Left: We all have to go to work on Monday, and vintage motocross provides that perfect blend of excitement and challenge with relatively low risk. Above: There’ s nothing better than sharing your personal trials and triumphs with racing buddies.

Story by QUINN REDEKER / Photos by KEVIN WING

ACCORDING TO THE WISE and all-knowing Google, the fountain of youth doesn’ t exist. Well, there is a popular historical attraction called the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, Florida, but the rest is myth and legend. That is, until now, because I’ ve found it. No, it’ s not a glowing stream or hidden spring guarded by Russian mystics deep in the Siberian forest. It’ s even better. Stop rolling your eyes and pay attention.

Before my big reveal, let’ s start with a question: What does it mean to be young again? I’ m not talking about reliving the carefree experience of Mom driving you and your friends to the mall so you can brain freeze on Orange Julius but rather the thoughts and feelings you had while going through life. I’ m going to go ahead and answer that: Being young again means we are regularly bombarded with things like fear, excitement, nervousness, hope, joy, frustration, novelty, and misery. When we were young, we didn’ t know any better, and thanks to our curiosity( and ignorance), we put ourselves out into the world so we could try new things, have new experiences, and drink from the firehose of life. It was good, it was bad, it was messy, it was glorious. And we all miss the chaotic magic of it every single day.

Today I’ m going to hand over the keys to the time machine. To get that magic back, all we have to do is sign up for a friendly local motorcycle competition. Give me a minute to connect a few dots before you tune me out. Let’ s do a little mental exercise: Sit down, close your eyes, and imagine you are sitting on the starting line of a 35-rider motorcycle race. Your bike is vibrating under you, your palms are sweaty, you can’ t hear anything outside of the engines screaming around you, and the flagman is sharply pointing at you to confirm you’ re ready to race.

How does this exercise make you feel? Maybe a little scared? Some nerves? A smidge of intimidation? Now the flag drops and everybody takes off. You blow a few shifts because you forgot to breathe, but after a few laps you hit your stride,

62 / AUGUST 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM