TMX Says - I knew Martin was alright
By TMX Archives on 6th Apr 16
In the same way that you should always judge a book by its cover its been specifically designed to target a certain audience so you can pretty much tell whether youre going to like it or not I reckon a handshake can tell you an awful lot about the man behind it.
Martin Lampkin became world trials champion before I was born and I only really learned about his legendary bike skills by tirelessly reading bound copies of On Two Wheels that my Uncle Raymond was kind enough to lend me when I was just a wee nipper.
If my memory serves me right – and it probably doesn't – the first time I actually met Mart in real life was in 2003 when in my rookie year as an off-road ‘journalist' I took in a Dougie Lampkin Trials Experience Day at Coniston Cold.
"Have you ever met Mart before?” asked G2F head honcho Jake Miller as this giant of a man dressed from head-to-toe in red XC-TING trials kit strode over holding out a huge bunch of granite-rough and equally tough banana-sized fingers that had hidden vice-like strength inside.
It was a good, firm handshake is the point I'm trying to make here. And that's the moment I knew that Martin was ‘alright'.
I'd be lying if I claimed that we had a massively meaningful relationship from that point on although we of course met many times most of which when Mart was busy shouting instructions at Dougie – ‘half a tyre right', ‘perfect at the back' and so on – while I tried to get the perfect shot.
But regardless of us both being busy, Mart always found time to have a friendly chat – albeit sometimes just a brief one.
And it wasn't just members of the media that Mart would reach out to, and I've read many an awesome anecdote on social media over the last few days highlighting what a great man he was, always finding time for people, always very friendly and totally genuine with it, too – all-in-all a top bloke!
One of the most moving tributes I've read comes from one of Martin's best friends Malc Rathmell which can be read in our four-page special that starts on page 10.
The pair were pretty much inseparable through the years and Rastus has very kindly offered up a very personal view of their relationship at what must be a difficult time for him, as well as the extended Lampkin family.
Reading Malc's bit – and being reminded of just how close they were – made me think of a photo where they're just about as close as anyone can get.
Shot by Sir Jack Burnicle it's probably one of my top 100 motocross photos of all time which is bizarre considering it stars two trials riders competing in a one-off TV Special called SuperBike 6. As well as showing they were both fierce competitors it also proves just how comfortable they were in each other's company – even if things did get a little intense...
