Growing up I always had a dirt bike and loved the off-road experience. It has always been so interesting to watch the growth of off-road racing, especially UTV’s. I like thinking back to seeing the Honda Pilot’s of the late ’80s cruising around the imperial sand dunes. No not the grocery grabber SUV, the UTV that didn’t fit into a class of racing, it created one. It’s not a surprise that the creation of the UTV would take off and become so popular that multiple classes and races would be formed like short course, deserts, and rock crawling.
Mod Kids USA reached out to photograph SXS 170 driver Ali Easton for the “Kids Korner” article that they sponsor in Dirt Sports World Magazine. Photographing Ali was so fun because she was everywhere and faster than I imagined. Without hesitation when asked about her favorite spot on the track, she quickly pointed to a jump. Ali follows after her Father Todd who competed in offshore racing in Florida, as well as her older sister Zoe who races in the RS1 class.
On the day i photographed Ali, she was accompanied by her family and friends at a track in Blythe, AZ that they rented out to practice. It was great to see the camaraderie within the group, something familiar to me growing up with dirt bikes. Everyone was there to have a great time and help out with whatever needed to be done. Among the crew was young TJ Siewers a three-time champion who’s podiumed more than 100 times. Fearless at 11 years old this kid was clearing 60-foot tabletops without hesitation. It was insane seeing such focus and dedication TJ had with his racing, constantly charging into corners and ripping through without any reservations or question.
Photographing these kids was a great experience and I look forward to watching their career in racing. I hope we cross paths in the future.
