The Red Bull Ammo Camp is attempting to resurrect me from the FMX graveyard.
November 10, 2009, 1:30 AM
By: Ryan Leyba
Sorry for the lack of action on the site today, Cliff Talley and I have been at the Red Bull Compound from 8am to 6pm, putting in work for the sake of your entertainment. As you may or may not know, I used to be a professional FMX rider myself. I know it seems impossible by looking at tubby physique and lack of gnarly lifestyle, but yeah I was one of those dudes.
Last month I got the call from Drake McElroy asking if I'd be interested in participating Red Bull's exclusive and top-secret "Ammo Camp." After thinking about it for a good moment, I decided that it would be a good idea to get back on the bike and have some fun. I talked to ESPN Contributor Cliff Talley and we agreed that it needed to be documented on video for your viewing/laughing pleasure, so that became the main goal of my four-day Ammo Camp participation. But before I get into all the details of day one (today), let me fill you in on what the Red Bull Ammo Camp is all about.
Ryan Leyba
My sensei Drake McElroy (left) shares his vast wisdom with me.
Red Bull Ammo Camp Explained
It's no secret that Red Bull treats their athletes better than any company in the world. No matter what they do, it's always first class and their athlete's best interest is front and center. As you probably know, Red Bull took over Lance Coury's riding compound in Wyvern, California (next to Valencia) a year or so ago and completely re-worked it and revamped it. The FMX course is second to none with over 10 ramps, just as many dirt hits, a state of the art foam pit, an FMX resi-mat and a full-on outdoor national track. The Compound is for Red Bull riders only — if you have a Rockstar or Monster sticker on your bike, forget about it.
To utilize the Compound to the fullest, Red Bull worked together with FMX legend and Red Bull rider, McElroy to create a camp that works with new and promising talent, as well as veterans, helping elevate their riding to the next level. So far, there have been three Ammo Camps held at the Compound, and this (November 9-12) is the fourth.
Like in previous camps, Drake McElroy is in charge of lining up the riders and creating the tight schedule packed with designate practice sessions, riding drills, progression training, goal setting, media training and more.
Red Bull Ammo Camp Day 1
Riding this week's Ammo Camp is Jeff Fehr, Jack Rowe, Lance Coury, Keith Sayers and myself. Today started off with a riders meeting held by McElroy, explaining what the camp was all about, outlining the four-day schedule and finishing with a "Hello, my name is and I'm from..." meet and greet. After that, the first half of the day was used to get acquainted with the compound and dial in the numerous jumps that litter it.
I was originally slated to ride Red Bull's Honda CRF250 four-stroke, but it hadn't arrived as early as expected, so I was forced to ride McElroy's Honda CR250 two-stroke. So you know, it's been nearly seven years since I've ridden ramps and got my freestyle on — that's a damn long time! But luckily I rode a 250 two-stroke throughout my career, so I was immediately comfortable on Drake's machine.
As all the riders started hucking flips on the ramps and huge dirt gaps, I quickly realized that I may be in over my head. After re-learning how to ride a dirt bike, I started off jumping a few 50 to 60-foot tabletops on the outdoor track. It took me at least 10 jumps just to get my timing back and land smoothly on the downside of the landings. Once I felt comfortable in the air again, I began to make my way to the super-intimidating FMX course where I started sizing a few of the smaller jumps up. 30 minutes later, I had dialed in a fun little rhythm section, which consisted of a 50-foot dirt double into a super-fun hill jump, which required you to whip the bike in order to land smoothly.
"Alright, I think I'm starting to get back in the groove! Should I just hit a standard-distance 75-foot ramp and get the monkey off my back?" The answer to that question was "YES, I should," but holy crap I was scared! After analyzing my riding for the first part of the day, Drake enthusiastically ensured me that I was ready to take my show to the ramps. Once I decided that he was probably right, my heart began to race and my mind wouldn't let me kick the vision of me crashing and breaking both of my femurs.
"Just hit it second gear man. Like brap, braaaap, ba braaap! You got it man!" shouted McElroy. After that last pep talk I said my prayers, turned off my judgment gauge, shifted into second gear and hucked myself into oblivion. I had cleared it! I came up a bit short and I was a little looped out, but I had finally done it! Seven years of ramp abstinence thrown out the window — I was back. For the rest of the day, I continued to play around on the smaller jumps and the 75-foot ramp, becoming more familiar with my bike.
Red Bull Ammo Camp Day 1 Reflection
I made it through day one, but I definitely had some close calls. As I type this, I'm sitting in my hotel room, feeling my muscles tighten up by the second. There's absolutely no doubt that I'll be sore to the core tomorrow morning, but hey, that's what it's all about right? The nerves are gone and I'm excitedly waiting for day two to arrive so I can take another stab at the FMX course and master some more sections of the behemoth dirt bike playground.
After each day, I'll continue to check in with you guys, filling you in on my progress and the camp in general. So, thanks for all the support and if you're religious, say a prayer for me — and if you're not, pray for me anyway. Also special thanks to Fox Racing for getting me dialed in with some insanely rad gear. Same place, same time tomorrow and hopefully I'll have a few action shots and video clips for you. Peace!
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Contributors
Ryan Leyba
Leyba is a bitter, retired FMX rider that likes to sit in his cubicle and call the professionals of the sport wussies for not pulling 360s and double backflips. He claims he quit riding FMX before flips were even invented... yeah, right.
Cliff Talley
Making FMX videos exciting is easy. Making them look good is not. Cliff Talley does both of these well and still manages to find enough time to piss off his neighbors with his Travis Barker-esque drum skills.
Chris Tedesco
You've seen his photos on the covers of Transworld, Racer X and more. You've also seen his tequila shooting skills at your local dive bar. Ladies, Chris is single and looking to mingle.
Grant "Goba" O'brien
FMX in Australia wouldn't exist if it weren't for Goba. Well, maybe it would, but it wouldn't be nearly as cool. I don't know why, but we can't quit calling him gobalobadingdong — it just rolls off the tongue.
Tes Sewell
Tes is the dude that's always involved in everything that's going on in FMX. How he does it, we don't know, but that's the reason we hired him to share his plethora of FMX wisdom in the form of a monthly column.
