Andrew Allen: president and CEO, YSS

Photos by Duane Tinkey

 Tell us a little bit about your hobby. 

I race dirt bikes through the woods with my boys. Most weekends from late February to early November, our family loads up the RV and drives to a nondescript field adjacent to timber somewhere in the Midwest. We set up camp with 200 of our closest friends, fire up the pit bikes, break out the grill and light a campfire. You can feel the memories in the moment as they’re being made. After a long week, it’s pure enjoyment and a true sense of community. It’s more than the race day; it’s the race weekend, with our race family.

When did this hobby start for you? 

While I didn’t grow up riding motorcycles, my oldest son has always been fascinated by dirt bikes. As a child, there were times that he’d get upset and looking at dirt bikes on Craigslist was the only thing that would calm him down. Inevitably we bought one. Inevitably he wanted to race. This year is our fourth season of competition as a family.

What’s something this hobby provides you that applies to your job?

Embrace the struggle and enjoy the ride. I love innovation and big ideas. My mind skips from concept to successful project completion almost instantaneously. Yet with most things in life, it’s never a straight line to accomplish your goals. Racing dirt bikes is no different. Whether it’s a bad start, a misjudged off camber (oof), a bottleneck, a big hill, a wreck or exhaustion, adversity during a two-hour race is almost guaranteed. It would be easy to give up (I almost did my first season), but embracing the struggle in life and in the race allows me to enjoy the ride.

Tell us a tip or a fun fact about your hobby that most people wouldn’t know. 

Two things. First, you can learn to ride and race at any age. I started at 40. Over a race weekend, you’ll see riders from 4 to 74. Second, if you and your bike ever fall into a 40-foot ravine, just wait patiently for a couple of hours until the race is over and a sweeper will most likely pull you out.