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Nov 24

Moto X Phenomenon Axell “Slay” Hodges on UNLEASHED Podcast

By General Posts

  • Monster Energy’s UNLEASHED Podcast Welcomes Moto X Phenomenon Axell “Slay” Hodges for Episode 45
  • Broadcast Live on Twitch, Episode 45 of Sports Podcast Interviews 12-Time X Games Medalist /
  • Episode Now Available for Streaming on Major Podcast Platforms Including YouTube and Spotify

CORONA, California – November 22, 2022 – Get inside the mind of the most creative and progressive motocross athlete on the planet! Monster Energy is proud to welcome freestyle motocross innovator and 12-time X Games medalist Axell Hodges from Encinitas, California on Episode 45 of the sports and pop culture podcast UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny.

Recorded inside Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California, the special episode was initially broadcast live on the Twitch platform on November 18th. As of today, fans can tune in to the official recording of Episode 45 of UNLEASHED on all major platforms, including Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.

Episode 45 also features special guest Ash “Dirt Shark” Hodges, Axell’s brother and creative collaborator, as well as their father, Phillip Hodges.

In the episode, the 26-year-old athlete shares his creative process behind record-setting jumps and boundary-breaking tricks. “I always snowboarded and skated a bit. I had a lot of friends who skated and were better than me and had good style. I never really had that in skateboarding, so that’s where I kind of wanted to be a skater on my dirt bike and flow and have good style. So, skating and all that helped a lot on how I ride my dirt bike,” said Hodges on UNLEASHED.

Axell Hodges is a motocross rider with no need for introductions. Despite his young age, Hodges already holds twelve X Games medals, including four gold. The prodigy not only dominates competitions such as Best Whip and High Air but raises the bar with innovative freestyle tricks recorded in viral videos. His trilogy of “Slayground” motocross videos has garnered more than 14 million combined views… and counting. In the episode, Hodges dives deep into the high-stakes world of competitive freestyle motocross at the highest level.

Hear “Slay” tell the full story in conversation with the two podcast hosts, Australian action sports personality Luke “The Dingo” Trembath and professional snowboarder Danny Kass on Episode 45 of UNLEASHED. Also joining the interview, acclaimed painter, model, and UFC Octagon girl Brittney Palmer contributes questions and background information to the episode. Tune in right here.

Raised in a motocross family, Hodges discovered dirt bikes at a young age. Initially, the native of Southern California pursued a career as a racer. “I wanted to be a dirt bike racer and thought that was the only way when I was a kid. Like, you gotta race! And I did not want to do freestyle when I was younger.” But ultimately, his freestyle tricks would garner Hodges worldwide attention: “I raced from 14 to 18, and then filmed the first ‘Slayground’ video. That’s when I came out of racing and into more freeriding and social media,” said Hodges.

While also making his mark in motocross competitions such as the X Games, Hodges discovered the power of social media platforms to document his boundary-pushing tricks in his own online videos. “I never thought I would be able to call what I do my job, just post videos, and ride my bike. Just make up stuff on the regular,” said Hodges on UNLEASHED.

Fast-forward to today and the “Slayground” video series – filmed with brother and filmmaker Ash Hodges – has generated over 14 million views on YouTube. “I started the ‘Slayground’ series in 2015 at my parents’ house in Encinitas,” said Hodges. “That was my first video and what I was doing every day. Riding in my backyard and had my brother come film a sick line going through my parents’ house, and that’s where the ‘Slayground’ originated.”

In 2020, Hodges took the dream to the next level by building his own 40-acre “Slayground” facility in Ramona, California, as a place to practice and film the third installment of the video series. “This is what we did through Covid. Bought some property and built and tweaked all the jumps until we got it right then we filmed the video,” said Hodges.

For X Games 2021 and 2022, Hodges opened his legendary “Slayground” compound for competitions across five Moto X competitions as well as BMX Dirt. Aside from hosting the world elite of the sport, Hodges also pocketed one gold and two silver medals at X Games 2022, bringing his total count in the world’s biggest competition to 12 medals.

For his biggest moment of mainstream fame, Hodges attempted to set the long-distance jump record for the Guinness Book in 2019 for the ‘Evel Live 2’ event – hitting the ramp at 106 miles per hour – but suffered a life-threatening crash during practice. “I went 396 feet from ramp to ramp, but the next day I went there and ended up going down around 400 feet. I don’t really know if I hold the record or not. All I know is I went pretty far on my bike, and I’m satisfied with that.”

As his next challenge, Hodges has his eyes on more video projects. “I have a couple of things I want to check off,” the Moto X phenom said on UNLEASHED. But let’s hear it from “Slay” himself! Visit the landing page to access Episode 45 of the UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny Podcast featuring motocross trailblazer Axell Hodges.

