Champion motocross riders unleash high-flying skills at DuPage County Fair

Against his doctor’s recommendation, Hal Strauss returned to freestyle motocross just six weeks after a life-threatening crash left him with broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and internal bleeding.

Ask him about his history of injuries, though, and Strauss will tell you he considers himself one of the lucky professional riders — despite that pesky nickname of “Hazardous Hal” he earned in a monster truck show.

“Even with the injuries, even in a hospital bed, I never sat there saying, ‘I’m never going to ride a motorcycle again,’” said Strauss, 35, who suffered that crash almost three years ago.

Visitors will get a chance to see Strauss and his extreme sport close-up Saturday, July 28, when the native of Grand Junction, Colo., unleashes a host of tricks as a rider in the U.S. FMX Championship Series at the DuPage County Fair, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton. Showtimes are 2 and 7 p.m.

Organizers will install portable, 14-foot-tall steel ramps that allow riders to blast to heights of 30 to 35 feet and execute aerial tricks that require a precise combination of horsepower and hand and feet placement.

Strauss, who rides a Yamaha YZ250, is a three-time consecutive champion in a series that typically separates winners and second-place finishers by just a few points.

He’s been riding bikes since he was 5, when his dad, a retired professional rider, used to take him for laps around dirt-bike tracks. His dad was the one that recommended Strauss make the switch from supercross to freestyle motocross because his son had a knack for creating his own stunts.

Since then, he’s traveled from Argentina to India showing off his skills, rehearsed in isolated desert hills in Colorado.

In the motocross world, each trick typically has a name. Some reflect the sport’s danger, like the “heart attack” or “kiss of death.” Others, like the “Paris Hilton,” sound less intimidating.

But the one trick that terrified Strauss was the high-risk back flip.

“Flipping is a total art form,” Strauss said. “It has to be perfect.”

During one practice routine, Strauss rode over to a friend’s girlfriend and asked what day it was. She replied “November 15, 2009,” and Strauss decided that was the day he would land a back flip. And he succeeded.

“After I did it, I regretted waiting so long to do it,” Strauss said.

For this year’s series, Strauss has a particularly daunting trick under his belt: rocketing off the ramp, performing a back flip and then a second trick — while upside down.

“I can’t lie down and say, ‘Oh, this guy’s going to beat me, so I’ll settle for second,’” Strauss said. “I push myself to every limit that I have.”

The 8-year-old series has attracted popular riders who have competed on the high-profile X Games. Lincoln, Neb.-based Stunt Tours Network, a division of RPM Promotions, Inc., organizes the tour and contracts with riders after a screening process of their videos documenting at least 10 different tricks, says national tour director Daryl Baier.

During the series, riders can receive bonuses based on performance, Baier said. Plus, there’s another incentive: the top-three riders receive an automatic invite to next year’s competition.

At each stop, three mystery judges — usually local officials like police chiefs and mayors — are chosen an hour before by event organizers and award points based on the audience’s reactions to tricks. It’s a system designed to align the series with motocross’ roots as a “show-off” sport, Baier said.

“They have the simple job of translating the audience noise into scores,” Baier said of judges.

At the DuPage County Fair, the field has already been narrowed to the best in the bunch. The series is now in its mature stages, testing riders’ energy and bodies as they hit the ground with powerful impact in two to three competitions a week.

“Your body is pretty hammered,” Baier said. “There’s no doubt their bodies take a beating.”

Some riders use yoga and gymnastics as part of their training routines. For Strauss, he relies on preshow stretching.

Despite the grueling schedule and potential for injuries, Baier, like Strauss, calls motocross an “art form,” pushing riders to develop new skills to stay ahead of new talent.

“It’s taking danger, skill and pushing everything toward the maximum, fine-tuned limit,” Baier said.

Tickets are $7, plus fair admission. For details, call (630) 668-6636.

If you go

If you go

What: DuPage County Fair Motocross competition

When: 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28

Where: DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton

Admission: $7, plus fair admission

Info: dupagecountyfair.org or (630) 668-6636