The importance of safety in fun

LOLITA HARPER

Glamis. The word alone lights a spark in motocross enthusiasts’ eyes.

“Heck ya, I ride at Glamis,” said 33-year-old Alex Chavez as he

loaded his dusty dirt bike into the bed of his Ford F250 truck

outside a Costa Mesa motorcycle shop. “I just got back from there

this weekend.”

Chavez is lured by the expansive, rugged terrain, the feeling of

wind rushing through his helmet, and the adrenaline rush he gets from

riding and the overall serenity of camping under the stars at the

Glamis Dunes campground.

It is Glamis season. The scorching heat typical of the Imperial

Valley has subsided, and it’s a comfortable 73 degrees at the popular

motocross venue. The past weekend was a popular one, bringing riders

from all over the Southwest for a day or two of great riding,

camaraderie and simple fun.

Corona del Mar High School senior Matthew Ramirez seemed to share

Chavez’s enthusiasm for the sport, according to the statements from

his mourning friends in the wake of his untimely death Friday at

Glamis.

Ramirez, who reportedly loved dirt biking as much as anything, was

on an off-road trip with his father on Halloween when his ATV was

struck from behind by a dune buggy, throwing the 17-year-old from his

vehicle. Ramirez broke his neck.

He died in his father’s arms in the middle of the desert.

Ramirez’s death brought back questions of safety in the open

desert and on heart-pumping machines such as ATVs, motor bikes and

dune buggies, which are popular at Glamis and similar riding venues.

Lee Fleming, owner of Champion Motorcycles on old Newport

Boulevard in Costa Mesa, said safety measures have come a long way

since he started riding.

“I think that safety is probably something that is more in

people’s minds today than 20 years ago,” the 57-year-old Lake Forest

resident said.

His shop carries an impressive arrangement of street and dirt

bikes and ATVs. The four-wheel vehicles are displayed on the showroom

floor, each propped up on its hind wheels like dominoes. They are

shiny, impressive machines, painted in bright colors, with ornate

flame paint jobs and chrome detailing. Fleming said many of his

customers are regulars at Glamis but that, at least while on his

property, the emphasis is on safety and not reckless thrill seeking.

Fleming offers general safety instruction to his customers and he

always recommends state-of-the-art safety equipment, such as Snell

helmets, he said. These are helmets that have been endorsed by the

Snell Foundation and are subject to safety requirements even more

stringent than government regulations.

People are generally smarter and more responsible than they used

to be, and they are more aware of the dangers that come with

irresponsible behavior.

“It used to be that people with ATVs would request a thing called

a six-pack rack,” Fleming said.

A what?

“A rack on the side of the vehicle that would carry a six pack,”

he said.

We are not talking soda.

“Now you would never see that type of thing,” he said. “Alcohol

and just about anything is a bad idea. I think even football games

would be less dangerous if they didn’t serve beer.”

Fleming said he raced motorcycles for “years and years” and

continues to operate various recreational vehicles, without the

consequence of a major injury.

“Riding responsibly is the key thing,” Fleming said. “Sometimes,

people who are not familiar with [motocross vehicles] tend to blame

injuries on the vehicle. It’s not necessarily the ATV’s fault.”

In Ramirez’s case, it was not the case of the machine or the

rider. He was hit from behind by an Arizona man on a dune buggy. His

responsibility will be judged by the judicial system.

But for the rest of the people out at Glamis, there is still a

very real threat of getting hurt. Even the Glamis Dunes Web site

acknowledges as much and tells people what to do in the event of an

injury. Maps to the nearest hospital are posted on the site.

“Broken bones are common and are usually not life-threatening,”

the Web site reads. “Anybody with a suspected broken bone should be

evaluated for other symptoms, especially breathing, bleeding or

shock.”

The site also offers extensive information on state laws and

safety precautions and hammers home that alcohol is not permitted

while operating a motor vehicle.

But that doesn’t stop everybody from drinking. Chavez, who’s from

Fountain Valley, said there is more than enough beer to go around.

“Too much,” he said. “That’s just part of it. That is what gets

you up the hill. You wouldn’t be crazy enough to do it otherwise.”

Despite knowing of heavy drinking by some (not all -- I repeat,

not all) and the all-too-common injuries, Chavez does not stay away.

“One guy in my camp cracked his head open, and another punctured

his lung,” Chavez said of his recent trip. “Another guy down in the

Oldsmobile camp rolled his dune buggy. Heck, I’ve punctured my lung

before. That stuff doesn’t scare me.”

The calm of the desert and the escape from concrete and the 9-to-5

rut keeps Chavez going back to Glamis.

It is the passion of the sport that keeps motocross enthusiasts

active. And hopefully, a passion for life will keep them safe.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at

[email protected].