Action808.com Featured Athlete and Commentaries

Determination

2010-04-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2010

This months Featured Athlete story is about determination. In the dictionary, determination is defined as: “the firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end” and in MX, determination is that effort put forth in every practice and every race to never settle for second. “Second” as the saying goes….”is the first place loser”.

Ya’ know most spectators have no idea what happens once the riders get out of eyesight on the main track. In reality they only see about 20% of the race. The other 80% is out of sight and out of mind as some coast through the track after the start until they get up to the spectator area where they get on the gas.

From my vantage points I have seen it all. But during the last couple of races of 2009 I was privileged to see two riders (in different classes) display some incredible willpower and determination. Not because they won. Nah that would be too easy. Rather because I saw them crash, hit the ground, get passed (in one case from first to last - Noah Shirakawa, Honda 123 85 class) and then tough it out to get back up, chase the others down and pull off the win. That’s the Right Stuff.

Brandon Cash, aka. “Cash” aka. “Rocket Man” is one of those riders and is this months Featured Athlete.

Action808: Tell the readers who you are and what you think about racing MX?

“My name is Brandon Cash, I am 27yrs old and live on the North Shore of Oahu. I love to surf, I’m a full time family man with a 2yr old son Nakoa Brandon Cash I love spending time with and I love racing motocross. It’s a physical and mentally demanding sport at all times, it takes work and dedication and you have to stay constantly focused no matter what is happening which to me makes it a sport for the strong willed.”

Action808: You are older than most of your competition in the classes you are competing in. Is that an advantage or disadvantage?

“The advantage for me is that I do take racing seriously and I think that for some of my competition, racing might just be a phase. I’m also an experienced racer and rider and used to hairy situations in the heat of a race. I also don’t mind rubbing elbows if I have to. I guess that is why I ended up with the nickname Rocketman.”

Action808: The MX scene has gone 4-stroke, why are you racing a two-stroke?

“Just to prove to my self and other riders that it is not the bike, it’s the rider! And it is just a lot of fun to ride a 2-stroke.”

Action808: What are the advantages and disadvantages? Do you think you’ll stay on the 2-stroke?

“These new 4-strokes are just motocross animals, it is hard to keep up with them but the 2-stroke is just more fun to me. Disadvantages would be that it takes way more work to go fast on a 2-sroke, you have way more tire spin, 2-strokes just don’t hook up any where near as good as a 4-stroke, no engine breaking so you're always on the brakes hard before the corner. The bottom line is that it just takes more work, strength and technique to win races on the 2-stroke.”

“My advantage are days with good traction. When it’s tacky I’m gone, rocketman in full effect. On the muddy days the 2-stroke is the choice for sure. It’s lighter and just eats that mud up. I am looking for a 2010 YZF 450 for 250 Expert and will still ride the 250 2-stroke in the other classes.”

Action808: I’ve watched you both on the track and on the trail, what do you prefer and why?

"The track, because I love to go fast and hit jumps. There is nothing like being at the gate waiting for it to drop especially when it’s full. I get super excited and just pumped up! That feeling is one of the reasons I love to race. Just to be competitive is fun and it makes you feel good having fun doing something you love. But I will never stop riding trails. That’s where I learned how to ride. Marvin Foster taking me up in the mountains behind Haleiwa and riding every trail there was. Trail riding has a different kind of excitement. Hill climbs, river beds and terrain that a lot of people will never get to enjoy, or even know about."

Action808: Does riding both kinds of terrain help in any way with becoming better or should you stick to one and spend all your time practicing for that to move up to the next level?

“I think that trail riding is great cross training for motocross. Riding tight trails teaches you to look ahead at the next obstacle to set up your line before that obstacle to keep your momentum with out slowing down, or barely sneaking by someone in a tight area. You take those skills onto the track when it comes to avoiding riding the same line as every one else or going around bumps and not being scared to pass right next to someone. It’s just like flying past trees at high speeds and a lot of times when I go trail riding I go for a couple of hours which can make a 20 min moto seem very easy some times, especially if its muddy, gnarly and you’re dropping your bike, picking it up, sweating your butt off.”

“Off track I actively train for racing too. On Tuesdays I run 3 miles and I do my regular schedule of push ups, sit up’s, dip’s, curls, pull ups and some other top secret workouts. I try to do a lot of cardio and only use my body weight for weight training. Friday I am loading up to head back to the track on Saturday to do it all over.”

Action808: I’ve seen you come from behind in many motos to eventually take the win. Talk about what it takes to overcome bad starts and get the win.

"Well for starters the first thing would be to never ever give up, just because I got a bad start or crashed somewhere doesn’t mean I can't pull off a win. So what if I got a bad start? I don’t even let a bad start get to my head in the first 100 feet of a 20 min race! It also takes the experience of riding and practicing in the dust to be able to see thru the dust or just be used to it. I have seen guys almost stop because of dust. When I am behind it makes me ride way harder and all that I can think about is getting back to the front before I run out of time dust or no dust. "

"I’ve also come from behind on some of the muddy days, where preparation was the key. Good goggles thanks to Utopia, with tear offs or roll offs can make your race on those muddy rainy days. I actually laugh when it starts to rain. I see people pouting or just looking like their dog just got hit by a truck. They give up before they even throw a leg over the bike. Some of them even load up and go home. Where is the dedication in that? You will never see me pull that move. Most of all I think it comes from inside of me. I really want to win no matter what happens. Every time I go to the starting gate I am there to win. Key words to me are NEVER EVER GIVE UP. I just keep my focus and know that I can win if I ride the way I know how too."

Action 808: What are your immediate goals for MX?

"To keep moving forward, I am hungry to be the best, or at least one of them, keep riding hard, looking forward to Expert class at the end of the year!!!!"

Action808: What would make racing at Kahuku MX Track even better?

"WATER, WATER, WATER AND MORE HELP!!!!!!!!!!! We are a non-profit organization so we can use all the help we can get!!! We are starting to get some stuff accomplished, some things are slowly taking a turn for the better, the water department is a big job to get that water up the mountain, it has been a work in progress for years, Then when we get the water I think we will have one of the most insane tracks in the world because we have so many elevation changes and we could actually keep the dirt moist and be able to till it so it is not so hard and dusty all the time, and it would be easier to maintain."

Action808: What would you say to the riders in the younger classes about racing MX?

"If you love what you are doing don’t stop, keep up the hard work , never give up, and keep having fun!! You are the future MX riders of Hawaii, and it makes me proud to see all of you groms out there competing against each other having fun."

Action808: Thanks Brandon, we’ll see you at the next race.

Brandon is sponsored by:

Speedgrafix.com, Tag metals, MXbonz, Hinson Clutches, Pirelli tires

Tuffcoat Racing in Wahiawa (808) 622-2222 ask for Dave, great service, and prices!
O’neall Racing Leathers and Jersey’s, Gaerne Boots, Utopia Optics Goggles,

Sparx Helmets, 661 Chest Protectors and Casual Wear, North Shore Racing

Haleiwa Drive Inn, Grass Skirt Grill, L&L and Cholo’s

From Red To Orange On The Way To Number One

2009-10-15T00:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to one of my favorite things…the ‘Featured Athlete’ story. I met a youngster a couple of years ago by way of his fathers racing in the 125 class. Dad was a hot shoe on a pipey CR125 busting moves against the oncoming tide of thumper 250f’s and he was doing quite well.

