Motorhead Memoirs With Shelby Mahon

What! Are you serious? IT’S ALMOST JUNE? BUT I’M NOT READY FOR JUNE YET!

I am 100% positive I’m not the only one wondering where spring went, and franticly running around trying to get prepared for the start of the 2019 Rockstar Triple Crown MX Series. Am I right?

It feels like just yesterday we were wrapping up Round #4 of the AX Series in Barrie, ON and enjoying a ‘Thank You BBQ’ from Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad. Yet here I am booking flights, arranging AirB&Bs and trying to figure out just how much stuff I can jam into my gear bag! With over 8 years of traveling for work I have picked up a few tips and tricks but every new adventure seems to require its own unique packing strategy. For those who don’t know me, I am normally found in -25C temperatures covered in snow, running social media and taking photos at the Rockstar Energy Snowcross Championships and Winter X Games. During the summer months I was off on epic UTV off-road and racing adventures across North America or hiding from what I consider “outrageously hot weather.” For the summer of 2019 I FINALLY get to spend my summer covered in sweat, sunscreen and dust, livin’ it up on the National MX Tour!! As everyone keeps telling me, its about darn time!!

Calgary here I come!! Photo by James Lissimore

In only a few short days I will be waking up at 1am, driving 2 hours to my favourite little airport in North Bay, Ontario and catching my flight to Calgary, Alberta! I honestly can’t wait for my alarm to scream at me to WAKE UP WAKE UP! Let’s hope I feel this excited at 1am after not being able to sleep from the excitement (haha). Round #1 takes us to Wild Rose MX Park, which happens to be on my bucket list for North American Motocross photography destinations so it’s the perfect place to kick things off! I hear the views are spectacular with the city of Calgary visible in the background. Not your typical motocross track! Let’s hope being within city limits means I will have cell service (haha).

Aside from a wicked background, having the city of Calgary close to the track has made accommodations a breeze! The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad staff are bunking at rental houses, enjoying a short commute to the track and getting a chance to take in the city around us. Anyone have any good suggestions on restaurants? When on the road we LOVE to eat and are always down to try out the local hot spots. I have found some amazing places to eat over the years, except that one time we found ourselves in a restaurant with extremely healthy meal options…you know the type! Guess that’s one of the big perks about traveling for work! Minus the red eye flights, long days, and sunburns but we won’t ruin your rose-coloured glasses view of us!

I’m really looking forward to standing trackside this summer and taking some cool photos.

As the hours countdown to departure time and the first gate drop of the Outdoor MX tour, my only question remains, what is the security guy going to think when he opens my bag and sees the most random group of items ever? I’m not kidding, my gear bag includes 4 boxes of cornhole bean bags, an internet booster, 600ft of Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad banners, 300 Nespresso Pods, ten boxes of granola bars, 100+ booth signs and about 60lbs worth of camera gear. This sounds like the start of the best joke ever, or the worst.

Well, guess you better stay tuned for Column #2 to see how my trip goes and all the craziness that goes down at Round #1! With so much to do, so much to pack and so few nights left, I bid you farewell! See you on the track and always be nice to the photo girl, she gets to decide which photos to keep or delete!

Follow her adventures on Instagram @themotorheadmaiden #TheMotorheadMaiden

See you at the races!!