Catching the Sky

by Colten Moore, Keith O'Brien (Editor)

Overview

Discover the true “uplifting, exhilarating, tragic and triumphant” (The Dallas Morning News) story of the Moore brothers’ heartbreaking experience at the Aspen Winter X Games from the man who lived it as he struggled to move on from tragedy, defeat the odds, honor his family, and win gold.

Colten and Caleb Moore were two brothers who heeded the call of extreme sports. Their dreams, paired with hard work and family sacrifice, eventually became reality. With their striking athleticism, innovation, and appetite for risk, the Moore brothers became stars on the burgeoning freestyle ATV and snowmobile circuits. If it had wheels or treads, they could flip it—often higher and better than anyone else—joining a band of pioneers intent on breaking new ground and in a new sport before multitudes of fans at the X Games and beyond.

In this vivid, page-turning adventure narrative, Colten Moore offers a profound and deeply moving perspective on his life and that of his older brother, who tragically lost his life while competing in Aspen in 2013. Catching the Sky is a clear-eyed look at extreme sports, what drives people to take wild chances, and how one man, Colten, couldn’t stop even after the worst possible outcome. His story reminds us that we can dream and sometimes achieve the impossible, that we can follow our own path, that we can lose everything, only to find it again—often in the most unlikely place.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501117251
Publisher:	S&S/37 Ink
Publication date:	02/07/2017
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Colten Moore is a six-time X Games medalist and a pioneer in the world of extreme sports. He has competed and performed around the world but will always consider his native Texas home. He lives in suburban Dallas.

Keith O’Brien is an award-winning journalist. His work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times Magazine, Slate, and on NPR. He is the author of Outside Shot, a book chronicling the power and meaning of basketball in rural Kentucky.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Prologue 1

Part I The Flatlands

Come and Get It 11

Full-Blooded 14

The Hardest Kind of Life 20

Honky-Tonk Savior 25

Cow Palace 29

Trophies 36

College Money 44

You're Not Going to Like Me 58

Sketchy 74

To Practice and Be Safe 80

Panic Rev 86

Part II The Valley

This Darn Contraption 95

Adrenaline Era 104

Seven Hundred Pounds 113

Cockamamie 122

Follow Me 129

Rookies 135

Going Big 145

Cruel 152

As the Snow Falls 160

Twenty Minutes 171

Part III The Mountaintop

Streets of Gold 183

Stakeholders 192

Mental Lists 197

Some People Have It 205

On Board 214

Gambling 222

Epilogue 236

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 247

Editorial Reviews

Far more than astory of sports—this is a brilliant slice of American life, a classic tale of acouple of good old boys who dared to fly, dared to dream big, and paid aterrible price. Catching the Sky is a white-knuckle ride you’llnever forget.

author of Luckiest Man - Jonathan Eig

"Watching the X Games is a little bit like reading Catching the Sky. Once you start, it's hard to stop. Journalist Keith O'Brien pulls a story out of snowmobiler Colten Moore that is filled with brisk tension, real emotion and heart-stopping action."

author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America's Fi - Doug Most

"From the first page of Catching the Sky to the last, I thoughtthe Moore brothers and everyone around them were stone crazy. But the story isso well told that I couldn’t stop reading, and by the end, even I—a totalskeptic—could see a flash of nobility in the crazy urge to fly a snowmobile."

author of To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Race for Flight - James Tobin

With skill and courage, soaring through the air on snarling machines, the Moore brothers would travel from the hardscrabble Texas flatlands to international renown and riches. Set in an era of high-stakes sports as entertainment, their story is a parable for our times. With crisp, evocative writing, Catching the Sky captures their wins and losses with heart and grace, and leaves one with the utmost concern over the consequences of the terrible risks they take.

author of Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight - Mat Higgins

"At turns turns uplifting, exhilarating, tragic and triumphant."

Dallas Morning News

I didn’t know anything about snowmobiling before I read Catching the Sky—but we all know about family, personal tragedy, and redemption. True, the Moore brothers are more courageous—or crazier, take your pick—than most of us, but Colten’s dream is everyone’s dream: ‘To live the life I wanted.’ It’s hard not to admire Colten’s determination to do exactly that—and it’s hard to put down Catching the Sky. Keith O’Brien can flat-out write.

author of the New York Times bestseller Endzone: The Rise, Fall and Return of Michiga - John U. Bacon

★ 11/16/2015
The “Infamous Moore Brothers”—as Colten and Caleb Moore were known on the extreme sports circuit—established themselves as daredevil all-terrain vehicle (ATV) racers and thrill riders before taking ESPN’s 2010 X Games by storm on snowmobiles. They grew up poor on the dusty prairie of the Texas panhandle, far away from the snow-covered plains of the upper Midwest (where snowmobiling originated), but they eventually pushed the boundaries of mankind, machine, and gravity. In January 2013, their captivating narrative took a tragic turn when Caleb, 25, became the first competitor to die at the X Games, due to an unsuccessful backflip attempt. The accident devastated Colten, two years his brother’s junior. He sank into depression before deciding to ride again, going on to win gold (and a personal redemption) at the 2014 X Games. Colten and journalist O’Brien (Outside Shot) vividly chronicle the Moore brothers’ rise to fame, their switch from ATVs to snowmobiles, the rewards and challenges of their profession, and the dangers of their chosen sport. The tone is honest, natural, and more sophisticated than readers might expect, making this an early contender for 2016’s top sports books. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

With skill and courage, soaring through the air on snarling machines, the Moore brothers would travel from the hardscrabble Texas flatlands to international renown and riches. Set in an era of high-stakes sports as entertainment, their story is a parable for our times. With crisp, evocative writing, Catching the Sky captures their wins and losses with heart and grace, and leaves one with the utmost concern over the consequences of the terrible risks they take.

author of Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight - Matt Higgins

01/01/2016
In January 2013, at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, Caleb Moore underrotated his snowmobile in a difficult flip called a tsunami indy. Caleb was separated from his snowmobile, which hit him full in the chest, and died from the impact a week later. Colten Moore, Caleb's younger brother, has written this book, with journalist O'Brien (Outside Shot), to help people understand those who take seemingly unnecessary risks to life and limb. Colten is also coming to terms with himself after the loss of his brother, best friend, and idol. The story of the Moore's lives in Texas is filled with poverty and harsh living. Both brothers turned to riding four-wheelers as a hobby; injuries, such as when Colten broke both femurs in a rural race, did not hold them back at all. Their parents, although scared for their boys' health, embraced fully their love of racing. Soon the boys were winning competitions throughout Texas and elsewhere. A switch to snowmobiles led them to the Winter X Games. VERDICT Moore's well-written memoir will enthrall fans of extreme sports, the X Games, and those trying to find their way after losing a loved one.—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

Library Journal