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Laura Bruneau #272

When you think of motocross you usually think about guys racing and maneuvering dirt bikes through various different obstacles as fast as they can. The first time we met Laura and watched her ride it was very impressive. The 250cc dirt bike she rides is just as big as the boys and she definitely knows how to ride and maneuver it. She had recently moved to California from France and communicating was sometimes difficult but we managed to get an interview with her and her english is really good actually. She has many sponsors that help her out and is a big part of the French motocross scene.

Laura Bruneau (LB) – Bonjour!

Adrenaline Fueled (AF) – So you just moved to Riverside, California from France. What made you decide on Riverside?
LB – California is so far the best place to ride motocross, and Riverside is perfect because all tracks are like 30 min from my house.

 

AF – What is your favorite track to go riding at?

LB – I like Cahuilla Creek

 

AF – Is there anything you miss about France?

LB – I miss the food so bad! And my family for sure!

 

AF – How did you get involved in riding and racing motocross? How long have you been riding?

LB – My brother was an ex professional rider. I still wanted to do the same thing, but i was competing seriously in jumping with my horses, and my dad was scared to buy me a bike, but at 17 he told me. Ok, lets buy a bike, and it really started!

AF – What kind of bike was your first one? What are you riding now?

LB – My first one was my scooter at 14 years old. (laughs) I did jumps with it! I actually ride a 250 Kawasaki now.

 

AF – What is it like to be a female in the motocross world?

LB – I have two brothers, and I had grown up in motocross tracks, so I’m more comfortable in a guys world, they are more funny than girls. (laughs)

AF – What is your favorite thing about riding your motocross bike?

LB – I think it’s the same with every sport. You feel bad when you stop. Its like a drug.

 

AF – Have you ever had a bad crash?

LB – I already had 9 fractures, so yes I can say I had bad ones. The worst was when I broke my hip, collarbone and my hand in the same time. I had to spend one month in an hospital bed.

AF – Is there anyone that you look up to? Who’s your favorite rider?

LB – I’m not really a fan, but Travis Pastrana is the coolest dude I think!

 

AF – I understand Motocross is not the only sport you enjoy. What other sports do you participate in? Do you compete in anything else?

LB – I ride in Snowscoot. I did my first competitions last year, and it’s a lot of fun! I also like Mountain bike, wake boarding and I still like horse riding.

 

AF – Are there other sports you’d like to try?

LB – I would like to ride in downhill mountain biking, but it’s as expensive as motocross, and it’s impossible to do everything.

AF – Cheese rolling is very popular in France. Have you ever participated in a cheese rolling event?
LB – (laughing) It’s a legend, I’ve never heard about this before.

 

AF – How is the food in America compared to France? How do you like Americans eating habits?

LB – In America there is a big problem with the products, it’s too fake, apples looks like plastic, milk have no taste, in France we eat a lot Organic food, and cook. Fast foods are really occasionally for us!

 

AF – Who do you ride for? Would you like to give any shout outs to friends?

LB – I want to say thank you to all people who support me: Troy lee Designs, DC Shoes, RXR protect, Isaw, Maxima Racing Oils, 100%, Matrix Concepts, Nost suspensions, OP designs and Blackmountain Snowscoot.

 

AF – Thanks Laura! What do motocross people say?

LB – à bientôt, see ya in french

You can become a fan of Laura’s on her facebook fanpage.

Ride safe, ride smart and always use protection

Cracked skulls, brain damage, and death are some of the things that can happen from not wearing a helmet, and many new or inexperienced riders still choose ride without one. Most do so following the example of several professional riders.

Professionals have an uncanny way of balancing. They know where they are in the air and it seems as if they can easily catch their falls with their hands and feet.

A large majority of those professionals have also taken major crashes resulting in various types injuries, even they aren’t invincible.

Within the past five years, we have had many of our fellow riders killed or permanently injured due to accidents involving riders not wearing helmets. Just go talk to an emergency room trauma nurse about the severity and number of injuries that could have been prevented if the victim had been wearing a helmet, it is appalling.

Watch some videos on the Internet of kids hitting their heads and you will see some pretty graphic images, you might just get scared into wearing one.

Wearing a helmet shows a sign of intelligence. It shows that you are smart enough to want to protect your brain. If younger kids see you wearing a helmet they will be more likely to wear theirs, especially if they look up to you. This means you could potentially be helping protect the lives of young riders.

I went to the skate park recently and there were a total of three of us wearing helmets, and about 15 kids not wearing helmets. About six of those kids had brought helmets, but left them on the side with their stuff while they skated. Some of them were doing some pretty fast, big tricks. It was unclear to me whether they would decide to actually put it on.

If you have ever attempted to ride a skateboard down ramps, or even your driveway for the first time, then you will know that if your balance is a little of you are in danger of flying back and hitting your head. Keeping your balance is not as easy as it looks unless you have many hours logged on board.

Most professional extreme sports athletes do not don helmets, and set extremely terrible examples for riders of all abilities, mainly young newcomers. After all, you don’t want to stand out as the new kid when you’re young. You want to be like your favorite skater and be exactly like them.

There are multitudes of skate, snowboard, BMX, and rollerblade videos with sponsored professionals not wearing helmets. In the videos they pull off tricks that are extremely difficult, making them look easy. So easy, that after watching it, an attempt might be made, leaving you to find out how difficult it actually is.

Protective gear is especially important for inexperienced riders, or people who are pushing their limits; trying something they haven’t done before.

Losing your balance can easily happen with any extreme sport, and unexpected elements can come into play at any time.

It is always good to be prepared for the worst, and wearing a helmet while participating in these activities is a great way to accomplish this. After all a crash isn’t usually something you’d expect or want to happen… it just does. – Leecifer

The Great Escape

As extreme sports addicts we also become adventurers, explorers and outdoors enthusiasts. We are always looking for a new place to shred through exploring maps, or driving aimlessly towards a shreddable looking location.

The breathtaking places our sports take us, the adventure’s we have. Told to those who were not there through pictures and video’s but epic memories which will not be forgotten are engraved into our brains. It’s engraved in that special spot reserved for the best times of our life.These memories are not forgotten and they become stories to share with your grandchildren. Yea, Grandpa used to be cool.

The search for the next biggest, most fun road is always on. We challenge you to go out and explore your town. Search through Google Earth for a road that could potentially be fun, then go shred it. The most important thing about skateboarding or whatever adrenaline fueled activity you partake in is the fact that it’s fun.

We do this because it is an escape from reality. It is our real life video games. The things we do where we don’t have to think about what we left behind in our lives, we don’t have to think about work. The peace, the serenity. We aren’t crazy like most people think. We are adventurers who take calculated risks. Life is dangerous. Go out and live life to it’s fullest.