Sunday, August 30, 2009

don't drink & ride

nestled in the high plains of colorado amidst low hills that block the mountains to the west, where storm fronts form and move on to plague the midwest, lies a newly opened track. lacking perhaps the creativity of a name, the highplains raceway does not lack in a rider's happy challenge...ups & downs, blind corners & narrow lanes, at a moment you can feel like the only person on the plains, hidden from the screaming fans, the next you'll be tangled in a firey mess of novice riders.

damn i'm glad i'm not a rider, but i can capture their every move on turns 7-12, and that's just what i did that hot afternoon of August 29th; filming a promo video for a determined rider.

it was the weekend of the MRA's last race of the summer, and the cool night was welcomed by all; so were two kegs and free philly cheesesteaks. remembering an old college habit, and the fact that there was one beer left in our cooler, i attached myself to the tap of fat tire as if it were my umbilical chord. it was a heady mess when i got to it, somebody had to correct that error. and so it began, a night pouring cup after cup to perfection, with the occasional break to partake in my own heavy drinking, stoking a bon fire, & selling my services to the riders who either weren't racing the following day, or didn't care if they hit 160mph & 100 degree turns with a hangover.

chapel services at 9am the morning of the 30th; many a rider bowed, thanking the almighty for the fact that their bike is not in charred ruins, i find my atheist-self slightly bent, whispering a blessing for the man whose generosity allowed me to refill my can an infinite amount of times the previous night. sprints are today, and i'm about to put myself in the path of destruction for a few sweet high definition shots. i do my part.