Dr. Easy Rider: Modesto Doctor keeps Motocrossers
revved up
By KERRY McCRAY
BEE STAFF WRITER
(Published:
Wednesday, June 21, 2000)
Jondy Cohen likes to think
of himself as sensitive -- motocross sensitive.
The
Modesto orthopedic surgeon is in tune with the needs of
motocross riders -- athletes who race roaring motorcycles
through mud and dust in pursuit of the finish line.
A
motocross rider himself, Cohen has made a speciality of
treating the athletes by keeping appointments in the office
and on the racetrack. He sees about two riders a week, even
more when riders converge on Northern California for a series
of weekend races.
He's treated some big names in the
sport, including Ryan Morais, a 17-year-old from Turlock who
is considered the top intermediate rider in the nation. He's
also treated Tallon Vohland, Robert Harold, Jeff Pestana and
Danny Paladino, all well-known in the sport.
"It's
kind of a thrill," said Cohen, 41, a motocross fan from way
back.
He took an interest in the sport as a child
growing up in Agoura, but his parents wouldn't let him have a
motorcycle. Too dangerous, they said.
When Cohen was
in high school, his parents gave in. He began riding, but gave
it up after he graduated from medical school at Tulane
University in New Orleans.
In 1992, he got involved in
the sport again when he treated professional motocross racer
Jack Azevedo for an injured thumb and arm. Since then, two of
his three children -- 10-year-old Logan and 6-year-old Landon
-- have taken up the sport.
Cohen figured as long as
he was driving his sons to the track, he might as well ride,
too. He now competes in races for those 40 years and older.
Hanging out at the racetrack, Cohen made a name for
himself as a doctor who treats motocross racers. He knows the
riders' race schedules, even keeps track of their wins and
losses.
He helps them decide when they can ride again
after an injury or when they should bow out of a competition.
Cohen treats riders from throughout the state, but
mostly sees patients from the Central Valley and the Bay Area.
Recently, he flipped through the spring issue of Motofly
magazine, noting photos of riders who also are his patients.
One of his patients, Turlock champion Morais, came to
Cohen a few years back when he broke his arm. The rider
explained that he needed to ride with the injury in order to
qualify for an important race.
Instead of treating
Morais at his Stanislaus Orthopedic and Sports Medicine
Clinic, the doctor arranged to meet Morais at a track. He
posed him on a motorcycle with his arm bent as it would be
while riding. Cohen fit a cast on the bent arm and Morais was
able to race.
That's not to say Cohen lets athletes
take chances. He's the first to advise that they sit out a few
months if necessary, his patients say.
"He just knows
the right stuff to do," Morais said.
Unlike his
parents, Cohen doesn't believe motocross is dangerous -- that
is, more dangerous than other sports. Most injuries he sees
are fractures, similar to those downhill skiers incur.
Most doctors he knows are against motorcycle riding,
but that's because they've seen riders come into the emergency
room after being injured on the street or the highway, he
said. Street riders may not wear protective clothing, and when
they fall, they usually land on asphalt.
Not so during
organized motocross races, Cohen said. Pads and helmets are
required. Riders fall on dirt, not pavement.
Cohen
enjoys treating riders, in part, because it's satisfying to
see them come back from an injury to race again. It's exciting
for him to help his heroes -- the Steve Youngs and Michael
Jordans of the motocross set.
Cohen's excited about
treating Morais. The young man, who recently underwent wrist
surgery at Doctors Medical Center, will turn pro when he
recovers.
"Of all the local guys, he's the one to keep
an eye on," he said.
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