Slaw Dog
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We used to run a feature called Vurb Roundtable, where the Vurb staff would weigh in on hot topics from around the sport. We’ll we are bringing it back! Let’s dig in….
1. Will Jett Lawrence v. Justin Cooper rivalry heat up this year?
Bird Dog: Everyone will say yes to this, but I’m going against the grain. I think Cooper is primed for an outdoor title and I think Lawrence is like a puppy with too much energy. He’s a great dog that will eventually heel, sit and fetch, but he s&^ts on the floor occasionally and still chews up the couch, if you can follow me. They will have a few encounters but I think Cooper is going to be up front more than Jett, which won’t lead to many opportunities.
Slaw Dog: Dogs vs Donuts. If you don’t remember where this stems from, well, it started during supercross last year then carried over into Pro Motocross when Cooper brought his dog on the podium and he and Jett exchanged some words on the social media.
Anyway, I think Jett is a year away from title contention. He’ll win races this year, sure, but I think Cooper has a much better shot at the championship. Plus, those Star bikes are hard to beat outdoors.
Troy Dog: Man, I really hope so! If it does then it will give me plenty of ammunition to write a ton of content for this here dirt bike website. I’m really just here for the drama these days and the guys who have incredible personalities. Jett, if you haven’t noticed, has the keys to the sport’s future dangling in front of him. Will he get boring? Especially when he moves up to the 450 class? I hope not. For now, let’s just hope Cooper brings his dog on the podium when applicable and Jett is there to throw his donuts at the #32.
2. Roczen is back after an outdoor hiatus, is he the favorite?
Bird Dog: Man, I must be in a bad mood today. Kenny is the man. He’s also fully capable of winning an outdoor title. However, that’s not the question. The question is”is he the favorite.” To which I’ll say no. Honestly, I don’t know that there is one. It will be interesting to see if Osborne’s run last year was a fluke and if his back has heeled enough to endure the pounding of a full outdoor season. You can never count Tomac out outside. The list goes on and on and on. I don’t think there are 10 guys that can win the title, but I think there are six, and none of them are drastically more likely to do so than the other.
Slaw Dog: Yeah, no, maybe… I honestly don’t think there is a favorite in the 450 Class. Zacho is dealing with a back injury. Eli hasn’t bee Eli since winning the supercross title last year. Will that change? Maybe.
Cooper is coming off a supercross title. Is he super motivated for this title? I don’t know.
AC, Sexton, Barcia and Ferrandis could challenge. Or Marv. That’s a long-winded way of saying, no, Ken isn’t the favorite—but no one really is, ISHO.
Troy Dog: No, Ken Roczen is not the favorite to win the outdoor title. Cooper Webb is. Kenny is better at outdoors, but since his arm injuries (and other health problems) it has to be tough on him to be able to fight through two grueling motos in the heat. I don’t even know why these guys even do it. I’m tired from cutting the grass in 80 degree weather and I’m in elite shape. I’m basing my answer on previous seasons. If he comes out and somehow wins the title I would love that for him. If this is the case, I hope he leaves a flaming bag of poo on my doorstep for ever doubting him.
3. What’s your favorite Vurb Select from the past and why?
Bird Dog: I choose Southwick 2010, a Travis Steward creation. We actually called this one a Redux, so I’m kind of cheating here, but so what? Bird Dog has that kind of power around here. I honestly don’t know if it’s my favorite, but I remember when it came out it was unique to anything I’d seen us do. The music choice, “Disco Pogo”, still stands out in my head and having Darryn Durham picking his nose is a shot I won’t soon forget. It’s high energy and I decided to choose this one based on the energy it brought for the entire 6-plus minutes.
Slaw Dog: This is my all-time favorite Vurb Select. It’s also from Southwick. It was also filmed by Travis Steward. In 2011, a damn hurricane hit the track. Somehow, Travis made it out alive and put together this fire edit.
Troy Dog: I’m going back a decade here for my answer to Unadilla 2011. Patra Company’s own Paul Michaud filmed and edited this masterpiece while the very talented Ian Gutierrez AND myself were there to help film. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest videos of all-time, since I helped. I remember Paul came up to me at the event and told me his vision and what style he wanted me to shoot. I said, “Yeah, sure whatever Paul,” then continued to produce some of the best footage ever. I crushed it. Paul and Ian did amazing work too. I can’t believe this was almost ten years ago. If you didn’t think I was an OG of vurbmoto, you obviously didn’t ask your mom about me.
Main image: Octopi Media
