OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: TT on March 09, 2010, 08:21:35 am
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On Sunday, I spent the day at Ravenswood watching and taking a few photos.
Early in the day the young fellas struggled a bit with the muddy conditions and a there weren't many that didn't hit the deck at one time or another.
However, the thing that struck me most, was after crashing, the first thing many of them would do was look up to see if someone was coming their way to help them. If there was, they would make no attempt to pick the bike up themselves and just walk away and wait for the flaggy or whoever to pick their bike up and get it going for them.
One kid in particular, just stood up and stared at me, obviously waiting for me to drop my cameras and rush over to get him going again. I just stared back.......... :D
It certainly wasn't the majority that behaved like this, but there was a hell of a lot that thought it was someone elses job to pick their bike up for them. :-\
The conditions were pretty tough for the little buggers, but I would have thought they'd make some sort of effort to get themselves going again.
Comments? Am I being too harsh?
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You are a hard bastard Tony. Does this mean that if I fall over at CD7 while you are photographing me, you'll just leave me to somehow get my bike back up all on my own?
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Yes.
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i'd agree Tony,
a while back i flag marshalled on a set of whoops and there was quite a few spills though out the day.
the 60cc kids moto had this little guy on a KX60 absolutely demolishing the rest of the field.
this kid could ride good yeah.
till he threw it away in the whoops and lay there crying and screaming.
i thought he'd really hurt himself.
he hadn't.
turned out he'd stalled his bike and couldn't start it :o
let alone pick it up :o
the 80cc brigade were a bit better.
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I made no attempt to extract my bike from the hole it was in because I simply couldn't breath anymore....... :-[
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I was at Ravenswood to taking photo's and I noticed at the start there were 3 or 4 kids that had starting blocks so they could even sit on the bikes, so there was no chance they were ever going to be able to start there bike out on the track, I reckon the kids did great and I heard more complaints from the big kids and men, one bloke I heard say this is to hard and he never rode for the rest of the day, but the little kids just tried there hearts out all day in very muddy and slippery condition's.
Cheers Mick.
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I do agree that the majority did try their hearts out all day.
I'm just of the opinion that if you drop your bike, you try and get it up and going again yourself, and if someone comes to help, great. But a lot I saw made no attempt to even pick it up at all and just tried to get someone's attention to come and do it for them. It was quite obvious that they were never going to even try and do it for themselves. That's the bit I don't agree with.
That said, maybe I didn't see the previous crashes they may or may not have had, nor did I know how exhausted they might have been. It just didn't look good in the instances I saw.
One funny example.............. many years ago I was shooting at the Aust. Minibike Championships when a kid got taken out by someone else. Instead of picking his bike up, he jumped up ran over to me and started ranting about how bad the other rider was and did I see that and on and on and on.................
I thought to myself that this kid was fast but didn't have the right attitude to go anywhere in the sport.
I remember his name now........... Mat Mladin............. ::) :D :D
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Interesting Aussie picked up its first world MX title in the Juniors at the WC at Taupo.
They might be a pack of spoilt little shits but they are bringing home the silver. One of my nephews is really fast on 85cc and is also spoilt rotten red headed prick of the year.
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what i noticed at Coffs on the weekend watching the juniors was 1st guy in,stops at pit exit,& shook all the rest of his races hands,was good to see sportsmanship at this ealy stage in their sport,of course one kid dummy spits,walks off track,hands on hips,while dad ran over & picked his bike up!,that was an exception,(no attempt to move it??),message??,
of course when i was laying pinned under my bike in the same spot 3 races later,(for 2 laps ::)),young guy jumps the fence,& picked it up off me,my dummy spit was private, when back in the pits spotted throttle cable adjuster wound out to 3/4 throttle, :P
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Just before the finish line at Ravenswood about 15-16 year old kid lost his number plate in the mud, I walked over and picked it up and then started to head down to were they pull up, I walked up towards the kid and said is this yours, he grunted yes and then I passed it to him and he just turned around and walked off, no thanks or anything ???.
I think all kids should know how to start there own bike, I know I made sure my boys knew how to get there own bikes going, I think at Ravenswood there was a couple of times the adults jumped in a tad fast to help the kids out and other times from what I could see the kids had no chance as they were having trouble just standing up in spots, the club people might have told the kids to get away from your bike and off the track when you stack in the middle of it.
Maybe they should have a ( Can you start your bike on your own ) at a club day, if not we will teach you.
Cheers Mick.
