There is a huge BMX racing scene in Cumberland. We're talking mainly little kids and young teenagers. Last weekeend was part of the Island cup of BMX racing, so of course there were tonnes of wee tots riding around the town rippin', and lovin life.
A father and his 2 sons stayed at the hostel for the night before the race. I saw the bikes in the bike room and the kids running around, didnt think much of it. It was when I talked to them the next morning that brought back sweet memories of how good racing really is, and where the heart of it is.
Their father was super into them racing, but not pushy, no, he was supportive but the right kind, the kind that is missing now from young sport. He asked me about the town and some things about the track and Cumbeland etc, then I saw them pile everything back into the biggest piece of shit car I have ever seen. I dont think he/they had a whole lot of money, but because they came all the way from Victoria to race just made my heart fill with racing love. It took me back to when I was 14 and when my mom and I would cram all of my mtb racing stuff into the back of her Toyota Camry and we would drive a minimum of 4 hours to the mtb races on the mainland.
All of the skratches on that car are from pedals, and my own general awkword teenage hands loading bikes into the trunk. We would drive all day Saturday to race in the Atlantic Series in U15, the most slack category there is. We would stay in some terrible drive up hotel room. The ones with the stains on the ceilings, and rings in the tub, but it didnt matter, we were tough, we were Mtb racers.
Some of the time she would hand wash my shorts that I wore the day earlier on the pre-lap if we couldnt find a washing machine. Now thats love. Often some of my young riding buddies would come along with us. My best firend today is a guy who travelled to races with me. Hah, we still go to races together(note SSWC ....the death march).
We would do the one lap-U15 race. It was always in the morning, and would be about an hour of pain for my wee legs and then pack er in, hang out in our gross dirty shorts, most of the time covered in cakes of mud and wait for the elite race to start.
The Elite guys I looked up to, doing 5 laps, at a time where doing 2 was unfathonable to me. They would rip and ride sections I had no idea were rideable, and they would do it not even thinking about it. I looked at these guys in awe.....all of us did. They were the apitamy of mtbing in my eyes in those early days.
Time passes and now I find myself thinking about those days again with the visit from the father and his boys. I was was just cleaning they're room when I found package of Sobe Adrenalin Rush, A staple in racing. Most of my best firends today, come from those days where we would rip around the maritmes on our bikes and race because it was fun. It was all we wanted to do, and all we cared about.
Well again, time has passed and I realize that the elite races that I thought we impossible to even attempt, I've won those them and won the series they were in. But looking back, even after winning, it wasn't half as much fun as going out and doing the one lapper with my mom and my best bud with me. One thing for sure that is always a staple in racing no matter how old you are, or how fast you can pedal a bike......Dairy Queen is after the race.
Loving life at MTB Nats in 2000 (age 13)
Pro News interview at 13, Hah
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