A former professional racer Topher Ingalls posted a video on YouTube that turned some heads the wrong way. It was supposed to be a funny advertisement for his real estate work. The video shows Ingalls as he commutes to work at Buschur Realty in San Luis Obispo. California Highway Patrol didn’t find the video amusing – they are now investigating the video to see whether or not any traffic laws were broken.
This incredible promotional video in which this retired motocross-rider-turned-real-estate-agent leaps a 101 Freeway access ramp and blasts through farmland along the busy highway in San Luis Obispo, Calif., has triggered an investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
In the video it is very clear that the rider is highly skilled, and even though he wears a helmet, tie and riding boots – to make things more interesting, not everyone thinks this promotion is quite suitable.
“It is disturbing that someone would drive so carelessly on the freeways like that, putting innocent people in danger,” CHP officer Patrick Seebart said.
After viewing the video Friday, Seebart said the Templeton CHP office would investigate the incident to determine whether any traffic laws had been broken.
Reached by telephone Friday, Ingalls told The Times that he just wanted to share his experience of transitioning from racing to real estate and that he didn’t intend to do anything unsafe.
He said he has gotten mostly positive feedback from riders and fellow Realtors, but said he was taking the video down.
“It depends on how you look at it. It’s not a video of destruction or reckless stuff,” said Ingalls, who rode professionally for six years. “None of it felt dangerous to me.”
Atascadero police Sgt. Caleb Davis said the stunts were “extremely dangerous” and said it looked like Ingalls was riding on private property.
“That guy is jumping off some areas I’ve never seen before,” Davis said. “At least he was wearing a helmet.”
The video has irked some in the motorcycle community, including Aaron Cortez, who writes for the Bike Bandit Blog. Cortez wrote that videos like Ingalls’ can harm a sport whose riders are mostly law-abiding
“These are the kind of stunts that are not only dangerous, but also draw the ire of the nonriding public at large, who use this as ammunition to ban vehicles, close down riding areas and encourage police to ‘crack down’ on riders,” Cortez wrote.
The video got picked up by Cycle World, which called it “the best marketing video we’ve seen in years, if not ever.”
Cycle World associate editor Bradley Adams gave Ingalls props for trying to inspire riders.
“I’m not sure that everything (or anything) in this video is 100% legal, but I’ll give credit to Ingalls for thinking outside of the box and putting the clip together,” Adams wrote.
Via: The Kansas City Star
What do you think? Do you find it fun and amusing or do you think it’s just too much?
Let us know in the comments!
(Source: The Kansas City Star)
