GG - Travis Pastrana - Spoiler

[truespode]

It's not over with but I was really impressed with TP's first move. Especially his attempt at a superman seat grab backflip (yes you read that right). Too bad he did not get it and ended up knocking himself out!

He did to a backflip transfer though which I thought was killer.

I'm not a big fan of FMX but I do like it when someone can push things to a new level and TP did that.

Ivan

 

[Duneman]

The big dummy blu it :| . Nate played it smart and rode smooth and flawless :thumb: .
I hope tp learns soon before it's too late :think: .

 

[01HondaCR]

I saw that and when he crashed I saw him leaning over and not moving. I thought "oh he's just catching his breath". After all I'd need to catch my breath too after that. And then they said he was knocked out and i couldnt believe it. He gets concussions easier than anyone I know. Thats just amazing. It didnt look like he hit all that hard. He is definitly not a very good sponser for the shoei helmets.

 

[kbud]

I think TP shoulda won it. Sure he crashed, but he threw in backflip variations and he crashed trying something new. All Nate did was backflips, but i must say, he landed his flips perfectly.

 

[funktree]

what network is this on?

 

[Duneman]

nbc

 

[Anssi]

Originally posted by 01HondaCR
And then they said he was knocked out and i couldnt believe it. He gets concussions easier than anyone I know.

The more (and more severe) concussions you've had, the easier you will get them.

 

[super rat]

http://racerxill.com/091503_Travis_GG03_print.cfm

It must have been a sad sight.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Thanks for the link, Rat.

It's a depressing read for sure.  IMO Pastrana needs to do some deep thinking about what his future holds if he insists on staying on his current path.

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by dirt bike dave
IMO Pastrana needs to do some deep thinking about what his future holds if he insists on staying on his current path.

Do you know how many other people say the same thing about US just b/c we ride dirtbikes? Show up with a sprained ankle one day and listen to the whispers around the water cooler.

Kind of a double standard if you ask me.

The guy is an adult and able to make his own decisions. I will not question or fault his decision in relation to his profession.

I still think he was STUPID for what he did in the vette and hope that he takes care of his injured passenger. I like TP but realize that was one of the stupidest things anyone could ever do (even though I've done stupid things in a car too - the only thing that means is that I was stupid too).

Other than that if he wants to flip, knock himself out or get decapitated by the rear wheel of James Stewart whipping it over a triple I could care less. His choice to do what he wants until he can't do it anymore. I have seen people I love do far more damage to themselves just sitting around the house drinking all the time. At least TP is enjoying life and living it to what he thinks is the fullest.

Ivan

 

[XRpredator]

I disagree, Ivan. There's a difference between a sprained ankle and a concussion. A guy has to think about his future, and maybe the AMA needs a concussion rule. It boggled my mind yesterday when I heard of a player who may not be able to suit up this week because he was on his tenth concussion! sheesh! After 2 or 3 you'd think you'd figure it out. Plus, they are progressively easier to get.

Don't get me wrong, I love seeing Pastrana race. I just wish it was his focus, and he rode a little smarter doing it.

 

[dirt bike dave]

 

No double standard here.  Regardless of the profession or hobby, self destructive and/or accident prone persons should consider a lifestyle change if they are hurting themselves (and others) as frequently as Travis does.  

 

 

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by XRpredator
I disagree, Ivan. There's a difference between a sprained ankle and a concussion. A guy has to think about his future, and maybe the AMA needs a concussion rule.

How does a concussion rule matter in this case? This was an FMX event and had nothing to do with the AMA. You are arguing apples to oranges. Also, his last concussion came as the result of a stupid car wreck that required surgery to relieve bleeding in the skull. He has gone longer between concussions in competition than Ryan Hughes has.

My point is that Travis is doing what he wants and what he loves to do. He is making money and (except for his stupid car incident) not hurting anyone else.

