’cross words

Did anything happen before today…well, yes, a lot.

That Mr Berry knows a thing or three about MX, which is why we give him a page here for his views.

In late September this year I was privileged enough to be present at the Imola Motocross Reunion for a second time. This year, the 5th edition of this biannual event celebrated the 70th anniversary of the first International Motocross to take place there, on May 23, 1948. Usually held earlier in the year, it was held over till September to coincide with the final round of the MXGP series staged on a makeshift track at the renowned Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari, better known for high-speed car and motorcycle racing on asphalt.

I had the good fortune to be in the company of Jeff Smith, Derek and Don Rickman, Triss Sharp, Alan Clough and Freddie Mayes. Also in attendance were Ken Lundin, Jeff Nilsson and Rene Baeten Jnr, the sons of world champions Sten Lundin, Bill Nilsson and Rene Baeten respectively, and a host of Italian champions including the 16-time national champion, Emilio Ostorero. Sadly Torsten Hallman had to pull out at the last moment and was sorely missed.

The reunion, organised by the indefatigable Luciano Costa, is always a great social event and this one proved to be no exception; we were wined, dined and entertained in grand style. It also serves to remind participants of what a great family we in the off-road motorcycling community are lucky enough to belong to, one that to this day values principles such as camaraderie, courtesy and above all else respect. Sadly, it would appear many of the younger generations do not put such store in these beliefs.

For me, the FIM failed to seize the opportunity that had been placed in their hands. Yes, on the Friday afternoon there was a ‘Meeting of the Champions’ where ninetime world champion Antonio Cairoli and the now six-time women’s world champion, Kiara Fontanesi – no sign of the recently crowned champions Jeffrey Herlings or Jorge Prado – met the likes of Jeff Smith and Derek Rickman, but that aside there was very little involvement for these legends of our sport. Surely they could have been put to good use in the prizegiving ceremony and even the parade of champions on classic motocross machines, organised by the Imola Reunion, was largely unseen by the general public as they were paraded outside the motocross arena; such a missed opportunity.

Derek Rickman said when he was introduced to Fontanesi, he saw her eyes ‘glaze over’ and when asked if she knew of him or the Métisse machine he created with his brother, she simply replied, ‘No that was far before my time.’ This comment leads me to conclude maybe the youngsters are not at fault, rather it is us who are failing them by not making them aware of the history of the sport they participate in.

I take my writing very seriously and feel a certain weight on my shoulders; I am one of a very small group of people writing on this topic and when I take a look over my shoulder, motocross style, to see who is following in my tracks, I see no one in sight. This is a worrying situation. More photos and films are emerging online today, but they tend to be very haphazard and desperately cry out for some order to be put in place.

I’m not by nature an Americanophile but when it comes to honouring their motorcycling heroes, I feel with their AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, they have stolen a massive march on us here in Europe. The Hall of Fame currently has close to 500 inductees including many motocross riders. Established in 1998, in addition to the Hall of Fame Gallery there are several exhibitions, including a display of classic machines that show visitors the evolution of the motorcycle from its earliest days, with many off-road examples to be seen. In my opinion there is a place for a similar institution in the UK, to honour the greats of off-road motorcycling, preserve its sporting heritage and to leave a legacy to those youngsters who are coming into the various off-road disciplines. Should any overalled philanthropist be reading this column, please be aware that I could take up a position in such an establishment at short notice for a modest remuneration!

None of the pastmasters in our group seemed particularly impressed by the track or the racing, though admittedly the championships had been decided beforehand and the top riders were already thinking ahead to the Motocross of Nations in the USA. The first few laps were an amazing spectacle with machines soaring through the air and moving in every direction, but thereafter it became incredibly processional, almost ‘a race with no racing.’ Our trip back to our hotel passed through the beautiful hills surrounding Imola. Triss Sharp, who forded many a stream and traversed endless seemingly impossible climbs in his day, observed: “What they need is a few natural features on the track to challenge and sort them out. It’s all too easy for them as it is.” We would all have welcomed such an obstacle to sort the wheat from the chaff, but those raised on modern motocross probably left the racetrack happy. With some education as to how things used to be, maybe we would have a more demanding public.

I feel that with their AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the American people have stolen a massive march on us here in Europe