FLASHBACK
MALCOLM AND BAJA: THE EARLY YEARS By Mitch Boehm
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his photograph, the lead image of chapter seven of Malcolm Smith’s acclaimed autobiography Malcolm! The Autobiography, is a doozie in composition, lighting and focus, and gives us a glimpse of just how demanding and difficult racing in Baja – the chapter’s title – really is. “Baja is really tough on bodies and equipment,” Malcolm told me recently as we looked at this this image together in his home. “I rode 200 miles with a flat tire and broken spokes,
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stopping often to tighten the spokes enough to keep the wheel together. That’s Bill Ydiando (in the vest) and Doug Douglas with me here.” The shot and situation also show how inventive and intelligent Malcolm was as a rider, traits that would serve him well in his off-road racing exploits and in ISDT competition, where he won eight gold medals. As Bruce Brown used to say, “Nice, Malcolm.”
