Its Hip to be Insane

I’m not a big sports fan. I’ve never been a team player, and I have a serious lack of talent. As the worlds sports entertainment slips away from traditional sports into the realm of extreme sports, I’m even less likely to make it big. But I have to admit a certain curiosity about these extreme athletes. In a world where people playing golf earn millions of dollars, and people playing soccer earn tens of millions; you have to appreciate the people who pioneer new and death defying sports for a smaller annual salary than your average Wal-Mart greeter.

There are aspects of the Xtreme sports revolution I’m not so fond of. The first being the spelling of Xtreme. I also don’t like the way that products like razors, soda-pop, and deodorant are now XTREME in some fashion. Does the way my armpits smell now inspire confidence and ability to face death? No. However, Its much more entertaining to watch a bunch of Island raised kids launch themselves into the air, than it is to watch multi-millionaires kick a ball around. Plus, in a very limited capacity, I do ride my mountain bike in a “extreme’ fashion.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept of “freeriding”, it is a particular type of mountain biking that involves drops, hucks, structures, and skinnies. Basically, one creates and obstacle coarse in the forest, and tries to ride one’s bicycle down it without dying. Like I said, I lack talent, but I have built a few good trails in the Alberni area. I can’t ride but a quarter of what I’ve built, but they are impessive. I should probably take a few pictures (a latter blog subject).

Anyway, back to this weekend’s entertainment. The Bearclaw Slope Style Invitational. Slope style is a modified form of free riding that incorporates dirt jumping on an open course for increased spectator viewing. I believe the term “slope style” was coined about last Thursday by the promoters of the Bearclaw Slope Style Invitational…but regardless this is what I went and saw. The event was held at the Mt Washington Ski Resort, and was free of charge (or I wouldn’t have gone).

Pictured above, is Darren Bearclaw (actually his name is something close to Bearclaw…a professional avatar if you will) a young man in his early 20’s from Duncan. He has achieved world recognition by doing crazy things on a bicycle (mainly in movies). Many of the other riders at the event are also young kids from the Island. They are professionals in the sense that they get paid to ride their bikes and be in movies. This is how the industry creates revenue, as no tickets to these events are ever sold. There was $9000 in prize money up for grabs, an industry record I believe. It is worth noting at this point that Mr. Bearclaw is pointing uphill at this particular point in his rotation, and is only halfway through a 360 turn in mid air, about 15 off the ground, protected only by that helmet and a baggy pair of jeans (fashion over function). Here he is doing an impression of Clark Kent riding his bicycle to the office.

Note that the laws of physics apply very much to bicycles, and as Newton observed gravity is always acting on objects. Even though these are professionals, most of them crash. Strangely, despite the speed, the height, and the lack of protective equipment, they are fine and get up and do it again. Like a rare breed of bicycle riding cat, they typically land on their feet (at least for a few seconds). They seem impervious to pain, but I bet their stiff the next morning. I get stiff if a sleep wrong, let alone when I crash into the ground from 15-20 feet.

I didn’t stay till the end to see who walked off with all the prize money. It was too hot on the hill for Sasha, and the MCs voice (yelling through amplifiers) was getting to me. I stayed long enough to be kneed in the face in the battle for free merchandise, tossed into the crowd from up high. I almost got a t-shirt, but I’m just not cutthroat enough to punch a 12 year old in the face to get him to let go of it. I tugged; but in the end, he just wanted it more. The wise do not try to get physical with youngsters cranked up on to many “RedBulls”.

So, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. This final series is of a guy named “Jordy” from Parksville attempting (unsuccessfully for the fifth time in an hour) to do some sort of barrel roll. The kid has heart.