Dusty roads

Being part of a motocross event brings back a lot of memories. When this writer first started as a field reporter for ABS-CBN in 1986, motocross, along with darts, billiards and bowling, were the sports that had constant monthly tournaments, and were thus great for building stories. The PBA was ascending, and would peak with the monster rookie batch of 1989 (Benjie Paras was Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player). But it was motocross that captured my imagination then.

After the ban on cigarette advertising almost a decade ago, the country’s largest motocross series, Camel Motocross, left a huge void in the sport. This paralleled the dip in cycling sponsorship, the loss of the Marlboro Tour, formerly the Tour of Luzon.

Now, with the resurgence of motorcycle sports through the Kopiko Astig 3-in-One Supercross Series (which will air its Bacolod leg on Studio 23 tomorrow at 11 a.m.), riders have something to look forward to. The noise, action, dust and emotional reactions of the crowd prove why it is a beloved sport around the world.

Without going into technicalities, supercross is the more challenging version of the sport, modified – as usual – from the original. The Bacolod track built by Man & Machine Racing Promotions – organizers of the race – had 36 jumps, and a series record 136 riders, despite the conspicuous absence of Jovie Saulog and Team Pacquiao. Despite the draining, dry heat, a crowd of about 30,000 surrounded the track on the final day.

Make no mistake, riding a dirt bike like this is no easy feat. You don’t only have to balance the so-called iron horse; you have to direct it where you want to go. And when the lead rider leaves you in a huge cloud of dirt, what can you do is not to be upset, and do your best to stay safe. A few riders fell off the sides of a few jumps at the start. But nobody was seriously hurt.

What is also fascinating is the preparation for a race. In most cases, the bike is disassembled, as the wheels and handlebars are packed separately. All are manually and tightly bound in oversized plastic cling wrap for shipping. Remember, these bikes don’t have many of the usual amenities. As in the scene from the animated film “Cars”, they don’t have headlights or side mirrors, for starters. Of course, the output of the engines is larger. And the safety standards, very high.

The track is laid out depending on the design, contour and size of the property, and type of soil. About 10,000 to 15,000 cubic feet of earth and filling material are moved to fit the design. Adjustments are made, if necessary. Then the track is fenced in and tested. Then the stage and sound system are installed, and parking spots allocated for a fire truck, ambulance, service vehicles and others.

Before the race, hotel rooms are booked, participants’ meals are covered, mechanics and other support staff arrive at the venue first. Tents for every team are set up along one side of the track. Security for the track is put into place. The riders start arriving and giving their feedback. In the most part, they are overjoyed at the various challenges built into their tracks.

So much goes into protecting the riders and marshals. In Cebu, the Man & Machine was constantly repairing the track because of the evening rain. In Bais, they spent an extra two hours raking down almost the entire track because they found rocks leading to a few of the jumps. Remember, this is a high-speed sport wherein you are astride what is essentially a metal projectile, almost a rocket. If it gets diverted by a large stone, you can’t control where you’ll be going. And the helmet and protective equipment adds to the heat.

Speaking of high temperatures, the heat was simply ignored by the riders as a fact of life. Even the crowds didn’t seem to mind. Besides, many of the riders walk around the pit area topless to stay cool. The Danish riders in the Cebu race even stripped down their boxers and slippers when they weren’t riding.

This sport is not for the dainty. The bikes are so loud. It might not be conducive to very small children, but then again some riders are five years old. The heat can also be unbearable. Since the series started, I’m at least three different colors, and at least ten shades lighter under my shirt. Not something you want to imagine.