Out with the old!

2011 has been a full year. Since I graduated in December 2010 from Humboldt State University, 2011 was a year of getting used to being a college graduate. I enjoyed my time working part time teaching and dancing at the local dance studio. This also allowed me to go to all the races I did. A year after graduation and I still have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. A year of big changes, I am ready to say goodbye to 2011 and see what adventures I can find in 2012!   

This is my last post of 2011! My blog is now up to date with all the major trips from the last several years. Here are a few pictures to enjoy before I begin posting about my new adventures. Happy New Year!

Sunset at Patrick’s Point

Christmas sunrise in the hills of Humboldt

Believe ~In myself ~In others ~ That everything happens for a reason ~That everything will work out the way it is supposed to

Who needs plans? : Washougal 2011

Thanks to another Facebook contest I got 2 tickets for Washougal MX, only catch did not know if I had them until the morning before the race. Short notice on a 9+ hour drive makes for an interesting trip. So my brother and I jumped in the car and drove. Since we didn’t get going too early, and decided to make several stops along the way we ended up pulling in around 1:30am on race day. The moon was close to full and it was pretty exciting to be parked in the trees with just the moon lighting the track. So much for sleeping in the truck, or sleeping at all). I think I got less than 4 hours sleep before I was wide awake again. The sun was behind the trees and the grass and track was damp from the dew. the great racing made it well worth the trip!

Autographed: Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, Brett Metcalfe, Dean Wilson, Tye Simmonds

The track just before the sun got over the trees. Early morning on race day

RV going through the woops before the finish line

Hangtown 2011

Over 6 months later, Hangtown was nothing really exciting to write about, other then being the opening of the motocross season!

these guys started the PC sweep for the season!

Motocross opening round at Hangtown, these guys move the dirt!

A little Seattle, A little Bartram

I figure it’s time for another picture of Kdub and his signature move

Seattle supercross: miles from home round trip 1,287

Kenny Bartram, an FMX rider made an appearance close to home. So although it was not a road trip it is moto related. And considering it is rare for something worth talking about is closer than 4 or 5 hours away…

Kenny with me at A1 supercross

Kenny doing a back flip at the Fortuna Rodeo!

PINK

Each year one of the Anaheim supercross races goes PINK to support Breast cancer. I had heard about previous years, but this time we went. I got pink boots just for the occasion (and have actually worn them more than once) and I made a cover for my brother’s chair so we could both go PINK

I was lucky enough to get pictures with both Jeremy McGrath and Jeff Emig, both past supercross champions.

Ken Roczen after the races.

2011 Supercross: before it began, A1 &Oakland

Pre season for the 2011 supercross season was what it should be, all the hype for what is now referred to as the greatest season in the recent history of the sport. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, we were given tickets to a pre season small press event with the past two champions Ryan Dungey and James Stewart. It was fun to see the two of them less than a week before the opening round sharing a love seat and answering some fun and some serious questions.

How often do you get Stewart and Dungey that close to each other and not banging bars?



Since we did hit the road and drive through the night to make it to that event and it was so close to the first race, we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stay for the opening round. Anahiem 1 did not disappoint. I think I took as many pictures with riders/industry people as I possibly could. RC, Hill, Tedesco, Hart, twitch, Short, Reed, Mitch Payton and others!

RC= the Goat

Some of the other greats

Mitch Payton, the man behind the PC success

Once again thanks to the internet (Facebook I think) we got tickets from a Toyota dealer for Oakland SX. Track walk and JGR Toyota rig tour. Race 2 of 6 for 2011.

Track walk in heels

Next stop: A2 goes PINK!

SYTYCD

Unrelated to most of this blog, I am a ballet dancer. I have been dancing for the majority of my life and decided to talk my brother into another trip to head off to auditions. After rescheduling presentations and midterms at Humboldt State University I arranged my schedule so that I could make the Oakland auditions for the Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance” I didn’t really expect to get far since I was completely unprepared, but I figured it would be a good experience and worth a shot. This trip went something like, get done with school in the afternoon, drive to Oakland (about 5 hours south) and sleep in the truck on the street near the theater. Ok so this sounds way worse than it really was, although the lack of bed and sleep probably didn’t help my audition. I can now say I was in line at 4AM for a television show audition. While I did get a call back, but I think everyone did, the floor was completely slippery and difficult to dance on. After running around the theater all day for and doing all the things they told us to, I started to brainstorm ideas for making my shoes not slip. On my day between auditions and call backs my brother and I tried to get crafty. We found a hardware store and bought 7 ( I think) different types of glues to try on the shoe. The end result a spare wheelchair tube cut and glued to the tip of my shoe. It helped a little but not enough or I just wasn’t good enough. but the auditions were well worth the shot for experience. On that note I am considering trying again.

Documentation: Pala 2010

1,427 miles round trip to Pala MX national 2010. This was the first time Pala was on the schedule, and we decided to make the trip for it. Dungey had wrapped up the title before the end of the season, but that did not mean the racing was over! Most of the time in the car was spent listening to the “Pulp MX” radio show and they didn’t believe we drove as far as we did for the race.

Opening ceremonies

Eli Tomac (he won Hangtown, his rookie race)

Sorry Brett Metcalfe. I just happened to catch this photo as he went over the bars. This section was gnarly and we saw a few crashes during the races.

The GPS- I have documentation

South then North

Ryan Dungey just finished strong in supercross, taking the championship. After finding bright green fox shirts we got them screen printed with the titles Dungey had won in the last 2 years with the motocross 450 one on the bottom with an unchecked box. And that is what I wore to Hangtown!

RIP Danny “Magoo” Chandler, you are missed

Here I am ready to leave the hotel for the race.

The road trip to Washougal for the race turned into an FMF race. Got our Fox/Dungey shirt autographed as well as an autograph from Ryan Dungey’s mechanic Mike Gosslear “Goose”, and a picture with Ryan.

All FMF!

With Ryan

The autographs