of the Future West Arenacross series.

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WHAT A SUMMER! ROCKSTAR ENERGY OTSFF YAMAHA TEAM By Adam Robinson

Photos by James Lissimore

hen I take time to sit back and think about how the 2015 season went for Team Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha, there are a million things that come to mind. The final round at Walton was a nail biter and we all know what the final outcome was, but there were also so many different events that led up to that weekend. Read on to catch a brief review of how our season was leading up to that day! It was early fall of 2014 when we were in talks with Matt Goerke. It was agreed that the best way to showcase our equipment was to allow the 2012 CMRC Champ to ride our race bike. We prepped two motorcycles for him to test, both having two very different setting directions, one end of the spectrum being Chisholm’s setting and the other end of the spectrum was Kiniry’s setting. So we flew Matt up to Toronto and took him to RJ Motosport Park in Barrie, Ontario for a day of riding. We kept things as low key as possible to avoid any unneeded attention, but it didn’t take long for guys to figure out who was there riding the Rockstar Yamaha. He took some time to sign a few autographs and got to chat with some local riders, which is always a cool deal! As it turned out, he preferred Kiniry’s chassis/ suspension and a mix of both engine packages. He was pumped we were able to get him comfy enough in a really short time period, which instilled his confidence in our program. He signed with our team a few days later!

In late October of 2014 we took the transporter and all three 450 riders (Kiniry, Chisholm, Goerke) down to the MEC in Las Vegas. Factory Connection did a great job of getting the guys comfortable with the minimal testing time that we had before the event. Our main goal was to at least qualify 2 out of the 3 boys for the night show. While Matt and Bobby both looked decent in qualifying practice, the heats didn’t go as planned. Matt made an error late in the first heat, which resulted in him getting passed and pushed out of a qualifying position. He was pretty mad at himself because he felt good and had decent speed leading into the heat race. Bobby hit the deck hard after hitting a tuff block while attempting to force the issue on the start of his heat race. Anyone that knows Bob can appreciate his do-or-die attitude. Unfortunately, that day didn’t work in his favour. It resulted in a trip to the Asterisk Medical Trailer with a broken wrist and hand. Even though the racing didn’t go as planned, we still had a great time and had a chance to sit down with many of the sponsors stateside that support our racing efforts here in Canada. I’ll also add that I was able to enjoy a small birthday celebration to end the weekend! With Goerke and Kiniry both signed to different teams for the winter of 2015, they were set to race the AMA Arenacross series. The next few months would be pretty quiet for our team. Having Shawn Maffenbeier signed to campaign an MX2 championship effort for 2015, he was our main focus for the next while. Having spent the past few winters in Southern California training for our Canadian series, he was set to head back down at the beginning of February. As a nice addition to our program in Canada, we are fortunate enough to have a home base in SoCal for our equipment and riders. Thanks to a relationship that we developed through Bobby Kiniry (Bobby raced Supercross for Allan in 2013), we work with Allan of Allan Brown Motorsports. Located in Riverside, California, he works on behalf of OTSFF all year long to maintain equipment and facilitate our team while our boys are down there. The toughest and most unpredictable part of our business is injury. After weeks of planning/scheduling and talking with Factory Connection, we had a good plan in place for test sessions and getting things kicked off towards a great 2015 season. Then disaster came knocking! Shawn had a nasty get-off in early April while practicing and injured his shoulder. That put him on the sideline until the middle of

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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WHAT A SUMMER!

Right: For the second time in his career Matt Goerke was able to hoist up the MX1 Championship trophy. Centre: The Rockstar Yamaha riders battled themselves, as well as the competition in 2015. Far right: Everyone in Canadian motocross is going to miss watching Bobby Kiniry give it his all on the race track.

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Left: Popular Saskatchewan rider Shawn Maffenbeier gives his podium speech beside the beautiful Rockstar girls.

May. To top that, Matt broke his collarbone at the last round of AMA Arenacross. Talk about questioning your title hopes!! Thankfully, we still had a somewhat healthy Kiniry and we were able to proceed with testing mid-May and make headway with the bike. We did some testing with Shawn as well during the weeks leading up to Round 1 at Kamloops. Knowing he was still injured, I didn’t put that much pressure on him to test once I felt he was comfortable. Matt attended our weeklong testing session as a spectator but was unable to ride. He was fortunate enough to have another test session the week leading up to Kamloops. That’s right, no testing or riding until days before Round 1! After racing a different brand all winter, the first 35 minute moto he did on our bike was Moto 1 in Kamloops. I’m certain there were doubts on both sides of the fence as to how he would perform. Why wouldn’t there be, I guess? The dude broke his collarbone two weeks prior! I can remember watching him ride away from the tent to line up for Moto 1, and he almost tossed it away in the pits testing the rear brake. I thought to myself, “Oh boy, are we in for a long season!” I couldn’t have been more wrong. He ran as fast or faster lap times than anyone else on the track all day. I’m still not sure if it was purely his ability to ride whatever is under him, or we hit the mark and he gelled with the bike. A combination of the two I would say. Either way, he got through Round 1 with a 2nd overall then tested again the following week in California with Factory Connection and the boys from Yamaha USA to work on a few things. I attribute our ability to make quick headway with our bikes to Factory Connection. Every FC employee I’ve met or spoken with over the phone is truly passionate about their company and is totally dedicated to our racing efforts. In our two year tender with Factory Connection, I have seen some pretty cool ideas and theories come from their head R&D guy, Mike Haist. Mike is truly a great mind in the business and has an enormous amount of passion for what he does. We are fortunate to be teamed up with such a company. As the western swing of the Nationals went on, we saw a mixed

bag of results. We had great motos and motos that you’d like to forget about. Bobby did his best to run the pace of the top four guys, and would always seem to get great starts then settle into a battle for 6th place. While he was never content with the results, we still stood behind him and were content with his efforts. It took Maffenbeier a bit to gain momentum but as the series headed east he had some good rides as well. In Calgary, Matt got what some would call an early Christmas gift with Metcalfe’s DNF. Either way you look at it, sh*t happens in racing, both good and bad. As a team we’ve had our fair share of misfortune and heartbreaks over the years and for once it played into our favour. For me, Matt solidified himself as a champion during Moto 2 in Regina. He had a lukewarm first moto finishing 3rd, and then for Moto 2 came out and simply raced everyone else on the track into the ground! After coming from a top 5 start to leading for 25+ minutes with the likes of Metty breathing down his neck, it was inspiring to say the least. We left Regina with the points lead and maintained it for the rest of 2015. Before the two week break, we had several discussions about results and bike settings etc., and decided it was best that we hold a team test for 2-3 days. We decided that San Del Lee near Ottawa, Ontario would fit perfectly for what we were trying to achieve and they welcomed us with open arms. Johnny Grant and Kevin Tyler made sure the track was perfect for our testing. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was in a mood that week and it rained like crazy. We didn’t get the optimal rough conditions that I’d hoped for, but Kevin burned hundreds in diesel fuel getting the track passable for us, and we’re really thankful for his efforts. Leaving Sand Del Lee feeling like we’d made some gains, we headed to Gopher Dunes for the next round of the CMRC Nationals. I believe he had an even better bike than the western swing and we were well prepared, but in case anyone missed that weekend, Matt was a force to be reckoned with. According to Matt, “I’ve won

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WHAT A SUMMER!

