‘Lil Ripper Placed 5th after major slide out on a downhill turn to a long, punchy climb
Last year this kiddo wasn’t able to ride even the few races the MBAA put on due to a broken arm. (Story on that to come.)
This year he crushed it in a different class. He’s now riding with the older kids, and twice as long as years prior.
He started the line up two rows back, but that didn’t stop him. He quickly weaved his way to the front of the pack, then started picking them off one by one. By the second mile he was in third place, vying for second.
He gave the racer in from of him a ride for his money.
‘Lil’s still learning when it’s appropriate to pass, how to pace himself, and how to breath when he’s tired. Drinking fluids is also something he needs to work on when racing.
But heart and grit aren’t.
With about a mile and a half to go, his energy started to waver. He was still pushing hard, sending it down the hill a little too fast. On the corner he slid out and skidded across the trail on his elbow.
Luckily, it was a good spot for spectators. A few dads helped him up and out of the trail just in time for the second and third place riders to pass. The gentlemen made sure he wasn’t injured, yet still got ready to make a call if ‘Lil decided he was done.
‘Lil didn’t stop talking the entire time he was down. The guys can be heard laughing in the background. They seemed impressed that he hopped back on the bike and stomped up the hill, one more racer passing.
When I saw him again, he was wasted, but still giving his all. I don’t know that this kid knows when to stop!
Overall, we’re really proud of his sportsmanship and grit. Fifth place after a wipeout is no joke.
Rippers Trail Report:
Hardest Feature: the hard packed trail has a layer of loose granite over the top. It makes the corners a little sketchy, especially when coming off a downhill to a punchy uphill. See the wipeout at 00:52!
Best Feature: the trail is pretty flowy in general, but best about 2.25 miles in. It’s a little soft, but fun and fast. After the narrow climb there are some awesome berms then some great jumps to send!
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel Searching For Singletrack to get the latest videos featuring nine year old ‘Lil Ripper. He’s coined the term Bermediate to describe his level of experience. (That’s beginner-intermediate.)