The Trophy
November 1, 2016I think everyone has a small item that reminds them of one, shining moment. I know my wedding picture to Linda in my cover photo on Facebook will always be one, but I have one I've been dragging around for 36 years. It's a motorcycle trophy I received from the Cross Island Motorcycle Club in 1980. Of the few bike trophies I have received it's probably the most ornate and fraught with meaning.
A little too big, but what the heck.
Every year Cross Island had an event called a Field Meet. It was held on a dirt or grass field and consisted of different small contests. You would kick a can across the field riding your bike, drop balls into a small bucket after removing one and going to the next bucket to drop that one in. A slow race to see who could ride their bike slowest across with the last person to reach the end being the winner.
One of my favorites was riding the obstacle course. That event had you riding against the clock on a course laid out in lime over teeter totters, between cones and over boards on the ground. In 1980 I had just bought my KZ1000st, 600 pound, 1000cc sport-touring motorcycle with plans to do some serious riding. I was in pretty good form in those days and to shorten the story I won in the heavyweight division that day.
This trophy is even better than that.
Over the course of the day you acquire points which is how they determine the
class winners. They then see who scored the most points overall to
declare a highest score of the day. Me and the Big Bike won “High
Score of the Day” over lighter, easier to handle machines. I was
beyond thrilled. As a result I have kept this trophy for high score so I will
remember that for one shining day, I was good. All the dirt riding,
motocross and street riding came together and we won. Me and the Big
Bike.
It's dumb, I know, and there are more important moments. Weddings, births, anniversaries. I just like to look at the trophy and remember the day.
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
If you wish to comment my e-mail address is h1500e@hotmail.com. I'd like to hear anything-good or bad-that anyone would like to say. As they said in college, we're all lifelong learners.
