ROCK THE GEAR ROCKSTAR 2012

7 years ago today, I took the ride that changed my life forever.  I almost lost my life that day, but what I gained from the experience was an opportunity to literally change the world of motorcycling.  After all this time, I still feel just as passionately about my message as the first time I shared my story and injury photos on MySpace in 2005. MySpace, wow… throwback!  Back to the topic at hand, I could not have done what I’ve done without the love and support of riders like you.  YOU make the difference by choosing to ride safely, smart, and well-protected.  It’s a choice you have to make on your own, I can only give you a few good reasons for doing it.

To celebrate my road rash birthday, Rock the Gear Inc. will be giving away the exact type of gear that could have saved my skin, knees, shoulder, and back that day. We’ll be naming one lucky rider as the Rock the Gear Rockstar of 2012.  Grand prize winner gets a full custom leather one-piece suit from LionHeart Moto, complete with the first-ever-made Rock the Gear patches.

Think you’ve got what it takes to be the first Rock the Gear ROCKSTAR?  Here’s how to enter:

1. Send me () a photo of yourself in your current gear, preferably with or on your bike!

2. Include your name and the reason why YOU should be chosen as RTG Rockstar 2012.

Photos and descriptions will be upload via Rock the Gear’s Facebook page in the RTG Rockstar 2012 photo album.  Voting (1 like = 1 vote) will open on Friday, October 5th.  Voting ends on Sunday, October 14th at midnight. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, October 15th.

A huge thanks goes out to Lionheart Moto for their generous donation – this is our biggest giveaway to date!

Good luck everyone. ROCK ON, RIDE ON!

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Rock the Gear for Me Photo Contest

It’s that time of the year: hot, sticky, muggy, miserable… the list goes on.  That time of the year when we all wish we had no idea how bad a crash on our motorcycles could really be… yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Where we longingly stare at our flip-flop-wearing peers and wish we could guarantee a safe arrival home so we too could wear next-to-nothing as we ride down the street. But alas, we know the consequences and so we choose to keep ourselves out of harm’s way despite the blistering heat and scorching temps.  We are those people.

Who motivates you to make that decision? We ride for ourselves, but we rock the gear for those who love us and those we love. Because at the end of the day, what we choose to do affects them as well and we know it. There’s someone waiting for you to come home, relying on you for something important, and hoping and praying that this ride won’t be your last. There’s someone you can’t wait to see again, hold again, and laugh with again. It is these people who silently request, “Rock the Gear for me.” Yes, riders, it’s that time of the year: time to show the world who you Rock the Gear for.

How to Enter:

Take a photo of yourself holding up a homemade sign that says, “I Rock the Gear for ________.” Fill in the blank with a name, a relationship, a description, a reason… fill it in with anyone or anything that motivates you to Rock the Gear every time you ride. You can include your “motivators” in the photo with you – they can even have their own signs that say, ” _______ Rocks the Gear for me.” You can choose to be artistic, minimalist, extremely creative, or straight-to-the-point. In your gear, out of your gear, whatever you want!  There is no right or wrong way to enter, as long as you’re holding the sign in the photo.  You can take as many photos as you’d like, especially if you have more than one motivator!

Post the photo in one of three places.
1. Rock the Gear’s Facebook page, which can be found HERE, CLICK HERE! To post, you’ll need to “like” the page, so if you haven’t already, make sure to do so.
2. Brittany Morrow’s Facebook page, which can be found HERE, CLICK HERE! To post, you’ll need to be a subscriber, so if you aren’t already, make sure to click “add as friend” to subscribe to my public updates.
3. Your own personal Twitter feed or Facebook wall. Make sure to follow the tagging instructions below if you choose this option.

Tag the photo with the following:
@Rock the Gear Inc. and @Brittany Morrow if using Facebook.
OR
#RTG4Me and @Brit2Morrow if using Twitter.

Make sure to follow these three steps
so your photo is seen by the judges and the world!

