INTERVIEW
2016 AMA 450MX NATIONAL CHAMPION KEN ROCZEN
P140
doesn't really matter what other
people think, but in my mind, if I
know I'm on the best team there
is, that also makes a difference
for me, you know? And those are
my thoughts on it. We're going
to come into the season really
strong. I'm stronger than I've
ever been, physically, mentally,
with my bike, I think that's a big
bonus, but at the same time,
we don't want to get ahead of
ourselves. I'm going to come in
to the season super focused and
I'm not going to take anything on
the easy shoulder by any means.
So, I'll be coming in confident
and I just want to be smart. And
healthy!
The "healthy" part is the
real bitch in motocross. It's
amazing how often you guys
are nursing a sore wrist or
ankle or whatever, and you
just don't tell anybody.
It almost never stops. Things
can happen so quick, without
even crashing or anything. It's
tough.
Before the start of the
2015 MX Nationals, you had
that fracture in your spine. I
understand you still have it. Is
that something that still both-
ers you? Or something you
can get fixed if you find some
down time?
Yeah, that fracture that I have,
it can't get worse, and it won't
heal, so there's no risk there.
There are some muscles that
protect it, and my training is very
back-specific, and sometimes
it'll flare up a little bit, but it's all
manageable. And when I train,
we're all about having the right
posture, and doing things the
right way so that it'll help with my
back and in general on my body.
When I'm retired, or whatever,
yeah, it can be fixed. They say
people can live with it their entire
lives [with it], but it can also defi-
nitely be fixed.
Speaking of training, this
past outdoor season might
have been the first time that
one of Aldon Baker's guys
lost a title straight up. Ryan
Dungey did drop out with
an injury, but it's not like he
was beating you before that,
so it seems like that streak
Aldon had is over now. You
worked with Aldon Baker
before Dungey did. Now that
you've had a couple of years
with someone else, what do
you think about Aldon as a
trainer?
"I've gone
to different
teams, and
I've been
on different
bikes, and
when I say
that I'm
with the
best team, I
mean it."
