WEST AMERICA

5 MONTHS, 25,000 MILES

Words by Jordan Hufnagel

 

 

In the fall of 2013, after an intense couple of years working toward this dream, James Crowe and I took off on a motorcycle journey that would see us from Whistler, British Columbia, to Ushuaia, Argentina, to the southern tip of South America and beyond. What followed was a beautiful shit-show, two friends constantly throwing themselves in over their heads and making it all work out.

On our way down, we rode a large portion of the Baja 1000 course, fully loaded with all of our gear. This happened a week after the race had run and immediately after some large storms had swept through. It was the most challenging riding I could conceive of, and consequently I became a hundred times the motorcycle rider I was before. Early in the journey, we realized that our dumb asses didn’t get the paperwork we needed for the ferry tomainland of Mexico, so we found ourselves backtracking 1,000 miles to the Mexican border. After that life lesson, we were sufficiently prepared for every border crossing and qualified experts on the ins and outs of border paperwork.

We dove off cliffs and bridges in Guatemala just a day after I broke two ribs on the ride, because I was decidedly against allowing any non-life-threatening injury to quell this once-in-a-lifetime trip. We tried sailing for a couple of days on open seas on our way to Colombia, with mixed results; suffice it to say that seasickness is no joke. We took off on a renegade six-day backpacking trip by ourselves, hardly a week’s worth of backpacking experience between the two of us, and were welcomed by some of the most beautiful and remote mountains either of us had ever seen. Luckily we hooked up with an incredible and experienced couple while riding the rural milk truck to the beginning of the trek and got schooled in more ways than one by our new friends as we shared the journey together. An hour into a hike bound for one of South America’s most badass waterfalls, James found out that he is extremely allergic to ant bites, which resulted in a frantic rush back to our bikes to get him stabbed with an EpiPen. After that we never left on a hike without the EpiPen, and we also developed some new relaxation methods to help fight off serious allergic reactions—yet another life lesson for the mental folder. We changed countless flat tires in the middle of nowhere and now have a dialed quick-fix kit and method. We rode through snow at 14,000 feet several times with every layer we could possibly dig up, and while we were physically miserable and possibly delirious from incredibly long days in the saddle, I am challenged to recall landscapes as beautiful as the ones up there.

We logged more than 25,000 miles in five months on our way to the southern tip of the Americas, taking every step we could to spend the majority of the trip off pavement and in the most remote areas. Help, directions, a place to stay: They were all just a simple interaction away due to the amazing kindness of all the people we met.

When I reminisce about this trip, it’s all the harebrained ideas, struggles, and lessons that I remember most fondly. I feel lucky to have a friend who is constantly willing to push limits and learn as we go. And the best part is, there is so much more to come.

SEE THE STORY IN VOLUME 002

 

ON MY TERMS

JASON ANDERSON

Illustration by Bohdan Burenko | Words by Andrew Campo

 

 

“STUFF DOES NOT ALWAYS GO THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO. BUT FUCK IT. I RODE MY DIRTBIKE.”

 

It is with these words that Jason Anderson candidly describes sitting atop one of Glen Helen Raceway’s massive uphill climbs, helplessly willing his lifeless motorcycle to start. He’d suffered a mechanical DNF while running in third place with only two laps to go during the second moto of the opening round of the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships. To the casual reader, this statement could be mistaken for a canned line by a frustrated factory racer. But to those who know his story, it defines a special character in Anderson that has helped him to rise through the ranks on his own terms.

There’s a universal binding code among those who push the envelope: Stand alone and continue driving forward into the unknown. Somewhere along the line, a strand of DNA activates, altering the electrical patterns of their brains every time their two-wheeled machines come to life. Then and only then are they truly living, in revolutions per minute, redlined with a grip full of tomorrow that will lead them that much closer to realizing a dream.

Like most of today’s racing prodigies, by the time he was 3 years old Jason Anderson was already obsessed with the genius of a dirtbike. Admittedly, the young New Mexico native’s first day of riding was marked by a trail of tears and a cold engine as his father pushed him back and forth in the driveway, more than a little terrified when it actually came time to twist the throttle. Soon the fear melted away, replaced by the exuberant joy that only a child can experience—pure ecstasy. His road to tomorrow became clearly defined at an age when most kids are shaking in their shoes to ride the bus for the first time...

READ THE FULL STORY IN VOLUME 002

 

MIND WIDE OPEN

 

There is something inside all of us;

 

a trigger that ignites a spark in the soul. At a point when man and machine become one, the world disappears and expands all at once. Shutting off your thoughts, washing away your troubles and losing yourself in that moment is the beauty that draws us to riding motorcycles.

 

Directed, filmed & edited by Dylan Wineland

Starring Arron McClintock

Produced by Dyland Wineland & Connor Barnes

Creative direction & title design by Ben Giese

Narration by Bree Marshall

 

OUT OF AFRICA

INTO OUR HEARTS

 
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THE STORY OF TANYA MUZINDA

Words and photos by David Bulmer

 

In the grand scheme of sport, motocross is a tiny blip on the radar. Even now, with the pyrotechnics and the live TV coverage, it pales in comparison to the Goliathan following and consequent media presence of main stream sports like the NFL.

But sometimes it’s the basic and fundamental complexion of motocross and those around it that make it such a fascinating place to be involved. There’s a real community feeling around the pits, and strangers are treated like friends just because there’s a dirtbike in the back of their truck. And perhaps the coolest aspect of the motocross community’s kind nature: it is invariably the same, anywhere in the world.

In the last few years, I’ve been lucky enough to see this in person all around the globe, from Brazil to Belgium, New Mexico to New Zealand. No matter where I’ve been, I’ve always been treated as part of the family, simply because I’m into motocross and so are they. However, it was on my last trip, to Zimbabwe, that I truly had the opportunity to appreciate just how awesome this sport is and what an effect it can have on kids, families and, indeed, entire communities.

Zimbabwe isn’t exactly known as a motocross powerhouse, and when I got the call to go down there, I must admit to being slightly shocked and a little bit apprehensive. However, I’m always up for something new, and the fact that I’d be accompanying three-time women’s World MX champion Stefy Bau certainly eased my mind. So why were we both flying halfway around the world? Quite simply: Tanya Muzinda.

Now it’s not as if Africa as a continent hasn’t produced top-quality motocross riders before; I’m sure everyone is familiar with Grant Langston, Greg Albertyn and Tyla Rattray. All of them have been elite competitors of the world motocross and AMA series, but they also share three other similarities: They are all from South Africa, they are all white, and they are all men. Now, without delving too deeply into the mercurial social, economic and cultural climates in the southern end of Africa, to have a 9-year old black girl like Tanya Muzinda competing in motocross is a rarity. And to then have her actually beating boys her age makes her someone very special indeed; an anomaly well worth seeing in person. Also, even if we weren’t sure about the legitimacy   of the trip before we arrived, the fact that we were greeted by the national press as soon as we got through airport customs cemented our belief that this was sure to be an extraordinary experience...

 

READ THE FULL STORY IN VOLUME 001