A motocross Christmas

CEBU CITY – Eleven races. Ten different locations. Hundreds of riders. Tons of dirt. Tens of millions of pesos. Crowds ranging from 18,000 to over 42,000. This has been the story of motocross’s renaissance. And it all returned to where it started.

Yesterday was the last leg of the Kopiko Astig 3-in-One Supercross series where, at the South Road Project where it began in January. Normally, we sports journalists don’t have much to do this close to Christmas. But this year was the rebirth of a sport, and this climactic leg was special. It marked a year of new rivalries born, logistical challenges overcome, and love for motor sports triumphing against the odds. The intrepid team of Man & Machine Racing Promotions did what needed to be done, and how.

There have been several daunting challenges along the way. In some instances, a local government or business backed out of supporting one leg mere weeks before, and luckily another generous patron stepped in to take their place. Barotac Nuevo came in after the Davao leg was cancelled to prevent back-to-back months of no races. Despite non-stop rains that melted the track, we kept piling up the muddy earth. The day before the races, the city was bombed. Still, we raced.

We were in many places in time for their celebrations, like Cebu and Bacolod. We were in the area mere days before Yolanda transformed part of the Visayas into a post- apocalyptic nightmare. Everywhere we went, we built tracks from the genius of Jonas Adlawan’s mind and Jake Alcordo’s dogged persistence. Sometimes, the challenges were technological. Sometimes, material. All this while Team Kopiko itself was racing in other events.

For the uninitiated, it is not as easy as boarding a plane, cordoning off an area, and holding an event. Land needed to be surveyed, each track needed to be designed, construction equipment procured, people mobilized. It was never a small feat. And it needed doing 11 times over, a race per month, in heat or high winds, pouring rain or storms of dust. It is passion on full display. You have to want to do it, and do it well.

Safety was always priority. Before each race, marshals swept the track like a search party, seeking out looses stones that could endanger riders. Fire trucks hosed down the track hourly so that dust clouds would not hamper riders’ visibility. Medical personnel were always on standby. Crowds were kept back at a safe distance. Participants were briefed twice before every event. It was simply the way things were meant to be done.

The races themselves each provided their own kind of thrill. The peewee class had audiences shrieking with delight, as kids as young as five raced their miniaturized motorcycles up the same courses, often pausing to roll over the bigger jumps. The pros always gave a good show, with veterans like Glenn Aguilar of KTM Access Plus and youngster Jonas Adlawan of Team Kopiko dueling fiercely, with Bornok Mangosong of Atong Racing always challenging. Each represented Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, respectively, symbolizing the sport’s universality.

Often, getting there was the biggest quandary. It is more expensive to transport one motorcycle across the country than one rider, and we had hundreds, sometimes more than 200 riders in one race. Yet it was this professionalism that earned Man & Machine recognition from the Games and Amusements Board, the first and only motocross group to ever be certified by the governing body for professional sports, a testament to the team’s high standards.

All in all, it has been a remarkable season, with the monthly riders night always an event to look forward to. Thanks to the generosity of Kopiko and Tri Dharma Marketing Corporation, motocross professionals had livelihood and renewed their spirits. As everyone heads home for the holidays, there is a sense of fulfillment for a job well done. For those of us along for the ride, it was refreshing to see an entire community galvanized into a family.

A blessed Christmas to all.