We met by the usual way out on the track…”Hey get some pictures of me!” So I did.
I got some decent ones of him and then I met his wife who would stop by to say hello and check out the Honda book or shout a hello over the fence during the moto’s.

So where does our young rider fit into all this back story? Well it just so happens that lots of kids stop by on race day to look at the contact sheets in the books hoping to get a glimpse of a cool shot of them or a friend or someone they know. Sometimes we strike up a conversation and if there’s a Kodak Moment I might snap off a shot or two. It just so happened that one of these kids had a great smile and he loved getting his picture taken.

Not shy at all. Period. If I remember correctly he was usually decked out in an mx jersey but not riding anything but his bicycle. I just remember he was not bashful, came around often to gaze at the book and I’m sure dreamed about racing mx himself.

After a while I stopped seeing the Mr. and Mrs. at the races, guess the Mr. was hanging it up but eventually I caught sight of them. Funny thing though…no screaming CR underneath Dad and what’s more, no gear on Dad - he wasn’t riding. So why sweat it out on a hot Sunday in the dust if no one is racing? AHA! Their son is racing! He was CR mounted like Dad and sporting a number eight on the front plate of the little thumper. Of course I would take some shots of him I told the ‘Mrs.’, now known as ‘mom’ yet I still didn’t make the connection who the son was.

Finally it all came together when I saw Mom and Dad with their son with his helmet off. Hey! It’s the boy with the smile. How about that! I know you!

So lets introduce them all if you haven’t already figure it out. Dad = Adrian, Mom = Cheryl and our rider is none other than Hanalei. The Lanoza’s.

If you’ve followed this website for any length of time you have to have seen them. One of the best sequence shots I have is of Hanalei in the heat of his moto coming up over a hill only to find a downed rider right in his path. With no time to maneuver or slow down he ran right over the downed bike, bending his front forks back and getting launched over the bars. It was all caught on camera. Oftentimes you can see one of them in the slide shows including Dad in his street clothes and Mom caught unawares cheering in the Faces In The Crowd.

I have watched Hanalei go from a timid beginner rider all the way to the point of riding the wheels off the CRF 50 trying to keep pace with the KTM’s and now he’s KTM mounted himself. From his last couple of events his confidence has grown and he’s developed a style. He likes to stand and he’s jumping that little Honda. Both good signs of experience and confidence though I think that bike was taking a beating. On Sunday after Hanalei’s last moto we sat down to talk and do a little photo shoot with his new ride.

So lets get right into our Featured Rider for October 2009, Hanalei Lanoza.

Hanalei Lanoza is the 8 year old son of Cheryl and Adrian Lanoza and his hometown is Wahiawa. Being an 8 year old that puts him in the 3rd grade and while you might think he should be doing whatever 8 yr olds do he’d rather be darting around on a dirt bike although he does have a DS and a PS 3.

He started out on the Honda CRF 50 about 4 ½ years ago…(hey do the math, that would put him on the bike at 3 ½ to 4 years old…what were you doing at that age?) and his first taste of the concrete start pad at Kahuku MX Park came last season as he was a regular on the gate as the # 8 in the 50 Beginner class.

Cheryl and Adrian can be seen in the pits and on the track offering their encouragement during the motos and Adrian is always one of the first Pit Dad’s to the starting line to eyeball the lines, pick the gate position and sweep it clean.

I know, from my close up experience, that the 2 strokes have a significant advantage over the little 4 strokes but Hanalei seemed to be able to maximize what the Honda could do best while overcoming and making the best of its short comings. His favorite thing on the track are jumps which are most peoples but his second most favorite thing is turns and that’s where the Honda shone brightest. It may not jump well but on that hard pack it turned well.

Hanalei says that ‘jumps’ are his favorite “because it feels like I’m flying an airplane and falling from the sky!” The least favorite are the whoops and he thinks “they are deadly!” When asked what is the most scary thing about racing it was a very adult answer, simple and straight to the point… “falling”. Too right on that one ‘eh.

I think we can all agree that the 50’s class is one of the most exciting to watch especially with the large gate. Last year it wasn’t uncommon to see 15 to 18 bikes and this year it can still get up to about 14. So Hanalei is surrounded by a lot of competition and as he put it, “anything can happen”. I think from Dad, Hanalei developed a sense that the fastest way to get good is to practice, practice, practice because he’d rather ride the track than just joy ride around the park. That practice paid off today as he won the 50 Beginner Class.

The Honda which came from Pflueger Honda has recently given way to the KTM which seems to be the tool of choice for the fastest riders out there in the 50’s class. From Hanaleis point of view “the KTM has more power and it jumps better”. All that power and suspension hasn’t gone to waste either because he says that he’s definitely faster on the orange bike and he’s not one bit scared of going faster.

Every rider wants to get “sponsored” and through the fine efforts of Hawaii Rides in Wahiawa, Hanalei’s bike stays tuned, race fresh and sports a custom graphics package.

With bike support from Hawaii Rides he gets loving support from Mom on the sidelines who can be seen cheering him on under a watchful eye. Mom also buys all his gear so he stays color coordinated. I think there’s some change’s coming since now the colors have switched from Honda Red to KaTooM Orange!

Hanalei sometimes helps dad out with keeping his bike clean but mostly it’s Dad minding that chore and the regular wrenching. Dad is also at his side on the starting line so he’s never nervous and just can’t wait for the gate to drop. It’s a great thing that Dad has almost certainly lined up a good spot for the holeshot and points out the good lines during the moto. You go Dad!

During his off time at home he said he watches TV and of course he watches the X games and all the SX and Nationals. What’s really surprising is that his favorite Pro Rider is none other than Ricky Carmichael and not Bubba or one of the other current crop of the youngest Pro’s.

To close out our talk Hanalei, Cheryl and Adrian wanted to express all their appreciation to their Aunties and Uncles who watch him race and most especially Uncle Darren.

Summing up Hanalei Lanoza, let me just quote his response to the question “Who’s the fastest rider up at Kahuku?” His answer… “me!”

- See ya next time…scott

Seniors and Junior's: Featured Rider Russell Sharpe Jr.

2009-05-21T01:09:00.000-07:00

Back in ’05 when I went ‘digital’ and took a camera to Kahuku on race day rather than my bike I met this guy running the starting gate. Big guy, an imposing figure with a serious tattoo covering his right arm, a goatee and black shades. I snapped off a shot of him inside the starters box and to this day it’s one of my favorite portraits.

I’m sure most people know who I’m talking about and since ’05 he’s gone on to bigger and better things in the club. For those reading this blog not from Hawaii I’m talking about Russell Sharpe Sr. (see photo).
While I could fill a whole story about the elder Russell and his wife who (along with others) are part of the steadfast backbone of HMA, this story, the Featured Rider for May is about their son Russell Sharpe Jr. who I’ve been watching since I met his father and he quietly but proudly asked me “hey Scott can you get a couple of pictures of my boy”.

I cornered Russell Jr. today at the track early and asked if him about doing the interview. He agreed and we set it up for the lunch break. I thought Russell Jr. would be a good choice for this because he’s actually living out the dream that many people do when they look up to the best of the best and want to be like them and then BAM! there they are competing against them…for real. So here’s the interview with Russell Sharpe Jr. Action808’s featured rider for May 2009.

