Going for Broke

"Hey pops! You better get the hell outta here. This turf is for serious moto-shredders only!"

That was the last time any of the raceway locals talked shit to 54-year-old Walter Jorgenson.

They all laughed when Walter walked his bike out by the handlebars, while wearing his black leather unisex sandals.

They kept it up as he struggled to swing his leg over the seat of his Honda. Walter knew he had to show them what he was made of.

He had never tried a wheelie before, but he had seen it done. He felt he understood the raw physics well enough to pull it off.

On the way to the hospital, Walter reflected on the incident at the track that day. Sure, his motorcycle landed on him. Yes, he was almost killed. True, he couldn't feel his legs. But for that one moment...when the bike was completely vertical, the engine was roaring, and the crowd was gasping...he had never felt so alive!