“SO TO SAY GOPHER WAS A GREAT ROUND FOR THE TEAM WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT AND IT REALLY CEMENTED OUR CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP HEADING EAST.”

everything every time I’ve been here. Practice, motos, everything!” Based on the last time he raced this track, we all had a pretty confident feeling heading into the weekend. I remember his mechanic came on the headset during timed practice and asked, “How is he doing? Matt’s not sure where he’s at?” He qualified some 2+ seconds faster than anyone else… So to say Gopher was a great round for the team would be an understatement and it really cemented our chase for the championship heading east. Matt went on to have some epic battles with Facciotti and Metty for the rest of the series, with a small hiccup during Round 8 at River Glade MX Park in Moncton, NB. While leading Moto 1, his bike’s chain derailed from its sprockets! To this day, he doesn’t know how he got the chain back on, but he did, and worked his way from 100th place (figuratively speaking) to 5th! He went on to convincingly win Moto 2 and finish 3rd overall on the day. On the other side of the coin, my old buddy Bobby had a day to forget in Moncton. He crashed his brains out while running near the front in Moto 1. I think he swapped or cross rutted while jumping into the first treed section and did some real damage. I think the list of injuries looked like this - broken foot, split chin (which he had me fix with duct tape to keep the debris out!), cracked ribs, and a moderate concussion. Regardless of what he was telling me, I knew that he had hit his head hard and I offered to pay him where he would have finished on the day based on what position he was in when he crashed if he didn’t race the second moto. Of course, being the stubborn SOB he is, he opted to race the second moto and crashed again while running near the front! After the day was done, he came to me and said,” Man, I hit my head hard today!” Yeah, no kidding! I’ll always commend him for doing whatever he could do to get the best results. Whether it meant riding injured or making the best of a bad deal, he was soldier. As I am writing this piece, he is newly retired from professional racing, but I have a feeling we’ll still see him around the race track, which is great news for all of his fans. The next two weekends of racing was more of a maintenance program for Matt and what he had built up for points. He did a great job of being in the hunt and doing what he needed to stay near the front. There is always a nagging feeling I always get inside with the position I hold on the team. What can I do to make the bike better? Can we change anything? Are we holding him back? The years of experience told me firmly this time, let’s leave it and let him ride. Believe me, that’s not an easy thing to do knowing that the bike can always be better but there comes a point when you know when to leave well enough alone! I remember waking up championship Sunday in Walton feeling like we could have a perfect day of racing ahead of us. The weather was perfect, the track was perfect, and Matt was ready to go. But the one thing you can never count out in racing is the competition. When the dust settled in corner 2 during the start of Moto 1, I felt like I was watching a horror movie! Now, I am passionate about racing, too much sometimes, and when I saw

Matt and Colton laying on top of each other I almost had a heart attack. These two were each within points of winning a championship and were now lying on the ground together in dead last place. Thankfully, the racing gods were kind to us and Matt’s bike wasn’t broken and he was able to continue the race. Right around 3 or 4 laps to go, as Matt came by the mechanics area, Matt’s mechanic came on the radio yelling “His hand is up! His hand is up! Something is wrong with the bike!!!!” I replied “Steve, tell him he’s in 5th place!” Well, the bike wasn’t broken and as it turned out he needed 5th or better in that moto to win the title. That day saw Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha earn our first ever CMRC National MX title. For Matt it was his second title in four years. In closing, I would like to say thank you to all of our sponsors for their continuous support, and with the recent signing of Brett Metcalfe for 2016, we are looking to successfully defend our #1 plate!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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www.flyracing.com

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There are certain “bucket list” places you always want to get to but they rarely live up to the hype. Zaca Station, in California, was one of those dream tracks I always wanted to check out, only it more than lived up to its reputation. A motocross “Field of Dreams.”

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A lot of times when at a photo shoot, doing things correctly doesn’t always yield the best photo. Cole Thompson stuffed his front end into this berm at Zaca Station during our Royal Distributing KTM Fox Racing shoot and it made for a cool shot.

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CANADA’S MOTORCYCLE FXR MX101 YAMAHA RACING TEAM

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS By Johnny Grant |

Photos by James Lissimore

n 2013, a new, professional race team arrived on the Canadian MX scene. I was asked to write a story that would explain some of the behind the scenes goings on with Yamaha’s Factory MX2 team. I will try to tell you every dirty little secret I can! So here goes…. First off, MX101 and MX101 Racing is owned by myself, Johnny Grant, and Kevin “KT” Tyler. MX101 leases Sand Del Lee from the original owners, the Argues, that started Sand Del Lee. So yes, this story will be biased but I will try not to rewrite history too badly. I remember pulling KT aside in the summer of 2012 and pointing out that we had both wanted to have a professional team since we started MX101 in 2001 and maybe now was the time. The change that had occurred was that I quit my “real” job and was working on MX101 full-time, which we believed would give us the bandwidth to make the team happen. We both thought it was a bit of a pipe dream but we decided to talk to Yamaha about it. MX101 had been with Yamaha since the beginning, helping us with education programs like schools, summer camps, the “Learn to Ride” program, as well as our amateur support team. In 2011, our amateur team was coming into its own. We now know Eastern Ontario has pretty much become a powerhouse in Amateur Motocross, led by riders Dylan Wright, Brad Dool, Taylor Arsenault, and Tyler Duffy. That was the basis of our proposal to Yamaha; we felt that quite a few riders that had come up through our program were about to be ready to turn pro, but we felt the harsh reality of going pro could cause them to have trouble with the transition. We wanted to help riders at the semi-pro level for a couple of years so they would have the best chance possible to make it into the pro ranks and make a career out of it. Yamaha’s Bryan Hudgin seemed to like the proposal, and even added that if the riders did well enough, he would try to get them on the “Factory Team,” Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha. We thought this was awesome! However, things never go as planned…

A few weeks later KT and I received a call from Bryan who asked us if we wanted to run a satellite Yamaha race team. Why, we asked? Because Jeremy Medaglia had suddenly become available and Yamaha thought he would be a great addition to Yamaha. KT and I immediately said “Yes” and never looked back. That is the unlikely story of the birth of a race team. That first year we had a steep learning curve but we had some great moments. The best for me was the first race in Nanaimo. After all the hard work KT, Jeremy, myself and the Robinsons had put into the team, I decided at the last minute to fly out to Nanaimo to see it live. I was there for such a short time that I actually checked in for the departing flight before I landed.

If you don’t remember, I will tell you that Jeremy dug deep on that day, his first pro race on a 450, with few people believing in him or our fledgling team, and he actually made the podium with a 6-3. He might as well have won the World Championships we were so happy. But the best part was at the end of the day. KT and I were in the back of the rig when Jeremy came up to us, with the most genuine emotions I may have ever experienced, and thanked us for giving him the chance by putting together a real team. Maybe I am a softie but that was pretty special. Jeremy surprised everyone in 2013 by getting a 4th place at the end of the year and winning a national along the way. I still think Jeremy is

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a huge threat on a 450 as he is on 250. Jeremy is a technician, though. He is a surgeon on the bike and can run lap times all day long on the same second. He feels things on the bike that many riders cannot, like how many hours are on a frame. He is not Magoo Chandler with a gun-and-run ability, he is more like a David Bailey with his consistency, and that will make Jeremy very successful on 450s, once he gets on a 450 full-time. In 2014, Yamaha came back to KT, which is when I decided we should be their 250 Factory effort. We jumped at that chance. After we met with Jeremy over lunch in September, and as KT and I drove back to the track, I said, “I think Jeremy just quit.” KT looked at

me and we both thought, “Nawww.” Fast forward to late October and Jeremy announced he was moving to Honda. It was a lesson for me that you can be great friends with a rider, and you can go to war with that rider, but in the end, this is a business, and Jeremy had to do what he thought was best. You have to respect that, and I have a ton of respect for that kid. So, we needed some riders, quick! We luckily had Dylan Wright fresh off coming 3rd at the Gopher Dunes National as an Amateur. Dylan won almost all of the amateur awards you could win, including the Yamaha Factory Ride multiple times! He was one of a group of riders that had started with MX101 schools back in the early years and now he was coming into his own.