Russell Sharpe Jr has been riding since he was 7 years old and is now a Honda rider with number 18 on his white plate with black numbers which means he rides the CRF 450 and competes at the top level…250 Expert Class. He lives up in Waianae with his mom, Darlene and his dad, Russell Sr. and he’s not in school anymore having graduated from Waianae High (Go Sea Riders!). Actually I kind of knew that he wasn’t in school anymore because recently I went over to Ko Olina, Lagoon # 4 for a lunch break and there was Russell at the Security hut. He really likes working at the resort and has plans to work toward advancement in the organization.

Even though he’s out of school now and working I wanted to know a little bit about the school days so he gave me a little glimpse saying that his best subject was English and his not so best subject was mathematics. Wow, same as me and just for kicks I asked him what month he was born in and again Wow, same as me September except he’s a Virgo. He’s a big reader too although I missed the opportunity to ask what was the last book he read as we got pulled apart because of a team meeting he had to attend for his sponsor.

Yes I said “sponsor”. Russell is sponsored by the “No Fear” brand which has fielded a team of riders that get supported on a local level. I remember when the “No Fear” brand came out years ago hitting the scene with the coolest gear designs. It gave all the existing designers a wake up call that’s for sure and now look at their success and market share. Up at the track the team can be found under their awnings offering the No Fear Energy Drinks and maybe a hot dog or two.

While he’s currently riding red, he’s been on all 4 brands since 2005. The Honda he’s riding now is bone stock but set up for him and he’s quite comfortable with its power and really says that it has all he needs. That’s a nice thing to hear seeing as how the money saved instead of buying aftermarket goodies can be spent on other worthwhile things like the girl he met at a party about 6 months ago and is now his girlfriend. Her name is Maile, attends Castle and when he mentioned her name he was grinning ear to ear.

Russell has had his share low points on the track though. Within the last year he had a terrible accident that broke his shoulder blades, punctured a lung and cracked some ribs but he’s come back. Overall though he’s on a high note that only a few get to reach.

In 2005 he was a novice 125 rider taking his lickings on the track riding an under powered Yamaha 125 and looking up to the top Experts wondering what it would be like to be able to ride like them. So he worked at it competing regularly and with his family support he moved up to Amateur and won the Amateur Championship in 2006. Next thing he new he was on the line as a rookie in the expert class side by side with the very Expert riders he had looked up to. He summed up that first race as an expert with a single 4 letter word. “F-E-A-R”. Nowadays he lines up as one of the best of the best on the track and enjoys the high level competition and skill necessary to compete at that level.

Winding up our talk I found out he’s a fan of Chad Reed and would rather rider SX than MX and if he could he’d love to ride the SX at Anaheim.

He’s come along way in a short time and believes that his involvement in the sport has “kept me out of trouble and brought my family closer together”. His advice to other young riders who find themselves wondering if they will ever be able to ride like an expert? “Don’t give up and try your hardest”. Well said Russell!

See everyone in 2 weeks.

-scott

2009-04-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night April 17th

Finally back on track this weekend so there’s some commentary on the race and a FEATURED RIDER.

… A big track today. Can you say L O NG--- L O N G—L O N G and FAST FAST FAST! This was a horsepower track. If you were riding a 450F or a 250 two stroke you were finally able to use all the power tucked in that fancy aluminum frame for more than a second or two. Long uphills were made for the high gears and horsepower of a 450f or a 250 and if you were standing near the uphill jump or over at the bleacher spectator area as the big bikes thundered and screamed up out of the valley you know what I’m talking about.

Early in the morning I walked the track before practice to get a look at possible vantage points for good photography and was pleased to see a real outdoor style mx layout. Lots of up hills and a few down hills and a really decent long up hill jump that almost every rider, even down to the 65’s was able to get air on without being too dangerous. Most up hill jumps are all about the momentum you carry up the hill. It becomes the riders choice as to whether they want to spend a long time in the air or stay low, land early and drive off the plateau while others soar overhead. The faster riders, the experts, started doing this while most others just enjoyed the big comfy air that this jump provided. If you were watching closely the riders doing this were on top of the rider in front of them as they came into the big 180 right turn. A lot of ground can be made up between riders if one takes the high road and the other takes the low road and puts the power back on the ground.

Talking with some of the riders, they said that even though it was a big fast track it was one of the roughest and most treacherous they’ve ridden in a long time. The “marbles” in the turns played havoc with front wheels screaming for traction to make the tight turns and chicanes that seemed to be everywhere especially at the bottoms of some steep hills.

One wicked chicane was located just off the fence post at the spectator bleachers area where the riders made their way from the rhythm section on the top and funneled in close to the fence post and dropped down into the valley. At least 2 big bikes went down in a heap of dust there as the laws of traction gave way to the laws of physics. Not to be outdone though was the left exit of the last table top of the rhythm section before heading to that down hill drop. Every few races a rider would enter the down ramp a little too hot, grab some brake lean the bike left, hit the marbles and then hit the dirt..

Racing in the 1st 250 Expert class was very exciting with the holeshot being claimed by #81 on a Yamaha. The lead changed hands as #21 and #17 picked up the wicked fast pace and soon had commanding lead on the others. Though it wasn’t a battle for 1st place the battles in the back ranks were of great interest to the spectators just as if it was for 1st place. There is something to be said for those rider who achieve “Expert Status” they don’t quit, they are always charging.

Another fantastic race and the one that had me running across the infield back and forth was the 125 AM race. This race turned out to be the one to watch as rider #202, an expert, stepped into the mix with the top of the crop from the amateurs. It turned into a 3 way battle with the lead changing hands and positions changing each lap. What a race, as these 3 young riders hung it out. If you want to see them in action go to the gallery and check out the photos titled, “Action 3 Way Battle”. It was two Hondas and one Yamaha with rider # 172 on the Honda out front for most of the race but it was no cake walk. The pressure was on and each time they crested the hill on the big uphill jump it was possible that the lead had again changed somewhere out of sight down in the valley. My thought is that the lead would have changed again had either of the two riders behind the lead rider picked up something from the 250 Experts. Staying low over that big jump lap after lap would have rewarded the rider with a 1 or 2 second margin that could have been used to do a block pass down at the right hand 180 or given them the extra lead through the rhythm section. All in all though it was a great race and after all was said and done the riders lined up and congratulated each other. That’s Racing!

A few other notables were the 50’s beginner class 1st moto that was looking to be a knock down drag out fight for the checkers with Honda mounted rider #8 chasing down KTM mounted front runner #212. They were within 3 to 15 feet of each other most of the time with the 2 stroke KTM pulling the 4stroke Honda but the Honda would catch up in the turns. It was a good race and it was just a matter of time before the Honda rider would get the chance to make his move. That opportunity faded however as another Honda rider was down and in the blind spot over the top of a hill. The KTM was able to avoid the downed rider but the Honda was not. The pictures show Honda #8 and downed Honda rider #25 meeting up the hard way. Both riders appeared to be unharmed although it’s very obvious of the damage to the forks on Honda #8.

