It hasn’t rained in Whistler for what feels like forever. After a cold + wet June, which I thankfully missed, it has been non-stop sun. There was no rain in the forecast but this afternoon the skies got dark and the wind picked up and it absoluetly poured. I love rain like that…and apparently so does everyone else, it was pure comedy.
There was a fair bit of lightning too which is kinda dangerous this time of year given how dry it is. The heli’s have been running nonstop since the rain stop undoubtably on the fire patrol.
In other news, slopestyle went down at Crankworx Colorado today and Whistler local Brandon Semenuk crushed everyone and took home the gold. Nice work Brandon!!
Went back to the doctor on Wednesday to get the ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ for surgery…luckily I got the ‘nay’ for another week and a bit. The bones are still very broken but the doctor is confident that they will heal if they don’t move, at all. So I walked away with a new pink cast, complete with a Gore liner that can withstand some sweat and water. The best part of this break is that I have already gone through 3 casts…as soon as they get gross, its time for a new tight one.
While I have been going semi-crazy not riding my bike, I have been using the gym to take the edge off it. Getting absolutely destroyed feels good cause then I can go home/lake and not feel bad about sitting on my bum because I can’t move anyway. haha.
Yesterday, despite being worked, I hiked up to Loggers Lake with Carlos and Danielle which was a lot of fun. I had never been up there before so it was cool to check out someplace new. Although I don’t think it is the prettiest lake Whistler has to offer, it is cool in that its deep and there are a bunch of rope swings…no, I didn’t go on the rope swing with my arm. Anyway, yesterday was just another reminder why Whistler is the best place on earth. :) I made a list of all the hikes I want top do, I will keep y’all posted on my favs.
You couldn’t keep me down too long, Been back in the gym loving/hating (loving way more than hating) every minute of it and keeping my head in the game…I am hungrier than ever right now!!!! Watch out :)
Sooo I think it’s pretty obvious from the photo above that things didn’t go so good for me this weekend. Actually they went pretty good…until I crashed. I have been having so much fun riding my bike recently and I think that was pretty obvious this weekend. I was riding with confidence and I was just having fun, didn’t really feel a whole lot of pressure. It was just another day goofing around on the bike :)
On my last practice run before qualis I hiked back up to hit the jumpy section cause I wasn’t getting good flow…I was over jumping the first jumps causing me to loose speed for the hip. So, yah, walked back up, hit the jumps perfect and as I was rounding the corner into the hip, my wheels started sliding but I just stayed committed because I was sure they were gonna hook up, they did, and then I started pedaling and then they broke loose again. I was already totally committed so I just slammed on the ground, Not exactly sure how I landed on my arm but I felt it break under me…eww.
Of course, I am absolutely devastated. I want to be riding my bike right now, not sitting on the sidelines but accidents happen and I have no regrets. Whenever an accident happens, I always think what I could have done differently to avoid it. To be honest, I wouldn’t have done anything different, If I were to go into that section today I would have done the exact same thing. We ride DH, accidents are inevitable, you can’t push it and expect to never get an injury.
Anywayyyy, Sol Vista was a lot of fun, glad I made the trip out. Jill took it home for the ladies. So pumped for her. She just knows what needs to happen and makes it happen…yahhhhh Jill :) Aaron took it home for the guys…he crashed in the same spot as me in his qualifying run but came out relatively unscathed and managed to secure the win in the finals.
Just wanted to give a shout out to all my wounded soldiers this weekend….theres a lot. Cripple party comin’ up :)
The scene up at 4X last night was great. Tons of people. Cowbells. A beer garden. Lots of passing and taking out. It was pretty exciting!!
I guess the beauty of 4X is that you never really know what is going to happen…there are so many variables involved when there are 4 people going down a course at once. The defending men’s national 4X champion, Mitch Repolato hit the deck hard in practice on Thursday breaking his collarbone so he was out of contention leaving the door wide open for a number of other people. Logan Bingenelli qualified first and was looking good but was taken out in the semi-finals. Barry Nobles…a BMX guy was also looking really strong. A crash in the final between the guys in front opened the doors for Ross Milan to take the win.
Jill Kintner, the defending US 4X Champion for the women…the one who has absolutely dominated 4X for the last few years has moved on from 4X to now focus on DH so she watched from the sidelines. Kathy Pruitt is in the hospital after a horrible crash in the DH. The most obvious choice for the ladies last night would have been Buhly…former US National Champion and World Champion….she is an absolute ripper. Anyway, like I said, 4X can be pretty crazy sometimes and she got taken out in the finals and Neven Steinmetz took the win.
Congrats to Ross and Neven…our new 4X National Champs!
So after hanging in Boulder and Keystone, I found myself in Sol Vista for National Champs. I like Sol Vista. I mean the park doesn’t have a whole lot of elevation, the air is thin and it is hot and dusty as hell but trail builders at Sol Vista have a lot of heart and really put in some serious effort in what they build. They are also very progressive in their building and build in a way which helps the sport progress. Last year they built 3 huge jumps on the course that wayyy too many of the pros were having a hissy fit over. I mean they scared the shit out of me but I think that they were needed for the sport…if we want to grow we have to step it up and be a little bit scared. That race last year redefined my thoughts of big jumps…I like them now and I actually feel pretty comfortable on them. Pretty rad!
