158 http://www.racerxonline.com
M
otocross gear. Its primary func-
tion is to comfortably protect
the rider, but let’s be honest:
most of us dig it because it’s cool. So when
Fly Racing invited us to take part in its 2018
gear launch at the company’s headquarters
in Boise, Idaho, we jumped at the chance.
It started with a tour of Western Power
Sports, Fly Racing’s parent company, and it
quickly became evident just how enthusias-
tic everyone is about the brand. Everywhere
you look there are big posters of sponsored
riders, random moto stickers, and framed
jerseys. Everything is nice and
clean, too, from the gleaming
drinking fountains to the spot-
less cafeteria (where workers
can play pool and ping-pong)
to the stunning conference
room. There’s also a gym
where employees can pump
iron, play basketball, or take
after-hours kickboxing classes.
Just outside the building sits
a putting green and a private
motocross track. It truly is an
impressive facility—somethingmanagement says refl ects not only where
Fly Racing is, but where it’s going.
The day wrapped up with dinner and
drinks in downtown Boise, where we
were shown the new gear and educated
on its features and benefi ts. Of course,
we couldn’t just take Fly’s word for it, so
the next day, we all donned fresh sets of
2018 Hydrogen Lite gear and twisted the
throttle on the company track. The gear
was extremely comfortable, and thanks
to the pants’ standard Boa closure sys-
tem (kind of like a built-in windup belt),nobody had any wardrobe malfunctions.
Well, no accidental ones anyway.
Afterward, everyone headed to nearby
Tamarack Resort where fresh sets of 2018
mountain bike gear awaited us. The next
day, half of us hopped on downhill bikes
while the other half climbed back on motor-
cycles for an epic trail ride.
The bicycle apparel was as comfort-
able as the moto gear, especially the
full carbon Werx Rival helmet, which, at
about two pounds, is as light as it is ven-
tilated. The larger pockets on the pants
were nice, too, never feeling
jammed, even when a broken
drive chain was added to a
pocket already containing a
George Costanza wallet.
From the new gear to the
private chef who fed us on the
fi nal night to the after-hours
laughs we’d all shared togeth-
er (no more human pyramids
next year, please), it was sim-
ply an amazing gear launch.
Now, how do we get back on
the guest list for next year?by Aaron Hansel // photos by simon cudby
2018 FLY RACING SUMMER CAMP
Mingling with guys like Andrew
Short and Weston Peick while
checking out the 2018 lineup.