Just dirt track it

Just dirt track it

Kiwi Motocross riders take on the world

“When these guys take off and land, the vibrations and the smell and the thud of the bikes hitting the ground, and the dirt and the rocks flying – when you see all that up close, it’s very exciting!”

It’s not hard to see why Andy McGechan talks so enthusiastically about the sport he’s dedicated his life to. As a freelance motorcycling journalist, he’s lucky enough to get trackside positions at the world’s biggest and most exhilarating motocross events, experiencing all the thrills and spills up close.

But Andy is also an incredibly busy man. On top of covering motocross for several magazines and his website bikesportnz.com, he helps to promote the sport for Motorcycling NZ and some of the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers.

When I spoke to Andy in September, he was hurriedly completing an article before getting ready to fly out to the UK for the Motocross of Nations, the biggest event in the annual motocross calendar.

With so many commitments, it’s hard to believe that Andy could have found the time to write his first book, Josh: Flying Kiwi, which covers the rollercoaster career of New Zealand motocross star, Josh Coppins.

“It’s always been an ambition of mine to write a book,” enthuses Andy. “I’m working full-time in the motorcycle sport industry, so it was obvious that I’m probably the best guy … to write a book about motocross”

But what attracted Andy to motocross in the first place? “It’s so colourful, so intense, so in your face. It’s an extreme sport,” he says.

Having hit the track in local motocross events himself, Andy knows firsthand how full-on the sport can be. “A slight twist of the throttle and suddenly you’re lurching forward. It’s almost like you’re hanging on for dear life, because this thing wants to go on its own,” he says. “It just leaps out from beneath you. It’s an incredible feeling.”

And of course, there are the crashes. Andy says he’s photographed some spectacular bailouts in his time, but he adds that wipe-outs are all part of the game. “It’s the old story – if you don’t crash you’re not trying hard enough. You’ve got to crash occasionally, just to push the boundaries and find out how far is too far,” he says.

“There’s a certain amount of devil-may-care attitude to the motocross fraternity. You’ve got to really take the bull by the horns.”

This take-no-prisoners approach has contributed to the outstanding international success of many of New Zealand’s most talented motocross riders. “New Zealanders have for a number of years now been doing so well internationally,” says Andy. “We really box above our weight in terms of being a country with such a small population, and yet we can almost expect to have a podium finish at the Motocross of Nations.”

Josh Coppins, the subject of Andy’s new book, is one such rider achieving international success. But Coppins’ career has also been marred by injury and disappointment. Last year, when Coppins looked set to take out the world champs with an impressive 107-point lead, disaster struck.

“It seemed almost impossible that he couldn’t win it,” says Andy. “But of course, the impossible happened, and he crashed in round ten in the Czech Republic. That sidelined him for the rest of the year. He just had to sit there, watching as his points lead was whittled away. He ended up third in the championship.”

Andy cautions against pigeonholing Coppins as an also-ran, however. “A lot of people don’t understand just how much goes into achieving what he has achieved. People probably roll their eyes when they hear another sad story about a bit more bad luck for Josh. But I’ve seen firsthand what he goes through in the course of a weekend, and it’s just incredible. He is extremely talented. He is extremely determined and dedicated and gritty.”

Coppins’ disappointment at the world champs shouldn’t detract from the achievements of other talented Kiwi riders, either. “It actually puts into sharp profile what extraordinary success some other Kiwis have had, like Shayne King winning the world title in 1996,” says Andy.

He also points to the current crop of Kiwi motocross stars, like cross country rider Paul Whibley, World Enduro Championship competitor Stefan Merriman, and twenty-four-year-old privateer Cody Cooper, who recently placed fifth in the American AMA Motocross Series.

But what makes Kiwis so good at such a costly and competitive sport? Andy says New Zealand’s predominantly rural landscape is a significant factor. “Compared to a lot of other countries, we have immediate access to so much nature,” he says. “There aren’t huge restrictions in place in this country for people to ride noisy dirt bikes in the country. You can go and ride within ten minutes’ drive from most houses. That’s why we’re so good at it. The opportunity is there for our young riders to go out there and experience it and hone their skills.”

Of course, motocross in New Zealand is hardly a recent phenomenon. “It has a history that goes a long way back,” says Andy.

Tim Gibbs, a stunt rider in the Steve McQueen film The Great Escape and a former professional racer in Europe, was largely responsible for promoting the sport here. “When he first came to New Zealand in the sixties he thought, ‘Well hey, what this country really needs is a really major motocross event’. So he created one, the Woodville Motocross Grand Prix, which is still held every year.”

Gibbs donated one of his European trophies to the event, and each year Kiwis battle it out against top international riders for the chance to win this coveted prize.

“Of course motocross was going on in the sixties anyway, it just hadn’t got to the levels that Tim Gibbs wanted it to get to,” says Andy. “And, of course, it’s grown in the meantime. In the years since it’s gotten bigger and bigger “

So what of the future for motocross in New Zealand? “I hope the sport grows in popularity, but I fear it will only grow to a certain degree,” says Andy. “It’s always a minority sport, so you’re battling for a media profile, and also for corporate dollars. You’re battling against rugby and cricket and netball – the so-called mainstream sports.”

Yet despite the lack of significant mainstream media coverage, motocross in New Zealand is thriving. Andy points to our success at the Motocross of Nations as an example of just how good Kiwis are at hitting the dirt and riding for all they’re worth. “We’ve been on the podium three times. That’s pretty remarkable.”

Itching for more motocross? The CLiCK team will be attending the Taupo International Grand Prix this month, so stay tuned for video coverage and interviews with top Kiwi motocross riders.

Links:

www.bikesportnz.com

http://www.harpercollins.co.nz/fmi/xsl/nz/book_details.xsl?isbn13=9781869506209