Cycle News

industry, but that's a whole other story.) One day at Kinney's Riverside, California, home in 1984, he showed me some of the photos he had taken as a hobby, none of which were of motorcycles (landscape shots, I believe), but they were—in focus! That was hard to come by back then. I asked him if he would be interested in shooting me on a CN test bike. A few days later, he outfitted me with some new MSR riding gear, we headed to nearby Reche Canyon and shot away. That was my first official photoshoot with KJ. We went on to do hundreds more. In the later years, KJ and I doubled up for countless of Supercross and National MX races, sharing hotel rooms and rental cars. He always VOLUME 57 ISSUE 19 MAY 12, 2020 P101 offered to buy me dinner as a thank you for "letting" him stay in my room, despite him always getting the floor or couch (freelance photographers, you all can relate I'm sure). We'd drive to the races together, do our thing during the day or night, and hook up again afterward and trade stories from what we had just seen on the track or heard in the pits. He'd quickly share his favorite shots of the day with me, which often included incredible images of a crash. He had the knack for being in the right place at the right time. He could predict where James Stewart and Chad Reed would punt each other off the track and be right there ready when it happened while looking through his Nikon's viewfinder. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with KJ on race weekends. He always said what was on his mind (I quickly learned never to bring up politics in a restaurant), he always had great stories, and he would rou- tinely offer to help me, like running out and getting us food and drinks, while I was frantically typing my late- night write-ups after the races. But the best part, he didn't snore. The worst part? Hands down, being a passenger with him in a car! He was an excellent driver, don't get me wrong, but he drove a car like he did a motorcycle—fast. But, one day, I rode with him, and he drove around like my grandmother, and it was that way ever since. I never asked why or anything. Too many tickets, perhaps? I didn't care or want to know; I was just thankful. Kinney was always one of the friendliest guys in the pits, everyone loved him, but he had a scary side. Our young CN motorcycle photo models quickly learned to pay atten- tion and not goof off and leave him hanging in between shots during a photoshoot. That was a no-no. (And so was losing one of his slides! That was one of my greatest fears back then. Thank god for digital.) I also respected Kinney for his work ethic. I think that anyone who knew and worked with Kinney professionally would agree that he busted his ass 24-7. He did what- ever it took to get the shot that was requested of him and get it in the hands of those in need quickly. I'm often asked whatever hap- pened to Kinney, well, he's doing just fine. He enjoys retirement and loves hanging out with his wife, Paula, and his entire family, especially his grandkids. He still rides motorcycles and still spends a lot of his free time doing what he likes best (besides golfing), and that's exploring the Mojave Desert alone, often now on four wheels instead of two in his Jeep Wrangler. I wish that Kinney, and other peo- ple like him in our sport, could, like many deserving racers, get a victory lap of their own when it comes time for them to step away. Their contribu- tions to the sport and industry are just way too important to just let blow by without at least acknowledgment and a heartfelt thank you! Know- ing Kinney, however, he would not have wanted any hoopla made over him, but, in my opinion, too bad. He should've gotten one anyway. CN

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