It is said that the dead have not left us if their name is still spoken. Malcolm Smith passed away on November 26, and he has not left us.
I never met Malcolm, never saw him in person, never talked to him on the phone, never texted, never interacted on social media. Yet, Malcolm is my riding buddy.
The first time I saw Malcolm was at the Blue Gray motocross in Sparks, Maryland. It was dark and I was sitting on the side of a hill with my dad. Next to me, a reel-to-reel projector was clicking incessantly as Malcolm, on film, flickered by on a makeshift movie screen of painted boards nailed to four telephone poles.
The movie, On Any Sunday, is my favorite movie. Nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar in 1971, it illustrated the joy of motorcycling and changed the public’s perception of motorcyclists from hoodlums to heroes. The movie accelerated the growth of motorcycling in America and made Malcolm an everyman hero to everyone that threw a leg over a motorcycle.
In the 1970s, the Blue Grey was an annual 2-day motocross season capping event. The name is derived from the track’s location on the Maryland/Pennsylvania line. On Saturday night after a day of racing On Any Sunday was shown on that makeshift screen. My Dad and I sat on that hillside many a year.
Racing ahead to 2013, I moved in with my 90-year-old dad, and Malcolm returned to our lives. One afternoon I asked my dad, "Is "On Any Sunday“ your favorite movie? I could see the wheels slowly turning in his mind.
“I don’t know if it is my favorite movie but is one of my favorites,” he said and glanced over at me and smiled.
On Christmas 2013, my dad and I restarted an annual tradition – watching Malcolm.
We watched Malcolm race alone across Lake Chapala, race through the city and foothills of Elsinore, CA, represent his country in the forests of Spain, climb the Widowmaker, and cow trail the forbidden beaches of Camp Pendleton. We pictured him riding on the back of a truck hauling live sea turtles. Malcolm smiled through it all.
This Christmas I asked Helen if she wanted to watch Malcolm. I had told her on November 26 that Malcolm was racing in heaven with my dad. She knew I was not asking a question. She said, “Sure.”
From hillside to fireside Malcolm has ridden with me for 50 years. Every time I ride, I speak his name saying, “Thanks Malcolm.”
2nd Helping
More on Malcolm - the Motorcycle Racer, Entrepreneur, & Philanthropist: Godspeed Malcolm Smith (1941-2024) - Cycle News.
Yes, Malcolm is one of those rare individuals that achieve one-word name status – think Elvis, Bruce, and Bono. Even Taylor Swift has not achieved one-word status… yet. Since 1971, Malcolm Smith is Malcolm – Smith is extraneous.
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