BMX Boy Wonder

                                   BMX Boy Wonder 

Have you ever tried to take a photo of something that moves faster than a bullet and makes your heart leap with scary excitement?
Sacha (my sixteen-year-old son) asked me if I would take some photos of him on his BMX at the track.
Oh My Gosh, was that NOT easy? First, there were many riders on little bikes who all looked alike, and it didn't help that they were dressed alike in tiny helmets, jeans, and tee shirts. The first few photos I took were of something other than Sacha. What kind of Mom am I who doesn't recognize her son?

                                      BMX rider

                                    Yes, this is my son with a red bike, and OH MY GOSH,

those bare arms.

Is he mad?

What is he twisting his handlebars? If he falls? Why Is he crazy?    

                                

king of the hill

 

That is Sacha on the far end. Easy photo, group shot, not moving, no fear boiling inside me.    

                              

bmx trick

 

Oh no, I don't think this was Sacha. I think he went before this guy. It is too hard to have one eye on who is coming up the hill and using on the jump, and more than that, to have the camera focus another eye on what could fall on me.

Taking photos of lace is a piece of cake, tender and sweet. Taking pictures of BMX riding is rugged, raw, and scary.

 

Trick jump BMX

Drat, this is not Sacha either… OH MY GOSH, he is not holding on… Free bird!

Later, when talking to Sacha, I asked about this guy doing a trick that I called Free Bird. Sacha beamed as if I mentioned a God-hero. He exclaimed, "Oh, that guy is a pro! He is an amazing rider. He has broken every bone in his body."
All I could utter was, "Lovely."

Why couldn't I have a boy who writes poetry?

 

 

BMX trick jump

 

INSTEAD OF BMX Ballet on a bike?   

               

dirt jumps BMX

The stage. I thought about standing between the dirt hills and taking photos of the bikers going overhead.
Then I re-thought not. I am more into poetry in motion than being flattened by a bike.    

 

  

BMX

 

Sacha, with his blue underwear showing, landed on the tip of his back tire. He will not be impressed that I missed his mid-air talent. But I am very impressed that he landed, given what happened a split second before this photo was taken.

 

 

                                 BMX Sacha 

                                 BMX JUMP Sacha 

The trick is knowing that my son is the one with the blue underwear. How nice to know.

 

                                BMX DREAM 

 

Wonder and awe, dreaming… as he gazed upon The PRO in mid-air…

 

                              BMX trick 

 

Dreams do come true with practice, and hopefully, no broken bones.

                      Oh, my boy, wonder…poetry in motion.

Note: Red Bull Dirt BMX Dirt riding… Amazing!



Comments

41 responses to “BMX Boy Wonder”

  1. I love these pictures and this post!

  2. I think you did amazingly well considering the fear and mother instincts playing into the photo shoot.

  3. oh those daring young men… I finally had to tell my two sons to tell me about their exploits AFTER they’d survived them as my heart was constantly stopping in anticipation of injury. So, I missed seeing them jump out of airplanes and negotiate white water rapids in a giant tube and navigate treacherous four-wheeler courses. I did consent to look at pictures after the fact.

  4. Love and hugs
    Your son is full of adventure and high spirit just like my son.
    Blessings

  5. I love your photos of BMX. You’ve captured the action very well. Sometimes it’s good to have the blur because it denotes the movement. That’s an impressive track. Is it on public or private land? Around here there’s lot of controversy and such about skateboarders and BMX’ers. They’re having to build special skate and bike parks. The one you’ve pictured seems so terrific and organic.
    My daughter’s boyfriend is a BMX-er and has been in the sport for many years. He claims that it kept him out of trouble when he was a teen.
    – Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife

  6. Wow. He is looking more and more like Yann.
    I started laughing when he said that kid was a pro and that he’s broken every bone in his body. That’s a job hazard I could do without!