Episodes of UNLEASHED are filmed on a special set inside Studio M at Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California. The podcast is hosted by the dynamic duo of Australian action sports personality Luke “The Dingo” Trembath and professional snowboarder Danny Kass. Known for their deep roots in action sports culture, the two starred in the beloved cult TV show ‘The Adventures of Danny and The Dingo’ on Fuel TV for five action-packed seasons in the early 2010s. Both hosts have walked the walk as pro snowboarders and possess the interview skills to find common ground with guests from any type of background – sports and pop culture. Always look out for new episodes dropping bi-weekly on Mondays.

The UNLEASHED with The Dingo and Danny Podcast is here to celebrate the personalities behind the Monster Energy lifestyle. With each episode dedicated to a unique guest or topic, listeners learn about living on the edge and advancing the state of the art in the world of high-energy sports as well as music, games, and pop culture from individuals at the top of their game. More than a drink, Monster Energy is a way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers, and fans – and the podcast is an extension of this unique DNA.

For more on Monster Energy and the UNLEASHED Podcast, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Also follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for exclusive content and athlete features.

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Sep 19

Here’s How You Make History With a Headstand on a Motorcycle Doing 76 MPH

By General Posts

by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com

Daredevils love to do daredeviling stuff, that’s a fact. It doesn’t make any of these impressive feats less impressive.

It’s that time of the year again, when the Guinness Book of World Records comes out. The 2021 edition was announced the other day and, with the announcement came a brief presentation of some of the new record holders. All of them are amazing in their own right, but not a single one is more relevant to us than one Marco George from the UK, a 31-year-old man who currently holds the record for the fastest speed on a motorcycle while performing a headstand or handstand.

To be clear, Marco set this record last year, on August 17, in Elvington, the UK. He hails from Hampshire and is a stuntman by profession, having done work on TV and movies, and even put in an appearance on ITV’s hit televised competition Britain’s Got Talent. Marco has been stunt riding since 2014, so he has plenty of experience.

However, training for the Guinness record was an entirely different kettle of fish, as the Brits like to say. He got the idea for it when he was young, reading the Guinness books. Like most kids, he too dreamed of one day being the fastest or toughest or generally bestest, so he could have his name jotted down in the history books.

In 2017, Marco added headstands to his stunt competition routines, and this is how he came up with the idea of trying for a record. It would be nearly three years of planning and working hard, and seven full months of intensive training before he was able to set the record, breaking the previous one by double the speed.

Even for someone like Marco, who defies death on the regular as a profession, this was no easy achievement. He trained with his father (stunt riding runs in their blood, and both his father and grandfather were in the business), focusing on the record attempt with such dedication that everything else faded into the background. He worked on getting a strong core, so his body could stand upright on the bike against strong winds, on balance and timing.

Marco’s attempt was possible through his partnership with Straightliners, which helps facilitate land speed records.

On the day of the attempt, it seemed like the odds were against him. He had to get a new helmet, because the one he had didn’t meet safety regulations, and this resulted in a few failed runs. The wind was heavier than they’d expected, so that too posed challenges.

Then, as Marco just went with it, he topped 76 mph (122.3 kph) on his Honda, even though he’d promised his mother he wouldn’t dare go over 70 or else she’d kill him. His exact speed was 76.17 mph (122.59 kph) and this landed him his own chapter in the Guinness Book.

Now that he doubled the previous record of a headstand on a speeding motorcycle, Marco is looking for new challenges. He tells Guinness he’d be open to the idea of a contender to the title, so they could go against one another and top that speed. He’s also thinking about attempting to break Dave Coates’ record of fastest speed while riding a motorcycle backwards 151.7 mph (244.1 kph) and Gary Rothwell’s record for the fastest speed dragged behind a motorcycle, but has no concrete plans in this direction right now. If he does, he’s not disclosing them just yet.

Guinness notes that, during lockdown this year, Marco has been giving his body some well-deserved rest. Meanwhile, he’s promoting fellow stunt riders on his YouTube channel: for instance, on August 15, 2020, Jonny Davies set a new World Record for the fastest High Chair Wheelie at 109.2 mph (175.7 kph).

Here is the video with Marco’s record-breaking headstand and a bit more from him on what it means to have been able to turn a childhood dream into reality with it.

 

Mar 31

World’s Longest Motorcycle Ride With No Hands Is on a Pair of Harley-Davidsons

By General Posts

by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com

Sometimes, the biggest ideas come about in the most unexpected ways. Such an example is Shelton Foster and Mike Brick’s decision to set a new world record for the longest motorcycle ride with no hands.

