13 YO. RIP

[1969912 0]

At least (assuming his parents didn't push him into it) he was doing what he loved.

"A 13-year-old motorcycle racer died Sunday after falling off his bike and getting run over by another motorcycle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/08/29/motorcycle-rider-dies-indianapolis-crash/

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[skyrider 0]

As the parent of an extreme Athlete, I am sure the fact he reached that level of compition, he was doing what he loved!

RIP

[JohnMitchell 14]

Yep, we can hardly sit in our sport and point fingers.

It's heartbreaking to lose a young child like that, but maybe it's better than taking all risk away from every child. Football, soccer and many other sports kill children in their very early teens. Oversight, yes, but never an outright ban.

[murrays 0]

How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[skyrider 0]

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How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

They same thing can happen on bicycles!

Risk is part of having fun in many cases!

[catfishhunter 1]

It's sad to hear/see a child die but there are worse ways ask any parent whose child died of cancer or other illness where thier child only got to see doctors and hospitals for much of thier life. I this kids family are strong enough and have faith in something greater the themselves to get them though this.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[murrays 0]

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How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

They same thing can happen on bicycles!

Risk is part of having fun in many cases!

I don't think many kids are killed by another kid on a bicycle. Running someone over at the age of 13 and killing them ..... not a situation I agree with placing a kid in.

That being said, a lot of parents wouldn't agree with me buying my 10 and 12 year old boys tandem paragliding rides in Maui last year but I don't see that as bearing the same sort of risk to others. I think that the kid hitting the other boy is what bothers me the most about this situation.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[turtlespeed 212]

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Yep, we can hardly sit in our sport and point fingers.

That's funnay right thare!



I truly believe that this sport has the most hypocritical people I have ever met involved in it.

It also has the other end of the spectrum, but with great risk, comes great hypocrisy.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Rick 67]

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but with great risk, comes great hypocrisy.

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[Brian425 0]

I think this it tragic. For both the boy who died and the boy that ran him over.

The simple fact is that children get hurt and die playing football, at the playground, etc, etc.

I have two small boys ages 2.5yrs and 4 yrs. Both are currently riding motorcycles (Yamaha PW50). Do I want them to race, I'm not sure. It will have to be their decision.

I do want them to undertand that some things carry great risk; but, can be very rewarding. I will not stop my kids from doing something just because it is risky. Life is full of risks and we cannot protect them from everything. We need to understand the risk and try to mitigate the risks.

As a father, I'll do my best to help them avoid the stupid risks (the hold my beer while I xxxx type.)

The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand.

[jtval 0]

It's a Roger Nelson situation.

Doesn't matter how much experience you have. Someone with less can still kill you.


In response to the kids should only be on bicycles:
One of my child hood friends was killed on his bicycle when he was hit by a garbage truck.


Should we have banned the bicycles or the garbage collection trucks?

My photos

My Videos

[turtlespeed 212]

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It's a Roger Nelson situation.

Doesn't matter how much experience you have. Someone with less can still kill you.


In response to the kids should only be on bicycles:
One of my child hood friends was killed on his bicycle when he was hit by a garbage truck.


Should we have banned the bicycles or the garbage collection trucks?

I had a friend in elementary school that tripped over a curb and was left in a vegetative state, until he died 3 years later. Should we ban walking, Sidewalks, or going to school?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[skyrider 0]

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How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

They same thing can happen on bicycles!

Risk is part of having fun in many cases!

I don't think many kids are killed by another kid on a bicycle. Running someone over at the age of 13 and killing them ..... not a situation I agree with placing a kid in.

That being said, a lot of parents wouldn't agree with me buying my 10 and 12 year old boys tandem paragliding rides in Maui last year but I don't see that as bearing the same sort of risk to others. I think that the kid hitting the other boy is what bothers me the most about this situation.

Not going to agrue, but it has happened!

[skyrider 0]

Here is a great Tribute Video to him on Youtube...Kid had skills!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjJI1ablbaA

[BikerBabe 0]

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At least (assuming his parents didn't push him into it) he was doing what he loved.

"A 13-year-old motorcycle racer died Sunday after falling off his bike and getting run over by another motorcycle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/08/29/motorcycle-rider-dies-indianapolis-crash/

Wow.