We had so much faith in Dylan that we signed him for three years! People doubted that move but it has worked out well for all of us. Shawn Maffenbeier was already riding for Yamaha, so he was the obvious choice to move to our program. He decided he did not want to ride for our team as he liked working with Andre, Bob and the crew over at Rockstar Yamaha OTSFF, which we could not fault him for. Andre was good enough to keep him on, so we had to go look for someone else. I met Jesse Wentland for five minutes at the Sand Del Lee National in 2013 and he seemed like a good kid. KT did his research on riders, so we had a few riders we wanted to talk to. We flew down to Daytona

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CANADA’S MOTORCYCLE FXR MX101 YAMAHA RACING TEAM

in March and signed Wentland. I would say on the spot, but he had some reservations and we went back and forth on a few things, but it got done that day. Everyone was excited and we believed we were going in with a solid chance to win the championship. Unfortunately, Jesse came into the season with what turned out to be a broken wrist. He rode the entire season with that injury and got it fixed in the fall. Jesse is one of those riders that has a ton of talent but really brings heart, determination and fitness to the table. He often made huge moves late in the motos when everyone else was dragging their tongues on the ground. He is smart and fit, and if the motos had have been 45 minutes plus two, I think we would have won that championship, broken wrist and all. But, MX101 Yamaha once again came 4th. We were getting a complex… One of the secrets from 2014 is that Jesse won in Moncton on a completely stock engine after his race bike expired on the finish line of Moto 1. He immediately came off and got angry that we had been holding out on him. That is how good the stock Yamaha was. We worked hard to get more power out of the engine but the power delivery of the stocker suited Jesse better. Jesse is a very quiet kid; getting to know a rider is a huge part of the battle to doing well. KT and I made a note that we needed to make sure we were getting more info out of the riders during testing. Dylan was an entirely different animal. Dylan had come off of two-strokes as an amateur in 2014. Learning to ride the four-stroke was taking some time for Dylan. When Dylan and Jesse would come off after the first moto, Jesse’s bike looked like it had not been ridden, but Dylan’s looked like he had just ridden through a lava field; brakes…on fire, clutch… too hot to touch let alone change, and bike parts were falling off. Dylan managed to get ninth in the series but with a large number of DNFs from mechanicals. He really could have been 5th or 6th. Dylan worked incredibly hard over the off-season, making changes on his end to his riding, and on our end with the bike he has overcome all this. He is now one

of the smoothest riders on the tour. His bike looks brand new all weekend! What a change a year makes. Smooth, fast and calm – good things! Our intention was to stick with Jesse and Dylan for 2015. However, you know what they say about the best laid plans. I remember being on the phone with Jesse late one evening while I was on vacation in Florida. Jesse wanted to wear Fox but we could not commit to that, though we had been with them for a few years, including our education programs. We needed Fox to step up their level of commitment with the new “Yamaha Factory MX2” effort, but they had already committed a large budget to KTM. Jesse and I agreed to move forward by the end of that conversation and I was going to send him a contract the next day. When he called in the morning, he said he decided he needed Fox on the team, so he would wait to see what happened. I was disappointed but that is what he wanted. You have to respect that, and I have a ton of respect for that kid, just like Jeremy. At the same time this was happening, Andy White, the Team Manager of KTM for ten years, was released by KTM. Andy has always been a friend so I reached out and we got talking. Andy came on board early in 2014 to help take “MX101 Yamaha” to the next level and the team quickly became “Canada’s Motorcycle / FXR / Yamaha.” We moved forward with not only our long standing supporters but new sponsors including Forma, 6D Helmets, Hatton Insurance, and R&R Automation. With the addition of FXR, Jesse was now out of the picture. We needed a rider (again). Once again, KT did his magic research and came up with a short list. That list had a very interesting name on it; Jimmy Decotis. Every rider we looked at was a great rider. Every person who straps on boots and a helmet who can finish top ten is an incredibly impressive athlete. Jimmy was not only fast, he was pretty well known as well. We were really pushing to get the right guy on the bike who we believed could win, so KT went down south and spent a few days with our top few prospects. Jimmy was on a mission to prove he could put his skill and

determination together with a new, stronger focus on fitness to make an outdoor program work. We knew this was a big chance, because any really good rider like Jimmy can score a top 20 series overall in the AMA if they work really hard. The problem: In Canada we can’t have a rider who has finished top 20 in an AMA outdoor series in the last five years in the 250 class. It is the rule. It’s a tough rule to deal with as there are not a lot of Canadian riders that can win and none that were available at the time. The Canadians that could win, like JDags, Benoit and Maffenbeier, are FAST! That means a US guy that is not fast enough to make the AMA top 20 does not have a chance. So you have to find someone that has not raced the entire series. We figured it had to be this year or Jimmy might become ineligible. I honestly still thought it was a huge longshot to get Jimmy to sign to come up and race with us, but KT made it happen and we were very excited to have him on the team. Jimmy came up a little banged up from

