Jared Hobbs at the NW Cup#2/PRO GRT/MTB GP/UnderWorld Cup
Downhill Mountain Bike Racing... It's challenging, frustrating, dangerous and expensive. But It's all worth it when we get to ride a track as good as the one in Port Angeles Washington. A sprint out of the gate into high-speed slick turns, deep braking bumps years in the making, roots, rocks, ruts and tight narrow berms in the trees, it has it all. And then there is a new section of trail I haven't ridden before, Chunder Dome/Ninja Falls, it's wide, steep and raw. This place is called Dry Hill partly because no matter how much it rains, you just don't seem to need mud tires. The combination of the hard packed dirt with slick-rock mix and those narrow berms at almost every turn keep everyone on their dry tires. Thankfully the rains held off which makes the whole weekend nicer too. No one really wants to sit around a campfire in the rain. A thick fog eventually rolled in on Sunday morning just to keep things mysterious.
 |
| Photo by Grey Tubbs |
When I get to any race venue my plan is the same. Walk the track and memorize it. Get up to race pace then stay there. Full runs top to bottom, trying to squeeze out any problems or mistakes from my run. This system works well for me, using limited practice time to build speed, confidence and consistency. And on Friday a problem did arise! Somewhere in the Chunder Dome I went too far to the left and rode right over this large-slick-parallel-stump-
thing. Causing me to really hit the next turn wrong, and sent me off the drop-to-flat all over the front of the bike. It was obvious I was going over the bars and proceed to cartwheel down the steep chute. The whole time hoping my
Morewood Makulu didn't crash on top of me. Another one of those 'Did my Leatt Brace save me?' I'll never know...later the shuttle truck slid off the road and for a second we thought we were going to roll down the hill. My next pass down the trail I hit all my lines, feeling quick and in control, time to call it a day.
Saturday was spent fine tuning the track as a whole in preparation for that afternoons' seeding runs. Trying some alternate lines and pushing my comfort level in a few key spots. Remembering where to down shift and where to to pedal hard out of the turns. Getting the Cane Creek Double Barrel Shock tweaked just right and testing the boundaries of tire pressure. All Racers have their own strategy for qualifying/seeding runs, but the way I look at it is, I'm on the clock and I want to see what I can do. Maybe not 100% but somewhere in the 90% range. That said, my run was solid, not perfect but no major mistakes. Everything just kind of fell in place, one section after another, and it was over before I knew it. I think I ended up 40th-ish out of over 100. Considering the level of competition, with about 20 World Cup Riders and almost all of the best racers from America and Canada, mid-pack here isn't too disappointing. Knowing I had some more speed for tomorrow, I went back to my campsite for dinner and fireside track meditation.
 |
| Photo by Grey Tubbs |
It's Race Day, time to get down to business. A thick fog hung in the air Sunday morning, making me wonder if it will rain for finals? After waiting-out the crazy-long lift line for the mornings practice run, I caught one of the last trucks up and was suprised by how saturated the dirt was. The top half of the track seemed slick, so I started out easy just going with the flow. We battled with soft dirt, big holes and deep ruts all weekend. This heavy fog was going to slow down the track for sure. Later I ran back up the hill to see some of my friends in the Cat 1 race, and to watch the trail conditions evolve... everything was looking good. The riders and spectators were definitely enjoying the day. The next few hours back at the
Team iXS Unique pits were occupied with preping the bikes, eating some food and staying relaxed yet focused. Talking about the track,seeding runs and bike set-up with my teammates Mikey Haderer, Dante & Jackie Harmony, kept our heads in the game. It was great to have the Unique Sports crew at this race, and thank you for all of your support! After some spinning on the trainer and more visualization, I took one last pass down the old 4x track to loosen up, I was ready. Now up on the start ramp I hear a few short beeps, and I attack. Hitting turns faster than in practice, throwing in extra pedal strokes, staying low and riding aggressive. I have to admit, the top half of my run was very good. Then after skipping over the moto-whoops I get to a flat root filled left turn and lose some speed. Momentum I really needed for the next kind of flat, rolling section. But I get on the gas and try to recover. Then the next big right, I swing wide getting close to the trees and have to fight to get back on line. All at a spot I should have been pedaling and that caused me to drop into the real steep gnarly section a little slow. Maybe that let me compose myself because the hardest part of the track I ride smooth and precise. Sprinting hard every chance I get, I slam a couple more berms and cross the line. 2:48.46 Slightly slower than my seeding run which is frustrating, but with track being a bit slower that Saturday afternoon, I guess it's not too far off my pace. Race runs are rarely perfect and those three mistakes in my run were pretty minor. 53rd place was where I ended up, but in a field this big every little thing counts. Five seconds faster and I would have been 30th. There were 18 riders within +/- 1 second of my time. And Top 30 of the Americans at a big national level race sounds pretty good to me. That's one of the best parts about Downhill Racing, there is always a way to go faster and chasing after that elusive, perfect run is what brings me back year after year.