Finally…the Dust. It was a real pain. Maybe more than usual and it’s not really worth complaining about as we all took a little home with us in our hair, clothes, bikes and lungs. Would have been good to get some water on the worst sections on the upper track. Maybe in May we'll get blessed with a little Momma Nature. See you in May!

Featured Rider: Stephen Walker

Ever since shelving my own competitive riding and returning to Kahuku to take pictures back in late 2005 I have always watched rider # 27 who became rider # 7 and eventually rider #1 in the Vet A class. I cant remember how I actually came to meet him but MX riders are the same everywhere. There’s a bond between those who ride MX and it’s pretty easy to strike up a conversation no matter where you find yourself.

So somewhere along the line I got to know Steve. We’re close in age and although he’s Suzuki mounted and I’m a Red Rider I think our riding styles were similar. Stephen is not flashy, he’s not a whipper though I dare say he could be if he wanted, he is talented. He also got started in mx late in life as surfing is his other passion. It was surfing that Hawaii by way of California became home for this Florida native. As he put it “it was all about surfing to get here” to Hawaii to live. I might also mention that he’s into Martial Arts. When asked about which he prefers MX or Surfing…well lets just say that he couldn’t really put one in front of the other.

During the mid day break I sat down with him up at his camp area on the hill and he answered some questions.

Steve lives in nearby Haleiwa and has two kids, Mina Sue Walker and Sage Harley Walker. They ride too. Mina is riding a KX 65 and Sage is JR 50 mounted. He’s in the construction business and has been working for O’Donnell Construction for about 7 years. The bike of choice as mentioned before is from Suzuki and one time I asked him…why Suzuki? He may not remember this but his answer was “I wanted to be different”.

So he’s Suzuki mounted and he’s sponsored by Montgomery Motors aka. Cycle Sport down in town off Nimitz. His sponsors are the brothers, Brett and Stafford Montgomery who own the business and support Steve in his racing efforts. Just talking to Steve about his sponsors you know how much he appreciates their support so here’s a shout out for CYCLE SPORT and Brett and Stafford!!! If you’re looking for a Suzuki they’re your dealer.

I asked him about his bike the 450F and it’s surprisingly stock with only a ProCircuit pipe and silencer and Race Tech suspension valving mods. This Suzuki is also first generation fuel injected which Steve says has a faster throttle response than his past Suzuki 4strokes. Oh and it’s Mr. Walker himself that does all the wrenching on the bikes.

He competes in the Vet A class and is the current Number 1 Champion although he usually rides with the # 7 plate. He also wicks it up with riders 10 to 15 years younger than him in the Expert 250 class and can always be found charging no matter where he’s positioned. When asked about who his competition usually is he’s quick to mention Sam Bird #3, Jimmy Lewis #119 and Kelwin Jiminez #366. I asked him about what kind of track that he likes to ride and the answer came back quickly...“Big- Fast-Air”. Guess that sums up this months race layout and his 1st moto finishes in 1st place in the Vet A and 3rd in Expert 250. (By the way the speeds he was hitting coming up from the valley to do the whoops was really fast. Check out Suz 7 in the gallery)

Wheneve we talk at the races he mentions how much free time that he doesnt have but he does get to watch mx and sx on the tube and he thinks that riding MX is the better of the two because it’s the essence and “root” of dirt bike riding and there’s nothing better than going fast on natural terrain with big hills and fast tracks. At this point as we were shooting the breeze the call for the start of the second motos came over the loud speakers and Steve had to suit up so the the final question was: What’s the best thing about riding dirtbikes? The answer was pretty easy…”hanging with friends”.

See you in May!

-scott

Doin' the Video thing.

2009-04-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is just a rant on Technology and the time consuming nature the digital age has brought to us. I just finished working on the most consuming set of video clips from the March 2009 Kahuku MX race. It has taken HOURS...no make that days. Usually video is straight forward, tell your story in about 3 to 4 minutes, add a sound track, a few effects and boom it's done. Ohhh No not this time around. 15 solid minutes of video, 65 separate clips to boil down and a program (or my PC) that wants to crash at the worst of times which sets me back to square one.

You try different work flows like choosing the sound track first and getting it loaded and then filling in the clips and effects. Sometime this works and other times not. It was one of those "not" days I guess because the sound tracks kept moving around, disappearing from the time line and just playing havoc with this whole project. If I move too fast the whole thing crashes not to mention that it took a few hours of installing and uninstalling programs to try and narrow down why things weren't working like normal. I mean why couldnt I import the 2 sound tracks from the CD? What was causing this gigantic cluster bumb? Nothing was going right, nothing.

So what do you start doing? Well the chosen way for this project was to start "saving" the project after each edit. I must have hit the "save button" a 150 times till I finished the project late Saturday morning. So then it was done and we packed up for a trip to Kahuku to go ride for a couple of hours. I decided that I would render it and upload it to the servers later that evening.

After the return from riding I did render it to MPEG form and ya know it just looked crappy. Pixelated to the max and really really poor quality even though I set the preferences to highest quality output. Something is up here and that line from the movie "Apollo 13" comes to mind where Tom Hanks say "uh...Houston...we have a problem". But maybe it was just my imagination so I uploaded it to the servers about 11:00 pm Saturday night.

Sunday morning I checked and it was successful but when I went to the site it said "rejected" because it was 16 minutes long. "Uh Houston...we have a problem" this should be a little over 3 minutes long, not 16. So what do you do. Yes of course you think there is something wrong on their end, just like there was something wrong with my computer which was causing all this humbug. So I sent it up a second time to the servers (which takes a long time) and it was rejected again.

It has been said that "once all the technical possibilities have been ruled out, you must look at the obvious and most easy of solutions". You may have guessed already...human error. It was human error that tried to up load the entire 16 minutes of clips to the servers instead of the 3 minute video and it was human error that kept saving and re-saving MPEG files (instead of the programs own files) which deteriorated the files with every push of the save button. And finally it was human error that tried to import the wrong type of sound track files into the program to begin with although I found this out early on in this whole mess.

There are multiple morals to this story and now that I've spilled and spelled out my failings on this project I do feel a little better. The final product that finally made it to the servers is ok but because I wanted to get it done and be up by Sunday night I just whipped it together. Who knows I may red0 it again now that I know what the heck I am doing.

-scott

2009-03-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

"March in Motion"

March 20th 2009

Welcome back after a 2 month absence. Not really a vacation but more like a set of circumstances beyond my control with the January race rescheduled to a Sunday that I had other plans for and in February some family came to town for a short vacation and I played host. So today was my first day back behind the lens at Kahuku and what a day it was with the winds whipping up the dust and twisting more than one EZ-Up into a shredded tangle of canvass and aluminum. For the first time in many moons I actually got dust on the sensor of one of my cameras which you might notice in some of the posted images. I wonder what the other photographers who were out there found when they looked at their images.

As the title says, March was about "motion" and I shot a majority of the images today in a style that some will appreciate and some will not. Rather than traditional pin point stop action shots these show blur and motion. Hopefully you will find something about interesting about them.

On the subject of cameras and taking sports/action photos, quite a few people have been asking for tips and advice for buying cameras and lenses and how to work these new fangled contraptions. If you fall into one of these categories rest assured that there’s a place to learn and get these questions answered. I am working on setting up another Sports Photography class at UH or another suitable location to do either a single class or the normal 3 class workshop. Just keep checking the website for more news or send me an email and I’ll let you know when it happens.

