http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fipVZMjxT2Q

To the old steam engines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln17jYbVkfQ

We even have teams of horses working it, but you can look those up yourself.

Ya know, seems to me about the time the second guy bought a car or a horse, there was probably an itchin’ in him to race the first guy.

— Max

On the really steep hills where you need ropes to hang from, practice comes in handy. The rope needs to move from the top down, to give the goat below the freedom to reach the rider.

As for the riders, I tend to think they’re all a little crazy. Insofar as extreme sports go hillclimbing is both the oldest and the only one where you’ll find a dirt bike with 200hp. The funny thing is these folks do the same thing on snowmobiles in the winter, and if they’ve money there’s the World of Outlaws circuit for the Truck and Tractor pulls.

Ever seen six 500+ cubic inch supercharged Chevy big-blocks on methanol pulling ten tons of sled down a dirt path? It’s not for the faint of heart. Or anybody who wants to hear things afterwords.

Something in the air up here, motorsports tends towards excessive horsepower. Elsewhere in the world, such as in Formula 1, they tend towards rules that limit the machine. While that does make the rider a greater factor, it does discourage innovation and development.

But then, Lex says “Wow” and he used to hurtle an F/A-18 at a pitching carrier deck for a living. I’m sure most of the riders would consider that to be an extreme sport, the participants obviously off their rocker.

All in what you grew up with, I guess.

My place in the video? I wasn’t worth recording.

– Max

Never go over the “high side” as we say in the motorcycle safety course. We don’t anticipate people doing foolish things, though. I’ll stay away from the nitromethane stuff. I’d like to keep my engine around for awhile.

It’s the landing part I’m not seeing.

A cousin of mind recently earned his 4th world title at leaping into the air on a motorcycle, oddly enough. He informs me that going up isn’t such a chore, it’s the coming down safely that one needs to be concerned about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3jXa29KMlM&feature=related

Has the #3 plate, BTW. That’s 200hp to the ground in a 400lbs machine and add in the rider at 150lbs. We’re approaching F-16 performance levels here. On dirt. Uphill.

May not be 11 G’s, but then an F16 pilot never had a nitromethane-injected Suzuki motor with pistons pointed at his dangly bits between his legs either.

So, ya know. Ya takes the risks you take.

– Max