Page 48 - Issue-61

BROC TICKLE
450 SX / 8TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> With the preconceived notion of Houston being a town of slow, cruise-like men- talities, the aura around this metropolis is often of a calming effect. Numerous songs in the hip-hop ridden culture, describe “H-Tine” as a place of riding slow, and letting the good times amass, rolling at an ever so steady pace. Come to any specific traffic stop, and you’re sure to find numerous Box Chevy’s and Cadillacs, filling the width
of the street; each, skating, and riding on the glossiest of rims, coated in a wrap of Candy paint. And once one has visited this hub of the South, they quickly adopt to the lifestyle; as it’s easy to be sucked in, and embrace the culture. However, never one to follow the crowd, Broc Tickle came into Houston, looking to torch both competition and audience with his notorious flame of excitement. All throughout practice, he was one to captivate those in the chair backs. Pushing through the slimmest of margins, every inch of track was used, in order to best his previous time. He would favor his attention heavily to the whoop sections, as each particular pad provided an array of options; either to double through, triple at times, wheel tap, or the ever so popular “blitz”, push- ing fear to the wayside. He dabbled into all four, just enough to polish off his time on the final go-around; the night festivities were closing in. As the gate fell for the qualify- ing division the field blistered into the opening turn, looking to sort themselves out in the lanes that followed. A swarming pack of monstrous 450’s, each section appeared as a sea of popcorn, as the riders heads would fly vertical in perfect sequencing.
The track really began to rut-up, as each of these numerous one hundred and eighty degree turns were being chiseled by the respective tread. Fighting tooth and nail with the likes of, Josh Grant, he would go on to finish third. With the pin sliding out from each particular launch pad, he charged into the first turn, looking to make an aggres- sive statement. Sorting themselves out in the opening laps, his face had been caked with sand, from the far sweeper and it’s multitude of lines. Hitting the triple on the next circuit, just in front of the slight dragon’s back, he looked to shift up and purge ahead, battling with Blake Baggett and Grant yet again. Never missing a beat, his tearoff stack would begin to dwindle, as he clawed with the top of the sport, for the eighth position. His effort would prevail, and as he headed into the double for the last time, inside the top ten he would sit; eighth on the evening.
48 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 14, 2018