Max is making the most of the sun before it’s time to pack up and fly back to Europe to start his career as a GP racer…
The last month has been pretty cool – we’ve been training hard and doing loads of motos. We also raced at Glen Helen and tested the race bikes and in between the practice motos and bicycle rides we found the time to hit the slopes and go snowboarding!
Jordan Booker, Ange (French dude), Gary (Jordan’s factory mechanic), myself and a buddy from NorCal (Nick) headed out bright and early to Big Bear Mountain. Jord had done a snowboarding lesson and Nick had been three times before but the rest of us were all going up the mountain for the first time. Naturally I told myself that it was going to be easy but when we finally reached the top we all found out that snow can hurt! Gary found out the hard way and ended up on his head and in an ambulance within 10 minutes.
Ange found it easier to sit down on his snowboard and torpedo straight down the mountain smashing into anything that stood in his way. And while slick Nick carved his way effortlessly down the mountain, Jord and I were falling off the lifts, sliding on our faces and laughing at Ange nearly die every two seconds. After the big day at the slopes we stopped by Tilted Kilt for dinner – it’s a bit like Hooters but probably a bit better. Gary never actually got to get a picture with Josh Hansen at a supercross but Hansen’s sister was working in the restaurant so he got a picture with her instead.
We actually went and raced REM Saturday motocross at Glen Helen which was sweet. The guys at the event found a trophy of mine from 2004 in the 65cc class that I got presented with at the riders’ meeting. So with two 20-minute motos under my belt and some good starts I am feeling okay and Ange actually got a third which was awesome for him because he has never got a trophy before – so to get one from Glen Helen was pretty cool.
I have just been told that I’m going to be racing the Hawkstone International which is awesome! I’ve never raced at Hawkstone but have heard loads of stories from dad and just can’t wait to race back in the UK! I’m only out here for another week before I’m heading back to Belgium for our final testing in the sand before the international races begin. I’m ready now to get back and start my work, my preparation has gone well and I’m looking forward to a new challenge with getting over to Europe and racing some different boys. I am also really excited to be racing the GPs and believe that I’m going to learn a lot on and off the track.
Last Thursday I got the opportunity to ride with Tommy and test the race bikes and that was sweet. It is definitely cool to be a part of the Pro Circuit programme – the whole thing is working good so we’re ready to rock!
On a slightly different note, Jordan and Gary left the facility yesterday to head back to sunny England but before they left Gary had a little ordeal. He wanted to go out and drink a little at the sushi bar in town so while Ange, Jordan and I had food, Gary got – in his words – blinded! It was 8.30pm when Gary finally hit the wall, he was stumbling around, peeing outside restaurants, shouting abuse at people and smashing his shoulder against a pay meter! And after we finally got him in the car he wanted to throw up so we pushed him out and he ended up passed out in the middle of the road choking in his own puke.
It took four of us to lift the 18 stone lump into the back of the van, get him in the recovery position and stop him from choking on his sick. It was seriously like a movie! We had never seen anything like it before. Gary made it to 9pm but to be honest he was only on a tuna diet so he had no food in his stomach to soak up the alcohol. Anyway thanks Gary for keeping my bike sweet!
I’m just getting ready for one more hard week before it’s back to the cold. Gotta make the most of it…