This is tough for me. Stu Aitken-Cade is a good friend of mine, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend help run the USGPRU, and my husband has been involved with this race series for a long time. We are so proud of what the series has accomplished over the past several years, growing from a grassroots organization to something recognized by AMA and MotoGP as the premier Grand Prix racing organization in the US.

So many USGPRU vets are now racing AMA and top series in europe, and we were ecstatic when Stu told us about how MotoGP had asked him to be the ONLY non-MotoGP sanctioned support class at Indy this year. I mean, what an a amazing opportunity, not only for the series, but for the kids! Can you imagine playing their sport in front of their heroes, like Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden?

I don't know how many kids die or get seriously hurt on dirt bikes (and at much younger ages), but believe me when i say every safety precaution is taken in roadracing. no shortcuts for the kids are taken...if anything, it's more strict. The bikes are small and light (125cc or 250cc, max).

He absolutely died doing what he loved, and I can tell you from countless hours in the pits and talking with the parents of these kids...this is NOT a sport where parents push them too hard. If anything, the parents don't want them doing it but the kids love it so much the parents can't say no.

Anyway, if anyone has any questions about the series, motorcycle roadracing, or anything else about this, feel free to PM me or ask in here.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[Herky 0]

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How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

Next race, we should fly you down there, have you stand in front of all those kids, and tell them it is too dangerous and you are canceling the series plus instigating an age ban on the motorcycles.

Tell me how many smiles you count that day. Tell me how many kids comes up and thank you.

Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's wrong.

[turtlespeed 212]

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How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

Next race, we should fly you down there, have you stand in front of all those kids, and tell them it is too dangerous and you are canceling the series plus instigating an age ban on the motorcycles.

Tell me how many smiles you count that day. Tell me how many kids comes up and thank you.

Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's wrong.

What fo' you lettin' those kids ride moror bikes?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[skyrider 0]

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How about the kid that hit him?

Personally, I think 13 year old kids should be riding bicycles, not motorcycles.

Next race, we should fly you down there, have you stand in front of all those kids, and tell them it is too dangerous and you are canceling the series plus instigating an age ban on the motorcycles.

Tell me how many smiles you count that day. Tell me how many kids comes up and thank you.

Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's wrong.

I was more than a bit shocked anyoen on a skydiving forum would have such old fashion Ideals!

[murrays 0]

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If anything, the parents don't want them doing it but the kids love it so much the parents can't say no.

Call me old-fashioned, but I think a large part of a parent's job is saying "No". Kids don't have the life experience to evaluate risks and outcomes.

Not a risk that I would permit my kids to be exposed to.

My oldest son, 34 years old, bought a Harley a few years ago after many years of riding dirt bikes from an early age. Messing around on the small bikes he had with a couple of friends in a field is one thing, going 120mph on a track with others is quite another. (He lived with his mother a long way from me after the age of 4 but he had sensible people around that I trusted)

You can comfort yourself by saying he died what he loved doing but he's still dead at the age of 13 and will do no more living or loving. It makes me very sad to see someone snuffed out so young and "doing what he loved" doesn't comfort me at all. I think there are lots of other fun activities for kids that don't put them at nearly as much risk.

If you allow your kids to do this, I hope you are ready for the consequences. I can't think of anything more horrible than burying one of my three sons because I couldn't say No.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[normiss 622]

I had the fortune of starting to ride when I was 9.
Mom cried.
Dad laughed.
I'm 48 and cannot imagine my life without bikes and would have to pause to count how many I've had.
I would never forgo that experience on my kids should they desire to experience their own lives for themselves.
Never rob someone of their desires over your fears.

I always thought the most difficult part of parenthood was to shut up and get get out of their way.

I wish I had been racing at his age. By the time I tried to compete, I was too old and also could not afford to compete.

[skyrider 0]

Bull....

You can die riding in a car
die swimming
die playing football
Die riding skateboads
Die cliff diving
die surfing
die walking down a sidewalk
etc forever

You can not shield childrent from life, and give them a life!

[mutumbo 0]

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If anything, the parents don't want them doing it but the kids love it so much the parents can't say no.

Call me old-fashioned, but I think a large part of a parent's job is saying "No". Kids don't have the life experience to evaluate risks and outcomes.

Not a risk that I would permit my kids to be exposed to.