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while Paul Kingsley, CMRC’s Head Referee, used his calipers to check out our engine, and quickly confirmed it was within specs. He joked it was a 240 and we had room to make it bigger. Since bringing Jimmy on board, we had also amped up our social media presence. All press is good press, so we had some fun with KTM for a couple of weeks over that one. We did not win the war, unfortunately. We made it to the second step at the end of the year and earned ourselves some podium champagne. Our string of 4th places was broken. Jimmy had a few bad weeks after Gopher Dunes trying to figure out how to beat the twostroke but it was not to be. There were some outstanding moments, though. At the Sand Del Lee National, Jimmy crashed on the start and had to come through the pack. I remember standing on the finish line watching the infamous right hand corner after the finish line. Jimmy was right on a guy but ended up on the outside of the corner; he was too close to the guy to cut under him. So he picked up the front wheel, lifted it over the back of the rider’s rear fender, ripped the bars to the right, and cut the corner to almost ninety degrees. It was the most impressive thing I have seen in the 37 years I have been watching pro motocross. The National finish line ref, Chris Holiday, and I both looked at each other as our jaws dropped. It was a great ride but not the results Jimmy wanted. At Walton, Jimmy dominated in the first moto… really dominated! It was very impressive and really showed what he could do. In the second moto, Jimmy did not feel comfortable and turned it down to make sure he made it on the podium. However, watching Dylan was “THE GUYS WERE GENUINELY EXCITED TO BE UP THERE TOGETHER; my fun in the second moto. The JIMMY WAS REALLY SUPPORTING DYLAN AND DYLAN WAS LOVING kid was barely revving the engine at all and was going so fast HAVING JIMMY ON THE TEAM. THIS SIGNALED A REAL CHANGE through the deep ruts. It was TO ME IN DYLAN WRIGHT, FROM THE FLASHY DDUB TO A KID pretty amazing to see how far kid had come. All totaled, we WHO WAS REALLY ON HIS GAME.” the had something like 17 podiums in 2015 between Jimmy and Dylan. We came second with Jimmy, and Dylan proved This signaled a real change to me in Dylan Wright, the US SX series but was ready to go for the first race he was a podium threat every week. from the flashy DDub to a kid who was really on his of the year. Jimmy was a big name, but because he So, our plan for 2016 is to keep Jimmy and Dylan. game. In the second moto in Calgary, Dylan was so was a SX specialist, a lot of people still doubted him. Dylan is in the final year of his three-year deal. Jimmy far back after the first lap that it was like he almost It was great for lots of press and online discussions parlayed his success into a chance to go to Australia. got lapped. He had tangled with Jeremy Medaglia on about how things would go; all press is good press He went and took the Kangaroo by the horns and won the start and went down. Then, incredibly, he just when it comes to racing. Jimmy was easy going, super the Australian SX Championship. Geico Honda called smoothly rode that Yamaha all the way up to 6th. to work with, and liked the setup from the beginning. him; Jimmy is going to see how he can do in US SX on With a few more laps, who knows what would have Another little secret is though he is super-fast, Jimmy a top team. We are behind him all the way! happened. Dylan might say things had been different likes to tweak little things quite a bit, and at times he 2016 will be interesting in the 250F class with for a long time, but when we went back to the rig and kept his mechanic, Pete, hopping. Jimmy Decotis, Dylan Wright, Cole Thompson, Jeremy Dylan’s bike did not look used, he was very upset to When the rubber met the dirt in Kamloops, Jimmy Medaglia, Shawn Maffenbeier, a bunch of young up and not be in the top three. I knew things were different for dominated! My Sand Del Lee responsibilities had comers like Jess Petis, and a few new US riders. It is the kid. Jimmy getting second for the day and another once again kept me in the Nation’s Capital, and I really always a challenge but with good vibes, lots of work, podium was exciting, for sure, but I hung with Dylan at wished I had pulled another quick trip out west like I and a genuine team of people really caring about each the rig. That was a race. did with Jeremy in 2013, because that was an exciting other, our team will be gunning for the top step. Guys Jimmy continued to do well, but as with the rest of day! But it did not end there. We had a tough weekend like Pete McPhail, Cale Foster, Allan Brown, and Kevin the guys, they were having a hard time keeping the in Nanaimo, but in Calgary, we put both guys on the Tyler make “Canada’s Motorcycle FXR Yamaha” the KTM 250 two-stroke of Benoit’s in sight. As funny as it box in the first moto! The guys were genuinely excited team it is. Thanks to all these guys and all of our sponmight seem, KTM protested our team at Gopher Dunes to be up there together; Jimmy was really supporting sors for making this all possible. after we finished second to them. JSR hung around Dylan and Dylan was loving having Jimmy on the team.

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Two-strokes and sand go together like Peanut Butter and Jam. Eve Brodeur leads the field in the first moto of the Women’s East class at Gopher Dunes.

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I always enjoy shooting the early morning motos at the TransCan. The morning sunshine, the fresh tilled dirt – it makes me want to ride. The Youth class battles it out at Walton.

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There’s nothing like a Supercross start to get the adrenaline pumping. Twenty of the world’s best riders battling for position always makes for a great shot. Here, Eli Tomac (3) and Chad Reed (22) aim for the same line at Anaheim.

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It’s cool watching a 450 drifting, wide-open through a loose corner. Brock Hoyer keeps it pinned on his Yamaha at the opening round at Kamloops.

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My aim is to try to show as much race battling during a moto. It doesn’t always work out but sometimes you get lucky and get a few riders going toe to toe in the same shot. Colton Facciotti (1) and Cole Thompson (148) battle back and forth with Tyler Medaglia giving chase at Regina.

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PALMS

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

By Chris Pomeroy |

Photos By James Lissimore

When you look back at the past year in Canadian motocross, there are many stories and many great performances that definitely stand out. In both the amateur and pro classes, we witnessed riders push their limits on the race track while battling for moto wins and championships. As I’ve done for the past two seasons, this is the time of the year that I sit down and come up with my annual Golden Elbow Awards to celebrate the memorable moments from the past season. Whether it was Matt Goerke’s incredible run to his MX1 title or Marco Cannella’s very popular win at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National in Tennessee, there were multiple moments that will leave people talking for years to come. For this year’s Golden Elbow Awards, let’s take a look at the winners in the 12 categories.

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

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P A L M S

3 R D

A N N U A L

G O L D E N

E L B O W

A W A R D S

RIDER OF THE YEAR M A T T

G O E R K E

There were a few riders that could certainly be nominated for the 2015 Rider of the Year. There was Kaven Benoit’s incredible summer, which saw him completely dominate the MX2 class at the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, plus Colton Facciotti and Brett Metcalfe, who waged an all-out war while they battled in the MX1 class at each and every round of the series. However, in the end I have to give this prestigious award to Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha rider Matt Goerke who took over the MX1 points lead at Round 3 in Calgary and never looked back. With his second moto wins in Regina and Gopher Dunes standing out as two of the best ever, Goerke rode solid all summer as he took his second Canadian MX1 Championship. Goerke will be returning in 2016 to defend his title against the likes of Metcalfe, Facciotti, Alessi and Kaven Benoit, who will be making his MX1 debut. But for now, let’s take a moment to celebrate Matt Goerke’s incredible season as he is your 2015 Rider of the Year!

TEAM OF THE YEAR

PALMS

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

R O C K S T A R E N E R G Y O T S F F Y A M A H A T E A M

When the Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha Team came onto the national scene in the early 2000s, they instantly found themselves enjoying success. With top American riders like Josh Woods and Gavin Gracyk at the helm, the team came very close to winning a title on more than one occasion, however, they came up just short. In the past few seasons, the OTSFF team once again played the bridesmaid as their top rider at the time, Bobby Kiniry, finished second overall in the MX1 series on a few occasions. While this well run team has come close, for whatever reason they hadn’t been able to reach that top step of the podium. That was until this past summer when Matt Goerke rode brilliantly for all ten rounds of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals and brought the OTSFF team their first, long awaited Canadian Motocross National Championship. With Team Owner Andre Laurin and Team Manager Adam Robinson running the show, Matt Goerke returning to go after his second consecutive MX1 title and Brett Metcalfe joining the fray, it’s possible we could see the OTSFF Team dominate again in 2016. The Golden Elbow Award for Team of the Year goes to the well deserving Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha Team

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P A L M S

PALMS

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

3 R D

A N N U A L

G O L D E N

E L B O W

A W A R D S

With a number of great events this past year right across this country, trying to pick just one makes this one of the toughest categories. With ten great rounds of pro nationals, multiple amateur championships and three very successful AX series to choose from, the winner for this award could go to any of the above. However, my pick for the event of the year goes to the new, eight round 2015 Canadian National AX Tour. For years, promoters have tried unsuccessfully to make an AX series work in Ontario, but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen. This past fall, Justin Thompson brought his popular AX Tour Series north of the border to cities like London, Sarnia, Penticton and Calgary. While rider turnout wasn’t great and attendance marginal, this first year series gave amateur and pro riders something that all Canadian riders needed, a healthy dose of some intense and exciting AX racing. To witness riders, who have never experienced indoor racing before, sign up and go through the steep learning curve that is racing indoors, I believe that even if some of them raced just one or two rounds it would make them better riders moving forward. With already so many well attended outdoor races both for amateurs and pros in almost every region of Canada, it was very refreshing to finally have a national indoor series that gives our riders a chance to further their riding skills and have fun in the process. Having said that, I pick the new Canadian National AX Tour as the Event of the Year.