**PRIZES**
5 first place winners will receive a Rock the Gear logo t-shirt for themselves and 5 logo stickers.

1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive an Icon Patrol Waterproof jacket, valued at over $400!

The contest starts today, July 25th 2012 and ends at midnight on August 10th, 2012.  Winners will be announced on August 15th. That gives you just over 2 weeks to get your photos taken, posted and tagged.  We wanna see what you’ve got, so bring us your best efforts!

Legal Shenanigans:
By posting and/or tagging, you acknowledge that your photo can and will be used on Rock the Gear.org and all affiliated web portals for promotion of motorcycle safety apparel education via not-for-profit campaign. If you don’t want your photo used, do not send it in.

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Those Stupid Squids

There’s a term amongst motorcyclists that describes a rider who is either extremely wet behind the ears, rides beyond his/her skill level, wears little to no gear, or is extremely reckless by nature. We call these riders “squids” and the origin is actually somewhat of a controversial subject.  Many will tell you it originated as a slightly derogatory term to define riders who were also in the Navy. Some say it originated on a SoCal racetrack, where the less-skilled and less-experienced riders were called “squirrelly kids”. It later was shortened to just “squids”. Other say it’s an acronym for many different things, one of which being Stupid Quick Underdressed and Imminently Dead. The attitude the motorcycle community has about “squids” is evident when visiting UrbanDictionary.com and reading the definitions. If you are labeled as a squid, it could be for many different reasons – but the most common reason is for doing things that more experienced riders would call STUPID.

The next time you see a motorcyclist riding down the road without a helmet, or in shorts and flip-flops – remember my story. Before you write the rider off as an idiot and someone who is destined to be the victim of their own actions, remember that person is someone’s son or daughter, someone’s brother or sister, someone’s mom or dad, someone’s husband or wife, someone’s aunt or uncle, someone’s cousin, someone’s coworker, someone’s true love, someone’s high school crush, someone’s best friend, someone’s neighbor, someone’s only hope for happiness…

I was one of those “stupid people” who didn’t wear all of my gear. I was worse than a squid, I was the squidly pillion of a squid, but I was also someone’s daughter, sister, wife, cousin, best friend, coworker, high school crush, and neighbor. Don’t be so quick to think that I didn’t wear my gear because I knew what could happen. On the contrary, only a few very unlucky people know the true consequences, the reality of the situation, and the weight that this decision actually carries.  I didn’t wear all of my gear because no one had ever shaken me by the shoulders and told me this:

“If you don’t wear your gear, you will rip off all of your skin. It will hurt like hell for a long time… pain you cannot even imagine. You will rack up over half a million dollars worth of medical bills. You will put your family through the worst experience of their entire lives. Your amazing father, your daddy, will have to leave the hospital room on several occasions because of your screams in pain. Your husband will never come to visit you in the hospital, nor will he call or write to see how you are doing. You will know what it is like to be truly alone for the first time in your life. Your parents will be forced to miss work, lose sleep, drive to the hospital, and fear for your life every day for nearly 2 months. The financial burden on yourself and your family for the next several years will be large. You will lose your job. You will lose your ability to join the military and serve your country. You will lose the ability to walk and move on your own. You will never have beautiful skin again. You will lose all of your beautiful hair. You will spend your mother’s birthday in a hospital gown and a wheelchair. The emotional stress from this accident will affect you until the day you die. You will lose full motion in your knees for the rest of your life and they will be in constant pain. People will stare at you in the gym, in restaurants… hell, people will stare at you everywhere. You will never be fully free of the consequences of this decision. And all of this is what you are choosing when you choose not to wear gear.”

So, no, I had no idea what I was getting myself into… and neither do many of the riders out there today. This is not common sense, many people never even hear this message. This is where we have failed in the past – we have ALL failed.  We shake our heads and move along instead of taking the time to educate the public on the truth.  It is so easy to call someone stupid and look the other way, but what would you want someone to do for that rider if they were your son, your daughter, your best friend, your husband or wife, your sister or brother? The list of people you would hope hear this message goes on and on, and yet you choose not to help educate a perfect stranger. Where is the sense in that? When did we become so knowledgeable and special that we didn’t have the responsibility to pass along the all-important message?  I sense a great lack of willingness to not only improve ourselves as riders, but to help others improve as well. Get this through your head – our need for learning is never finished.

