Catching up with Kyle Beaton

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Interview by Allison Kennedy

Photos by James Lissimore

If there was a Canadian MX2 title favourite heading into the 2009 season, it was Team Toyota Yamaha Red Bull Blackfoot Fox Racing’s Kyle Beaton. As Matthes so eloquently put it, it was like a giant kick to the balls for his fans when Beaton injured his wrist right off the start in the first moto at Kamloops. But Beets is quickly showing that you can’t count him out. After his open-minded extreme sports friendly doctor gave him the go-ahead, the BC rider is racing through the pain, trying to collect points and stay safe until he gets a chance to heal after Morden. We caught up with Kyle to see how he’s feeling about life as he heads to Edmonton. 

Hey Kyle. How are you now?

Well, I’ve been better, that’s for sure, but I am just trying to get through it.

Heading to round three, things haven’t exactly gone as planned but I guess there are two ways of looking at it. You’re still in the race, when you’re season could have ended in Kamloops?

Yeah, things are all right I guess. I mean I’m still on the bike trying to get points. It was obviously a huge bummer in Kamloops when I hurt my wrist but it’s not as bad as what I thought. I am just going to get through it and move forward from here.

Tell us a bit about what actually happened off the start in Kamloops?

Well, I didn’t get the greatest start and just got caught up in a first turn pileup. I just landed on my wrist and thumb. This is actually the thumb that I broke four years ago so it’s not the strongest anyway. I ended up wrecking all the ligaments and I have a bone chip at the bottom of my thumb in my wrist. It’s still sharp right now since there’s no calcium build-up around it so it’s still easy to aggravate it. Oh well, that’s life.

So that moto you were able to just keep going. You probably didn’t realize how bad it was?

I knew I had done something but I didn’t think it was that bad. The adrenaline was pumping and I was good to go, but after that moto when the adrenaline wore off I was in quite a bit of pain and I wanted to go get it checked out before I wrecked it even more.

So after that moto and the hospital visits etc, how did you decide that you could race in Calgary?

We didn’t actually really know. I went to the hospital and they said I had a bone chip but they couldn’t tell if the scaphoid was broken so the team and my trainer, Drew, got me in to get a CT scan. I got that done and that showed that the scaphoid wasn’t broken but there was a pretty big bone chip in my wrist. Then my doctor said you can keep going if you want, it’s not going to get any worse, it’s going to be sore but if you can tough it out, then you can keep riding. My doctor is pretty cool. He’s big into sports and he’s an extremist himself so it’s pretty cool to have him as my doctor. He always tries to get me back on the track.

How has the team been with regards to this whole thing?

They are cool with it, they are probably bummed out as much as I am but it’s just the way it is. It’s not over yet and they just keep telling me that, to just keep going out and getting as many points as I can. I don’t have to win every moto or anything, it’s just trying to get by and make it through these couple of rounds so I can heal up during the three-week break.

Tell us about racing with the injury in Calgary?

It hurt. They had watered the track so much that it was really one-lined; the main race line. That line got so rough and choppy in the ruts that it was really hard to hang on. A couple of times in the first moto I got on the gas in a rut and the bike would just wash out from underneath me because I couldn’t hang on. That was frustrating but it turned out all right in the second moto because there were a few more lines, so I could take a smoother line without going completely backwards. It was a lot better.

Even at 60 percent, Beets managed a fourth place finish in the second moto at Calgary.

I guess once the adrenaline kicks in and you’re up front, you can giver a bit more?

Yep, definitely. Obviously with being farther up, the adrenaline is kicking a lot more. After that red flag in the second moto, the adrenaline was completely gone and my wrist was killing right before the restart but I just tried to put it behind me and focus. I got a good start, crashed on the first lap, and managed to come back to fourth. It was good. I am only about 60 or 70 percent right now. I just can’t wait to get back to 100 percent so I can show everyone how much work I’ve done this past winter.

So, your sitting 10^th in points? Considering you missed a moto, that’s not so bad? What’s your approach from here on in?

Just keep plugging away and keep getting valuable points. Everyone else is going to have a bad moto by the end of the season, maybe a couple. I know Aron has already had his bad motos, so he’s kind of on the same place as me, trying to get points, and stay safe and wait for everyone else to have their bad luck. It’s been good that Dean (Wilson) has been up here too because he’s taking away all the first place points so guys aren’t really getting away. I wish I was 100 percent, I really think I could be running with Dean and pushing him until the very end.

There were a few people wondering if the MX2 guys were bummed that Dean was racing, because of the Macs Shootout points and the championship race, but I guess for you, it’s not a bad thing?

Yeah, I probably would be a little bummed out if he was winning and I was 100 percent, since it would take away points for the shootout, but right now it’s working in my favour. I always tell him to just keep winning and don’t let anyone else pass you. He and I are pretty good buddies.

Are you surprised how good he’s going?
Nope, not really. I’ve always grown up helping him out on 80s and I always knew he was going to be something special when he got older and more mature. He works hard and he’s got everything he needs to keep going farther. The whole family packed up their lives up here and moved down there just to give him a shot and it’s paying off as everyone can see.

They’ve always been really welcoming to you when you go down south haven’t they?
Oh totally, they’ve done as much as they can and given me a place to stay when I’m down in California. They are a great family and I am proud to see Dean doing so well. If one person I’d rather lose to, it would be him.

Stay safe and keep collecting points. That's the plan for Beaton.

By all accounts, you worked really hard this off-season to be ready. Matthes posted that he’d rather have been kicked in the balls than watch you get hurt. What went through your head?

I thought it was over. I thought all that hard work and stuff wasn’t really for nothing, but it ended way too quickly. But we got some good news the week after, and I’ve still got some hope and it’s not going to be over til Walton, that’s for sure.

You have a ton of supporters pulling for you to keep going this season. What would you like to tell them?

Just to be patient. I’ll be back up to 100 percent hopefully sooner than later and hopefully be able to get some wins going on here. I just have to stick it out and it will come.

What do you think Edmonton will be like for you? Did you like that track last year?

Nope, not so much because it didn’t really get rough but this year I am sort of looking forward to it (laughs) so hopefully that will be in my favour. There are some big jumps and if you land wrong it’s going to hurt the wrist so I am just going to have to be smooth and not let that happen. It should be a good weekend. I just have to go out and be consistent and get some points.