So besides the wind what was happening today? Well I know that another year has passed and HMA is going to elect their new board. If you are a member and want to be more than just a spectator, or want to see something changed or stopped here’s your opportunity to get on board…literally speaking. Come to the annual board meeting and try to get elected or at the very least participate in the election.

Nothing is as constant as “change” in the motocross world and that change was again evident today as the flow of new riders into new classes left some classes almost empty and not worth running. Just 2 quads showed up which really perplexes me given the amount of quads that I know are out there. Three of the hardest hit classes seemed to be the 50’s advanced with barely a handful of riders, one of the amateur classes was woefully small and the 125 expert was just outright cancelled. On the reverse of that is the growing 50’s beginner class which had a lot of action and the Expert 250 class had a few more riders including some that had been absent for a lot of 2008. I spied some riders aboard new bikes too…who said business is bad. The real standout class in my humble opinion was the girls class. They have certainly come along way since the timid slow motion motos of the past where everyone was “lady-like”. Now they’re throwing elbows, going for the holeshots, doing doubles, bangin’ bars, stuffin’ each other in the corners and generally kicking up a lot of dust out there as they go fast. Congratulations girls you have a lot of fans now watching you dice it up out there. Check out the “powder puff” gallery online if you doubt me. Another class to watch closely is the 65’s…a 65 rider is clearing the doubles which changes everything as it was probably worth 4 seconds per lap and allowed a new rider to take that first moto. That’s big move for a young rider and will certainly make getting the holeshot much more critical for those riders not ready to make that kind of move. I’ll be watching these kids closely to see the heated battles that are sure to come as the riders skill levels rise to the next levels.

Alas another race has gone by without a featured athlete but I have a few riders in mind for the next race and hopefully they wont be shy. By the way if there are sponsored riders that need some exposure let me know and we’ll work on it.

The TT Race is next Sunday…gotta dust off the 250 and my gear and practice on Saturday, maybe see you there.

-scott

"December 7th, Pearl Harbor and Kahuku Race Day"

2008-12-12T00:21:00.000-08:00

As 5:30 am rolled around Sunday morning and the first annoying notes of the alarm clock scratched my eardrums I thought about this day...December 7th. Being from the Mainland originally, the attack on Pearl Harbor was something we always saw pictures of in history books and in a few movies, documentaries and old news reels.

I live here now and I've been to Pearl Harbor, Ford Island, the Arizona, the Bowfin, the Missouri many times and every year I go through this same feeling of standing in History. It really did happen right here. The bullet holes are still in the buildings on Ford Island as a reminder to passersby. So this morning as we made the right turn onto FT Weaver and pointed the truck northward into the darknesss I was thinking of this day 67 years ago. Wow.

Move forward 67 years and it's RACE DAY at Kahuku MX Park! The last MX race of the 2008 season and the weather is threatening showers again. At around 8:00 am I was walking the track looking at the new layout and it dawned on me that at about this time 67 years ago the first planes were swooping down on Peal Harbor. Anyway back to the here and now and the track layout looks to be a fast one. The whoops section is still in use but they're a little worn down since the last race when they were steep, sharp and caused havoc with riders carrying a heavy throttle hand through them.

One really noticeable thing was the shine on the hard packed dirt and the huge cracks left by the drying soil. This would be treacherous should the rains come and turn the upper section of track into the kind of conditions you might find on a sheet of ice covered with grease. There were some really fast sections of track in the valley and on the far side of the track and the big bikes were able to stretch into higher gears on their way back to the main upper track area.

The big jump down into the valley was again the area most spectators congregated at to get good views of big air from the top riders. This area also provided some shade cover from the sun as it finally came out and started to bake everyone.

The 50's classes have shifted again as the 50's begginner class was the largest while the 50's expert was left with less than a handful of riders. It's expected that some of the beginners will move up to the expert class thereby balancing out the 2 classes and placing riders of similar skills together.

The Maui riders were missing from the line up of the big bikes but taking their places were some familiar numbers who've been absent and even some new ones. Speaking of riders on the absentee list I saw two riders who were present but not riding as they were carrying the evidence of crashes from the last event namely casts and metal plates on and in their arms. Oh...and I've never seen so many new "blondes" lining the pits. Seems like everyone went "blonde" since the last race.

There isnt a featured athlete this time around since I had to dig out extra early for a photo shoot down in Waikiki but look for it again in January.

Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year!

-scott

"Whoops-A-Daisy"

2008-11-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

The title says it all..."whoops, whoops and more whoops". Yes, that was a wicked whoops section welcoming riders who signed up for the November 8th MX Race at Hawaiian Motorsports Association's "Kahuku Motocross Park".

If you are reading this and don't know what "whoops" or "whoop-dee-doo's" are just take 4.5 minutes to watch the video and you'll get the idea. So anyway there they were, a washboard rack of evenly spaced sharp edged mini mountan peaks that each rider was hoping to navigate just quick enough to maintain position but not so fast as to be catalpaulted over the bars.

Whoops sections are the ultimate motocross obstacle. More so than a huge triple or even a big double, hanging it out in a whoops section requires a certain mental voodoo. Let's face it, turning on the power of a 50+ horsepower, 220 pound 2 wheeled aluminum rocketship through a set of landmines poised to blow you off your trusty mount the split second your front wheel drops requires a certain hypnotic trance.

There are usually 3 ways to attack a whoops section, blast 'em, time and jump 'em or row' em. Only top riders have the skill to blast 'em and only when there's enough space can they be timed and jumped so that leaves the last way: Row 'Em. Most riders have a personal version of rowing the whoops and the taller the whoops the more animated the "rowing" becomes. You know the rowing look, it's easy to spot: The rider is standing, leaning over the bars, suddenly the arms jerk outward as the front wheel drops into the whoop and then just as suddenly the arms slam back into the chest as the wheel rides up the next whoop.

It's a violent exercise, even playing havoc with the riders head jockeying about like it's spring loaded. Of course while all this is going on the rider tries desperately to avoid that little tap on the butt from the seat signifiying the start of his rotation of doom as he goes over the bars. Yes...whoops are the ultimate obstacle.

Today, the track was running counter clockwise and along with the whoops section the track designers provided a major league leap of professional propotions. It was situated over the drainage pipe tunnel and when hit with enough speed it propelled the riders up over the top and down into the valley in a big long arc of BIG AIR. (Again see the video for some of the action.)

Fortunately after this "big air" the track continued straight down to the vallley floor disappearing to the right out of sight giving a lot of room to brake and scrub off the speed from such a big jump. Navigating through the valley floor, they returned to the upper section using the farthest section of track next to the woods which is a relatively long up hill freeway with a few nice uphill jumps. Of course every rider had to be thinking of what lie at the top as they raced to the summit and that long left sweeper which lined them up with the....WHOOPS.

Some riders rode the left hand sweeper wide which lined them up on the far right hand side of the whoops section while some riders chose the inside line and took an unusual path across the whoops starting on the far left of the whoops section and cutting diagonally across the whoops from left to right. It was this method that seemed to cause the most problems whether you were rowing the whoops or blasting them. The two biggest get-offs occured not in the whoops but immediately after them although the majority of falls were in the whoops.

