W
hen you work your
whole life toward a goal
– a goal of becoming
the best of the best – when you fi-
nally reach that level, you want to
see fireworks. You want throngs
of fans screaming for you. You
want magazine covers and en-
ergy drink sponsorships. That's a
reasonable trade off for a lifetime
of honing your skills, right? For
road racers, motocross racers,
and even some off-road racers,
it's an attainable goal. Rare, yet
attainable.
When you think of it in those
terms, trials riders sure seem to
get the short end of the stick.
For a sport that requires nearly
as much training as Supercross
to reach the top ranks – that is
to say, you pretty much need to
be raised in it to reach the elite
level – there is very little at the
top. Their feats are magnificent,
as anyone who has attended a tri-
als competition can attest to. Yet
their incredibly skilled maneuvers
and daunting stunts are tucked
back in remote landscapes, far
from the eye of the mainstream
– the places where the fireworks
and sponsorship dollars lie.
The location issue aside, the
funny looking bikes and compli-
cated rules of trials competitions
aren't likely to draw the crowds
you'll find at a Supercross race,
where loud engines, big air and
blistering speed take very little
understanding to appreciate. Su-
percross epitomizes the macho
lifestyle, synonymous with beau-
tiful people and "rockstar status."
But as for trials, let's be honest,
there's only so much sex appeal
you'll find in a unitard and open-
face helmet.
Some trials riders might argue
that they've always been rock
stars (just ask Colton Haaker),
BY JEAN TURNER
CN
III CROSS-RUTTED
THE TRIALS
PAYOUT
P140
Trials rider Louise Forsley
rehearsing her role as "Black
Widow" in the upcoming
Marvel Universe LIVE! tour.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MARVEL
UNIVERSE
LIVE!/FELD
ENTERTAINMENT
