Just another dirtbike day, full of father-and-daughter comedy and awesome riding! While ripping down "Muddled Meandering" trail at Walker Valley ORV area north of Seattle, my 13-year old daughter hit her left handguard on a log. The impact spun her quickly right and catapulted her and her 2007 KTM 105SX down into the rut she was wisely trying to avoid. I was close behind and heard the crash but missed seeing it. In the 10 seconds it took to get off my bike and assess the situation, I'd already asked if she was hurt and she replied that she wasn't. I started filming as I walked over to help her out, knowing that she was safe and simply uncomfortable. At no time was she at risk, and as any tight group of riding buddies will tell you, it's always funny to document fails so you can laugh about them later. We definitely laughed and bragged about it in the truck on the way home! Her total time under the bike was less than a minute. Two minutes later, the bike started after two kicks and we rode hard for several more hours. We wear good gear and we spend a lot of time on the bikes. Crashing is part of the sport, and if you're not, you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough to improve.

All three of my kids (ages 13, 12, and 10) are wicked trail and enduro riders for their age and experience, and continually improve as amateur racers. They're tough and experienced on the trail and have the presence of mind to stay calm under stress. As a matter of fact, they're stronger in that regard than a lot of adults I know--and faster! You can't be fragile and be good at enduro riding. Bikes break, people get hurt, bad luck happens, and sometimes it's just not your day. Like I remind them when they're frustrated: first control yourself. Then you'll control the bike.