Sometimes when we carefully plan, calculate, focus and replay over and over in our mind what needs to be done it just doesn't happen exactly as we had envisioned. This past week, I got a phone call out of the blue from a good friend named Clay Cullen. Clay is an ex proffesional Jet Ski racer and now full time stuntman living the life and staying busy being what every young boy dreams of being at least once in his life.... A stuntman. You see, I have been very blessed since I quite racing proffesionaly. I was, or am lucky enough to have parlayed that into doing some movie and TV stunts the past couple of years and this call from Clay was to line me up with some work. The funny thing is, because I am a smaller guy it usualy (almost always) consists of me doing stunts on a motorcycle dressed up as a woman. I know funny isn't it? Here was the deal, Clay called and told me he and another buddy and Ex Pro desert racer Oakley Leahman, had given a stunt coordinater my name and number because there was a shot that had been filmed a couple of times and just wasn't getting done properly. So here enters me. They need me to come in and crash a BRAND NEW Ducati 848. Yeah, you heard me. A brand new, b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l motorcycle that had only 5 miles on it. The crash was simple, lay this bike down in an alley in downtown Los Angeles, China Town to be exact, for an all new TV show coming out called Dollhouse (see the trailer
here). Sounds simple right? Well imagine getting into your car, getting to about 20 miles per hour and then jumping out on the road and landing on just your left side and sliding, trying to come to a stop at a specific point all while 50 people are watching with bright lights and cameras rolling. Being the woman, I mean MAN :) that I am I quickly jmped at the opportunity and less than 24 hours later I was on my way to L.A. to get the shot done.
When I arrived on set I was quickly wisked away to get into costume and a wig. From there I went to scout the location of the crash. It really did look like an easy thing to do. It was slightly downhill, with a 90 degree left hander where I could lock up the rear brake get this thing on its side and be done with it. I am going to be honest, I was still scared, very scared. I mean I have crashed a countless amount of times throughout my life, but crashing on purpose, on ashphalt and on an unfamiliar bike still had me more worried than I wanted to be. Fortunetely, the crash scene was going to be the last shot of the night, so that meant we had a bunch of filming to do throughout the streets of China town until the wee hours of the morning.
All went well leading up to the big shot. I had a blast rushing through the streets on this Ducati, Oakley was the other stunt performer on the show and he and I got to have a blast rubbing elbows and riding on the sidewalks all while the L.A. police department had the streets locked down for our own "moto" playground. So after a few hours the coordinator looked at me and told me it was time to go. My heart sank and the butterflies started to race. It was indeed "go time".
We rode in the vans across town and to where the shot was going to take place. All night seemed to take hours and now time was flying by and it seems like merely seconds before I was told we were all set and ready to crash. I had replayed over and over in my mind what I wanted to do. I had calculated, planned and was ready. Get it up to 20, lay it over slide and go home happy. One shot. Let's do this and DON'T for any circumstance let this thing high side you up and over, because sliding is fine on asphalt, but thumping on it would hurt. So I gear up, say a little prayer close my face shield, high five Oakley and go to my staring point constantly remindiny myself "one shot, nail and lets go home". It is funny the things that go through your mind when you are waiting to throw yourself onto the ground as the director is counting dow.... "OK READY!... and rolling, cameras ready.......... ACTION!"
It was all up to me now, I clicked that Duck into first gear, rolled into the throttle, got to my mark hit the brakes, slid and............. HIGHSIDED. Yup. Everything I had planned, prepared for and went over in my mind was thrown out the window as I was flying through the air upside down. My worst fears had become reality and I was about to hit the ground and hit it hard. As I was about to hit the ground two things went through my mind, one was to NOT put my hands out as I would have surely broken my wrists and the other, was ow the hell was i going to miss the brick wall that was right in my path. Well, I was able to pull my hands back just as I hit the ground, which still hurt the palms of my hands but the wall, there was no avoiding and I hit it squarely on my back as I flipped into it.
With my adrenaline stilll going I was quick to my feet and teling everybody that I was ok. I was completely embarrased becasue we did not get the shot. Funny thing is. I highsided becasue I didn't fully commit to the crash. I was going too slow and did not go to the ground as I should have. The stunt coordinator rushed over to me to make sure I was ok, and as soon as I reassured him I was, He looked at me and I knew it was coming.... "can you go again?" "ABSOLUTELY!!!!" I said, I knew what I had to do, I knew what mistakes I had made and I came to get this shot, so we were going to do it again. In just a couple of minutes I was back to the starting point ready to do this and so mad at myself for failing that I promised myself full commitment to this and off I went. This time I shifted into second, went twice as fast and commited twice as hard to itting the ground. SMACK! I saw black for a second, felt the pain of sliding on ashphalt and then realized, I had nailed it. The crash was awesome and when I heard the director yell "CUT!" a smile came over my face as I knew I had got the job done. It may have taken two takes, but it was done. I got it done. So, after a long night I was able to drive home at 4am. I was so high on adrenaline, that it took me until halfway home to do a "status check" on my body. So, a couple bruised wrists, a badly bruised back and a slightly twisted ankle and all I could think about was "When will I get to do this again?"
This is the worst of it right here, A bruised left wrist, mission accomplished.
