Top Ten Toughest Sports, Where's Dirt Biking/Motocross?

Want to know what the toughest sport is? Is it even possible to quantify somehow the conditioning, natural ability, training etc. necessary to compete in one particular discipline as compared to another? ESPN recently conducted a study, or a "degree of difficulty project" that attempted to do this. They took a list of a total of 60 different sports and had a panel of experts rate them on a set of pre-determined criteria. Each category would be worth ten points, with a total of ten categories for a total perfect score of 100. The results ranged from Boxing at 72.375 points at the #1 spot, all the way down to Fishing at 14.5 total points. So where did dirt biking come in? Apparently it doesn't fit in at all! Unbelievably, it was left out of the study. More unbelievable than that is that after receiving numerous complaints, the editor replied in a following article "Oh, and a note to all those motocross fans who organized themselves to flood my email with comments about what an idiot I am for leaving your sport off the list: I did not choose the sports for the list. But even if I had, I would never, under any circumstances, have included motocross. You're relying on a motor, for God's sake". It would be understandable if it had simply been overlooked, but to come back with a reply like this when AUTO RACING was included is kind of mind blowing. Keep in mind that I'm not claiming to be in great shape myself since I am nowhere near where I need to be to ride at a high level, however, had dirt biking been included in the study, I believe it would have been in the top ten! Here's why.

First, let's look at the criteria they used.

Apparently the general consensus was that even Fishing contained at least some of each element since there were none that received a zero avg. score in any category. Obvious to me, is that off road dirt biking contains a great deal of each element. When comparing Dirt Biking/Motocross to Auto Racing(ranked #32), it would be an easy argument that it would require a similar amount of NERVE, especially considering that on a dirt bike there is no protection such as a roll cage, car body etc. Considering that motorcycles travel at similar speeds as cars, can jump similar distance as a ski jumper, and as high as an Olympic diver, we can take some averages and assume it would receive a similar score, say a 9. Already we can see that it has to rate higher than #32 since it requires more or at least the same of all other 9 elements than Auto Racing.

What about STRENGTH? This is one area where the major misunderstanding about the sport starts. Thinking that you can just sit back and ride the bike like you would a car is not at all accurate. I recently watched Bodie Miller Ski in the Olympics. After just a relatively short run he was visibly winded, and after straining to reach a gate, he couldn't successfully finish one of his runs. How can this be when gravity is doing all the work? Just staying in a crouched position down a hill is difficult, now add in bumps, jumps, turns and speed and you can see why it requires strength. Now add a 230 pound dirt bike to the mix, a pulling, gyrating, 50+ horsepower machine that wants nothing more than to get away from you! It uses every muscle, legs, arms, torso constantly shifting weight, guiding the bike with legs and torso, holding on as the bike lurches forward, then pulling on the binders and keeping yourself from going over the bars. Many times it becomes necessary to aide the bike up a hill or onto a ledge, Yes, it does require strength! Skiing received a 5.75 on the strength scale, let's be conservative and give Dirt Biking a 6.

DURABILITY?, please. Dirt bike riders endure constant pounding in countless elements. Virtually every race you have riders going down, often in a heap, picking them and the bike back up and getting back into action. Ryan Dungey bounced back from this(pictured right) without even losing a place! One racer finished his section of baja with a broken leg! There's no replacements in dirt biking, if you get hurt you either race hurt or lose. BASKETBALL got a 7.75 in Durability! Dirt Biking deserves at least an 8!

Now let's look at ENDURANCE. Dirt bike racing can range from short sprints like Supercross to 1,000 mile or more multi-day races. Most are somewhere in between attempting to have some elements of sprint and endurance. Much like running, for example, if you are doing a sprint you are all out for 100 yards, 400 yards etc. the same holds true for dirt biking. The longer the race, the more you need to pace yourself and maintain that reserve. It takes different training techniques to excel in each discipline. Auto Racing got a 5.88, those who race baja know that dirt biking 1,000 miles is nearly impossible for one man. There are many trophy truck drivers, more strenuous than racing an indy car, that have done this. Dirt biking should at least be a 6 here. Doing the baja 1,000 should get a 9+! We'll go with the lower # here and call it an even 6.

POWER. Hefting a 230+ pound dirt bike is hard. Even lifting it up from a crash takes some effort, now imagine you are not on flat ground lifting up, or lifting the bike up a ledge, or over a log, rock, hill etc. that it will not climb. If the bike hits a rut, or dip, or sidehill that causes the bike to want to go where you don't want it to go, the momentum it gains is a lot to overcome in order to keep the bike on course and requires a burst of power. GOLF got a 6.13 here!, Tennis a 7.13! Dirt Biking gets a 7.

What about HAND-EYE COORDINATION? Many times the guy with the holeshot wins the race. When the gates drop is a mess getting the first turn, not to mention getting through in a position to place in the race. Throttle control is crucial quickly deciding how much to give and when can mean being successful or not. Reacting to a bump in the track, an opponent on the track, suddenly loosing or gaining traction. Riders actually do adjustments to their bike while in the air! Quick shifts are a constant chore to get the best power to the ground under different conditions, as well as feathering the clutch in and out of turns etc. Hitting a deep silt bed and keeping yourself from going over the bars, it all requires excellent hand-eye coordination. Auto Racing got an 8, Dirt Bike Racing/Motocross deserves an 8 too.

SPEED. Alpine skiing got a 7.38. Dirt biking requires the rider to move quickly all the time, shifting weight much like a skier would need to do to keep balanced, moving to the front or back of the bike, leaning, turning, carving, correcting flight in the air, so dirt biking gets a 7.

Next is AGILITY. Let's compare this to alpine skiing again that got a 6.13. Changing directions quickly is a big part of compensating when a rear tire slips out from under you. Quickly shifting your body weight is crucial. Dirt Biking scores a 6.

FLEXIBILITY. Unless your in to freestyle motocross, this wouldn't seem very important to me except to avoid injury, but if kayaking and canoeing gets a 3.88 and horse racing a 3.75, dirt biking deserves at least the same. Dirt Biking gets a 3.88 here.

Last is ANALYTICAL APTITUDE. Knowing when and how to make a critical pass, whether to go inside or out on a turn, triple the jump or double it, hit the throttle or pull the brake. Auto Racing got a 7.5, Horse Racing a 6.5, Dirt Biking get's the average of the 2, a 6.

What's the final score? Adding up all the scores gives Dirt Biking/off road motorcycle racing a 66.88. That's a 5th place finish! Recreational dirt bike riding is a lot like any other sport we choose to do recreationaly. We aren't up to the level of the pros, but we pretend to be sometimes. Choosing the intensity, difficulty, and dedication to put into it determines the "toughness" as compared to what is experienced at the top levels of these sports. Of course with any sport a leisure investment of yourself will produce leisure results. In other words, it is possible to sit on a bike and ride down the road and it's probably not that tough(compare this to about any other sport)..,but that's not what winning in this sport is all about. It's about pushing the limits, using every capacity we have to go faster, further, higher, longer than the guy next to you. The way you chose to ride when you recreate is up to you.

Here's the CORRECTED top ten with Dirt Biking/Motocross in place at #5. Think I'm wrong? Maybe, but it does belong in here somewhere. These arguments place it in the top ten where I believe it should be, #5, #10 etc. makes little difference. Don't agree? Tell us why! Think your sport belongs in the top ten? To see the entire top 60 as rated by ESPN click here, see where your sport ranked!