Speaking of get-offs, you may have seen that one of the bulldozers tipped over down in the valley as the track designers were doing the track layout on Saturday. No serious injuries but accidents can and do happen to even the most experienced folks. Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Kawasaki rider 501 who on his maiden voyage aboard his new 2009 2250F took a spill that snapped his arm. Get well soon.

The 65's class has become one of the hot races to watch this year. It's been populated by a few hotshots from the 50's expert class who now get to fool around with that extra lever on the handle bars and that thing-a-ma-jig down there next to the left foot peg known as the shift lever. Along with the 50's the 65's class has the greatest number of pit crew members surrounding the riders at the gate giving encouraging words, a quick shoulder massage, a last sweep of the dirt in front of the gate and final bike adjustments. It's where the future riders of the sport are learning the new limits of their bike, their skills and their courage.

Mostly this class is filled with Kawasaki's but there is a screaming yellow and red bike out there tucked in among all the green ones. It's a COBRA and its rider is Dalton Pahia. From the perspective of the camera, the camera likes the yellow bike. It's color and Daltons usual black colored gear is something that the camera's autofocus can lock onto with ease. So I've spent alot of time watching Dalton ride and now we're going to find out a little bit more about him as the Feaured Athlete for November 2008.

Name: Dalton Pahia

Age: 10

Race Number: 56

Racing class/classes: 65cc

Started racing when? October 2006

Current Points Standing? I am not up in point standings but I have fun.

Hometown: Kaneohe, Hawaii

Mom and Dad: Aaron and Angela Pahia

School: Ahuimanu Elementary

Grade Level: 5th grader

Best Subject: Math

Favorite Teacher: Mrs. Baker

Favorite Food: Hamburger Curry

Favorite Music: Hip Hop , R&B

Bike Manufacturer and Engine Size: CX65 Made in the USA by Cobra Motors

Who supplied the bike or what bike shop do you get parts from. The bike was purchased from John Wilson of Wilson motorsport that I also get all my parts from.

Is the bike stock or does it have aftermarket parts? Stock

Who wrenches on the bike? Pit dad #56

What kind of gear? Thor, No Fear, Simpson

What kind of boots? Alpinestar.

Where you do get your gear from? Motosports outlet, Cyclegear, Troy Miyashiro@TM motorsports

Who’s his favorite rider to watch up at Kahuku? Curren Fujio, Bronson Heathcote

Who’s his biggest competition in your class? I am learning a lot, Having lots of fun. Everyone in my class are great competitors.

Does he watch any of the pro races on tv and does he have a favorite rider? Yes , Ryan Villapoto and Trey Canard.

Does he do any trail riding? No

What do you like better, getting air or railing turns or straight-aways? Getting Air!!!

What part of the track is hardest for you? The hardest part of the track is rutted out sections and some of the crazy big jumps.

What do you want to do when you get older? I want to be a mechanic and motocross racer.

Are there any plans to move up in the next few months? At this moment there are no plans of moving up. Keep training and ride as much as I can.

Any last words from "Pit Dad #56"?

"Cherish the time you have with your kids while they are young, Keep the riding fun for the little guys and gals.".

Thanks Dalton, good luck in December!

See you in December...keep it on 2 wheels.

-scott

Rainy Daze

2008-10-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

On the way out of Ewa this Sunday morning the weather was ominous. Dark clouds populated the horizon in the direction we were heading and although it wasn’t raining, rain looked to be on the menu for the North Shore. Given my druthers from all the dust bowl events we’ve had this year any change would be welcome…

Upon arrival, sure enough the ground was wet but not so wet that it was “soupy” rather it was at that midway point between soup and chunky sticky cookie dough. Comparing the two, soupy track conditions splash the bike and get in throttle cables, grind down brake shoes and give goggle wearers a hard time. On the other hand chunky sticky cookie dough conditions weight the bike down, clog even the widest spaced mx tires and make for a generally unruly bike. The transformation from a light weight, sleek thoroughbred racing machine to a wandering and sliding lead weight tank takes about 3 seconds and about 100 feet of track.

How do you compensate for this? Well being from the east coast and riding tracks all around the mid-atlantic states you learn real fast. Go to the kitchen, grab that spray can of PAM, then grab some panty hose, a sponge, get your tear-offs and finally a screw driver.

At the track you take some tear offs and tape them to your visor to extend it so you can look through it while keeping your head down. Next you coat the underside of the fenders with PAM so the mud doesn’t stick then cut the panty hose and stretch sections over the fenders where you can to deflect mud, next cut the sponge and stuff it between your skid plate and the frame to block mud AND last you use the screw driver to increase the compression of your suspension to keep the bike from settling too far into it’s stroke from any mud weight.

So it was a chunky day and lets get on with the racing… The track designers used almost the same upper level patterns as the September race but with a twist. Instead of using the hump and small table tops the riders weaved between the humps and table tops in a chicane with a right hand outside line berm shooting them over to the right hander which brings everyone over the small tables at the finish line. The really good move though was the redirection of the bikes back across the upper section of the track along the spectator fence before dropping into the valley on the long right-hand down hill turn.

It was a seemingly easy way out of doing any new track engineering but it was just what the doctor ordered for close order racing. The battles that raged through the chicane and then blasted them across the track in front of the spectators went over really well. I think that anyone who stood at the fence line and watched the Experts blow by them really got a taste of speed up close and personal. They were hauling.

For anyone interested in seeing how to flat-track a turn I invite you to look at the images from any of the Experts. Of particular note is the body language and positioning of our top Expert riders. They stood up going into the turn, sat down while in it and stood up while exiting. Check out the low over the bar profile of Bronson as he flat-tracks the bike out of the turn.

The down pour during the Experts and 80’s moto was inevitable and most unfortunate as it caused some delays due to the 80’s frying clutches and getting stuck way down and out of sight. Soon though the trades pushed out the clouds and the track dried up and got tacky which allowed for more aggressive riding. The straight along the fence became the choice spot for spectators watching the bikes thunder by.

Once again there was a contingent of Neighbor Island riders and that made for some interesting challenges. The latest posting to YOU Tube has some Expert footage and an unusual twist with someone other than Bronson getting the hole shot. The real battle was Honda 39 and Yamaha 4m going at it. It was neck and neck till the end when the Honda edged the Yamaha off the track by going a little wide on the last right hand turn and forcing the Yamaha off the track over the small tables in front of the Finish Line. Great Race!

The smaller bikes, besides having a tough time in the mud were still finding the necessary lines to get around the track at good speeds. Some of the dual riders, those competing in the 50’s class and the 60’s class were disappointed in having to run the shortened upper track of the 50’s because of the mud but it was probably the right thing to do since a 60 would have been a perfect candidate for getting stuck somewhere way off in the valley.

The 80’s were brought back to the track before lunch to re-run their moto after it was halted ealier due to the rain and a few dead bikes that got towed out.

If you witnessed the Powder Puffs moto you got a glimpse of some warrior women as they banged bars and stuffed each other in the turns. The gate dropped on their moto and it was a knock down drag race to that right turn. They were going so fast that a lot of them had trouble slowing down and making the turn without going all the way to the berm, locking it up and then cutting back across. There’s a few girls that pull double duty by riding this class and one of the regular classes so this was by far the most aggressive of the powder races we’ve seen. I’m looking forward to watching them wick it up and getting in the mix with each other in November.

