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Silver Bullet is one of only a few Websites worldwide that receives the inimitable Desiree Crossman`s newsy behind the MotoGP scene column (not always PC). She reports on #21 John (Hopper) Hopkin`s MotoGP exploits and her own as they travel the globe.
Check out - HOPPER`S WEBSITE:
You can send your support to John - HERE:
Here in Malaysia:
Yes, we are here in Malaysia where John didn\'t get to ride due to the tumble in Japan. I guess the team is going to have to refresh his memory as to which way the track goes. :)
During the time we\'ve been home, we\'ve managed to just hang out and catch up on a few things. I\'ve already started my Christmas shopping and got a few family members done which is good. We also took the littlest ones (my brother and our nieces and nephews) to the FMX down in San Diego which was fun for them. Give them something to do, six kids and me and John. Luckily they were good or else John and I would of gone crazy. Puddle of Mudd also put on a benefit concert donating all the money to the fire victims, so I went to support that. It was a really good concert and a large turnout of San Diegans supporting a good cause.
Last week, we went to Vegas for the SuperMoto and Red Bull Athlete Appreciation weekend which was a blast. We left on Thursday morning to get there at a decent time. Red Bull USA definitely shows love to their athletes cause\' we were put up in the Palms Hotel, had all access pass to some of the hottest clubs in Vegas, which unfortunately John couldn\'t go cause\' he\'s not 21!!! Once we checked into the Palms, we walked over to the Rio where the SuperMoto was being held to see if anybody we knew was there. We did manage to run into a few heads and have a chat with them. Then John did an interview with a radio show called Speed Freaks which was a good laugh. John was chatting up with the hosts along with Jeremy McGrath for a good amount of time before we headed off to dinner. Didn\'t do too much that night except talk to Drake McElroy who we haven\'t seen since the Munich trade show earlier this year. Then we just called it a night. Call it a night in Vegas? Are we crazy? Well John can\'t go anywhere so we were limited and I\'m not going to go to a club by myself. But he did go out and cruise the strip with some of his friends. Sucks not to be 21 sometimes.
Anyway, Friday we had a Red Bull brunch which was cool, loads of athletes. After that, I met up with a friend and we headed over to the track to do the umbrella girl bit for the SuperMoto riders. They were short a girl so I volunteered to help. It was cold and windy so it wasn\'t the greatest weather to be wearing a short skirt and shirt, but it was fun to do for a day. I brollied for a guy who seemed to be excited that I was his brolly babe. Wow, I feel loved!! :)
When the race was over, we went back to the hotel to head over to the after party which was the best part. It was held at the Hilton in a suite that would make your mouth drop. Well, mine did anyway, I couldn\'t get over the view and the size of the suite. Let\'s just say we partied like rock stars!! Hung out with all sort of people, ran into people we haven\'t seen, ran into people we didn\'t expect to see, ran into people we didn\'t want to see(joking). It was good. We definitely enjoyed ourselves.
By the time we left, it was about 1:30 am and we went back to our hotel. Everytime we got into a cab, John would say, \"I\'m going to have to ask some security questions, we\'re not being taped for taxicab confessions are we?\" Every single cab he had to ask. It was hilarious. Once we got back to the hotel, we went to the Red Bull party which was held in Real World Suite. Yes the one where they taped the Real World. It\'s not as big as it looks on tv, but the whole interior design is wicked in person. Again, loads of people shoulder to shoulder. We didn\'t stay very long since we showed up around 2:30am. We just ran into a few heads, chatted abit and then left. It was good to see though.
The next day, there was a go-kart race with the athletes held on the top car park lot, but because it was so windy they cancelled that and went to an indoor circuit. We showed up a bit late, was told it was cancelled, so we decided to go home cause\' Monday we were flying out. So yes, we drove home on Saturday afternoon-aren\'t we party poopers? But we had to get some stuff done before heading over seas again so we weren\'t too bothered. Plus there was nothing else going on so it\'s not like we were missing much. But for the 2 full days we were there, we had a good time and we didn\'t even gamble!
We left Monday night from San Diego to LA and onto Taipei. That\'s a 13 and 1/2 hour flight. From Taipei, it was over the South China Sea to Malaysia. Today (Thursday our time, Wed night PST) we went to the track where John had some meetings and got a first hand look of the new rubber balls on the bike. Fortuna is here too, but no Vale. Jerry Burgess is here though, I\'m sure to get familiar with his new team. Kenny isn\'t here so it\'s just John tommorrow along with a few Yamaha riders. As far as the weather goes, same as always. Nice in the morning with scattered rain and 30 degrees. Lovely!!
Well for those of you who are American-HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! Talk to you all later!!
Des
