ddkdesigns, llc

Milan Dragway

Every Friday night... under the lights in Milan, see Mx at it's best.

BIG MX WEEKEND AT REDBUD

TIM WALKER & KYLE STRAUBE...MOTOCROSS MANIACS & SMUCCI SUPPORTERS

Yeah, this is T. Walker's new machine...it looks as though it could fly, and it does when Tim is riding it! Walker is following in his dad's legendary footsteps as a motocross champion, as evidenced by his win at Log Road, a wild one at the 2008 season finale. In the Schoolboy Lights class it was Tim Walker and Kyle Straube battling out front, and although not easy, Walker took the win. Kyle Straube kept all kinds of pressure on him.

Kyle and Tim are best friends, fellow motocrossers, and Smucci supporters. They have been preparing for the upcoming season, and are getting ready to head south for warm weather and well groomed tracks to work at what they love best...motocross. Tim's dad, Paul Walker, earned the title of #3 nationally in 1979 in California in the open class as an amateur rank, and also earned a national ranking of #10 in Minnesota. He now travels with his sons, Tim and Jeff, along with their friends to motocross tracks around the country promoting his love and reverence for the sport.

Richy Shehorn, well known and respected for his speed and superb sportsmanship on the track, will be accompanying the Walker Team to tracks down south. He is also responsible for producing beautifully logo-ed Smucci t-shirts by his company "Dynamite Designs" at dynamitedesigns@hotmail.com.  The very talented and diligent  RJ Shroyer will also be traveling with this motocross group. 

Most notably, Jeff Walker will be resuming his motocross interest and resurrecting his innate talents as he returns to the track after undergoing knee surgery and enduring foot injury during previous seasons. Personally, I cannot wait to see this guy back in action...wow...he is talented, determined, and fearless! Jeff is also a consultant for Smucci designs and appreciated for his great sensitivity towards the cause!

Kyle Straube at Log Road September 2008. Kyle battled with his friend, Tim Walker, for first place at the seasons' finale at Log Road. He is an accomplished rider, confidently possessing innate talent and skill. What a pleasure it is to watch him ride motocross.

Richy Shehorn in contemplative mode prior to a race at Log Road. "Way too Fast Richy!"

Tim Walker at the staring gate...ready to win!

Richie Shehorn is added to my list of wonderful...

people who I have had the privilege of meeting since I formed my company, ddkdesigns,llc. I have mentioned in previous writings that my goal to produce exquisitely beautiful pet beds is very important to me. But the journey in creating a successful company is only as good as the quality of individuals you meet along your path. I am continually amazed by how many extraordinary people I have met that have made all of this possible.

Richie Shehorn automatically gets extra points because he is a talented motocrosser who "rides clean." In addition, he is a diligent and energetic businessman who designs and produces the elaborate motocross jerseys that everyone wears on the track. And now he will be providing Smucci by ddkdesigns with a very unique and fresh design for apparel and products with Smucci logo.

I met Richie just prior to one of his races. Extremely focused and contemplative, he sits on his bike for several minutes, consumed with thought. There is something about his demeanor that exudes confidence and the ability to win. Difficult to describe, it is an undeniable attribute.  

   

         

                                                                              Although poised and ready, my camera was not fast enough to catch Richie on the first berm on the track. He just blew past me!  

     He is an unbelievable rider!  I look forward to working with such an industrious and talented guy, and to being able to offer original Smucci apparel with logo to everyone. 

                                                              The fun of being at a motocross track all day is definitely about "dirt."  It is basic and real in terms of the hard work, technique, and talent of each motocrosser. But it is also about aspiration, character, and dreams. It's funny and somewhat paradoxical that the fundamental element of dirt or being comfortably grounded, is prerequisite to the dream of flying and becoming who we want to be. To deny or hide who we are is a major whoop or obstacle in finding our true destiny. I just love real, uncomplicated dirt. 

Paul Walker, Do You Have Any Idea..