If you were looking for the Featured Rider report for October, well…it ain’t happening. The weather caused a change in the program but we’ll be lining up the featured rider for the next race…See you there….

-scott

Spring Back...Fall Forward

2008-10-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

Actually the saying goes "spring forward-fall back" which helps those on the mainland remember which way to advance or set back their clocks in preparation for daylight savings time. Of course we don't have to worry 'bout that but it's a fitting title for the September edition of the Race Reports beacuse in this fall season we are moving forward.

If this is your first time visiting action808.com you're not aware of the multiple changes this site has had over the last 2 years. Every new layout required learning a new program and blah blah blah but this latest change included changing web hosts and more blah blah blah. Thankfully I started the process before the September event and was only a few days late getting the images up loaded. We'll see how long it takes to change the look again...

So...were you there for the September Event at Kahuku? If not let me lay it out for you. Can you say tight, technical, tight? Well at least that's how the upper section had been laid out. After the riders screamed out of the valley and up the hill past the spectator bleachers they made a hard right hand back down the valley. From there it was a left hand off camber of sorts that pointed them back to the upper track and over a very large uphill jump that most riders were able to clear just by carrying momentum. That jump provided a moment of peace and quiet before landing and railing the left hand 180 that brought them to a large hump. The hump really couldn't be jumped because of an immediate 90 degree right turn at the base so most people rolled it. After navigating it they hit a small but steep table-top and landed at the entrance of yet another 180 left turn which shot them through a small whoops section. From there it was on to the rhythm section before the finish line, the big 180 left bowl turn and on to the remainder of the track. Of course the fast riders showed the others that there were two distinct lines through this section and many riders were able to catch up to the guy in front by not following. It was good layout and provided some good moments. Take a look at the 'lift off shots' of the experts over the small table and some of the shots through the whoops when you get a chance.

It was HUGE dust storm of a day though and that was unfortunate as there was a lot of wreckage on some of the starts. In one of the classes 8 bikes went down as a chain reaction occured at the first turn because no one could see the rider in front of them. That was caught on film and is in the Starts folder on line. The water truck and the track watering personnel did their best but there's nothing like wind and sun to evaporate what gets watered almost as soon as it hits the dirt.

It was welcomed surprise to have some of the Neighboor Island hot shots mix it up with our riders. I think they did a lot to add some excitement and fill out some of the classes. Distinctly noticeable were Yamaha #4 in the Expert Class and Polini # 21 in the 50's Advanced. Speaking of the 50's Advanced did anyone catch the recently crowned #1 KTM rider Donovan Canionero hammering the finish line table on the 50?

In the Expert 125/250f Class, Mercedes ran with the big dogs again for her second showing as an Expert. She fared well once again and from the look of things her speed through the whoops is getting better and better.

A blur of white lightning on a Honda 450 turned out to be Alfred Lee piloting the white bike around the track like a cyclone. Alfie has quickly transitioned from the 250f to the 450f and seems right at home on either one.

One thing that was sorely missed this past event was some of the regular riders who for one reason or another were out. Fortunately they were still participating as course marshalls or flaggers.

The Featured Rider this month is Alfred Lee. I've been watching "Alfie" since he was on a KTM, Yamaha, Kawasaki and he's now on Hondas. Alfie along with some of the other young gun hotshots came out of the group of riders that included Mercedes when they were all on 80/85's. Alfie was a good rider, up in the pack and pretty fearless on the 85's but the jump to the 125 class aboard the Honda 250f ignited him. A couple of months back I was up at the track on a saturday with my class of photographers learning how to shoot action shots and Alfie was riding the practice track on the 250f. He was hammering it. His style if you look closely resembles that of the other fast riders we have and I made a comment to him about it. He just grinned. Anyway here's a little interview we did with Alfred Lee our second installment of the Featured Rider.

Name: Alfred Lee

Rider#: 121

Bike: Honda 250f (stock) and 450f (stock)

Classes: 125 Am, 250 Am and Open

Age:12

Hometown: Kaneohe, HI

School: King Intermediate

Grade: 7th

Best Subject: Physical Education

Q: What do you want to be when you get older?
A: "I want to turn Pro"

Q: Who is your favorite Pro Rider?
A: "Ricky Carmichael"

Q: Which bike is your favorite, the 250f or the 450f?
A: "The 250f, it's easier to handle...the 450f can get away"

Q: Are your bikes stock?
A: "The bikes are stock...don't need any more power"

Q: What riding gear do you wear?
A: "All of it is NoFear gear"

Q: Who's the fastest rider locally?
A: "Bronson"

Q: Have you ever ridden with him on the track?
A: "yeah but I couldn't see his lines to good, he kicks up alot of dirt"

Q: Where did you buy your bikes from?
A: "the 50f came from Pflueger Honda in Waipahu...the 450f is from Rick Salinas
at "Ricks Auto Body"

Q: Who does all the wrenching on your bikes?
A: "David Rosen"

Q: Do you have a favorite track in Hawaii and why?
A: "yeah...Kauai!...Big Jumps"

Q: So you raced Kauai recently, what classes did you race?
A: "Open, Expert, 250 Am and 125 Am"

Q: Wow that's a lot of classes how did you do in the Expert and the Open?
A: "3rd in Expert and 3rd in Open"

Q: If you were to get the chance to ride one Pro Track on the Mainland which would it be?
A: "Glen Helen"

Q: Oh yeah thats a big track I've been there, what bike would you use?
A: "the 450 for the power"

Q: What do you do to train?
A: "ride and eat!"

Q: Favorite kind of riding...whoops, jumps, turns, straights etc.?
A: "I like the turns and getting air"

Q: What video games do you play?
A: "mx racer vs Atv"

As we sat there talking man to man I asked him about girls and that's when all the seriousness vanished. Of course he's got his eyes on a girl (s) but with mom sitting so close to us he got a little shy and his friends started giving him trouble so we let that one go with out getting a name. Keep your eyes on Alfred Lee, on Honda's 121.

See you all in October!

"Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes"

2008-08-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

“Cha Cha Cha Changes” go the words to David Bowies 1971 song “Changes”. The “change” word is also being batted around as a slogan in this years political arena…just as it always in politics. But those are just words. “Change” or rather “real” change came to Kahuku MX Park this past weekend. The series was over, the champions were crowned, new numbers were assigned and riders moved up in class. That’s real change and change for the better.

The fresh blood of the best riders in each class earning the next level up or those being unwillingly nudged up is what makes for better riders, better racing, and a level playing field. A quick stroll through the pits saw a bunch of new numbers and in some cases a rider with two different rider numbers and even folks with new larger bikes to go with the new class. It will be another race or two to catch on as to who is who now.

One of the riders who caught our attention for the last year in the 50’s class is Donovan Canionero, the 3rd grader from Waianae who you know as KTM #199 and the Newly Crowned Champion of the 50’s Advanced Class. Change is big for Donovan this new season as I spotted him zooming around the track during practice on a big shiny Kawasaki 65 sporting his #199 plate.. Yep, Donovan is one of the riders moving up to the next level and he’ll be a favorite to put pressure on the current 65 class leaders.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Donovan for a few moments to ask him some questions as we start the first installment of our Featured Rider story.

