Coquitlam's Mike Laycraft first hopped aboard a dirt bike at age 8, and it's been smooth riding ever since -- unless you count his harrowing crash in a motorcyle track race four years ago.
Laycraft broke four vertebrae in his back after he flew over the handle bars during the frightful collision, with his own bike barreling over his body. As a result, the now 21-year-old was wheelchair bound for 10 days and missed four months of action.
Yet the accident has hardly deterred the current Canadian Enduro Cross Amateur 'A' champion, who's competing at this weekend's 2012 Vancouver Motorcyle Show at the Abbotsford Tradex Exhibition Centre.
Apart from racing, the show that started Thursday and runs through Sunday features the newest models of bikes, the latest in performance and technology and hundreds of add-ons and accessories. It's also highlighted by displays from such heavyweight distributors and manufacturers as Yamaha, BMW, Kawasaki, Ducati, Honda, KTM, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, Zero and Polaris.
"It's a lot about conditioning," said Laycraft, emphasizing that the technical, arena-style KTM Enduro-X event in which he's competing at the Tradex demands riders to be in top physical form. "You have to be in pretty good shape to take that type of impact, especially for an extended period of time."
Said Kevan O'Brien of the Vancouver Motorcycle Show's promoter, Laura Ballance Media Group: "Enduro-X is an adrenaline-fueled, obstacle-filled race to the finish... it's not just about being the fastest or the one with the best bike. It's the toughest, strongest and most tenacious competitor who will win.
"[It's] a mix between Supercross and Extreme Enduro. It might just be the most intense competition you've ever seen."
Races can run anywhere from 30 minutes in length to a grueling three hours, said Laycraft, who was introduced to the sport at a young age by his father Guy, an accomplished motorcyle racer himself.
Laycraft said his dad taught him various tricks to the trade along the way but was most instrumental in teaching him to be prepared mentally for a race.
"The main thing I learned from his was to stay calm and focused," said Laycraft, who's graduating to the pro ranks this year and whose racing resume also includes 2011 24-hour Marathon Expert Team champion and 2010 RPM Supermotto Intermediate and GP Masters champion. Races often feature 10 or more riders grinding it out over at high speed over such obstacles as logs, wooden bridges and rubber tires.
"The key, I think, is to hit them as hard you can and keep your momentum, keep up your speed... and stay on your bike," said a laughing Laycraft, who will be joined in the Tradex competition race by another Coquitlam rider, Mark Yaschuk. "It's something totally different. It's not a team sport, you're out there on your own. There's a lot of freedom in that."
For more information, visit www.vancouvermotorcycleshow.ca.