My oldest son, 34 years old, bought a Harley a few years ago after many years of riding dirt bikes from an early age. Messing around on the small bikes he had with a couple of friends in a field is one thing, going 120mph on a track with others is quite another. (He lived with his mother a long way from me after the age of 4 but he had sensible people around that I trusted)

You can comfort yourself by saying he died what he loved doing but he's still dead at the age of 13 and will do no more living or loving. It makes me very sad to see someone snuffed out so young and "doing what he loved" doesn't comfort me at all. I think there are lots of other fun activities for kids that don't put them at nearly as much risk.

If you allow your kids to do this, I hope you are ready for the consequences. I can't think of anything more horrible than burying one of my three sons because I couldn't say No.

dead is dead, why stop a kid from doing something he probably LOVED, just so he is 'safer'. i had a friend of mine who went to take a nap one afternoon, and never woke up. mom found him dead a few hours later, and to this day NOONE and i do mean NOONE knows why he died, there is NO explanation how/why he died. so you could have put him in a bubble and never exposed him to anything, and guess what i bet hed still be gone. at least this kid died doing something he loved. if you dont believe me/ wanna know more, PM me ill explain with some more details.

long story short, EVERYONE dies, might as well go out doing something you love.

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[davelepka 4]

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Messing around on the small bikes he had with a couple of friends in a field is one thing, going 120mph on a track with others is quite another.

Indeed it is. You do realize that none of those kids woke up one day and decalred they wanted to take up motorcycle roadracing, right?

All of those kids have been riding since they were quite young, starting off playing around in a field with their friends. Pee wee motorcross is generally the next step, with 50cc bikes, and so much safety gear it's surprising the kids can move at all. From there it's up to the kids to perform, and advance to higher classes, where the bikes are bigger and the speeds are higher. Even when they switch over to roadracing, the majority of them begin on go-kart tracks with small bikes and low top speeds.

It's like any sport that kids get into, with the possible exception that the parents are right there watching every step of the way. Take BMX, mountain biking,stakeboarding, skiiing, or snowboarding, how often are parents overseeing those activites? I've never seen a parent follow a skater kid around on a board, and on the snow most kids are free to roam the mountain without their parents in tow. What could go wrong there? Ask Sonny Bono...

This is a sad event, but it's a far cry from some kid off the street 'trying' motorcycle road racing.

[skyrider 0]

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Messing around on the small bikes he had with a couple of friends in a field is one thing, going 120mph on a track with others is quite another.

Indeed it is. You do realize that none of those kids woke up one day and decalred they wanted to take up motorcycle roadracing, right?

All of those kids have been riding since they were quite young, starting off playing around in a field with their friends. Pee wee motorcross is generally the next step, with 50cc bikes, and so much safety gear it's surprising the kids can move at all. From there it's up to the kids to perform, and advance to higher classes, where the bikes are bigger and the speeds are higher. Even when they switch over to roadracing, the majority of them begin on go-kart tracks with small bikes and low top speeds.

It's like any sport that kids get into, with the possible exception that the parents are right there watching every step of the way. Take BMX, mountain biking,stakeboarding, skiiing, or snowboarding, how often are parents overseeing those activites? I've never seen a parent follow a skater kid around on a board, and on the snow most kids are free to roam the mountain without their parents in tow. What could go wrong there? Ask Sonny Bono...

This is a sad event, but it's a far cry from some kid off the street 'trying' motorcycle road racing.

Hey, My son is a simi Pro freeride Moutain biker, our family is the Team, we are on those mountains with him at eveyr even, and building new trails with him wehn we are not!

We also Scuba dive and Cliff dive together!

[murrays 0]

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Bull....

You can die riding in a car
die swimming
die playing football
Die riding skateboads
Die cliff diving
die surfing
die walking down a sidewalk
etc forever

You can not shield childrent from life, and give them a life!

Let's see..martial arts, swimming lessons, surfing lessons, paragliding, sailing, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, buying a cabin so they can go exploring in the bush etc, etc ...I don't think I'm shielding my kids from life. I have a much larger comfort zone than a LOT of parents but motorcycle racing is completely outside it.

For my kids I'll be the judge of what they can handle and what risks are acceptable. Your kids...do what you like but be ready to live with the consequences.

Yep...we all die. We don't know when or how. Shit happens. I know that all too well.

Anyways, goodnight all...nobody's going to change anybody else's mind. I expressed my opinion, you expressed yours.

Take care and blue skies,

Murray