If he died in competition tomorrow I would feel sad but I would not feel that he should have lived life differently. He is able to enjoy what he is doing and that is something many other people are unable to do as they wallow away barely existing on the couch.

The only difference between Travis doing a superman seatgrab backflip and me spraining my ankle doing a wheelie is severity. I will still have lingering problems for years from motorcycle crashes and I have never broken a bone. His lingering problems will be more severe. It is up to him to decide if it is worth it.

Just b/c we would rather see his focus directed elsewhere is irrellevant. My Grandmother still wishes I'd focus more on writing but she supports my riding and racing and wants to read my ride reports more than anyone.

Ivan

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by dirt bike dave
 

No double standard here.  Regardless of the profession or hobby, self destructive and/or accident prone persons should consider a lifestyle change if they are hurting themselves (and others) as frequently as Travis does.  

 

 

If they are hurting others I agree. What Travis did in the vette was inexcusable and stupid. I'm focusing on his choices in FMX, particularly his attempt to go for stuff nobody else thought of trying ever.

However, by your logic Robbie Reynard needs to quit racing? Mike Brown needs to retire (he has lost 2 chances at championships due to accidents). Mike Larrocco should also go bye-bye too? Let's not forget about Hughes either.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic but I am trying to prove a point.

Our desire to see someone safe from doing something that we seem stupid should hold no meaning whatsoever as long as that person is not injuring another person. Like I said, the only difference is severity and quite posibility our bias towards what we deem as being safe versus what actually is unsafe (like I said, those that don't ride don't understand us and those of us without TP's talent/personality will not understand him).

Also, as stated before I have seen people do more harm to themselves sitting on the couch drinking day in and day out than I have seen FMX riders ruin their careers with injury and I'm sure many of the FMX riders have had similar concussion/injury numbers as Travis.

I sure would love to see a healthy Travis race but as much as I would enjoy it there is just as much contempt for the thought of bagging on someone just for riding a motorcycle... and in reality that is all he is doing, just like the rest of us.

Ivan

 

[XRpredator]

any knockout (such as Pastrana's at the gravity games) is a concussion. I personally hope he takes a lot of time off and gets his head right. It ain't good when you get bonked on the head. Everything else on your body generally heals pretty good. Your brain doesn't like all those impacts. Again, I love nothing more than seeing Pastrana race, but I don't want him to end up a shell of a man like Muhammed Ali.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Originally posted by Truespode
However, by your logic Robbie Reynard needs to quit racing? Mike Brown needs to retire (he has lost 2 chances at championships due to accidents). Mike Larrocco should also go bye-bye too? Let's not forget about Hughes either. 

Reynard missed most this season because someone else ran a quad onto the track. 

Mike Brown lost a title and could have been killed because a flagman had his head up his posterior.

LaRocco has been run into and injured by an out of control rider (#199?) on several occassions. 

Hughes did retire for a year or more due to his concussions/injuries.

Hard luck aside, if Reynard, Brown, LaRocco or Hughes have been brain damaged or injured to the point that they endanger themselves and their competitors, they better damn well retire, no matter how much fun they are having.

IMO, unless he changes his ways, Travis's near term future includes a dribble cup, a wheel chair or a pine box.   Four years ago, I would have said his near term future included MX greatness.  If a loved one was undergoing a similar decline in fortunes due to substance abuse or wrecklessness, I sure as hell would say something to them about it.  

 

 

[Barbarian]

So would you guys quit riding altogether if you were getting hurt? What if you were making millions doing it? Travis would probably get hurt just as much if he was racing or even just play riding casually. So he'd have to give up riding altogether I think to stay injury free.
I don't know if I would have the willpower to quit.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Originally posted by Barbarian
So would you guys quit riding altogether if you were getting hurt? What if you were making millions doing it? Travis would probably get hurt just as much if he was racing or even just play riding casually. So he'd have to give up riding altogether I think to stay injury free.
I don't know if I would have the willpower to quit.

