April 2008

Watch Travis’ Record-Breaking Double Backflip here!
Saw “199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story” with Fanless last night. Holy crap! His poor mom (Travis’, not Fanless’)!!

Watch 199 Lives trailer here.

Twenty-three years of setting and breaking records – and breaking and setting bones – have not stopped this kid from pursuing the rush of adrenaline and the thrill of taking risks. List of injuries to date (per the movie):

– Dislocated shoulder 3 times
– 60+ broken bones
– 4+ broken tibia
– Dislocated spine (luckily, only once… so far)
– 25+ (that’s OVER 25!) concussions

And that’s just what I remember off the top of my head!

I have to say I really, REALLY like the fact that Travis is kind of a dork. He’s a goofy, clean-cut kid (no tats, no piercings, nothing like that), loves his mom, respects his dad, is the apple of grandma’s eye. He’s a humble, unassuming boy. And yet, he is called the “Evel Knievel for a new generation.” And if you’re thinking “he’s an idiot for risking his life so much”, you’d be wrong. He claims that every risk he takes is calculated. And my favorite quote from him?

“If for some reason I don’t make it to the bottom… I died happy.” (Just before jumping into the Grand Canyon with a parachute strapped to his back.)

Now if only I wasn’t such a punkass, chicken-shit, I would totally adopt that as my mantra.