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Under the " Start up program" dont juniors have to pass a laydown pick up bike test to be able to get there licence renewed ? its mandatory component of the 5 hours training component they do every year. SO blame the club or whoever runs the training/licence renewal test days.
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I think that only happens in sa In Vic 5 hours coaching and you can race
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In the cases I witnessed, I don't think there was any lack of ability to pick the bike up and get going, just a lack of desire. :-\
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In the cases I witnessed, I don't think there was any lack of ability to pick the bike up and get going, just a lack of desire. :-\
Bloody Victorians heh , lazy pricks. Just look at nimmo..... thats there mentor :O0
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As oppososed to a South Australian I know who was looking for one of those wheel spinning devices (like the road race guys use) to start his TM ::)........
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I think it's important at this stage that I make it absolutely clear that I don't, and never have, owned a TM............
Must have been LWC........ :D :D
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:D good one TonyT....ya reckon juniors are bad.. ::) :o seen plenty of seniors do it too,slamming helmets in the ground,standing in the middle of the track and not moving etc etc etc... all in a days flaggin. ;D
quote:Under the " Start up program" dont juniors have to pass a laydown pick up bike test to be able to get there licence renewed ? its mandatory component of the 5 hours training component they do every year. SO blame the club or whoever runs the training/licence renewal test days.
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yes here in the west too,but they assume the flag person will assist on the race day. 8)
cheers
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Tony,
Bad habits are formed early. In Divi 1 here in qld parents are allowed on the track to supervise (pick up) the little tackers when they fall, fair enough I say. The problem seems to be that parents are now going out for Divi 2 races as well and again the mums and dads pick them up when they fall, it has now gotten to the point where a few are sneaking out for 65's as well, so the kids just form an expectation that someone will be here to pick them up.
Strange observation is that these kids seem to have parents who DON'T ride/race.
I will only help them out after I see that they are trying to help themselves.......and they are no further than 10m from my seat. ;D
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I think it's important at this stage that I make it absolutely clear that I don't, and never have, owned a TM............
Must have been LWC........
certainly not me
try Freaky ;)
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WE ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO BEAT THE NEW ZEALANDER'S THOUGH ;) ;D :P
Australia wins 2010 Oceania MX Championship
The team of junior riders representing Australia at last weekend’s Oceania Motocross Championship has arrived home after successfully defeating their New Zealand counterparts.
The 2010 Oceania Motocross Championship was held in Harrisville, New Zealand on Sunday 7 March, and Australia’s 15-strong team proved too strong in both the 125cc and 65cc classes, while the honours went to the host nation in the 85cc class.
The riders warmed up for Sunday’s trans-Tasman event by participating in the Auckland Motocross Championships on Saturday, where the Aussie juniors performed well and, more importantly, allowed the riders to familiarise themselves with the Pukekohe track in preparation for Sunday’s main event.
“The track was absolutely fantastic, but it was one where passing was difficult,” Australian Team Manager Mark Willingham explained.
“On the Saturday our riders in the older classes were encouraged to triple, not double, the rhythm section behind the start line, which in the end made a big difference to their performances.”
Willingham was full of praise for not only the Australian riders and their families, but also for hosts Pukekohe Club, the track at Harrisville as well as the general positive vibe permeating throughout the entire event.
“The club was brilliant - each of our riders and their families were billeted out to a host family, which set the tone for what was simply an awesome weekend – undoubtedly one of the best events I’ve ever attended.”
The 2010 Oceania MX Championship, unlike previous years, was held as a Juniors-only event, a format which was well-supported by both countries.
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As oppososed to a South Australian I know who was looking for one of those wheel spinning devices (like the road race guys use) to start his TM ::)........
Na, in my defence it was for the the 360's in the flat trackers (no kickstarters). i get tired bump starting every race, and back to backers are a killer. if it wont fire on your way up to the start line i can be a very long run back and forth to get life init, then you sit there sweat poring of your face and your knackered, then the gate drops......... ...... :-[
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At least you're warmed up nicely for the race. :D
These days it takes me ages to get warmed up and by the time I am warmed up, I'm knackered.......... :-\
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its the "me" generation
get everything else done for them so why not get someone else to pick up the bike. I bet Dad cleanes, services and tows the bike with little or no thanks (not all but a lot).
211
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Not to mention works his ass off to pay for everything as well >:(
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Good role models, that what we need in this society ;D
Now when we were kids we slept in lead painted cots ........... ;)