In March 2015, Marcello Sarandrea set the record in Rome, Italy, riding a Yamaha Tricker 250 for 137.94 miles without touching the handlebars. At the time, Foster and Brick didn’t even know such a record existed, but they were already riding hands-free for fun.

Shelton “Big Red Machine” and Foster Mike “Brick” Wall from Dry Prong, Louisiana, are the current holders of that record title, beating Sarandrea’s feat on May 9, 2017, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. They were able to ride in sync for 185 miles, 857 feet and 5 inches without touching the handlebars, at the MSR Speedway in Angleton, Texas.

The new record was set on a pair of Harley-Davidson Electra Glides with no modifications, and verified by Guinness through extensive documentation submitted by the two riders and witness accounts, as is standard procedure. The history behind that record title is just as interesting as the accomplishment itself.

Shelton is President and Wall is VP of the Red River Chapter of the Reguladores Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, an MC whose name needs no further explanation. They both work as correctional officers and are war veterans, and have chosen to dedicate their Harley passion and their work to raising awareness and money to an array of charitable causes, most of which focus on vets dealing with PTSD and domestic violence.

The idea for the record, which they dubbed the “Jesus take the wheel” record, came about after Wall was pulled over by a cop for riding without hands. He was eventually let go with a warning after promising to never do it again. Back home, he looked into Louisiana law to see whether there was an explicit mention on how hands-free riding was illegal, and found none.

What he did find was the previous record set by Sarandrea. Foster came up with the “Jesus take the wheel” name after a random chat in traffic with a car driver.

“I was riding in the back seat of my bike [with no hands], pulling Eva [his service dog, which was riding in a trailer],” Foster explained in an interview with Town Talk. “A gentleman pulled up next to me and rolled his window down and hollered, ‘Hey, who’s driving the bike?’ And I pointed up to the sky and said, ‘Jesus is.’ That inspired the name of the record.”

Once the decision was made, they started looking into what was needed to have the record recognized. They say their motivation for it was doing something they would be remembered by but, most importantly, knowing they would reach a bigger platform from which they could help their favorite causes. They dedicated their feat to DART (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team), Heels for Combat Boots, and Brothers and Sisters in Arms.

Most of the training was done on the open road, as befits a Hog. The first attempt was foiled by bad weather, but the second was a success. With donated SENA cameras mounted on the helmets and bikes, and help from local sponsors (including Renegade Harley-Davidson and MSR Houston), the two rode in tandem at the MSR Speedway outside Houston, completing 228 laps without once touching the handlebars at a constant speed above 30mph, which is the limit for engaging cruise control.

To further prepare, the two went on a lighter diet in the days leading up to the world record attempt, in anticipation of riding non-stop for some five hours. Getting hunger cramps while riding hands-free would have been counterproductive, obviously.

They also packed plenty of water in backpacks and other easily accessible places. Eva, Foster’s service dog, which has been trained by a Brothers and Sisters in Arms to detect when he’s about to have an anxiety attack, was at the track but did not accompany her human on the Harley.

Both Foster and Wall claim to be experts in riding without hands, and they insist it’s actually safer than you might think, as long as you’re taking extra cautions. These include not driving in heavy traffic and paying very close attention to the road, as the smallest pebble can throw you off.

“You have to pay attention to everything around you all the time, every intersection, every piece of debris on the road, every vehicle that’s texting while you’re driving, every vehicle that’s not paying attention and is swaying back and forth,” Foster explained in the same interview.

“It takes a lot of hyper-vigilance” Wall added. “You’re being more responsive to everything around you. You’re paying a lot more attention.”

As of the time of writing, the record set by Foster and Houston stands. Footage shot at the scene is available here.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6IsNQW8_p_NGS9Rqozuhtw

Oct 06

Paris Harley-Davidson, Adam Sandoval set new world record

By General Posts

by Macon Atkinson from http://theparisnews.com

Paris Harley-Davidson and philanthropist Adam Sandoval have set a new Guinness World Record for continuous Harley-Davidson motorcycles on parade.

In an event dubbed Bring it Home 2019, 3,497 motorcyclists from across the country rode their Harley Davidson bikes through Paris on a 3.5 mile ride, the Guinness official announced. The record has been taken from Hellas Motorcycle Club of Patras, Greece, which previously held the record set May 22, 2010, with 2,404 Harley-Davidsons making a 2.8-mile trip.

Paris’s parade raised money for Motorcycle Missions, a nonprofit that helps first responders with PTSD. The $15 per bike registration fee was donated entirely to the nonprofit, with over 3,400 pre-registrations, said event organizer Molly Beaudin, who is also a dealer development manager for Paris Harley-Davidson.

“I don’t even know what to say. Let’s hear it for America. We officially brought it home,” Sandoval said.

See Sunday’s edition of The Paris News for more coverage of the parade.