Travis Pastrana's reputation as something of a daredevil is well deserved. If you saw him at the 2004 X Games then you saw evidence of his willingness to put his body on the line to pull off incredibly difficult stunts. Of course he's more than just a freestyle rider. Once free of his wrist injury fans expect that he should contend for a racing championship.
How are the hands?
I was real disappointed. This was the year I kind of got my own team. It's not just factory backed, it's backed by people that back me, that support me. It's been a really cool deal. I'm bummed out that it was such a bad wrist injury and now we'll have to miss a couple of races, miss any chance at the championship, but hopefully we'll salvage the year a little later with some good results.
I know this is your own team, but you are a part of Team Suzuki, so are you teammates with Ricky [Carmichael]?
Yeah we're both factory Suzuki. The only difference is I can run my own sponsors. Like Ricky has to run everything that Suzuki has, which is good. I have the option to run anything they have plus whatever I want, which is just awesome.
How much unfinished business is there for you in freestyle?
Freestyle's just something I do for fun. It's great exposure, it's great fun, it's something I do anyway kind of on the side, so if I have some cool tricks I definitely want to get out there and show the world what I got.
Double back flip, if you do that, will that then be the end of it? Because where's it going to go from there?
And there's no point for you to even take it beyond that, I suppose.
No, I like your theory, but a lot of the guys don't think outside the box. I sit up at night and invent a trick and get something that works in my head. Then to actually take it on dirt is the greatest feeling. Sometimes it doesn't work, and that's bad, but usually there's so many things I know can be done, it's just a matter of how to do it.
When you came into freestyle and won the X games, no one could touch you; but you were kind of an outsider to it, clean cut, young, excited. You didn't quite fit the freestyle formula, if you will. Was that a difficult transition, especially with the Metal Mulisha?
You know what's really funny, everybody in this sport has always respected everybody. I mean we have a lot of respect for anyone that makes it up there. Even the Metal Mulisha, like [Mike] Deegan and those guys, they probably said some of the nicest compliments that I've ever received from anybody. I don't like their image, but I respect the talent that's in there and visa versa. So, for me it's always been about riding, it's all I ever wanted to do, so I didn't care what I look like or what they look like. When you're on the bike it doesn't matter.
So what's more important, the X Games or a Supercross title?
The X Games is great, it's really exciting and there's nothing that beats the pure adrenaline of that. Supercross or motocross or any kind of racing is hard work, it's tough. I mean not that X games isn't, but X games is just about expression--you know what you can do and you can only do that. Supercross, you're always pushing the limits, you're always hurt, you're riding with casts, you're riding with broken bones, concussions, anything. You just got to keep pushing, pushing, and when you win a championship, the satisfaction of that, it's not fun, but the satisfaction is amazing.
Now, where do you actually see things going? Are you going to stay on two wheels are you thinking four wheels is a big part of the future?
Right now I'm just focusing on supercross but looking down the road I have all my sponsors that are set up right now not just for two wheels but the four wheels as well and I'd love to get into world rally eventually. This year Subaru's backing me for all my stuff for the U.S. rally series. My best finish last year I got fourth and two fifths, but I was in a group M car. This year we're stepping up cars. I should have a chance at taking a win in the U.S. rally. It's not like world rally, but you know, it's like Canadian motocross--you've got to start somewhere... Sorry.
You have to keep it on dirt, right?
The dirt is definitely my friend. The Red Bull guys and Alpinestars have tried to get me into some of the Porsche Cup races. I got to race phenomenal circuits in Malaysia and Indianapolis during the F1 week and stuff like that. But you know, I just don't like to lose, and with rally--I understand dirt. I have good car control, but I just don't understand street. Maybe in the future, but right now I love rally.
Looking back on your career, are there any things you wouldn't have done? You spread yourself a little thin, you know, possibly, and had you maybe focused on supercross you could have been the guy. Do you look back on it and think maybe you took a couple wrong turns or at this point has it allowed you to be one of the biggest names in sports, period?
You know hindsight's 20/20. I mean everything I did made sense at the time, I mean at least to me, if to nobody else around. Right now it's good. I'm surrounding myself with what I think are very intelligent people, with trainers, guys that have finished top five in the Ironman. Really great guys from every aspect and they kind of guide me more now. I didn't understand a lot about training, I thought every day train as hard as you possibly can and I kind of worked myself into a hole, got myself really sick. I thought, great I'll do all my work and I'll do all my PR and this will be great. And there's a lot of things I didn't realize about what your body can and can't do. I'm smarter now in that respect just from experience, if nothing else, but at the same time I feel, the routes I've taken, I'm the luckiest unlucky person in the world. As much as gone wrong, that much more has gone that good for me. So, it's good.
You do some of the craziest things on the bike, you take big risks--what are you scared of? Are you petrified of moths?
[laughs] No, it's a good question. I'm kind of just free spirited. I enjoy everything. I mean, no matter what it is...
Do you sleep with the night light on?
Oh, yes. I'm afraid of the dark.
There you go.I still have stuffed animals, you know.
As you get older does it get harder to get up again after a big hit? Does it eventually mentally get to you?
Every time I've gotten up, even waking from a concussion, it's still, to this day, "Ah, I know what I need to do to get that better." If I don't remember, then I'll watch it on film and I'll figure out what I need to do. There will be a day, I'm sure... But, I'm afraid and fear keeps you sane and keeps you doing, hopefully, making the right choices along the way. But at the same time, fear, or hesitation makes your worst fears come true. I've got to make up my mind, if I'm going to do something, there's no fear. You gotta do it. If you're not gonna do it, don't try it. Don't go for it halfway.