This week we go inside the world of Thor's Rider Support superwoman, Jammi Robertson! Working her way to the top from being just a receptionist, Jammi has proven to be an incredible sponsor mastermind in the motocross industry. Known for not only being such a sweetheart, she is a hard-working, dedicated and loyal employee to the Thor brand. Read below to learn about Thor, getting sponsored and a sneak peak at some 2010 plans...

Thanks for being with us today Jammi! As an associate in the Rider Support department, tell us what a day at the office consist of, and explain to us the depth of what your level of Rider Support offers?
JR- As the Amateur Motocross Supervisor, my duties vary daily. That is the best part of my job! Everyday is different and my days can consist of correspondence with riders and parents, gear orders, maintaining budgets, coordination of amateur print and web advertisements, writing press releases, working with race promoters, coordinating race events and more. Right now is “resume season” so on top of that I am currently putting the team together for 2010.


Take us to the beginning! Was it your interest in the sport of motocross that brought you to work for Thor?
JR- Eight years ago I moved to San Diego from Colorado. I had attended a few freestyle motocross events in Colorado and had followed FMX through the X-games. That was pretty much the extent of my dirt bike knowledge.  I always thought it would be awesome to work in the motocross industry and I thought that Southern California could give me that opportunity. I was at a job that I hated when I came across an ad for a receptionist at an apparel company. The listing didn’t say the name of the company but I sent my resume anyway. A few days later, I was contacted by the Office Manager for the interview and the rest is history. It was random and I got very lucky!


Considering you have been around the industry for over 5 years, you have endured and experienced many things that most can only dream of! Tell us about what it's like to work for the one of the most successful motocross brands?
JR- I have worked for Thor for over seven years and in that time I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with some of the most talented individuals in our industry. After my brief stint as the receptionist, I moved into the Marketing department. This is when I realized that I wanted to grow with the company and one day head up the amateur program. When I first moved to the marketing department I assisted the Marketing Manager and rider support staff. At the time Ian Runyon and Chris Onstott were the Amateur and Pro team managers. They took me under their wings and taught me so much about racing, athletes and the industry. Since then both have moved on and a year ago Dave Gowland joined Thor as the General Manager.  With Dave joining the team my knowledge of the sport continues to grow. I have learned a lot about the OEM’s point of view. This information has been invaluable.

We are very fortunate that our parent company, Parts Unlimited, is so enthusiastic about racing! Because of this, the racing programs at Thor benefits from the support and resources offered by Parts Unlimited. Just looking from the aspect of racing Parts Unlimited has helped Thor grow so much! Over the last few years Parts Canada has become more involved in their race series and in anticipation of Parts Europe (Opened in 2009) Thor has increased our involvement in the GP’s. It’s been exciting because they’re using our mold to structure their racing programs.


In those years, you've seen success and failure of the motocross program. With our spectacular current economy (just kidding!), how has the spike drop effected the Rider Support program?
JR- We have slowly been making cuts to our program over the last few years and will continue to do the same this year. Honestly, I feel that rider support in general has gotten out of control and riders weren’t being held to the standards necessary to maintain sponsorship and promote our company. I think the bad economy and budget cuts have forced kids to work harder to maintain sponsorships. I personally think it’s great for competition and also for the companies sponsoring these riders. This year at Loretta’s, I saw this with some of our team riders. Three riders in particular really stood out; Justin Weeks, Tristan Charboneau and Justin Starling. These riders changed their programs, trained and worked hard before the national. Their performances at Loretta’s in comparison to Lake Whitney was unbelievably different. Motocross is a fun sport but I think it’s important not to take it for granted.

What do you look for most when considering a racer for full level sponsorship?
JR- There are various things that are considered when sponsoring a rider. Obviously, results are very important. I also look for positive riders who will represent Thor in the best manner possible. Also, the classes you race and the nationals you attend are also factors in sponsorship.

Thor recently released their 2010 gear! What was it like during the creation process and did you get any goodies?!
JR- It’s very exciting to be behind the scenes and see the concepts developed into final products. You would be amazed at how many things don’t make the final cut or how many changes are made to a single product. If I'm extra nice, the developers will hook me (my riders) up with new product before Loretta’s.

Racers Dean Wilson, Terren O'Dell, Justin Starling, Destry Abbott, Nico Izzi, Chad Reed, Ryan Villopoto and MANY, many more are all a part of the Thor gang. Who can we look forward to seeing rep'n the Thor gear in the 2010 season?
JR- As far as the pro’s are concerned, I can tell you that Ryan Villopoto and Chad Reed will definitely be on the team next year. I'm not sure of the other pro riders. I think all of that is still getting worked out. In regards to our amateur team, I'm in the process of putting the team together for 2010 so all of our riders have not been signed for the next year.  I can give you a few amateur riders who already are signed for 2010; Cooper Webb, Tanner Stack, Lance Kobusch Jr., Stephen Gretchen, Carter Stephenson, and Matthew Burkeen. The team is solid so most of our current riders will be back for next year. We will be revamping the amateur section of our website soon so you will be able to view the entire team at www.thormx.com.

What advice can you give to the Vurb readers about following their dreams and being apart of the motocross industry, in regards to those who don't/can't race?
JR- After being in the industry for many years, I have realized that it is very difficult for people with and without the racing experience to …. I think education along with hard work and determination will take you far in this industry. Making contacts within the industry is helpful too. Lots of jobs aren’t even posted and many times it’s about who you know.

For the races and events you have been able to attend, what are your top three favorite?
JR- This is a tough one!

Loretta’s is on the top of the list! Loretta Lynn’s was the first amateur national I attended. I love the build up to the event with the qualifying process. There is so much work that is put into this event! MX Sports, the sponsors, the riders and their families put so much time, hard work and effort into making Loretta’s such a spectacular event! It’s great to see everyone’s efforts come together.

Winter Olympics would be next on my list. I haven’t spent Thanksgiving with my family in over six years and I couldn’t imagine being any other place than Gatorback. Having both Supercross and motocross at one event makes this race very unique and I love the awards ceremony. On top of that Parts Unlimited/Thor host Thanksgiving dinner at the track. Riders, their families and people in the industry all volunteer their time to help serve dinner at the track. I make silly turkey aprons. It’s so much fun

The last is a toss between Lake Whitney and Mammoth. Both races have the most amazing scenery and both are operated by great promoters! Lake Whitney kicks off the two weeks of amateur racing in March. It’s the first national since Winter Olympics so there’s a high level of anticipation to see how riders have progressed since November. This year we were hit with insane weather at Whitney. This was the first year the event was run by the McWilliams family and this was the best I have ever seen the event ran, especially when you consider the insane weather we encountered there!

Mammoth for the most part has typically been a “local national” which featured riders from the West Coast and Northwest. In the last few years I’ve seen more national riders make the trek to the mountain. Honda of Houston and the Suzuki Amateur program seem to really support the event and encourage their riders to attend. This year I saw riders from Illinois, Florida and Georgia. Thor was fortunate to have Steven Gretchen, Cooper Webb and Cole Thompson come all the way from West Virginia, North Carolina and Ontario, Canada! The race schedule is great which allows you to enjoy the town of Mammoth and I really hope both events continue to grow!  

Thank you for taking us through your side of the industry and thank you for all your hardwork!
JR- Thank you for interview and your interest in Thor