EVENT OF THE YEAR

2 0 15 C A N A D I A N N A T I O N A L A X T O U R 3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

MOTO OF THE YEAR D E S C H A M B A U L T M X 1 M O T O 2

Now we go from the National of the Year to what I feel was the best moto of 2015. Again, this could’ve been any number of motos that took place. I think back to each round of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals and there is at least one moto that stands out. The round in Nanaimo produced some exciting racing. Watching Metcalfe come from behind to win the second moto in Calgary was very impressive; all the motos at Gopher Dunes were incredible to watch; and then there was the final, dramatic MX1 moto at Walton Raceway that played out like a Hollywood movie. For me, however, the most exciting moto of 2015 was the second MX1 moto in Dechambault, QC. On paper, Matt Goerke was victorious, but for him to get to that top stop involved a tough 35 minute eff ort for the Yamaha rider. When the gate dropped for Moto 2, Colton Facciotti rocketed to the front and, like he had done a week before at Sand Del Lee, instantly pulled away, turning the fastest lap time of the moto on lap 2. Behind him, Cole Thompson, Brett Metcalfe and Matt

Goerke were all scrambling to try to match Colton’s early speed. By the halfway point of the moto, Colton still led but Metcalfe and Goerke had figured out some new lines, so the pursuit for the lead was on. For the next ten minutes all three riders battled not only for the lead but also the lappers. With so many tight, one lined corners on the Deschambault track, passing was extremely tough. As they entered the final few laps of the moto, Metcalfe was all over Colton while Goerke just sat behind waiting for a mistake. With the massive Quebec crowd on its feet, Metcalfe made his move for the lead and tried to pass Colton. The two riders came together for a moment, and that delay allowed Goerke to ride by for the lead. While Colton fell back to fi fth place, Metcalfe recovered and was right on Goerke’s rear wheel as the white flag came out. Nearing exhaustion, Metty and Goerke chased each other to the chequered flag with Goerke taking the moto win and the overall win for the day. It was an incredible moto and one that definitely stands out as the best moto of 2015.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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MOST STYLISH RIDER C O L E

T H O M P S O N

Being a guy who loves to watch riders who have good style, this is one of my favourite categories. While there are many stylish riders who raced on Canadian soil in 2015, the one that really stood out to me was KTM rider Cole Thompson. I’m sure everyone will agree that when you watch Cole ride a motorcycle, his eff ortless style makes you believe that riding a dirt bike is easy. This is what smooth riders do, they make it look easy when it reality it’s anything but. Cole’s ride this past season on the slippery Nanaimo track was a thing of absolute beauty. His throttle control was spot on and his ability to carry speed through Nanaimo’s unpredictable corners was just awesome to watch. After a great summer on the 450, Cole will now switch to a 250F for 2016 as he will race the West Lites class in the Monster Energy SX Series as well as the MX2 class in the 2016 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals. It should be a very interesting year for him. Regardless of what place he finishes, I can’t wait to sit back and watch Cole Thompson ride a motorcycle.

PALMS

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

FEMALE RIDER OF THE YEAR E V E

B R O D E U R

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW A W were A R D S two riders that really stood out. Out west, For this award there

there was the ever likeable Sara King, who took home her very first CMRC Western Canadian Women’s National title. Sara had a great season. Not only was she great on the track, but off the track she always had a smile on her face and was very appreciative of her place in this sport. In the east it was most certainly the Eve Brodeur show as she completely dominated the CMRC Eastern Canadian Women’s Nationals. Riding a KTM 250 two-stroke, Eve not only stood atop the women’s podium but she also qualified for the MX2 class at a few of the pro nationals while competing against the boys. While both ladies had great 2015 seasons, my pick for Female Rider of the Year goes to Eve Brodeur, with the decision going to Eve because of how she performed at the Parts Canada TransCan. During the week at Walton Raceway, Eve was the dominant rider in the Women’s class and took home the championship. It definitely is a great time to be a female rider in Canada. With full gates from coast to coast, it’s great to see women embracing this sport more and more every year. Both Eve and Sara are terrific role models for the girls who are competing and striving to be the best riders they can be.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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P A L M S

3 R D

A N N U A L

G O L D E N

E L B O W

A W A R D S

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR E R I C

J E F F E R Y

We have witnessed many great rookies over the years that moved up from the Intermediate class and made a successful transition to the Pro class. I think back to just one year ago when MX101 Yamaha rider Dylan Wright was celebrating his first season as a Pro rider. Moving up to the Pro class is never an easy task, regardless of your talent and pedigree. A young rider goes from racing against kids his own age in the Intermediate class to racing against experienced men in the Pro class. A rookie has to be completely prepared physically and ready to face adversity mentally if they want to survive their first year. I feel the rider that did this the best in 2015 was Ontarian Eric Jeff ery. Pitted under the Redemption Racing KTM tent, Jeff ery raced in the MX1 class all series long and finished inside the top 20 in almost every moto. His highest finish was a 16th overall at Round 1 in Kamloops, which came from a very impressive 11th in the opening moto. When the MX1 series concluded at Round 10 in Walton, Jeff ery found himself in 17th overall in the series, a very solid finish for the young kid from Bowmanville, Ontario. With a year of pro racing now under his belt, look for Eric Jeff ery to be even better in 2016.

PALMS

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

TOP CANADIAN RIDER OF THE YEAR K A V E N 3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

B E N O I T

With all of the American riders that travel north each year to compete against our best, I feel like this is one of the most important awards. To win this award, a Canadian not only has to be successful while racing their fellow countrymen, but they also have to be successful racing against their competitors from south of the border as well. In my mind, the award for the Top Canadian Rider could’ve gone to one of three riders who all won motos this past season while competing against some very talented Americans. Colton Facciotti is the first candidate - the Honda Canada GDR rider won his share of motos in the MX1 class in 2015 and came up just shy of winning the title. The second rider I considered was Intermediate rider Marco Cannella. This phenom not only won a moto at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National, but he also made a last lap pass during the final moto to clinch the Schoolboy Championship. Both Colton and Marco had some great performances in 2015, however my choice for Top Canadian Rider of the Year is KTM rider Kaven Benoit! Right from the beginning of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, Benoit was the dominant rider in the MX2 class. Riding his durable and trusted 250 two-stroke, Benoit took the lead at Round 2 of the series and never looked back. He finished off the summer strong, winning his second consecutive MX2 Championship. During the offseason Benoit will be training hard as he will make his MX1 class debut in 2016. Congratulations to Kaven Benoit on being the Top Canadian Rider of 2015.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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P A L M S

3 R D

A N N U A L

G O L D E N

E L B O W

A W A R D S

PALMS

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

NATIONAL OF THE YEAR 3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

C A L G A R Y

HOLESHOT ARTIST OF THE YEAR R Y A N

L O C K H A R T

This is always a tough award to find a winner because throughout the season so many riders are talented starters. During the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals we saw Colton Facciotti, Kaven Benoit and Matt Goerke all get their share of holeshots in the MX1 and MX2 classes. Holeshotting any race takes a combination of quick reflexes and confidence. Not only do you have to be lightning fast off the gate but you also have to have a certain amount of self-belief that you’re going to reach turn one in first place. For any one of you out there who have holeshotted a race, you know the kind of adrenaline you get when rounding the first turn and there’s no one in front of you. It really is a great feeling. For this year’s recipient, I decided to look to the amateur ranks and one event in particular. At the 2015 Parts Canada TransCan at Walton Raceway, Maple Ridge Kawasaki rider Ryan Lockhart holeshotted 5 out of his 6 motos on route to his +25 and Vet Master TransCan titles. Getting a holeshot at any national race is never an easy feat, but getting five in a row and being almost perfect is pretty awesome. I won’t talk about who ruined what could’ve been Ryan’s perfect holeshot streak, let’s just say it was a wily vet who just got lucky.

