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MARVIN MUSQUIN
450 SX / A-1
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> As time passes into the late hours of the evening on the op- posite side of the country, the clock strikes 7 for those who border the Pacific, and the bedtime stories are swapped for an irreplace- able bark of modern day rocket ships. Marvin Musquin thrives in this moment. This is the moment where preparation, is coupled with anticipation, and the end result is a culmination of all vari- ables that have been created since the series concluded last May. As the field upshifts and clicks into gear, Marvin zooms in
on the first turn, eyeing the spot in which he will etch his machine into mother earth. Rounding the opening bend, the number 25 is searching to put time between himself and the rest of the pack. His fluidity, and unique body language apparent, as each jumped is soaked for every last ounce of drive; the turn, twist, and lean
of the scrub all combined into one, as he aims to travel forward in- stead of propel into the heights of gravity. Dicing with Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac in the early stages, Musquin displayed a persona of all business, showing the top of the sport that he was here to stay. With his artistic French twang in full display, he appeared to look at the canvas in a different angle, splattering paint in the form of new sequences of rhythm lanes, and hopping through the whoops in which everyone else skipped. He would succumb to only Ryan Dungey from here on out, still urgently keeping pace with his teammate; taking the final flag in third position, Musquin seemed satisfied, yet eager to work as the series heads to the next round.
14 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 9, 2017