Name: Donovan Canionero Rider # 199 Accomplishments: Series Champion
Class: 50’s Advanced & 65's Age: 8 Hometown: Waianae Years Riding: 5 years
Years Racing: 1 year School: Waianae Elementary
Grade: 3rd Teacher: “Mr. Oh” Favorite subject at school… “recess”

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?

A: "A motorcycle racer."

Q: Who is your favorite rider on the pro circuit?

A: “Mike Alessi” he rides Suzuki."

Q: Do you know who Jeremy McGrath is?

A: “yes”.

Q: Who is the fastest rider at Kahuku?

A: “Bronson”

Q: Who wrenches on your bike?
A: “dad” (as he pointed at his father Justin)

Q: Who cleans your bike after a long day at the races?

A: “dad” (A little grin came with that answer...)

A little further into the interview Donovan expressed his interest more in racing and riding the track than trail riding and that he was looking forward to riding a bike with that extra lever (the clutch). He really likes riding his KTM and said it had good power along with it being well built. I might add that during the interview he was sitting there in the chair with his HUGE 1st Place trophy that towered over him in his lap and he might have been a little nervous about someone asking a lot of questions. For an 8 year old he took it all in stride though as if maybe it's practice for the interviews of the future.

He certainly did communicate to me later on in the final moments of his second moto when he took his hand off the throttle and gave me a wave as he passed me. Luckily I go the shot. His mom told me that on the way home that night she explained to him my question of "how long have you been ridiing" to which he first said "8 years" but was really 5 years. He caught on and responded "why I was born to ride". A memorable quote. Good Luck Donovan.

Since this Race Report is titled “Changes” lets also talk about a monumental change in the line up of big bikes…Yamaha 202 moves to Expert! Yes, Mercedes is now in the Expert 125 class and that is news. A scant 3 years ago she was setting blistering paces on her blue YZ 80 and now she’s a full on 125 Expert piloting a white YZ 250F. Her debut moto was a good one as she went toe to toe with another very good veteran expert rider Curren Fujio, rider # 39 aboard a Honda. The start of the first moto, which you can watch on the YouTube link, shows her getting the hole shot and then him diving under her as they turn left past the tire and head down hill.

They return to view in the whoops section and Mercedes is out front with Curren in very close pursuit. Into the double table section before the finish line Mercedes takes the tight line while Curren takes the turn a little wider to get that hop that the fast riders use to get over both tables and the little bump just before the entrance to left hand bowl turn. Curren lands hard and drives into the bowl turn locking up the bike and taking the short inside line while Mercedes rips through the bowl turn on the high side and exits still out in front.

Within another lap or so it is obvious that Curren has fallen off the pace either by crashing or developing a bike problem. Mercedes continues on for the win of Moto 1 and her first win as an Expert. Congratulations!

The Experts are experts because of their skill and speeds and it will be exciting to see the Rookie Experts mix it up with the Veteran Experts as this new season unfolds. We can only hope for better track conditions as the speeds these riders reach can be dangerous with so much dust.

Lastly another rider to keep your eye on is Honda # 715, Alfred Lee. Alfie is now riding both in the 125 and 250 class and if you had a chance to watch his line choice he’s not a follower and doesn’t always take the inside line around turns. He’s another rider who makes his own lines, adapts and keeps the throttle WFO. Keep your eye on him.

See you in September.

-Scott

Summer Cleaning

2008-07-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

Technology is a great thing. We see it everywhere. I remember as a youngster riding around proudly back in the sand pits on my Honda XR 75 with my cool sounding "up pipe" from DG. My friend Eric had a year older XR 75, it was a silver tanked unit when mine was Honda Red and he had a Basini pipe on his bike. We were all that and a bag o'chips back then even with our open faced helmets.

Eric was an innovator and just the coolest person to know because his sister had a boyfriend who parked his own YZ 125 in the same garage as Eric's and I just loved to go over and marvel at the total "coolness" and high tech gadgetry of the larger bike. It had an "up" pipe and a "porcupine" gold colored head and it had trick looking FOX Shocks mounted instead of the spindly units we had on our XR's. When the guy started it up and reved it out it was like angels singing along with the intoxicating smell of race fuel mixed with bean oil.

I remember pouring over Motocross Action magazines and photos of places like Saddle Back and Carlsbad. I remember John DeSoto in the mags too. I remember my first rush of Technology when one of the mags spotted the first water cooled engine prototypes that Bob Hannah was riding. Holy COW a water cooled motorcycle engine!!! What will they think of next? Within a matter of years though I beat that XR to death and left the dirtbike world for something else but everyonce in a while I'd drop in to the local dealer, Heysers Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha on Route 1 in Laurel MD to pick up a magazine. Imagine my surprise when I saw pics of bikes without rear shocks!!!! I really and truly thought it was "photo-trickery" done by the magazine.

How in the world does the bike stay up in the air with out shock absorbers? I mean even the "mono-shock" Yamaha's had a steel frame attatched to the swing arm that made technological sense. But this? Wow! Who woulda' thought about that. Of course technology had leapt forward again and with out me this time. It was years later after getting in at the begining of the JetSki sport and riding and racing through the 80's and 90's that I came back to dirtbikes and Holy Cow again! Linkages, Water Cooled Engines, Powervalves, Nikasil, Disc Brakes and 13" of travel!!!!

So now jump forward to the latter half of the first decade of the 3rd Century and we have feather light four-strokes and all that goes along with the new revolution in 4-stroke innovation. What's next...I have no idea but on the Electronic side of this equation, the World Wide Web and all the gadgets associated with it I'm hanging in there trying to keep up. We have digital cameras and websites, we upload, we download, we learn new programs, we buy computers that get outdated just as you get the hang of them, we buy through eCommerce sites, we send and receive eMail, we listen to podcasting, talk on iPhones, listen to MP3 Players, watch DVDs, we use Compact Flash, we make MPEG's, and JPEGS and the list is growing.

My Summer Cleaning this week has been to clean up the site and organize it as well as learn and adopt some new technology. You are reading this web-log (Blog) which is one of the pieces. Some place somewhere someone is hosting this site and with just a few clicks I can make it part of my website which is hosted somewhere else by someone else while the Youtube clips are held in another place and the Online Photos are some where else...all the while you're reading this at home at your leisure and I'm writing it at my leisure. It's all seamless and in real time 24/7 with just a click of your mouse.

Next up for Action808.com will be some eCommerce solutions for the many folks who have requested to use a credit card. We're working on it...just another thing I have to learn.

-scott

Evolution Inspiration

2008-07-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Race Reports Blog from Action808.com where you can find race commentary from "behind the lens, up close and personal".

The Evolution of the motocross portion of the Action808.com website has been the Inspiration to bring the race commentary to a place where it can be easily and continually updated and archived. With a Blog there will be enough room to finally post results, add features and write longer articles. Of course one thing at a time though since it is all about bringing the best images back from each race.

You will begin to see other new things at Action808.com too. The short video clip that we presented from the July 4th Race was well received and there will be more. Another Miss Action808 is also in the works as well as some feature stories.

So be patient as we switch gears, make little adjusments here and there and continue to bring good things to read and look at back from the races.

Stay Tuned and keep it on two wheels rubber side down!

-scott