Ep 71: Eric Bostrom, Motorcycles & Health

The Nik Hawks Show

After a chance meeting while coaching young athletes I stayed in touch with Eric Bostrom for two reasons. First, he had a clean energy. I know that sounds pretty damn woo-woo, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve just learned to trust my gut more when it comes to meeting people. Eric was soft spoken but from the moment I met him there was an obvious intensity to him. That leads to the second reason: He was a champion motorcycle racer. You don't get to be a champion by being unfocused, and God knows I love the folks who can dial in focus to the white hot intensity of a thousand burning suns. Getting on a motorcycle (for me) represents the fastest way to transition from the normal humdrum of life into an experience that puts you at mortal peril. One minute you’re straddling an inert piece of metal and plastic in front of your house, the next you’re in traffic, whipping along at speeds humans just weren’t meant to attain, surrounded by heavy and fast beasts that basically don’t notice or care whether you exist. Bloody dangerous, and open to anyone crazy enough to swing a leg over and twist the throttle. Racing motorcycles is a few steps further, and something I’ve always thought far too dangerous for me. Eric is one of those guys who raced at a bunch of levels, who chased victory hard for years because that’s how he paid the bills, and who squeaked through the injury cycle of professional motorsports and out the other side with a combination of skill and luck. On that far side of competition he created a solution for the neck and back pain that had come from the crashing, dings, and dents that are a part of hurtling through space with basically no protection. At the end of the show we talk about the Backmate, which we use at the Paleo Treats office. Not only does the thing work and provide relief, it stands as a shining example of how to ROCK a Kickstarter campaign. You’ll notice some common themes with Eric and Brian Enos. Competition forces you to get better. The more skilled you become, the better you are at listening to your environment. You don’t need to try harder to go faster, you need to think better. Enjoy the convo, and for all the show notes & links, sign up at the Deep Diver level at nikhawks.com Cheers, NFH