What could be better than a weekend of riding with a few of your closest friends? How about mixing in a few of the biggest names in freestyle motocross? "The Godfather of Freestyle Motocross" himself, Mike Metzger, created just such an opportunity for friends and fans alike to spend a weekend riding and hanging out with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Though it’s been a while since you may have seen Metz in a contest role, he has been alive and well promoting the sport and working on a few endeavors of his own. Metzger Unlimited is a hub for the greatest names and products the industry has to offer – a freestyle outfitter if you will. Metz and his crew are likely to be jumping at a show near you soon, so stay tuned!
Back to the desert – Metz is a people person and always eager to greet fans and sign an autograph or two. On this particular weekend, he invited some of his most devoted fans to join him on a trail ride at one of southern California’s free riding hot spots, the Ocotillo Wells OHV area.
The format for the Hits Out-Ocotillo event was fairly simple. Each morning was an opportunity for youth or beginner riders to join Metz on a tamer trail ride. Mike’s own son was in on the action with a handful of other youngsters. It was a great opportunity for kids to ride with one of their childhood heroes.
The afternoon was where things started to get a little bit crazy as the “big guys” set out on a trail ride, which inevitably turned into a free ride exhibition of sorts. What else could be expected when you get a group of the best riders in the world together in a playground like Ocotillo Wells?
The pace was fast but the group made sure not to lose anyone as we screamed across the desert and through the scenic canyon washes. If you’ve never ridden Ocotillo Wells, it is a must visit in this lifetime kind of place. It’s all about open desert, tight trails and a landscape unlike anywhere else on earth. The mud hills create limitless opportunities for getting air-born… as this ride would soon prove.
Being the only quad rider in a sea of dirt bikes, I was a little apprehensive about joining the gang. But like many of the bike riders themselves, how often do you have a chance to blast around the desert with guys like Metz, Steve Haughelstine, Drake McElroy, Dan Pastor and a handful of others? These are the guys who make the “Crusty Demons Of Dirt” videos the stuff of legends!
Off we went and what a ride it was. Thankfully, everyone seemed cool with having a quad tag along with the group, and many of the riders expressed amazement at how I managed to squeeze through some of the tighter trails. I had a blast because, considering the skill level of most of the riders, we were hauling!
The beauty of Ocotillo comes from the varying terrain and multiple lines it has to offer. One is rarely limited to a single trail and if someone ahead of you is going slower there are usually ample opportunities to pass – and pass we did! Each time we moved to a new location, it was a race to see who would fall in behind Metz and the rest of the crew. Everyone was out to have a good time and a little friendly completion only kicked the energy level up a few notches.
In addition to giving fans an opportunity to ride with some of their heroes of the sport, Metz’s plan was to give up-and-coming free riders a chance to strut their stuff. Anyone who found a decent jump was encouraged to give it a try. If it was worthy of a nod from Metz, the victor might just win themselves one of a handful of prizes, including products from Oakley, JVC and Metzger Unlimited. The group made several stops throughout the day to scope out possible jumps, which always lead to some awesome photo opportunities.
One of the coolest things about an event like this is getting to see these guys in action. They push each other. It’s not exactly constructive criticism, more like trash talking until someone decides to “man up” and go for it, but that’s why these guys are the best at what they do. Watching them eye up a hit, scout it out and maybe talk with each other before throwing caution to the wind was exciting to watch. Inevitably, someone always went for it. Once the hit had been deemed conquered, we would move on to the next obstacle. It was so surreal to be able to hangout behind the scenes and watch Metz and the guys “work.” The entire group shared my enthusiasm as we were all enjoying the ride, as well as the show.
At the end of the day, top honors went to free rider Steve Haughelstine for the countless jumps and insane lines he put together. Dan Pastor may just have had the biggest air of the day award with a third gear hip jump that shot him into the abyss. The weekend capped off with a bonfire and live music at the Blu-Inn RV Resort. Prizes were awarded and fans were treated to an evening of fun and entertainment with some of the top names in the industry.
Metz plans to make this an annual event so check out
www.Metzgerunlimited.com to see when the Godfather and his MOB might be making another trip out to the desert. If you’re a fan of free riding, you won’t want to miss it!
Want to see and hear more? Check out our photo gallery as well as this awesome video by our good friends at JRayFilms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XePYxZpRBT0&feature=player_embedded#