MotoGP and Formula One are also on the end of their long season and all that is left to watch on TV are reruns and Winter Sports, of which I have not time for.

In previous seasons I had been able to enjoy some pretty good off-season races, events like the Fastcross in Italy, Bercy Supercross, the odd British Supercross event, Guidon d’Or Supermoto event in Paris and then around February I would roll into the Le Touquet beach race, or maybe the Gilles Lalay Enduro Classic. Life was pretty full and always a lot of fun at the races.

Matter of fact the whole Motocross World has changed with the loss of events like the Golden State series in America, or the Masters of Motocross series in Europe, or the World Supercross series or how about all those international events that used to run before and after the season.

What’s the story, why are only the World Motocross Championships, the AMA Supercross series and the AMA Nationals the only races that really produce full fields of great riders.

Bercy Supercross

I love going to Paris in November for the Bercy Supercross and even if the event isn’t as exciting as it once was I can still enjoy my favorite city in the World. This year I decided to take my four kids to the event, make it a family happening. What I eventually realized is while Bercy might not have the big names like it used to have its still any exciting show.

My kids are 18, 15, 14 and 11 and while they used to visit a lot of Grand Prix’s in the Stefan Everts, Ben Townley era they haven’t been as interested in recent years, maybe one GP a year at best. My 11 year old hates Motocross with a passion and he wasn’t really looking forward to heading to Bercy and what made it even worse was the fact it was his 11^th birthday on the Friday night. Having offered him a day at eurodisney on the Saturday and he was sold.

When we arrived at the circuit my three oldest kids couldn’t wait. The two oldest had been twice before a loved the atmosphere and being shown on the big Bercy screen on a few occasions and they’d told my 14 year old about the great light show and load music, not to mention the buzz the French crowd sends through the stadium.

Once the show started my kids were in their element, they totally enjoyed their evening in the confines of the Bercy arena. The racing was tight the crowd were crazy and the music was just what the needed and the introduction video of the leading riders playing around in the city of Paris was entertaining. Riding coming down from the ceiling on rope look tricky and the whole crowd were really getting their money’s worth.

As for me, I sat there wondering when it would end, I had seen this event maybe 20 times and couldn’t wait to leave. This was poor racing for a Motocross enthusiast and I totally understand that we were not watching McGrath battling with Emig, or Vuillemin battling Pourcel, not it was Barcia and Aranda. No offence to these two guys, but they are not close to being legends and that is what I most remember about Bercy, the legends lined up inside the arena for the introduction.

Eventually American privateer Kyle Chisholm added his name to the King of Bercy title. As mentioned before, Chisholm’s name does not belong with the likes of Bailey, Bayle, McGrath, Vuillemin or Pourcel, but hey, times have changed in the Bercy arena, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the effort the organizers put in, or the enthusiasm from the crowd, and I guess when it comes down to it that is what makes Bercy an special night for so many people.