--Previous Message--
: Well, I guess there will always be those who
: don't understand the drive that some people
: have to break world records, to step up to
: the highest challenges they can imagine, to
: build their skill set until they can push
: themselves to their ultimate potential,
: facing horrible consequences at the
: slightest miscalculation, devastating impact
: at the slightest hesitation, lifelong
: injuries with a movement that is 1/100th of
: a second too early or late.
:
: There are men, and women, for whom it is
: worth the risk.
:
: Robbie Maddison's Tower Bridge jump didn't
: have the wow factor of his step-up in Las
: Vegas, where he broke a couple of
: hard-to-achieve world records. If he would
: have missed either one of those jumps in Las
: Vegas, the consequences would have people
: asking just what you're asking now. Is it
: worth it?
:
: These world records are the masterpieces
: that define who these jumping masters are.
: They are not content to take the easy road,
: staying within their comfort zone, taking
: the easy paycheck, specializing in the
: average and the ordinary. These men have
: high standards, and they hold themselves to
: a higher standard than ordinary men. They
: are not willing to let fear make their
: decisions for them.
:
: Riders like Bird, Maddo and Capes are truly
: special. They do what no ordinary man can do
: or will try. That is why we admire them so
: much. Their actions have elevated them above
: all others who have ever dared to jump a
: motorcycle for distance.
:
: Each rider can push the envelope with his
: own personal signature. One rider might
: specialize in certain areas, another's
: strengths might be in other areas. Some
: riders will push their own personal envelope
: to develop certain categories and take them
: to new heights, putting their own stamp on
: the jumping world. It is their job to do
: risk assessment, to prepare for the dangers
: thoroughly, to develop the entire system
: with which to accomplish their dream. If
: there is anything wrong with their system,
: it might come out at the worst possible
: time. If so, the results might be
: disastrous. If they make it through that,
: they have a decision to make: get back to
: the drawing board, back up and re-group,
: quit the profession altogether, change
: directions or just grit their teeth, heal up
: and think it over for a while.
:
: It does break my heart to see anybody suffer
: like that. Sometimes I think certain jumpers
: should just quit. Some guys can't keep it on
: two wheels, some guys make foolish decisions
: and keep getting major injuries, and some
: guys are just not cut out for jumping.
: Sometimes it's all three wrapped into one.
: Bird is not one of those guys. He was made
: for distance jumping. He's got the right
: stuff.
:
: I don't ever want him to get hurt again. If
: he quits jumping, I will understand and not
: judge him in a negative way. He came in and
: made a major dent in distance jumping, and
: he can be proud of himself. He has nothing
: more to prove. If he decides to come back
: and break a world record, that's his
: decision and I can't judge him in a negative
: way. If he decides to do easy jumps from now
: on, he's proven that he's a serious jumper
: already. He's got my respect. After the
: injuries he just sustained, I'm just glad
: he's alive.
:
: He's the only man in the world who can
: decide whether he will jump again, and how
: far he will push it if he does jump again.
: No one else can tell him what to do, and
: that's how it should be. Those are his
: dreams. He dreamed big and he went big.
: Nobody can take his dreams away. When he
: decides it's over, then it's over.
:
: JA
:
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