Anyway, this year is no different. While the jumps are not quite as big they are much more technical. For the most part the course is pretty straightforward….its super loose and rocky with little doubles here and there…fun!! I think the hardest part of the course is carrying speed in all of the loose stuff…its so easy to get bogged down or blow out corners. About halfway down the course there is a pretty big drop which is supposedly 12 feet into an immediate step-down into a double/triple into a pretty big hip then into another double/triple then you are out in the open for a bit before you hit a 35-40 ft double in the trees….and then you have a bit more out in the open…and then you are done!
So yah, its pretty cool. I opted to sit out the first day of practice to give the stitches in my knee an extra day. I didn’t really feel like I was missing much….I really wanted to ride but I just walked the course and conserved energy….tried to be sensible! ha. Fridays practice was so fun…struggled a bit carrying consistent speed but it was so good to get out of my element. We only had 45 minutes of practice this morning but I felt wayyyy better…good to have a night to digest the dust. ha.
All the Specialized people are here because of the dealer event so thats pretty rad. I am staying in a super rad house…gotta love the Specialized All-Ride crew….always a good time :)
I am going to go watch 4x in a bit here. R\ace is tomorrow so I will keep you posted.
I always look forward to National Champs every year…chasing those stars and stripes is a big deal!
For the second year in a row, National Championships will be hosted at Sol Vista Bike Park. Before heading out to Sol Vista, I got to hang in Boulder with my little sister, Ali. Ali and I both went/go to CU so I will always have a soft spot for Boulder. Al and I got in some proper girl time with a bit of shopping, manicures and pedicures and some food and drinks. Quite fabulous. We hardly ever get time like that anymore!
From Boulder I went out to Keystone for a day for the 2011 Specialized Dealer event. It was pretty cool to see all the 2011 product in person and listen to all the product presentations. It is great for me as an athlete to get to know the product lines in this way so that I can better represent Specialized…lots of facts and figures, comparisons, changes…! I even spoke a bit at the women’s product presentation about the 2011 Safire which I have been testing for quite awhile.
The photos from the Moab shoot were everywhere…not gonna lie, I was pretty pumped on that.
I do not know what has come over me but all I can think about is learning tricks right now. I have never had a desire to learn tricks until like a week ago…or guess two weeks ago now. After watching all the freeride guys throw the most ridiculous of combos it kinda made me jealous. Got the backflip….gonna get it supper good and then bust it out somewhere soon.
My latest obesssion right now is the front flip….I have no idea how I got it in my head but its all I can think about right now, I go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. Its just an airbag but I was so freaked out to even try it in there. The movement is so obscure….like you go off the lip and then you have to change all your momentum in the air. The first try at anything is always the scariest….I just didn’t know what it was going to be like going for it and I didn’t want to land on my head. I finally braved up and went for it this evening and it went better than I thought but somehow my bike got seperated from me mid rotation and it landed on my knee putting a deep little gash it that needed a few stitches. Whoops.
I am headed to Nat Champs tomorrow in Colorado. Pretty pumped, the course looks really fun. I was supposed to go to Europe for the Champery and Val di Sole World Cups but I have decided to come back to Whistler cause I have a few projects up my sleeve that I won’t have time for at any other time this summer.
I love racing the World Cups but I think that this ‘playtime’ on the bike is exactly what I need. The first year of racing World Cups is always a learning experience…I have learned so much so far and I feel like everything I am doing will set me up for success later this season and on through next year and the future. I think I have discovered my secret recipe for success! ;)
Ohhh yes and in other news…Greg Watts and Mike Montgomery went straight from COC to GoatStyle taking #1 and #2 respectivily! Yahhh boys!
PS- Look what Watty McWatterson is wearing in this photo!
Last night marked the end of session B! It was such a good week and I am pooped now!
Not to get all cheesy and stuff but I think that this week coaching was one of the best things that could have happened to me. I love racing so much but I really feel like sometimes I just get so caught up in it all that I forget why I ride. This week reminded me why I love bikes…FUNNN! So many big trains. Learning. Teaching. Shredding. Hucking. Slow. Fast. Getting loose. Sending it. Cruising. Tech. Jumps. Berms. Sun. Rain. Just having fun and being in the moment!
There is nothing like racing, I love it. I love the drive that it gives me to go that much faster and train that much harder. I just love going fast and I hate getting beat. I don’t think that that competitiveness will ever change. I want to be the best, period. Racing is in my blood. But when you get so fixated on the end result you forget about the journey…I feel like that’s what has happened to me the past few months (or year?)….and its pretty cool that it took a week at summer camp to open my eyes again! :)
Yahhhhh!! So pumped. It’s crazy, I didn’t start the week thinking about doing a backflip but after watching all the boys throw down, I was the odd one out so it was time to step it up…there was no reason not to and every reason to do it!
