Northern Notes: Where does luck come from?

 

Words by Danny Brault
Photos by Jeff Kardas

“Where does confidence come from?”

This question came from Joe Skidd of Superior Suspension Settings (SSS), also a former manager of Canada’s most dominant motocross team, Blackfoot Motosports Honda. I was down at Skidd’s suspension work shop (which is run out of his garage … but don’t be fooled, he’s not some backyard mechanic. He drinks wine, not beer, and has a pretty ‘trick’ set-up in his garage), interviewing him for a story in the next issue of MXP. We got on to the topic of confidence and how we find it.

“Can you go down to the store and ask for three bags of ‘confidence?’ No, you can’t,” continued Skidd. “So where does it come from?”

Skidd’s an interesting cat at times. I wasn’t sure if he was testing me with this riddle about confidence and that I should know the answer, or just messing with me. I didn’t have much of a response; I suppose confidence comes from doing something well and feeling good about it; putting in the time and effort, or else being really, really ridicoulsly good looking. Am I getting close, Joe?

Kind of. In Joe’s opinion, confidence comes from preparation, being proactive and knowing that you’ve put all your ducks in line before the gate drops. “Take a guy like JSR,” he says. “He put more time and work into training than anyone else he was racing against. He knew, while riding up to that gate, that he had everyone covered. No question.”

Along with a high level of physical conditioning, JSR was more than confident in his machinery. At times, the Blackfoot team would be criticized for their strict approach to racing (Google Steve Matthes, Blackfoot, Observations, he was a big fan of their style of racing … ) but ask JSR, or anyone who has won a championship with them (JSR, Dusty Klatt, Sean Hamblin, Jimmy Nelson, Colton Facciotti, Tyler Medaglia), there’s no better feeling than throwing your leg over a bike that has been meticulously maintained and no cost is spared.

Confidence can become more than a thought, more than a mantra or way of thinking. It can become tangible—ask those who have held the #1 plate in Walton every August.

Confidence is one thing, and luck is another, which is where I’m going with this. In reflecting on last weekend’s 2014 Motocross of Nations in Kegums, Latvia, I can’t help but wonder what is missing from Team Canada. Is it confidence or luck?

Yesterday I was speaking with Canada’s Team Manager, Ryan Gauld, and at the risk of getting hammered by him, I asked him what’s missing; why does it seem we’re struggling to get where we should be at the MXoN? I could be thinking too deeply into this, trying to find some story or reason as to why Team Canada has these little “mishaps,” that in turn make a big impact in results at an event like MXoN.

“I think you are digging too much,” replied Gauldy. “Honestly, we had everything needed for a top finish this year. We had the best riders, they had their bikes and mechanics, all of the details were taken care of. It really was just bad luck. There’s nothing more to it; we had two DNFs, Colton (Facciotti) stalled it on the gate in his first moto, Kaven had a crash and then Tyler (Medaglia) nearly lost an eye in his first race. I really don’t know what to tell you … it was nothing more than crap luck.”

Of course, even without those small errors made, it probably wouldn’t  propel Canada onto the podium last weekend, but Gauld does say the Team’s overall result would have been better. “Looking at lap times and how the guys looked out on the track, I think we could have placed 10th to 13th.”

That’s not a huge improvement, but 10th or better is where Canada should and can be. If it sounds like I’m being tough on the riders or team, I’m not trying to be. I am a passionate fan of Canadian motocross and keep scratching my head on why our guys struggle to clear that hurdle  at the MXoN and get back into the top 10.

One idea may be to make amends between Canada and Dean Wilson. That could be a quick solution to putting the Red and White up front and on the podium. (Yes, I know, that’s not going to happen and some of you reading may want to lynch me for even bringing up the idea. Just a suggestion.)

Seriously though, where and how do we get better luck? Should we steal one of Team Ireland’s staff and keep him in our pocket?

Maybe the answer is racing more than ten races a year, crossing Canada’s border into the US, Europe or elsewhere to get more experience, comfort and confidence (or luck) that is necessary for success at MXoN.

Canada’s former Team Manager Carl Bastedo feels similarly about our riders racing more, not just outside of Canada or at AMA nationals but racing more in general.

“Back in the day, Ross Pederson used to race at least 35-45 events every year,” he explains. “He was all about money of course and looking to find a race that would pay him the most, but he also wanted a challenge; he wanted to race against guys that were faster than him. Sometimes he would race twice in a weekend if he had to.”

Granted, things have changed, especially with Canadian motocross. Back then, Pederson, better known as “Rollerball,” didn’t have a ‘factory’ ride in Canada where he could make a living racing only 10 nationals every year and not worry about being behind the gate every weekend. Now that Canada has a strong national series and a handful of teams who can pay our top riders a good enough wage,  they don’t feel the concern to race as much as warriors of old.

“Those other countries want it more than us, I think,” adds Bastedo. “Last year, in 2013, we were on the bubble to make the A-Final and the countries behind us, Ireland and Latvia, they went for it and ran into the side of our guys, if that’s what it took.”

It’s not fair to always compare Canada to the US when it comes to motocross, but there’s something to learn from our counterparts to the south. They’re not happy with second or third place at the MXoN; they go there to win and nothing else. The same goes for France, Belgium or Germany. As for Canada, we finish 17th, 13th, 18th, or whatever it is, and we’re almost okay with it. Better luck next year, type of thing. And it’s not to be taken that our three riders this year, or the team we sent, has that mentality, but I think most Canadians do. We’re too easy going at times, me being one of the worst.

I believe that until Canadian racers get out of their comfort zone—before, during and after the MXoN—we’ll always be relying on “luck” to get us that result on the World Stage that we want so badly.