In keeping with Random’s upcoming birthday, here’s a random picture taken by Grahame Baker in Moab, Utah.
The pilot is Dave Perkins attempting the first Cross Country Front Flip only recently perfected by dirt jumpers and other nutters.
Check out the technique – the weight all the way over the front wheel, the brakes hard on and the look of abject terror as his face races towards hard pointy rock.
Amazingly he wasn’t killed. There was a collective intake of breath as he bounced down the remaining rock steps and lay motionless for a second.
But we knew all was well after patching up bleeding knees as Dave asked for a medicinal lager. It was about 9am in the morning.
I’ll have you know that photo was totally deliberate. Not at all random. ;-P
The fact that Dave decided to throw an entirely spontaneous No footed endo to faceplant with beer twist into the mix merely added a little frisson to the composition.
I’m still proud that I managed to capture the moment on a camera who’s idea of “on time” and speed could only be rivalled by Chiltern Railways.
That’s a classic photo. 9am start for drinking beer? That’s late for Dave, doesn’t he fill his camelbak with the stuff?
Brrrr…!
I ride like a frightened girlie to stop this kind of thing from happening, but I have a feeling that frightened-girlie riding is often actually the CAUSE of little spills like this!