When coming up with the winner for this category, I looked at not just all of the rounds of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, but also all of the amateur nationals too. While almost every race had something exciting happen at them, I have to go with Round 3 of the Nationals in Calgary, AB. Even if you’ve never had the opportunity to attend this race, you’ve all seen numerous photos with the Calgary skyline in the background and the crowd hanging over the fences. This round is not only the best attended of the series, but for whatever reason, it always produces some very exciting racing. With the convenience of the venue being located in the heart of the city, a great track for the riders, as well as the host hotel only a block away, everyone loves it when the series stops in Calgary. When you look back at the race in Calgary this year, it really was the turning point in the MX1 class as this was the race that Matt Goerke took over the points lead and held on to it until the end. This, of course, was due to the fact that Brett Metcalfe, who was the points leader heading into Round 3, suff ered a mechanical issue with his Monster Energy KX450F and was forced to DNF the first moto. It proved to be a devastating setback for the 2013 MX1 Champion, one that he was never able to fully recover from in the remaining rounds of the series. Capitalizing that day from Metcalfe’s misfortune was American bad boy Vince Friese, who along with his teammate Mike Alessi showed up for their only Canadian race of the summer. Friese rode fast and smooth and ended up taking the overall win in the MX1 class, proving that he can ride a big bike very well. Another very cool thing about that day in Calgary was that the Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha Team raced with all yellow plastic on their bikes to celebrate Yamaha’s Worldwide 60th Anniversary. With the exciting racing on the track and the great vibe off the track, there is no doubt that Round 3 in Calgary was the best National of 2015!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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G O L D E N

E L B O W

A W A R D S

PASS OF THE YEAR C O L T O N F A C C I O T T I This was perhaps the easiest of categories to choose a winner as I will never forget what I witnessed during the second moto at the final round at Walton Raceway. In what could possibly be the final Canadian National moto at Walton Raceway, both Matt Goerke and Colton Facciotti took it upon themselves to make this one of the most memorable ever. With only a few points separating Colton and leader Matt Goerke, Facciotti knew that he had to win the final moto of the year and hope that Goerke would struggle. As the race began and the dust cleared after the start, everyone stood there in amazement as both Facciotti and Goerke were both on the ground in turn 2. In a mad dash, Colton remounted first, and in full panic mode began his charge to the front. On a very rutted Walton track, which is notorious for being hard to pass on, Colton instantly began passing groups of MX1 riders at will. By lap two, he had already passed 28 riders and sat in 11th; by lap three he was already up to 7th. As the riders finished their fi fth lap, the Honda Canada GDR rider went from 39th all the way up to 5th place. It was one of the greatest passing displays I have seen in some time, especially on a track that doesn’t lead itself well to coming from behind. Eventually, Colton finished in 3rd place in the moto. Although he’d done all he could to win the championship, he came up just short as Goerke’s 6th place finish secured him the PALMS 3rd ANNUAL 2015 MX1 title. I won’t soon forget that day and GOLDEN ELBOW that ride by Colton Facciotti, which is why he wins AWARDS this award for Pass of the Year.

3rd ANNUAL GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS

TOUGHEST NATIONAL OF THE YEAR K A M L O O P S For this final award of 2015, we look back to the ten rounds of the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. For those riders who are lucky enough to make it to the pro class but are also lucky enough to be able to compete at a national race, they’re greeted by long motos in the toughest conditions that this sport has to off er. While every national is tough in its own way, a few always seem to stand out and leave the riders talking for years to come about just how grueling they were. For 2015, the toughest national was the opening round of the series in Kamloops, BC. For Round 1, the riders were greeted by not only a very rough Whispering Pines circuit but also the hottest temperatures the summer of 2015 had to off er. You see, back in early June, British Columbia was in the grips of a strong heat wave and the Kamloops National landed smack dab in the middle of it. For the riders that came into Round 1 slightly unprepared, they most certainly paid the price as the conditions were brutal. After four long and hot motos, Brett Metcalfe and Jimmy Decotis were victorious in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively. Both riders dominated their classes and left no doubt that they entered the 2015 nationals fi t and ready to go. For eventual champions Matt Goerke and Kaven Benoit, the tough opening round was all about survival and trying to score as many points as possible. Obviously, both were able to recover quite nicely, and they both took over their points lead in the next few rounds. As the summer went on and the riders faced a few more race days with extreme conditions, none ended up being as brutal as the opening at Whispering Pines Raceway. And that is why I feel that Kamloops was the Toughest National of 2015.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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The fans at Kamloops were treated to some half-time, freestyle action with Reagan Sieg and Jeff Banks, shown here, throwing down tricks as part of the Rockstar Energy Milot Land Tour.

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I like to experiment with panning shots most weekends. They don’t always turn out but when they do they help show the speed the riders are racing at. This shot of Kaven Benoit at Gopher Dunes was one of my favourite pans of 2015.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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The smoke machines are fired up, the lasers are shining - it’s time for Supercross. Points leader Ken Roczen emerges from the smoke at Phoenix to get the show started.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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Brett Metcalfe is a real pro when it comes to photo shoots. He knows what looks good and it usually doesn’t take long to get some killer shots. With my flashes set up, Metty explodes a berm at Kamloops for the Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki team photo shoot.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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This battle ended up going down to the wire. Matt Goerke (101) leads Colton Facciotti (1) at the Riverglade round of the series. Goerke would end up claiming his second Canadian title when the dust was settled.

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The crew at Feld Motorsports always kills it when it comes to Opening Ceremonies. I like to get up high, if possible, to capture the magic. The night gets started at Anaheim 3 last February.

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One of the aspects that makes motocross great is how it brings families together. Fiona Koenig and her dad share the moment with a podium in the 50cc class at the TransCan.

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It’s always good to look for the moments away from the race action that help tell the story of the day. At Gopher Dunes, that usually means cleaning sand out of, well, everything. Bobby Kiniry tries to get his helmet sand-free at the end of the day.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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The uphill start at Ulverton is one of my favourite places to shoot. Michael DaSilva (26) and Colton Facciotti (1) lead the pack as they crest the hill in Quebec.

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It’s hard to keep your camera dry but champagne shots are always fun to try to get. Getting to spray the bubbly means you had a great day. Matt Goerke sprays the crowd at Kamloops.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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The first turn at Sand Del Lee is another one of my favourite starts to shoot. The sweeping S corner, the crowd in the background, it always make for a great shot. Like he did a lot in 2015, Kaven Benoit leads the MX2 pack in moto one.

