TT3D

I finally had the opportunity to watch the Isle of Man TT documentary TT3D: Closer to the Edge and I'm struggling to find words to appropriately describe the film.  Words like "amazing", "fantastic", "astonishing", "incredible", and so on don't come close to describing it.

Every motorcyclist worth his weight in fouled spark plugs knows about the TT.  It's an awe-inspiring celebration of all things bike laid out over a two-week period on the picturesque Isle of Man.  For those two weeks, the island is filled to capacity with bikes.  And that's not including the race bikes, which fly around the island while nudging 200 mph.  The TT is simultaneously wonderful, if only for the sheer madness of it, and tragic, which it is for the number of riders the TT has claimed.

The film mainly follows the exploits of English rider Guy Martin at the 2010 TT.  Martin is an easily-likable guy who looks all-the-world like Wolverine.  And since Martin is from North Lincolnshire, his speech is virtually indecipherable.  Even with closed captioning, it's hard to understand what he's saying.

The film allows a look into the inner workings of the TT, following several riders in addition to Martin as they train and prepare for the race.  It's amazing how much time goes into the preparation for this event.  The preparation is similar to what goes into a whole season of circuit racing.

The TT course is another beast entirely.  The Snaefell Mountain Course is almost 38 miles in length and is fraught with danger.  The roads are lined with trees, hedges, stone walls, and other obstacles.  And that's just the roads in town.  Once you're out on the mountain, there are hills on one side and big drops on the other.  The road surface is very narrow and uneven.  There are numerous jumps and the bikes flying around the course never look settled.  They always look one slight move away from total loss of control; I guess because they are.

Anyway, back to the film.  The tragic side of the TT is also presented with a look at the family of Paul Dobbs.  Dobbs, a rider from New Zealand, was killed in a Supersport 2 race during the the 2010 TT.

Under the ambition and history of the TT is a rather dark underbelly.  The TT has claimed quite a number of lives since the first one in 1907 and that trend probably won't change in the near future, either.  It really hits home seeing Dobbs' young children who'll grow up without him.  It's really surprising the TT still goes on, to be frank.

And since the results of the 2010 TT are easily accessible, I'll spoil the ending: Martin's search for TT glory is dashed by a horrific accident.  Martin loses the front of his bike in a fast bend and becomes separated from it.  The bike goes one way and slams into a wall, bursting into flames before tumbling down the track.  Martin goes the other way and tumbles in his own right.  Martin is taken to the hospital where the extent of his injuries are diagnosed: broken ribs, punctured lung and so on.  Let's have a round of applause for modern motorcycle safety gear.

Really, watch TT3D if you have the chance.  It's a fantastic film that helps you to respect the effort and ambition behind the riders even more.  It's easy to pass them off as loons for undertaking such a mad race but a lot of the ambition is in their blood.  Martin's father raced in the TT.  Conor Cummins was born on the island.  For the Dunlop brothers, being the sons of Robert Dunlop and the nephews of TT great Joey Dunlop, it's is a family tradition.

For me, I just wish I knew what Guy Martin was saying...