Life begins at 30
By TMX Archives on 17th Mar 03
Of course, back then I was all ribs and underpants! I also made other stupid quotes that alcohol-induced evening like I would retire at 30 - that was always going to be my game plan.
Well I'm not going to hang up my boots just yet, even though my so-called mates have been hinting I could've been claiming my MX pension for some time now.
I'm actually in pretty good nick after 23 years of motocross punishment. I'm sat here typing this with a six-pack - albeit the sort you'd associate more with Chubby Brown instead of Mike Brown. But I have knees that are still my own and my wrists and shoulders still function, it's just my head that's taken the brunt of the knocks and is occasionally dysfunctional.
Looking back at the last decade or so it's been a blast and I'm pleased I achieved what I set out to do. Sure, being a privateer at world championship level was hard at times but anyone who has seen our video of life on the GP road will testify we've had a scream. And there are some advantages of being a privateer - apart from the self-gratification of doing it on your own financial merit you can do what you want, when you want, instead of being told what to do and when to do it. I can't think of many who can say they've contested GPs in that way.
I've have some legendary times over the years and for that reason alone I ain't gonna stop - I want and will have more of them. Life, like me, is too short.
Talking of things short, my fuse was just that the other day when my new employer made me drag my sorry ass out of bed at 4.30am. Now I've never been one for any activity outside the bedroom before the afternoon. So when you're messing about in the dark and wet of a winter morning, shifting 1,500 Stolen BMXs into a lock-up, you can't help but be a little arsey with the man responsible. I guess it's my welcome to the world awaiting me after my final moto. And just in case you're thinking I'm knocking goods out of the back of a van, Stolen is the make of BMX - they aren't actually nicked.
As it turned out it was quite a work out - I was sweating and Revs and Buck were walking like they'd soiled their undergarments after their efforts and to think Revs is contemplating a BMX comeback - I think we've sat in his office drinking tea for far too long.
As if one early start wasn't enough this month, I had another to deal with for the bike show at Stoneleigh. I would have slept in the car on the way up but couldn't because Revs and Razor Watton were bickering like kids about their mobile phones. When we got there the queue to get in was longer than one of Razor's stories about his athletic accomplishments. But once inside I made an instant beeline for the comfy seats on the FRO Systems stand and if it wasn't for the others wanting to look around that's where I would have stayed. I'm glad I didn't as I've now found my ultimate vocation in life - I want to be a member of the Purple Helmets stunt team. Those boys rock. Wearing Terminator-style trenchcoats and doing skids and wheelies on chicken chasers with a paying audience - the whole concept could extend my bike expectancy by another 30 years.