...how much everyone appreciates and respects you? Paul was honored today at the Log Road Motocross Trackfor his exemplary service and commitment to quality with a beautiful plaque that acknowledges his contributions to this special community. Motocrossers are a unique and rare breed who dedicate themselves to the incredible physical demands of a dangerous sport, while simultaneously honoring good sportsmanship and healthy competition. If you ride motocross and indulge in anything less than the highest moral ground, you will unfortunately be left behind to eat dust.  Paul Walker has validated the concept of fair play and champion spirit, simply by the way he lives and how he conducts himself on the motocross track.

Paul earned the title of being #3 in the Nation in 1979, at competition in California, in the open class as an amateur rank.  In 1979 he ranked as a champion again in Minnesota, earning a national ranking of #10. His best friend, Rody Shroyer, traveled with Paul to both events, earning a 1979 ranking of 16th in the Nation. Both Paul and Rody were sponsored locally for many years by Husquvarna and Toledo based RPM Racing (now known as PR Racing on Tremainesville.)

  Today, I traveled to Log Road Motocross Track, and had the pleasure of watching life unfold as each class left the starting gate. It is not difficult to figure out who is good, great, or best. It is a bit more subtle to determine who is honorable. Listening to the competitors tells all. The good guys make no excuses for their performance, never blaming their bike's malfunction or fellow motocrosser for their finish place. There are some who are born with talent and ability, and unfortunately there are others who will have a difficult time getting to the top no matter how much they practice. This is true for anything in life, and the honorable thing to do is to accept it. No whining, and no excuses.

I watched a champion today, honorably and lovingly pass the torch to his younger and more able fellow motocrossers. He walked their bikes to the starting line, refreshed the ruts with the heel of his shoe, spun the back tire perfectly and placed the bike in the track.He held on to each kid, 2 of whom were not his own, as they mentally prepared for the challenge prior to the race. This is not an easy thing...everyone at that starting point feels as if they are going to throw up or pass out. Exaggerated emotions are experienced by each motocrosser at the start of a race. Paul was there to help.

   

Tim and Kyle raced a full day at Log Road.

When the races are done, Paul power washes each bike. Today, there were four bikes dirty from the track. Fortunately, there were no injuries today, but if there had been Paul would have used some of his emergency/trauma medical knowledge and saved a life or two. Dr. Paul Walker is an Omni Health Care emergency room physician who is first on the accident scene and responsible for airlifting victims to nearby hospitals.  Humble in his accomplishments, Paul is not the "typical" MD. Suffice to say, unless you asked, you would never know this wonderful man saves lives for a living. I am speechless, and in complete awe as I witness the life this man lives. He has quietly put a life together that honors everything that he loves, and is truly living his dream. Paul's love of flying, motocross, and medicine goes way back to his childhood. He has brought it all forward into the adult life he now lives. He is not only an example for his children, but for all of us who respect the American Dream. Thank you, Paul, for living such an extraordinary life by being so incredibly grounded and normal.

 

The Frog on the Field...

I did get away this weekend, as I alluded to earlier, and spent an entire day watching motocross. It was noisy, dirty, smelly...and wonderful. In previous writings, I have revealed how I view motocross tracks and the riders who navigate them. The entire experience is a metaphor for the long life we live. The short motocross track is "Life Condensed" to its' most fundamental and critical elements, and reveals the rider's true nature as he/she pushes past each obstacle that is presented on the course. By the time the race begins, training and planning are done, and reactions take over. Split second decisions are made and responses are knee jerk, and oftentimes linked directly to the heart and soul of the rider. There is always so much to learn about life when you spend the day watching motocross.

We arrived early in the morning, and were directed to park on the grassy areas of the property, lining up our trucks, vans, and trailers in rows.  After finally parking my F150, I began walking towards the track. Looking back at the long line of vehicles waiting to park, I wondered how everyone would fit, and it became evident that that there would be little lawn left by the time the races began. A few feet away from my truck, I saw a tiny frog in the grass that would soon become a huge temporary parking lot. Well, my reactions were instinctive and beyond my control. I scooped up the tiny frog, jumped out of the way of incoming cars and delayed my current path to the track. I walked to the edge of the property and into the woods where I could be certain that the tiny frog would not be disturbed, set him down and watched him jump away. I felt really happy.