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There was a great 4-way battle for the lead in moto two at Ulverton. Here, Cole Thompson (148) leads Colton Facciotti (1) and Matt Goerke (101) down the rough downhill with none of them willing to let off.

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Teddy Maier has been racing in Canada as long as I’ve been covering the sport. The Iowa native is one of the good guys in the sport and we’ve worked together a lot over the years. He’s another rider who will be missed in 2016 as he moves on to the next chapter in his life. Here, the two-time MX2 champ blasts off a tabletop at Nanaimo.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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In Supercross, there are certain riders who you automatically train your camera on in practice. Josh Grant is one of those guys. Here he is styling it out at Anaheim.

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Ryan Dungey leaps towards the heavens as he flies high over Larocco’s Leap at Red Bud in Michigan.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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The riding skills of our sport’s European riders sure have come a long way in the past decade. Here, Tony Cairoli shows the World that he can stay low over a jump as good as anyone.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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With the blue, mile-high sky in the background, the 250 riders search for that extra little bit of horsepower as they race towards the holeshot in Colorado.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE 路 MXPMAG.COM

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Sand will always be my favourite surface to shoot. It’s hard to get a bad photo when guys are blasting around in the soft stuff with sand flying everywhere. Tyler Medaglia blows through a berm in practice at Gopher Dunes.

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This past September, all of the World’s best riders gathered in Ernée, France for the 2015 Monster Energy MXON. After an intense battle with the USA, the hometown team from France took home a very popular victory.

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The riders of the US Nationals make their way through one of the most famous corners in motocross, the first turn at Glen Helen.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE 路 MXPMAG.COM

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Another rider who’s always styling it out in practice is Idaho’s Morgan Burger. This table top at Ulverton is perfect for riders getting flat and Burger was showcasing his style.

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THE INSIDE LINE ANDY WHITE

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“I have to say, the 2015 CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals were pretty damn good this past year. The MX1 class had a ton of heavy hitters.”

PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE

t’s hard to believe that the 2015 season has already drawn to a close. It seems like only yesterday I was boarding a plane headed to another race somewhere in Canada. From a personal angle, this past summer was a lot of fun and it brought me a whole other level of new and exciting responsibilities. I was no longer involved with the Factory KTM Royal Distributing Fox race team anymore and my new role was with FXR Racing based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Milt Reimer, the President of FXR, was looking to put a big eff ort into branding the new 2015 FXR MX collection and I was hired to get that ball rolling. First item on the list was to hire riders that could win races and who also had a large social media reach. Once I had riders signed, my next task was to attend the events to support all of my riders. My day at the races would start first thing in the pit area. The MX101 team, Jimmy Decotis and Dylan Wright, was contracted to wear the new product so they were always number one on the list. I then worked my way around the pits making sure the rest of the FXR athletes were taken care of and had their product for the day. Instead of focusing on just two riders, now I had a lot of FXR athletes

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running in all classes, and not just the Pro class but the Women’s class and more. That represented my typical Sunday Pro National focus. Saturday was a busy day talking with all the amateur riders we support as well. I think the best part of each weekend was that I had free time to talk and listen to the riders and parents. I also took notes so I could write my weekly column for MXPmag.com. Oh wait, I just remembered that I really don’t miss tearing down the awning and packing everything away in the semi after a long, hot summer day. So let’s have a look at what happened in the moto calendar for 2015. MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS: The Monster Supercross series was pretty awesome right out of the gate at A1. There was a ton of pressure on all the 450 factory guys. The only two riders that had no real pressure were James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto. If you recall, Bubba was suspended and not allowed to compete in the series. As for Villopoto, he was on his way to compete in the FIM MXGPs. This left the top of the box for Ryan Dungey, and who was going to challenge Ryan? Okay, maybe the odd weekend he would have to deal with Tomac but he dominated throughout. Surprisingly enough there were a few podium winners by riders I never expected to see. How about Chad Reed in Atlanta? That was a race I will never forget. Everyone said, “The Chad is back!” Then Trey Canard and Seely also had a win each. One of the big stories was Ken Roczen leaving Factory Red Bull KTM for Ricky Carmichael’s Suzuki team. Rumour had it that Roczen left KTM

because of money; then it was about the suspension; then it was because Ryan and Ken didn’t get along. Whatever the reason it was evident that Ken didn’t look comfortable on the RMZ. I really thought Barcia would be a threat but he also didn’t look very comfortable on his Yamaha. Then there was the Millsap story. Why was he fired again? No one will ever know for sure what shook down. At the end of the day Ryan Dungey (aka “Diesel”) was crowned the 2015 champion. The East Coast Lites series had its share of epic moments as well. Red Bull KTM rider Marvin Musquin was favoured to win. It was a close one as Bogle and Martin did their best to win the series. Jimmy Decotis had a good series until he hit the ground pretty hard at the New Jersey event. Decotis was able to finish a solid 8th for the series. The west coast series was a runaway by Cooper Webb. I was hoping for a tighter series but Coop had them covered. MXGP: I don’t usually follow the GP series but when I heard Villopoto was heading to Europe to finish off his Kawasaki contract, I thought, okay, I think he can come out of that series with a championship. Boy, am I sure glad I didn’t put any cash down on that bet. Ryan did look a little rusty at Round 1 in Qatar. At Round 2 in Thailand, he looked way better and came out with the overall win. From there I thought to myself, Ryan looks like he is either struggling or maybe the Euro riders really are that good. Well, I am leaning on the Euros are that good. Noted, the tracks are a little diff erent, their

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weekend program is a little diff erent from the AMA set up, but so what, racing is racing. “When the gate drops the bullsh@t stops,” as they say. It’s too bad Villopoto had to retire the way he did with an injury. I noticed there were lots of injuries in both GP classes. If you stayed healthy you had a good chance of winning the series. I am not taking anything away from current World Champion Romain Febvre. This dude can ride a 450 with the best of them. MX2 World Champion Tim Gajor worked hard for the win. Do you know he had four DNFs during the series and still won the championship? Makes you scratch your head, doesn’t it?! LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP: Looking at the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross National Championship results, it was not a runaway like it was in the supercross series. The favourites looked solid, Ryan Dungey looked super smooth on his Red Bull KTM. It was good to see Ken Roczen and his team figured out the set up. Eli Tomac was the guy everyone was talking about. Watching Tomac dominate at Hangtown proved that he had his program dialed for the series. Then again, he killed it at Glen Helen. I had the chance to attend the Glen Helen National; it was impressive to watch Eli ride that hard and fast. He was making the rest of the riders look like amateurs that day. What a shame Tomac crashed out for the balance of the series. I believe if he had slowed down just a

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bit he would have had this one easy. I guess there is always 2016. I was pumped to see Justin Barcia back in the winners circle. This kid can definitely ride a 450! The Husky 450 team had their program dialed in, and Anderson had some really good rides during the series. His teammate, Pourcel, looked very impressive on the Husky as well. The more technical the better, it seems. Fun fact: There were zero Kawasakis in the top 10! When was the last time that happened? That’s a great trivia question for you moto history geeks out there. How about Factory Honda? A tenth overall went to the Swede, Fredrik Noren. I could ask the same question about Factory Honda. Let’s hope both teams can figure out how to get better results in 2016. It was really cool to see our Canadians hit the last US National in Indiana. Colton Facciotti looked solid running in the top ten. Tyler Medaglia and Benoit rode really well to finish in the top 20. We were also impressed to see Kyle Keast just finish outside of the top 20. Jeremy Medaglia decided to try qualifying on a 450 for the national but unfortunately he was in a tough qualifier and missed out by just a few spots. The guys on the 250F had some heated battles all series long. Can you believe the championship went right to the wire? Marvin Musquin looked like he just had to ride conservatively to be crowned the champion. Well, the story didn’t have a happy ending for the Frenchman. Just a few laps in to

