Sunday, May 24, 2015

California State Championships

This climb was steeper than it looks.
The NICA California State Championships took place at the Los Olivos Dirt Ranch and was an exciting way to wrap up another high school racing series.  The course had a mix of short but steep climbs that required a lot of power, fast rolling terrain, and a handful of descents that required a little bit off skill to keep it fast.  I was pleased with the course and the tricky climbs and fast downhills fit my riding style more than other courses on the high school circuit.

Varsity train.
I was given a nineteen place call up out of the sixty-five varsity boys who competed at Los Olivos.  This was a good starting position but unfortunately I was passed by quite a few racers in the all out fireroad start that then turned into a demoralizing steep climb that left a few riders running their bikes.  I was able to make up time on the downhill sections but always felt a little slow on the climbs.  By my third lap I started to feel better on the climbs and was also able to pass a few riders in the blown out rutted corners.  After four grueling laps experiencing everything form heat and sun to a light sprinkling of rain I finished 29th out of the sixty-five fastest junior racers in California.

Rad savages!
The Nevada Union Miners smashed it at states and the entire season.  Thanks so much to parents, athletes, and coaches that keep our team the raddest savages around!  I can't wait for the next NICA season as well as the many races I have lined up for this summer.

The downhill sections were fast and fun.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

CES #1 Battleborn Enduro


Practice on Stage 5.

Well it happened again, the Battleborn Enduro proved to be a fun and successful event for all of the nearly 300 competitors who descended upon Peavine Mountain near Reno, Nevada.  Despite rain and snow storms all through the previous week the Battleborn trails were dry, dusty, and loose as ever, keeping racers on their toes the entire day and making cornering interesting.  After a short riders’ meeting, racers made their way up the first transfer stage. This consisted of a gradual eight mile climb that put racers on the top of the fast and loose first stage.  Even with competitors separated into two groups there was a fairly long wait at the top of the first stage and racers stood shivering in the wind, some seeking shelter low to the ground or behind their bikes.  The cold temperature at the first stage proved to be a sharp contrast of last year’s race which saw temperatures in the 90s all day.   Tightened and stiff muscles made me feel awkward on the bike and it took awhile to find my flow on the first stage. 

Just before dropping in to Stage 1.
The second stage starts with a series of sharp blown out corners and then opens up into one of the fastest sections of the course but still managed to throw in a handful of little climbs that could make you feel like you were bleeding from the eye balls if you wanted to carry speed.  I felt a lot better on the second stage but still did not feel completely confident in my race run and kept it conservative in the corners.
Enduro transfer stages!
To get to the third stage racers had some climbing to do after picking up some great tasting nutrition from the Tahoe Trail Bar aid station.  The beginning of stage 3 is always a bit of a challenge with a series of extremely tight switchbacks that can break even the most experienced racers.   After that it becomes one of the more wide open stages of the day and can get really fast towards the bottom.  For me this is where my race finally started to come together and I started to feel more and more comfortable in the loose ball bearing dirt of Peavine Mountain.
Getting ready for stage 5.
After a little more pedaling it was time to shred the fast, extremely physical, and longest stage of the day.  Stage four starts out with a fun, fast, and flowy downhill section with bermed corners and the occasional table top.  However the fourth stage is not all fun and games the course soon turns into a true test of racers fitness with a bit of climbing and a flat path along a creek bed that leaves you with no choice but to put the power down for a decent race time.  For Beginner/Sport racers this was the finish of their Battleborn adventure, but for Experts/Pros it was time to pedal up one more transfer stage to the most technical stage of the day.

      Stage 5 was a welcome sight to more downhill oriented racers and featured several burly rock gardens as well as a steep chute section.  Depending on how fatigued you were at this point stage five could leave you grinning ear to ear or coming off the mountain with a broken bike or body.  I kept my run as smooth and consistent as possible and was able to make it to the bottom in one piece and can easily say it was my favorite stage of the day.
Liam Ruff in second and Matt Koen in first for Expert Boys U18.
The Battleborn Enduro is definitely not an event to miss and was a perfect way to kickoff another exciting California Enduro Series season.  This race is truly an all around test of technical skill and pure fitness that make up the best mountain bikers.  Even though I felt slightly off in the beginning of the day I managed to finish second place in the Expert Boys U18 category offering redemption for my numerous chain drops and mechanical issues I suffered from last year.  The Battleborn Enduro was a blast riding with rad people on sweet trails.


Second place medal!

 

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Nevada City Dirt Classic #1


The first Nevada City Dirt Classic took place just five miles outside of Nevada City in the Tahoe National Forest on some fun wooded trails.  The first event in the three race series saw record attendance with 102 participants and many spectators and volunteers.  With Expert and Pro riders racing 28 miles with 3600 feet of climbing it proved to be a challenging day of racing.


  I hammered my way into 2nd place in Expert Men 15-18 a very competitive category that held some of the fastest times of the day.  Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors that make these events possible!  Make sure to attend the next two events, for more information go here.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Boggs NorCal Championships

Varsity start.
The NorCal League Championships usually take place at Boggs Mountain and always proves to be the most enjoyable race of the season with camping, awesome trails, and fun times.  After racing here last year I have been looking forward to coming back as the trails are the most technically challenging and fun of the high school season.  They are very similar to what me and the rest of the Nevada Union MTB Team race and train on the rest of the year.  During practice the trails had a layer of dust on top of the hardpack tread and with some rain the night before the race conditions were all time.

Boggs is butter!
 Coming into the race 4th overall I was looking forward to what the day would bring.  At the end of a long, hard, but fun day of racing I finished 9th in Varsity which was consistent with my previous results of the season and landed me in 7th place overall a result I am completely happy with.  The Nu Miners also finished 4th as a team in D1 which is a very solid result.


  The high school racing season is coming to a close and it has been great to race against so many fast and inspiring students athletes this year, I can not wait for California State Championships at Los Olivos as well as the Nevada City Dirt Classic and the kickoff to the California Enduro Series, Battleborn on Peavine mountain which all take place in the next couple of weeks.

Start line.

The Varsity boys line up.

NorCal Race #4 Petaluma

Photo cred Robert Lowe.
The fourth stop of the NICA NorCal League race series took place in Petaluma, California at a new venue on a private ranch.  The course was a wide machine made trail with a handful of completely blown out off camber corners on the descents, and I would have to say it was my least favorite course I have raced on yet.

The course was not lacking in physical beauty.
Despite the course not fitting with my riding style I felt good on race day and managed to finish 7th in the very competitive Varsity boys category.

Varsity train.
I was staged in the second row and was able to hammer behind some fast guys for most of the race and I am very happy with my result which put me in 4th place overall going into NorCal Championships at Boggs Mountain.  Even though I was not super excited about the race course I would like to thank the property owners and the NorCal League for putting on this event and all of the other races that open up new opportunities to hundreds of youths.

Sprint to the finish!