The New Do

Well, for those who follow motocross the name Justin Barcia can bring up a lot of different topics. For me, though, when I hear his name I think of his goldy lock hair. That is no longer that case anymore. Today on his Instagram, Justin Barcia posted a picture of his before and after haircut. When I saw it, I wanted to cry. I absolutely love his hair, but now it’s all gone. His blonde locks flowing out from under his helmet were so precious. I feel like such a loser for caring about his hair, but it made me so sad to see it gone.

Best Friend At The Races

Getting to enjoy this sport with my best friend makes it even that much more enjoyable. My younger sister and I have been attending Supercross races together for as long as I can remember. We have the best time “booing” at the riders we don’t like, and screaming our heads off for the riders we do like. We may not agree on our favorite rider, but that makes things interesting. My little sister, Bailee, is always right by my side at the races, and I absolutely love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way and I am so glad we can enjoy it together.

The Backstory Behind My Obsession

“They do not fit. I can’t grab the clutch!” I yelled to my dad as we were about to go out on the motocross track.
“You always have excuses! Just take your gloves off and ride without them,” my dad yelled back at me. The gloves may have been an excuse to not ride anymore, but they really did not fit. It had been a while since we had last ridden as a family because our schedules had been so busy. It was a relief for me to not worry about riding, but of course the first open day we had my dad took our family out to the track. I was about twelve years old at the time and I could think of about a hundred other places I would want to be, including getting a tooth pulled at the dentist. There was more yelling by my dad and then crying by me. I was over being forced to ride my dirt bike.
Rewind to before this incident took place though, and motocross was one of my favorite things to do. From as young as I can remember I was always on a dirt bike and I enjoyed it very much. My dad had a business in the industry and I was around professional riders all the time at the track. At races my family would get the professional treatment where we had team jackets, VIP passes, and front row seats. As a child though, this never really fazed me. I was just happy to be around my family and motorcycles. There are pictures of me as an infant sitting on my father’s lap being ridden around on the motorcycle, eyes wide open and a great big grin on my face. The beginning of my teenage years it was weird for me to look at those photos and believe I was really happy in them. Did I have the choice to get on the motorcycle when I was a baby or attend the races? No. That is why I realized I starting hating the sport so much.
My dad force fed me motocross from as young as I can remember. When I was younger I did not realize I did have a voice to say that it wasn’t what I liked to do or that I wanted to stop. It was something that we did as a family and that was how it was going to be. After the glove incident however, I found my voice and was able to tell my dad I did not want to ride anymore. I could tell he was heartbroken after the situation, but I felt better knowing I didn’t have to pretend to like motocross anymore.
After I stopped doing motocross I was able to decide what sport I wanted to do. It was definitely not my father’s first or even second choice, but I chose cheerleading. It turned out to be something I was really passionate about because I chose to do it instead of my dad. A few years had gone by and I was completely invested into cheer. It was my whole life because I wanted it to be.
During Christmas break my freshman year of high school, my mom decided to put me in charge of deciding what to get my dad for Christmas. I figured since he loved it so much; why not send him to a motocross race? My mom loved the idea and bought two tickets for him and her to attend the AMA Supercross race on January 3, 2009. When my dad opened the present he absolutely loved it. He had not attended a race in a long time because of work. It was going to be a date for my parents until arguments arose and my mother no longer wanted to go. The day of the race I decided to go with my dad so the ticket wouldn’t go to waste and my dad wouldn’t be alone. It seemed like a crazy idea to both me and my father, but it was my decision to go and I was happy about it.
The race took place at Angels Stadium in Anaheim so my father and I had about an hour drive to get there from our house. The car ride was surprisingly not awkward given the circumstances with my last motocross incident. My dad was informing me about all of the riders and the rules, and I was completely intrigued. I couldn’t wait to get to the stadium to see the riders and how everything was set up.
Upon arriving at the stadium, I could hear the engines of the motorcycles even before actually entering the gates. I surprised myself about how interested I was in it after having such a bad experience with it. I could not stop asking my dad about the bikes and the best riders.
Before the racing even starts there is the option to go into what is called the “pits” area. My dad led the way and I was completely amazed. As a freshman in high school I was not only amazed by the very attractive men, but to my surprise also the bikes and teams. I felt like I was in a daze as I walked around the pits. Motorcycles being ridden right past you, professional motocross riders walking around everywhere, and the option to get their autograph and your picture with them. A million thoughts were racing through my head at this point, but the most prominent one that stuck out to me was, “Why was I just now attending a race?” The racing hadn’t actually even started yet, but I was addicted. I loved hearing the engines, smelling the gas and exhaust, and seeing a bunch a cute motocross riders.
When the event actually did start it just solidified my decision to be addicted even more. During what is called the opening ceremonies, a gentleman by the name Selveraj Narayana was given an award for his dedication to the sport. Little did I know, this was the man who my dad had the business with back when I was a young girl. It seemed so irrelevant at the time to me and I could care less. Now, I felt like I was looking up to a superstar and my dad was telling me that they still keep in touch. I was flabbergasted as to why he hadn’t told me this before, but then I remembered I used to hate the sport.
When the racing finally did start, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the track. I was following the race leader, looking at crashes, and thinking to myself the whole time why did I shut this sport out. It was during the final lap of the final race that I knew my motocross obsession would go far.
“When is the next race? We better be going!” I remember telling my dad when the event was over. It felt so weird for me to share such a great experience with my dad, after motocross used to bring back such bad memories between us two.
After that first race, I have not missed a race on the west coast yet. I realized I completely shut something down at first, but it has now changed my whole life. My room is covered from floor to ceiling with motocross posters and pictures. I have been able to connect with Selveraj and talk to him about the business side of the sport. My dream career is working in Public Relations for the sport of motocross after attending that first race. I would have never pictured my life to be like this when I was a young teenager, but it’s funny how things turn out. I am now completely obsessed with motocross because I don’t feel the pressure to be. It was my decision to quit when I was younger and it was my decision to attend the race back in 2009. Both decisions have shaped who I am today, and I am so grateful to be working towards a career in something that I love so much.