My heart goes out to the friends and family of rider Bobby Goodin. I didn’t know him but I am sure we would have been friends. There is a kindred spirit amongst those of us that are drawn to the mountain. I see it in the eyes. We are very often cut from the same cloth. Last Sunday as I walked across the summit parking lot on my way to the timing building I bent over to pick up a piece of trash. It was a tattered number 6. As I was placing it in my pocket I glanced over to see three men lifting what was left of Bobby’s Triumph into the back of a van. At that time I had not heard but I instantly knew and began to cry for someone I didn’t even know. Deep down we are all family here and it is times like this that we feel the connection to our bones. I can only hope that his family understands as I hope mine does that we are here doing something that makes us feel alive and appreciate our lives on a level so few ever know. In spite of the treacherous conditions Pikes Peak has an amazing safety record. In its nearly 100 year history we have only lost 5 lives to the mountain. Compare this to the 15 lives lost to the Indy 500, a race only a few years older than Pikes Peak and with state of the art medical accommodations only minutes if not seconds away. If this still makes Pikes Peak seem unnecessarily dangerous then maybe we should compare this to the 242 deaths at the Isle of Man TT since it’s inception in 1905. The point here is that racing is inherently dangerous and that some assumption of risk has to be taken on by the participants and in some cases even the spectators. At some point we will find ourselves outside of a reasonable expectation for someone else to be responsible for our safety. If you are not comfortable with this scenario you have the option to stay home. Clearly the story below was not written by someone with a competitors spirit. We love what we do so much we are willing to risk life and limb for the opportunity to experience this road in its purest form. Those of us that come back year after year to chase our dreams up this mountain do so with the acceptance and understanding of the nature of our sport and I for one take full responsibility for all the inherent risks. Call me whatever you want but given the opportunity I would still race up Pikes Peak and push just as hard even without the incredible support system in place. Without the spectators, with no one but the wind and the mountain as witness. Because it is my nature and when I do so I reveal my essence, my soul, and in that moment I am truly free. Hopefully Pikes Peak was Bobby’s happy place as well. We should all be so lucky as to leave this world triumphant and full of joy. Rest in peace Bobby Goodin.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:42:07 +0000
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