2012 Boise St Lukes Sports Medicine Trailer

2012 Thunder Mountain Motocross Series Round #3 Kimberly, ID

Well I’m pretty sure I wrote in my blog after the Rupert mud race that it was the knarliest (yes, knarliest is a word, lol) mud race I had ever ridden……. Kimberly, this weekend, topped it! In fact I vote that we change the name of the Idaho Thunder Mountain Motocross Series to the Idaho Mudcross Series. When Matt and I left on Friday morning we were bummed because it was pouring down rain here in Boise. But, as we headed east we eventually drove out of it and Friday afternoon at the track was awesome. Kimberly was not on the series schedule last year so we were really excited to ride it this time around. As Matt and I were unloading and setting up, a gentlemen came over and said, “Hey, we know who you guys are and what you do and we think it’s great, my boys would like to meet you”. So of course we welcomed them over, signed some cards and handed out some footballs. The cool thing about it is, these kids set the stage for a Smoke Free community in the future. They get it, using tobacco doesn’t make you cool and it certainly won’t help your lap times out on the track! I had others approach me over the weekend asking for info on free resources to help them quit. It’s cool to think that we might have helped make a change for the future of their great community out in Kimberly. So, as we were loaded up Friday afternoon the black clouds started to roll in. It poured down rain Friday night and most of the morning on Saturday. The track was a mess, to say the least. The track was basically unrideable. Here’s the cool thing about Motocrossers though; Motocrossers have a ton of heart and desire for their sport…. When things get tough, we toughen up! I really don’t think anyone was excited to ride but we all did it anyway. It’s kind of a bummer when you think about all of the preparation; planning and hard work and money that goes into setting up one of these events and to then have it canceled because of rain just really stinks. So, in Motocross, generally you run it and make the best of the situation. That’s what we did. It was actually kind of comical at times, we were all slip, sliding around and most were on the ground several times. No one got hurt and if a mud bath really is good for you, we all had our fair share. I ended up winning the Over 40 Class both days and posted up second and third place finishes in the Over 30’s. The only thing I can say is we got through it and they say it builds character. Congratulations to all that competed! Thank You Project Filter for the opportunity to make a difference and for your support for the Team, we are all blessed to be a part of the program. The next round is in Preston! I’m praying for Sunshine!

Boise Hawks "Fan Fest" 2012

This past Friday night Matt and I got the chance to attend the annual Boise Hawks Fan Fest. What a great event! It was an evening of fun geared towards substance abuse prevention, education and safety awareness. This event is a great opportunity to talk about tobacco prevention because it is geared towards families and the support for a Drug Free Idaho. We had several hundred people stop by our booth and it was awesome to see all of the interest in quitting. There were a lot of questions about the resources that Project Filter has to offer. I listened to several different scenarios Friday night. I had a couple, “I’ve smoked for many years and it’s time to quit”, “I know someone who I would like to help quit” and “I wish my Mom would quit”. The one that always gets me is, “I wish my Mom or Dad would quit”. It softens my heart to hear a child say that. Sometimes the parents seem a little embarrassed but I think it is great and they should be happy that their children are concerned. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, were all concerned and we have a great program right here that is ready to help when you’re ready to quit. One gentleman told me that he knows he should quit but he just isn’t ready yet. I provided him with our literature and I let him know that Project Filter will be there once he’s ready. I sure noticed a lot of people picking up the literature, so that shows that the interest in quitting is high. We’ll continue to fight the fight for a tobacco free Idaho. Thank You Project Filter for giving me this opportunity to help!

Idaho Thunder Mountain Motocross Series Round #2, OMC 6, 7, 8 April, 2012.

The Project Filter Motocross Team was in full force this weekend at Owyhee Motocross Club for Round #2 of the Thunder Mountain Motocross Series. What a Great Weekend of racing! I have always been impressed at how Motocross is a family sport and it really showed this weekend. This wasn’t my first Easter weekend spent at a Motocross track but I will say that it was the best one I’ve had. We had the entire Team together which includes Me, Matt, Danielle, Zach and Cole Siebler. The camaraderie of the Team coupled with, family and our extended motocross families made for a great weekend. Angie, the Thunder Mountain Series Manager planned a couple fun activities to celebrate the holiday, which included an Easter egg hunt, Motocross Style. Each rider had a helmeted passenger and the object was to make your way around the motocross track and pick up as many hidden Easter eggs as possible. Matt and Zach represented Project Filter in the competition. There was also a closest to the pin golfing contest. Each participant hit two balls off of the starting line to see who could come closest to the tire which was 100 yards out. Matt was the leader for most of the competition but eventually got edged out by Nate Taylor and another contestant. My two shots reminded me why I ride motorcycles instead of playing golf, they weren’t good. Thank You Angie for making it a fun day! I’m not sure if it was the Easter Spirit that was in the air or just the fact we finally had some great weather but the competition and the racing was awesome too. Saturday, I won my first moto, finished second in my second moto and was battling for a win in the third when I had a little bad luck. I landed off a jump and heard this huge crack, my bike locked up and nearly sent me over the bars. A sprocket bolt had backed out during the moto and got caught up in the swingarm. It locked up the rear wheel, ripped my sprocket off and broke the hub. Not Good! I am thankful that it didn’t lock up while I was in the air. So, needless to say, I didn’t finish the moto and when I got back to the pits I discovered that the swing arm was cracked as well. Luckily I had an extra hub and rim ready to roll and a friend at the track volunteered to weld my swingarm, so by Sunday morning I was back in business and ready to do battle again. Sunday was another great day of racing. I ended up winning both motos in the Over 40 Class and finished second in both motos of the Over 30. As the day winded down on Sunday I sat back and reflected a bit on the weekend. I thought about all of the great things that happened over the three days spent at the race track. Number one, families were together sharing the experience. In motocross we all spend many weekends at the track and it seems like we all sort of become an extended family too. When my bike broke, I had several people around making sure I was ok and encouraging me to get it fixed so that I could continue to moto. Sunday afternoon my wife Ann brought all of the kids up to share an Easter lunch with me and the rest of the PF crew. We got to talk with a lot of people who came by to turn in a Motocross/Tobacco Prevention trivia sheet that we had available. The sheet accomplished exactly what it was meant to do, it got people engaged in thinking and talking about tobacco prevention, the ill effects of tobacco and the help that is available by using Project Filter. It was an event filled awesome day! Round three is in Kimberly over Memorial Weekend. I can’t wait and I hope to see ya all there!