Goodbye 2006 hello to 2007!
By John Dickinson on 22nd Dec 06
ANOTHER year, another 51 issues of Trials and Motocross News have miraculously rolled off the presses and another 51 Page 3 columns have come and gone.
It would be 52 issues of course, but we are allowed a couple of days off at Christmas for good behaviour, which is why you are now reading our monster annual labour of love, the Christmas Double Issue. The theory is that you pick it up every time you hit the settee after yet another blow-out meal! It works for me, if only to avoid doing the washing-up!
2006 has absolutely flown-by and it really does not seem five minutes since I was sitting down to write last year's Christmas page 3, in a flat-spin, in the middle of putting together last year's Double, while at the same time having half an eye on the first issue of the New Year. The more things change, the more they stay the same so guess what I'm currently doing? Once the Christmas issue is out of the way you would be forgiven for thinking that we at T+MX skip off home to put our feet-up and get stuck into a party pack of Stella. We wish, but the truth is we are already bashing away on the first new-look issue of 2007...
But let's wave goodbye to 2006 first! As ever, we have covered a multitude of topics on Page 3. The column has the widest of briefs: the beauty of being editor is of course that I can sell any idea I like to myself! In the main, it is an irreverant, light-hearted, usually tongue-in-cheek look at what is current in the world of off-road. And as there is nothing new under the sun and I have a long memory, there is almost always a previous occurence of whatever is driving us mad at the time to draw a parallel with.
T+MX always prints news stories straight, usually on page 2, before I sometimes pick them up and throw them around a little. Page 3 is of course a purely personal view. I don't for a second expect everyone to share my take on current affairs but whether you agree or disagree, if the column makes just a few people stop to consider what is going on, then its existence is justified. If it brings a smile – even better.
Writing a column is sometimes a scary experience. The overwhelming question at the back of your mind is, "Is anyone reading this?” "Do we ****!” comes the rousing reply...
But then, on Friday morning and the phone rings with Mr Angry on the line to tell me what a load of old rubbish he's just read, I breathe a sigh of relief. And should the unthinkable happen, as it does occasionally, and the caller enthuses, "Well done, that's exactly what I thought – keep it up!” – then it fires you up for the following week's offering.
And so, as we stand on the brink of a brand new season, we all look eagerly down the line for our favourite event. For MX fans it might be the early-season Hawkstone International Motocross, trials riders count the days to the Scottish Six Days Trial in May, while Enduro riders have to wait until August for the incomparable Welsh Two Day epic.
These are just three of the thousands of events that we all look forward to either riding in, or watching or perhaps acting in an official capacity. The club competition secretaries, clerks of courses, marshals, observers, etc, etc are of course the great unsung heroes of off-road sport without whom there simply would be no events. And a great big thank you goes out to you all.
I have been asked a few times what is my favourite event. After much thought I reckon it is simply the next one! Sure, I look forward to big stuff like the Sheffield Indoor, the Hawkstone International MX, Scottish Six Days and the Scott but when you are out on a Sunday the only event that matters is the one you are at. The buzz of a big International is great but three days later I might just have a bash in a Wednesday night trial and at the time it is the best feeling in the World. Just riding a bike off-road – how much better does it get?
And so, with the prospect of another brand-new, exciting off-road competition season just around the corner I would just like to say to each and every one of you: whatever you are sitting thinking of doing next season, don't think about it – JUST DO IT!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!