Whether I was getting paid or not, if I was regularly suffering injuries because of my own wrecklessness, my first choice would be to take less risks (i.e. slow down) and still ride.   That seems like a better alternative than quitting altogether or continuing to get hurt.

 

[dthoms]

My daughter and I watched Travis crash yesterday too.
Samantha is 10 and is one of Travis's biggest fans. She said she would rather see Travis ride and crash than retire.
I think what goes up, comes down, the farther up you go the greater your chances of coming down hard.
One of the best guys I ever worked with used to always say it's best to keep an even keel.
My wife had the pleasure of waiting on Muhammand Ali at a Bill Knaps in Benton Harbor 15+ years ago. She said it was sad, and his wife had to cut his food for him. Like it or not that gives Boxing a bad name. Whether Travis will end up that way is yet to be seen.
But I do believe that it is his choice!
To me it doesn't matter how popular or un-popular off-road riding is as long as I have the desire I plan on doing it.
Just my 2 cents.
DT

 

[CR_Racer]

I think Travis needs to take some time off and change his riding style to something more like McGrath ,RC and Reed. Look at those riders they all ride smooth,percise and Smart. He is just like RC when he move up the the 250 class RC change his style alittle for the 250cc and now almost never crashes TP need to learn from him. Travis turns into a mad man and has no care for his health he goes insane on a 250cc (Which might be him just venting from his mom and dad of treating him like a baby).

 

[jboomer]

He just tries to go as fast as he can though. There's a current unmentioned 125 rider that does the same thing (albeit a little smoother) that may run the same risk on a 250. FORTUNATELY, he didn't express any interest in FMX on his little clip during the Steel City race!

 

[Kawidude]

I don't really care what Travis decides to do to have a "fun" life. He can take up roller skating for all I care. I just wish, at some point, COMMON SENSE will kick in with this kid. How many current racers/FMX guys have the same history of injuries that TP does? Not many, if any. I would just think at some point Travis may have said to himself, "Hmm, I almost died in a car accident less than a year ago. Maybe I'll save that nasty backflip variation for a later date and stick to the stuff I'm positive I can do." I know he pushes the limits and does stuff no one else even thinks of, but what was it worth? He didn't win. Stumbling around in the dirt asking people, "I'm at the Gravity Games right?" didn't look like much fun to me.

I thought it was really sad watching him after the wipe out. He's so accustomed to being the consumate showman, that he jumped into the crowd when he couldn't even hold a coherent thought.

Some people have mentioned Muhammed Ali. I couldn't help but think of Evil Kneivel after I saw the crash. Travis has said he'd rather be dead than doing what he's doing. I wonder if he ever thinks about being 30 and completely unable to walk. How many years would he like to live sitting in a chair wishing he had made better decisions when he was 20.

I love watching Travis and I hope it never comes to that. If he's happy doing freestyle, good for him...keep doing it. But how about being smart about what you try and when you try it? Just my opinion.

 

[DahlElama]

GG - Travis Pastrana - Spoiler

Damn... when I read this thread title I thought maybe Pastrana had signed to ride for GasGas. Heck... I crash on my GasGas all the time so I'm sure #199 could do it too.

I just want to see the guy race some more.

 

[mdkuder]

You know TP already had a brush with being crippled for life when he severed his pelvis from his spine (if I recall correctly). He needs to wake up and stop pushing the limits. I would rather ride conservative and ride another day then not know who I am as I drool onto my shirt. His future career is unlimited outside of racing motorcycles full time. I hope that he makes the right choice so that we can continue to enjoy his presence in the future!

 

[Chili]

I love watching Travis ride be it a race or FMX event, that being said all I could think of during his post crash interview while he babbled on and was obviously dazed and confused was please shut the camera off. It actually made me feel ill watching the kid during that interview.

And for the record I feel it Pastrana was robbed and the judges decided it was time for Travis to lose his first FMX event. I didn't see anything in Adams second run that warranted a score of 91.