  7. julie.hollands@btinternet.com

    Ive not been checking in Corey, life took over and the laptop didnt feature. I just read your post from yesterday and it brought tears to my eyes. This will be our 4th Christmas without Mummy. We are the poorer for it. I completely empathise with your mum’s sad empty feelings. In year 1 it is just too poignant. Christmas is always a time for remembering. My father is 82 and so many of his friends and aquaintances are missing loved ones that I have to search Christmas cards that refrain from jolly or merry. Angel cards are often our choice for the bereaved. All of that said I wish you and all your family a wonderful Christmas and that 2009 is a kinder year to your family. God Bless, Julie x

  8. My dear that does look hazardous! I do understand your fear though, as my son is into inline skating over hills and ramps like that. Unfortunately, we have had a broken bone. I cried more than he did when they reset it. 🙁

  9. wao! so good pictures Corey!!!!!
    xoxo

  10. Excellent job, mom! 🙂
    Now I wonder:
    Should I count my blessing that my son is “only” into skateboarding?
    His other two-wheeler is of the kind we used to ride around as kids, for pleasure, kinda skateboard with bike handles on a stick. Of course, his updated version has cushioned wheels and such. I see even dapper businessmen whizzing around on them downtown. Who would have thought that a kids’ toy would make such a high flying career?

  11. I think you did a great job. I’m not sure what software you have on your new little computer, but sometimes it is easier to take little videos and then save out individual cells as photos (although the quality may not be great). Both of you deserve badges of courage: Sacha for daring to do this and you for allowing with grace and support.

  12. This is why I had a girl!! Not that girls can’t do the same. I would be nervous watching these kids, Although my daughter went flying off her horse once, so I guess that is the same sort of.
    Glad he is having such fun.
    Rosemary

  13. It is truly amazing how fearless young boys can be. While my brothers, (there were 6) use to dare me to try all of the things they did (which I agreed to so that I could be one of them) some of their feats “scared the wits” out of me. They were always trying daring feats that kept me wondering,”am I going to have to run home to get dad?

  14. Yep, that’s where I will be in a few years…!! My baby is only five but he has it running in his blood!!! Oh, mercy!!!

  15. If I were young (and a boy!) I’m sure I’d want to do that, too! lol BUT… hubby and my BIL used to belong to a dirt bike club when they were young (of the motor variety). I said if we ever married, NO WAY would our sons (if any) would follow in dad’s footsteps. Well, one marriage and three sons later and no dirtbikes (BUT… it was not of my choosing… none of them showed any interest… phew)! lol

  16. Barbara Vasko

    i love that boys are the same all over the world! at our house we were into both bmx and skateboarding, even had a half pipe way out back. one time when taking jv into emergency-again-they looked at me and said ‘thought about taking away the wheels?’ i thought…take away the ability to flying? that sense of freedom and glory? the challenge? nah…besides, i think i was alittle jealous wishing i could be so brave. beautiful photos, beautiful memories. thanks,
    bv

  17. my photos would have been bad as I would be saying a silent prayer with my eyes shut as I was taking photos…and none of my pictures would be of the right child. I think you did a great job capturing Sacha. Young gentlemen love the thrill of adventure.
    love and blessings

  18. Gee Corey, not only did you marry adventure you gave birth to it! What a great cheerleader mom you are. My eyes would have been shut the whole time and not telling what the camera would have seen and missed. Great shots but even greater courage on your part to watch.

  19. Scary!!! But oh the fun of youth; so daring and unafraid.

  20. I tried to post this to yesterday’s entry — but Typepad wouldn’t let me. I tried again today, and even signed up with Typepad, but it still won’t let me, so I want to say it here…
    That’s the best advice (I am here), and it’s one I give, learned from the isolation I suffered when my husband died. Now I try to do the same for others in the same situation.
    We learn to live with the loss of our beloved. We never forget, but the ache lessens. My warmest, loving hug to your Maman. And You. xoxo

  21. It’s nice to know that French boys have the same interests as their American counterparts.
    ~elaine~

  22. Ceylon Sapphire

    I still dont get it… but BMX is an Olympic sport now…. so go Sacha! Maybe an Olympic medal will hang around his neck one day… but only if he breaks every *whimper* bone in his body along the way….. 🙂

  23. Sacha is brave, but you are more brave for watching!
    Hee….blue underwear. Mine are hot pink. You’ve got to be recognized somehow…

  24. Corey, I can relate…My 14 year old is a bike boy too…he goes to school in san francisco, and I stupidly helped him buy a ‘fixie’ bike, it’s the hot thing now, 1 speed, with NO BRAKES!! You pedal backwards to slow down.In SF, which is all hills. What was I thinking???