Moto 1, Marvin had a mechanical issue, and we all know this equals DNF. This means no points for Moto 1. That was the end of the story right there for Marvin. Jeremy Martin would have to DNF the second moto for Marvin to win the series. When the gate dropped Marvin was pretty far back from the leaders and he would have to ride the wheels off that KTM to have any chance. Oh ya, and slide in that part about Martin having to DNF as well. The story goes like this: Martin babied that Rockstar Yamaha until the checkered flag. That was one race day I will not forget. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MOTOCROSS NATIONALS: Lastly, let’s take a glimpse at our own Canadian series. I have to say, the 2015 CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals were pretty damn good this past year. The MX1 class had a ton of heavy hitters. I had predicted that it was too close to call who the champ would be, but I did say to watch out for Cole Thompson. Well...I almost had it right. The favourites on most bookies’ list had to be Colton Facciotti or Brett Metcalfe. These two riders have both won the series in the past and both riders know exactly what it takes to win a series. Well, Matt Goerke showed them all on his Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha. Matt, in my books, was going to start the series off slow due to an injury just a few weeks before the series. Once again I was proved wrong because that didn’t slow him down

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one bit. Colton Facciotti looked solid on his Honda and he missed out on winning the series by a slim 6 points. Metcalfe looked really good on his Monster Kawasaki but there was just one problem, you are not going to win a series if your engine DNFs twice in the series. We then had Cole Thompson on his Factory Royal Distributing Fox KTM. Cole looked a little off the pace in practice at Round 1 in Kamloops. After a few minor suspension changes he looked way better until he slammed into Brett and cartwheeled down the straightaway. Not a good way to start the series. From that day on Cole had to deal with a banged up body. One of the high points during the series was when the Smarttop team showed up in Calgary with their heavyweights, Mike Alessi and Vince Friese. I was really impressed with Vince. He rode his Honda to the top of the podium with a solid 1-4 for the overall. No one expected a win from Vince, but wow, he showed them how it was done. Poor Mike didn’t have a weekend that he wanted to remember with 29-DNF. That equals one shitty weekend. The points race was right to the wire in Walton and it was between Colton and Matt. The final moto was going to decide who would be crowned the champion. Right off the start in corner two Matt and Colton somehow collided into each other, and when the dust settled these two were both laying on the dirt. Wow, this was one race to remember. Who is going to win? Colton got up first and put on a big charge. Matt regrouped and put his head down and laid down some solid laps to catch Colton. By the end of the moto, the points diff erence was only 6 points in favour of Matt Goerke. Let’s look at what happened in the MX2 class. Three simple words: Two-Stroke Domination. Kaven Benoit had his KTM 250SX dialed in. The rules stated that you can use a 250 two-stroke as long as it has a stock engine. You can add pipes and race gas but that’s as trick as it gets. KTM played by the rules and walked away with the MX2 championship. Jimmy Decotis did a great job of making the series very interesting by winning Round 1 with a 1-1 but that was about it for “The Rippa.” Teammate Dylan Wright looked like he definitely did his homework over the winter. Dylan had some really good motos; I would say we should expect some wins from him in 2016. Jeremy Medaglia, on his Honda, was Mr. Consistent. He remained super-fast all series long. The Ulverton National was a good day for the Ottawa native when he passed the champ and pulled away for the win. With Benoit moving to the 450 class in 2016 expect to see a very competitive MX2 class in 2016. That about wraps it up for the year in a nutshell. We saw plenty of action, drama, plot twists, heartbreak and victory. I am looking forward to what 2016 has in store for moto.

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A R T D E PA R TM E N T W I T H M I K E C H A N

DISCONNECT & RESET

any years ago in art college, one of my teachers during my final year said that one of his biggest fears is that one day he won’t be able to come up with new and engaging designs. He compared it somewhat to writer’s block, but for graphic designers. Last year I spoke a bit about where to find inspiration, and this year I want to emphasize the importance of disconnecting and resetting. If there is one constant that I’ve noticed after talking with the designers I know, it’s that almost every day of the week there is some sort of urgent deadline. As well, what seems ubiquitous to almost everyone I know, is that there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything finished. After a long day at work there are things to take care of around the house, homework to help out with, kids to tuck in, and by the time you get to spend some time to yourself, it’s bedtime. Don’t get me wrong though, I am very fortunate in that I thoroughly enjoy what I do. It’s just that maintaining that high pace and coming up with new ideas every day can be exhausting. Without taking a break every once and a while can result in design concepts that are half baked or simply that it takes longer to come up with a good design. So what does it mean to disconnect? It can be as simple as taking a different route to work, or going to a new place for lunch. Breaking the routine takes your brain off of autopilot and forces you to be observant and to make decisions. If you are going somewhere new everyday, even if it means deviating from your route by one block, it is more likely that you will stumble upon some sort of new inspiration. As well it helps to take your mind off of the repetition of daily life. Breaking habits like checking your social media accounts is also fairly challenging these days. I recently went on a family trip to Costa Rica, and the house we stayed at had WiFi. Within 5 minutes of

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“Breaking the routine takes your brain off of autopilot and forces you to be observant and to make decisions.” putting our bags down I looked up from my tablet to see my entire family, parents, brother, wife and daughter also buried in some sort of device. For two years we saved to get away, and I felt as if we were squandering the potential of our vacation. We were unable to disconnect. It was at that point that I decided that I hadn’t come all this way to see what my friends were doing on Facebook back home. I came to Costa Rica to spend time with my family and to surf! Of course there was downtime on the vacation to sit around and use my tablet, but I made a conscious effort not to spend much time, if any at all, on social media. The internet is however an outstanding resource, and wealth of knowledge. I’ve used YouTube to learn how to do everything from reshingling my roof, to learning how to spin 540s on my snowboard. So when I was online, I used my time productively to learn about the tides, rip currents, surf etiquette, and each day I became a better surfer. Not a great surfer mind you, but slowly better each day. In the city I tend to go to sleep well after midnight. In Costa Rica, I didn’t have a house to take care of, deadlines to worry about, no homework to help out with, and since I was actively avoiding

social media, I found myself going to sleep around 10 every night. I’d wake up early feeling refreshed instead of groggy and scrambling to get to work. After 11 days of surfing and exploring the rain forest, I had reset and was ready to go back to work. I wasn’t overly upset that I had to leave. A slightly less extreme example of disconnecting comes in the form of camping and microadventures. In Canada we are lucky to have free access to Crown Land. It composes 89% of Canada’s land area, and is mostly available for people to explore. I find that spending a weekend camping, and being away from the city has the same effect as a longer vacation in that my sleep cycle gets reset and I come home feeling refreshed and more rejuvenated than trying to reset at home. Taking new routes to work, escaping the city, experiencing or learning something new, and spending a few nights sleeping in the forest, are all ways for me to disconnect and reset. Too much of anything (even something that you love) can lead to disaster, so make sure you mix it up from time to time to prevent yourself from burning out. When you come back, I think you’ll be able to be more productive and successful.

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