Motocross pro Alex Harvill is travelling home to Washington after racing in the Canadian Motocross National Tour. He had some time and stopped in Taber to ride on the track.
He says even though it looks like the dirt bike does all the work, motocross is a physically and mentally demanding sport.
“You think because you’re on a motor it would be really easy, but it’s really difficult to hang on to it and to be able to withstand the track conditions for 35 minutes. It’s changing every single lap you come around, so it’s never the same,” Harvill said.
The 24-year-old has already broken two world records; one for jumping a distance of nearly 130 metres (425 feet) and the other when he jumped a distance of 90 metres (297 feet).
When he’s going the distance, he lets his muscle memory take over.
“You’re in the moment, you’re not actually thinking about what you’re doing – you’re letting your body react,” he said.
On his Taber ride, 58-year-old Blair Kultgen joined him.
Kultgen is a cross country dirt bike racer, and he’s excited to race one-on-one with a pro.
“It’s just challenging. If you don’t do good, you can’t blame anybody but yourself,” Kultgen said.
He helps with the local motocross club, which has about 250 members, but he’s hoping Harvill’s visit will kick up some more interest.
“There’s not a lot to do in Taber,” Kultgen said. “It’s something you can do and it’s fun.”
“This is the heart and soul of our sport,” Harvill said. “This is where our real fans come from, the people who are actually riding themselves… without these people here, our sport has nothing.”
Harvill hopes, with every jump he takes, he will inspire other people to enjoy the ride.
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