I am hell-bent on changing the way riders receive TRUE education about the consequences of riding without proper gear, proper training and proper attitude.  By all means, I understand that it’s not just about the gear.  However, the subject of gear is where I have a God-given ability to pull back the curtain and show people what the rest of the world is too scared, lazy, or “important” to show riders.  Sadly enough, there are more out there who have also been through what I have. I hope you are fortunate enough to have never experienced a crash like mine. Help me keep it that way for yourself, your families, and the riders who you otherwise would shake your head at. If you want things to change, it MUST start with us. I can tell you now that it makes a huge difference, even when you feel as if you’re the only one doing it. Spread the message, lead by example, and change someone’s life.

- Brittany

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New logo, new shirts, and new momentum!

There’s a new logo in town!  Rock the Gear, Inc. has officially upgraded from the helmet-and-crossbones logo of yesteryear.  Check out the newest “in your face” declaration of wearing full protection every time you ride. 

The new logo is available in both stickers and t-shirts.  Because Rock the Gear is not-for-profit, every donation made goes right back into funding our web and print education program. 

Find out how you can become a Rock the Gear supporter and get a t-shirt for FREE here.

Rock the Gear Supporters are individuals, groups, or companies who have supported the campaign through small one-time donations.  The Supporter Level encompasses any donation worth any amount under $500, including products, discounts, services or funding for our annual costs.  Becoming a Rock the Gear Supporter means becoming a valued contributor to our cause, helping us build on a sturdy foundation that is our mission and message.  Supporter Donations help fund our shipping program for individuals, Dealerships and MSF Rider Coaches, annual server and hosting costs, and allow us to keep our site functioning and updated weekly.

When you make a Supporter donation, you will receive a personal letter of thanks from Brittany Morrow, a subscription to our monthly e-newsletter, and a listing on the site spotlighting your contribution. If your donation is over $20, you will also receive a FREE t-shirt! 

Ladies, we didn’t forget you. Make a statement that you have brains to go with your beauty - and you want to protect them both!  The option for the pink logo is always available for anyone (yes, even guys). Don’t you just love having options? 

All of our t-shirts are relaxed fit and lightweight cotton so they are great for riding under a mesh or textile jacket in the summer, or even leather if that’s how you roll! However you choose to wear it, you’ll be helping us make a change in the way people think about gear - one rider at a time.  Be a part of the movement - get on board with this new momentum!

Thank you all for your continued support, encouragement, ideas and help.

~ Brittany

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Heat Wave!

Amid the recent heat wave across the United States, I took a ride from Sioux Falls, SD to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  These were some of the hottest states in the country over the past week!  Of course, this site is all about wearing all the gear every time you ride.  So, I figured I would share some pointers on how to keep cool in heat like this, if you chose to ride.

When riding in the heat, keep yourself cool by drinking a lot of water, more than you think you need even. Also, replace your lost salt content with electrolytes found in many sports drinks. Soak a bandana, towel, or sports-specific neck wrap in cold water and wear it around your neck while riding. Enjoy the AC inside during all of your frequent breaks, because keeping your core body temp under control is essential. There are a lot of other tricks to staying cool, so when in doubt… just ask a fellow rider!

Here is some gear advice from Kevin Young, a rider who lives in South Bend, Indiana:

Don’t forget, the road will bite you even in the heat. Don’t shed your gear no matter what. Contrary to popular belief, it can actually help keep you cooler than a t-shirt and shorts will.  It will help keep the sun off of your bare skin and the hot air from drying you out faster. So wet yourself down, hop on the bike, and make your own wind! When all else fails, find the nearest hotel with a pool… haha.  Thanks for reading,

Brittany

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