Why do I care so much, and how does sparing one frog's life really matter? All my life I have loved and cared for animals, and with the passage of time my sensitivity deepens. I have rescued dogs from the side of the road, pulled chipmunks and squirrels from swimming pools after finding them exhausted and barely treading water, provided sanctuary for kittens found roaming, starving and flea infested, and have rehabilitated birds shaken from their nests and thrown to the ground following violent thunderstorms. I have climbed trees to place birds eggs back in their nests in the hope that they will still hatch, and instead of squashing bugs found inside, I capture and set them free outdoors where they belong.  I have watched my mom tag Monarch butterflies, prolong the lives of family pets overcome with cancer, and have heard the stories of how she rescued lab animals from the testing unit at The University of Pennsylvania before I was born. I have watched the expression of wonder on my dad's face, each and every time he saw a bird in flight.

I have been "in training" for quite some time...and my reactions are "knee jerk". I will never be able to walk away and turn my head when I see an animal in need. There are times when this is really inconvenient, and I wish that I could just be "normal". But I have learned not to fight it, because to do so is against my nature. I will always care too much, wonder about everything, and be passionately persistent about it all. The simple act of rescuing a frog from inevitable tragedy is simply who I am.

I started the business of making extraordinarily beautiful pet beds because I am in love with loving our pets, and wish to provide them with all the comfort they need and more. Over the milleniums, our society has deliberately domesticated these animals into becoming the creatures that will inhabit our homes and give us unconditional love and loyaly. Our pets totally depend on us for their lives, the quality by which they will live, and the love and comfort they will receive. We are so much stronger and more able than they will ever be, due to our own design. Instead of turning our backs on what we have created, why not do all we can do, and give them exactly what they need, with the highest quality ever. It is really just that easy.

There is a true nature, or authenticity, in each of us which is completely exposed when we are challenged or stressed by the obstacle in our path. To understand and acknowledge it is to honor the deepest part of ourselves. To see it revealed on the motocross track is life affirming for me, not just because I get a glance at the rider's character, but in the gestalt, great discipline, honest play, and the relentless pursuit of excellence usually prevail and win.  In my case, I am demonstrating my character every time I rescue a frog or provide sanctuary for another animal in my home. And by reaching even further, creating my company and giving it everything I am capable of; vision, energy, talent, and the relentless pursuit of excellence... I am honoring the very core of my being.

It is true that adversity in life introduces us to our authentic selves.  

   

Life Condensed

   The motocross track is a path, carefully planned and carved out of the earth, that challenges the rider with abrupt turns, unexpected whoops or hills, and all the variables of human error and unpredictable weather. It is a short path ridden, but is much like the long life we live, complete with a great start, an unpredictable middle, and the ultimate end, marked by a waving black and white checkered flag. As motocrossers make their final lap and cross the finish line, they look back over the lifetime of the course and review their entire performance.  For many it is about finishing first, but for some it is about the integrity of the ride. 

There is no place to hide on the motocross track. The manner by which you conduct yourself is made plainly visible for all to see. The decisions you make are knee jerk, completely reactive, and based upon your experience and judgment which are inextricably interrelated to your character. The track is a testing ground which reveals who you are.

I love watching my nephews ride, padded and protected with all the gear they so carefully don for safety and in preparation for any unforseen event.  They are incredibly focused as they fly over the whoops, strategically land, and prepare for the next hurdle in the track.  Seeing them finish safely is a blessing, but the most telling part of the race is to hear their interpretation of how things went. They are always congratulatory to the winner, humble in their abilities, and stick to the notion of good sportmanship. They don't cheat, are realistic in how they view themselves, and always look to the lesson that can be learned from the race. Their performance on the track is a mirror image of the real lives they live. The short race on a motocross track is...life condensed to the most basic and important elements.

They are simply amazing. Tim and Jeff, I admire you both.