Bark Infection

Inevitable: Impossible to avoid or prevent. Invariably occurring or appearing; predictable: the inevitable changes of the seasons. Insanity: Doing the same thing over and expecting different results.

Some things in life we just can’t avoid: taxes, tacky inflatable Christmas yard decorations, a greedy government, and tight intake valves. These things happen, whether we like it or not. However, some things in life we can avoid. For instance: getting fresh tree bark jammed into your knuckles making you cry like a little schoolgirl, otherwise known as a “Bark Infection”. So you want to know the story behind the photos?

It was a freezing cold, rain saturated start to the National Enduro down in Sumter, SC this year. But as always, Sumter lives up to its spectacular reputation as a race to never miss, kind of like your anniversary but without the cheesy “You mean the world to me” generic greetings cards. For confidentiality reasons, I will refer to my friend as “Moe”. Actually, we do call him Moe (After all, who doesn’t like be nicknamed after their dog?). As you can see by the brutal beating Moe’s pinky finger took at Sumter, his race didn’t go as planned. Rolling through the 2^nd section of the Enduro, dodging pine needle beds and plush sand whoops, Moe misjudged the room he had between a couple trees and the rest is history. Honestly, who shatters a pinky finger in 10 places?? Well, if you knew Moe then you would understand it’s just par for the course.

But you see, it shouldn’t have gone down that way, as a “Bark Infection” is avoidable. Moe’s exploded pinky was preventable (he did finish the race, so I gotta give him the “iron man” award for that). He was running a set of generic, never stay tight handguards. It was inevitable that his handguards were going to pivot out of the way if he hit something hard enough, therefore leaving his knuckle and fingers exposed to torture that would make the hardest of criminals spill their dirty little secrets.

I know you’ve got to be wondering by now where I’m going with this whole thing?? So here goes: Make sure you don’t get a Bark Infection when it comes to where you ride and race at. Fact is, no matter what we do, sometimes riding areas are going to be shut down. It’s part of life and will always be a battle in the off-road world. So what can you do on a local level to keep riding areas open and race series going strong? It’s simple: Find out who is behind it, support it, and maybe even offer financial backing as a sponsor. The internet can be a great thing (without it you wouldn’t be reading this right now). However, it can also lead to the demise of your favorite track. We all know it’s way too easy to shop online and have our broken and worn out parts sent right to the front door. But where is the money you spent really going? Find out which local shops are supporting the tracks, riding parks, and race series that give you a place to ride and compete at. Without your support they won’t be able to give back to the racing/riding community, and will be more likely to just try and keep their doors open. Remember what the true definition of insanity is from the beginning of this article? If we’re all not careful and start to change our buying habits, we are going to inevitably end up with what was an avoidable “Bark Infection” when we have nowhere to ride or race. And what we will people say when we complain about it??

“You’re insane!”

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bark infection, Industry Insider