In any sport, opening day is always special. Whether it’s the first pitch of the season in baseball, the first kick-off in football, or the first time we die-hard Canadian motocross riders hit the track for the first ride of the season., for those of us very unlucky riders who don’t have a chance to head south to warmer climates between the months of November and March, spring riding is our first chance to throw our leg over a bike. Because of this prolonged inactivity over the winter months, these early spring rides are sometimes very tough on our bodies. Regardless of your age or skill level, the first couple weeks of riding are difficult while our muscles adapt to manhandling a dirt bike again.
This week, the infamous Gopher Dunes track opened its gate for the first time in 2019, and as always, there was a host of eager Ontario riders just waiting to ride. My son and I headed there yesterday so he could get some seat time and get used to his new Yamaha YZ85. With the cool and wet spring that we’ve had thus far in Southern Ontario, the Gopher Dunes track naturally had some wet spots that made my son’s first ride that much more interesting. However, no one was complaining as it was great just to get out, start the bikes, smell some race gas and go riding.
With sunshine in the forecast this coming weekend, the track is going to be in great shape for its opening weekend. As we drove home and my son sunk further and further down in the passenger seat of our truck, he looked over at me and said, “Thank-you for driving the two hours to take me riding.” When I replied, “Anytime,” he grinned sheepishly and said, “How about tomorrow?” I guess our 2019 riding season has now begun.