  25. My son does really scary things on skis!! We tried to get him to go to ‘trick ski school’ at Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon on Mt. Hood (on a glacier in the summer for ‘camp’) because we thought if not he would surely kill himself. Better he be trained to do tricks than be untrained…
    Well he’s 18 and still okay. No broken bones at all. Neck intact. But awful hamstrings from running….
    You’re a good mom Corey. Cheering him on despite being afraid for him!!
    Denese

  26. These are super cool pictures! I love them!
    And Sacha…oh my…it’s good to know he’s following his dreams. Just keep your eyes closed (great for taking pictures, huh?) and pray!

  27. Children ~ the ever constant reminder that life is amazement.

  28. SweetPeaSurry

    Fascinating, I’ve always loved Xtreme Sports!!! BMX, Skateboarding, Sno-boarding … all of it!! YAY!!
    I think you did a terrific job taking photos. I mean … really … It’s hard to photograph moving objects, unless you have one of those super fast clickity click click professional cameras!!!
    Well done!!

  29. Wow that is some cool riding and picture taking! I remember my brother and his freinds setting up a jump with a piece of plywood and concete blocks on the driveway. Over and over they’d go. Same thing time after time. Oh, what fun they had. My sister and I just rolled our eyes.

  30. I can’t even watch videos of people I don’t know doing this kind of bike riding; it makes me too nervous. You’re a very brave Mom.

  31. Mary Marsell-Farrell

    What a hoot! When in the Canaries this last Sept. my children (4 of them, ages 11-18) took surfing lessons. An acquaintance gave me a videocamera during one of the days so I could capture each of them conquering the waves. About 20 min. into it I realized I had done the same, filmed someone else’s kids and not mine!! Well, I got the second half of the tape right. Haha Mary -Freckled Philologist/Friend of Circle of Quiet. I’ve enjoyed your posts very mucH! 🙂

  32. Very cool. My Dad used to watch me as I’d ride my dirt bike round and round the track for hours. I loved him for that devotion as I’m sure Sacha love you for the same. I was never able to master jumps as cool as that though.

  33. When I see these pictures, I am so pleased my son is on tennis, forgetting all the painful knots in my stomach at each single point during the matches…!
    We mothers are so brave when our heros are performing !!!

  34. I´m guessing that this is what I have to look forward to!?! Jake has been riding his bike on the skate ramps since he was 2, starting with his like-a-bike. Broke his leg at 3 playing football. He´s now 4.. hope we don´t have any more broken bones any time soon!!
    Merry Christmas, Corey!

  35. Some scary stuff…makes me cringe just looking at those high flying maneuvers.

  36. hmmm, can’t imagine where he gets his daredevil instincts from…..lol

  37. *grin* You can’t fool me, Corey, you’re one proud mama! 🙂

  38. Corey……Fabulous photos as always! I want to wish you and yours the best Christmas ever……Thanks for always sharing with us, it means a lot! hugs, Linda

  39. stunning photos, but my heart would be in my throat! Love the comment about the blue boxers, LOL!

  40. I feel your pain, Corey! My son went from BMX to Extreme biking- that’s riding down mountains!! He has to wear a full face helmet!! Our boys are a little nuts…..

  41. I have taken the same kind of pictures except my son is usually on a skateboard or should I say off the skateboard and in the air and falling down. Most times I just hold the camera and click with my eyes closed. You should see the pictures his friends take with their cameras. Oh my gosh…heart stopping. Why do they love to be dare devils?!
    Have a wonderful Christmas Corey!!

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