As it says in my profile, I like "freeriding" (extreme mountain biking). Lately, it's become a bit of an obsession (just ask my wife - who is now firmly within the ranks of the "freeride widows"). Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm never at home cuz I'm out riding or something like that (once a week plus maybe a weekday night here and there - and "I can stop anytime" - oh, and that doesn't count the trail work days!). The freeride sport has definately become a main fixture within my life. I suspect that finding balance between other priorities and freeriding is about to get a lot more difficult too!
Perhaps I should give an idea of what freeriding is all about here in Salem, Oregon first.
It all starts out innocently enough. There are miles of mountain biking trails within an hour or so of Salem. I had a "cross country" mountain bike which I took out many times during the summer months on local trails: Tanglewood, Shellburg, McKenzie River trails. Generally, always keeping my wheels on the ground, but enjoying increasingly challenging trails (narrow single-track, roots/rocks/log obstacles).
And, then at some point, someone you ride with suggests checking out some new "freeride" trails being built near Falls City. So you go, and there are things in the woods built just for challenging mountain bike riding skills. Balancing on backs of downed logs "riding skinny's", riding up onto "ladder rides", doing "drops" to transitions, and that sort of thing. It's nirvana. There's years of challenge here - there's things you think you'll never do. Then it's suggested (by a local bike shop owner) that perhaps your skills have outgrown the "cross country" bike you are riding and at some point you will probably snap your front fork or "taco your wheel". So, you do some creative financing and BAM! you are now the proud owner of a true freeride bike! Mine's an '04 Kona Stinky - it's got 6" of travel on the front shock (a Marzochi Dropoff Triple) and 6" of travel on the rear Fox Vanilla shock. Then suddenly things you thought you couldn't do are doable - the bike sucks up quite a lot of impact and allows you to make mistakes that it compensates for (landing sketchy but still surviving). Then you buy "armor" to cover up those area which seem to keep getting scratched and bruised after falling (which is inevitable when you are pushing your skills). A full-face helmet is a requirement after getting a freeride bike also.
I just couldn't avoid doing something extra for the sport as well. It seemed like there was a desire for people riding out at Falls City to showcase what they were doing. I volunteered to put together a "short video" of local riders. 9 months later the "Local Progression Riders Video" was born unto the world! It features about 60 minutes of video of local riders and even showcases music from local independent bands! You can check out an 8 1/2 preview here
http://www.norware.com/biking and/or (blatant plug here) purchase a copy of the DVD to help support trail building.
That video got premiered at the second annual
Blackrock Freeride Association's fundraiser. It was hosted at
Northern Lights Theatre Pub on February 2nd. The event was organized by
Santiam Bicycle. It was an honor for me to be able to give something back to the local freeride community.
At one point during my assimilation into the sport of freeriding, the concept of building an area that made it easy for people to learn the basics of freeriding was tossed around as a "really good idea". And since nobody was taking action on this very good idea, me and a co-worked decided to make it a reality. That's a story for later though - it involves some very interesting people that I've met out in the woods, and why freeriding makes an excellent "model for living your life".
For now I'll just say,
"Build. Ride. Progress!"
