[Your Name Here]

    For the price of free shit, I will plaster your name on myself and every possession with a smooth surface.  I will endlessly plug your company through hashtags and other means of social media direct marketing.  I have little to no ethics about what I am given or why, as long as it makes me appear to be more factory, 100% faster, and perhaps will garner the attention of the opposite gender as I “swag out” through the pits.  Please, please...please help boost my self esteem and stroke my ego with copious boxes of product - I’ll be so thankful, my parents and friends will be really appreciative, and a teammate or two of similar physical size will also be wicked amped.  You may never see me on the podium, but you will see one too many photos of me tagged on facebook doing a turn-bar, and so many insta-filtered gems blowing up your feed that you’ll wonder why you hadn’t thrown more free stuff to me earlier.  I am a product whore, and you are my John.  Please and thank you.

   

    Integrity is not a word used often enough at this juncture in time.  Riders are taking handouts from anyone and everyone it seems.  I know it feels good to have people believe in you, and it feels even better to have those “feelings” manifest in the form of new clothes and gear.  But at what cost?  The value of our time and efforts are being reduced to leftover product runs and loose contracts drawn up with regional reps.  

    There once was a time when it was local shops and businesses who names you’d hear called out at awards, and now it is a slurry of companies that give out 20% off deals to riders with mid-pack results and an itchy iPhone finger.  There are not many personal relationships with companies any longer, and it is all about subsitizing the industry to a trickle-down point where the market is saturated with groms and Cat1-ers soap-boxing products that earned them a facebook status of, “Really went for it this weekend, but was just off the pace - going to regroup for the next one by hammering out some semi-competitive Strava laps this week.”  

    The worst offenders in my eyes are the Pros who are only American Pros, not actually fast enough to make a difference other than at a handful of races with starting lists less than ten deep.  National-level competitive riders can earn some recognition and support, and that’s excellent because those few are the future of racing.  But when I show up to a race and see these Semi-Slow riders acting Hollywood, I just sigh and feel disheartened.  Why?  Because it’s so disingenuous, and it sets a bad example.  Stop being billboards for dildos and hold yourself to a higher standard.  If I can only identify one of your ten “sponsors” then you probably need to reconsider what it is you’re doing with your life and why you’re racing in the first place.

    The line should be drawn here: if you have have a working relationship with a person within a company, that’s a sponsor, put ‘em down on your registration.  If you get free stuff from a regional rep who knows your name and at least two personal things about you, put ‘em down on your registration.  If you are sponsored by a shop, count it, but do not put the brands you buy on your registration.  If your sponsor is a discount website like HookIt and you “rep” all of your “sponsors” to a point of near-aggression...then this article has been written entirely about you.  Support those who recognize you as an actual person, not just another numbered consumer.

   There is a strong difference between believing in a product you use, and mindlessly using a product because it cost free-fiddy.  Should you feel the need to plug a brand for the sake of comic relief, that's your M.O. - but for the sake of the industry, all of us who pay for our gear, and your own self-worth, stop giving away ad space to people who laugh about your willingness to talk up their brand during their weekly marketing meetings.  Your candor will take you farther than your eagerness to represent someone or something just because they think you're good enough to get some overstock for free.  Quality of support is better than quantity, uphold a significant standard. 

Fandom

2013 was the last year that the AMA Motocross series held a race at the famous Southwick track.  Being a fan of all motorsports and going fast, I am thereby a huge moto fan, much like the rest of this readership.  Some teammates of mine and I decided we were going to go down and join in on the fun for the historic occasion, because why not?  I had never been to a moto race, and this was a big way to start things off.  In my partial ignorance of the scene, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, and perhaps my expectations were a little high.  But, coming from a sport that is so interactive and inclusive of the spectators, I was a quite surprised at how separated we as fans, were from the athletes.

It was like being at the Hippodrome, where you were there to see a show, and had little intimate relation to the “battle” set before you.  I didn’t expect to be able to go give Villopoto a hug, but I was a little shocked that you could “shmooze” with the pros, for a price!  What a weird concept that is to me...pay to meet someone?  To me, half the point of being a professional athlete is being able to inspire fans by your presence, but to make them pay to be around you?  Too weird!  Moto is so commercial, it is to a point where I don’t bother watching the podium interviews at the end; checkered flag, TV is off.

In contrast, years ago I was fortunate enough to attend an NBA playoffs game (Celtics v. Magic) with my brother.  Again, an adventure where I had no idea what to expect - I only care about racing, so this was a foray into unknown territory. But, imagine my surprise when we (a group of 20 people hanging out pre-game by the tunnel) were able to brush shoulders with Dwight Howard’s enormous shoulders!  I was floored: never did I think I’d be hanging out in the presence of one of the top players in the NBA.  It was a fleeting interaction, but clearly it left an impression.

Similarly, in our sport of mountain biking, we have the chance to run into industry big wigs, pro riders, and all sorts of “names” out on the trails, especially with all the top-quality lift access riding we all congregate around.  On the race circuit in particular, one mills about with faces seen on Vital, the pages of Dirt, and many of us probably follow a lot of them on various social media networks.  That to me is the most remarkable aspect of this sport - the ability for us laymen, to just casually meet these heroes of ours, the only cost to us is not being too shy.  It’s a big deal to meet these famous figure heads with our sport, but the thing is, they are just cool people who happen to be wickedly fast on bikes/love the sport for all its worth.  No pretense, nothing “Hollywood”, but a bunch of men and women playing in the dirt, just like you and me.

2007 US Open, photo with Jurgen, who became a friend through the local race series year after year.

   The interactions I had with the Pro riders when I was little kid without a doubt fueled my fire for racing and overall passion for riding.  It was awesome to walk around the pits getting autographs from and pictures with these faces from the magazine pages - it was such a thrill to banter with world-caliber athletes.  Daily inspiration came from two framed and signed photos: one of me with Cedric Gracia, and the other with Marla Streb - both from Mt. Snow 2003 when they each won.  The riders would always have a pearl of wisdom for me and their encouraging words still echo in my mind.  The crazier part about all of this?  Nothing has changed!  It is so wonderful to see the excited humility of the elite riders signing shirts, helmets, and posing with fans of all ages.

   As a fan and rider, it reminds me that there is nothing more important than remembering that we all have to start somewhere, and as one gets closer to the top, the kind words, smiles, and enthusiasm becomes that much more important.  The limelight gives the riders a chance to pass the torch to the up-and-coming generations of riders, as well as the new comers to the sport.  One should never underestimate the reach and impact that can be had with a few words of encouragement and a high five.

   It should not be a surprise to me when I meet industry folks and riders who are super nice, casual, and always stoked - they are in the sport for the love of it, and they get to do what they love for work.  Our sport is one of soul, camaraderie, and passion.  The energy at a race or competition cannot be faked, and that electric sensation is contagious.  We all feed on it, and it keeps the cycle spinning like a racers wheels and a freeriders bike and body.  Having a no-nonsense attitude is important to success, but having a friendly demeanor is the key to inspiring success in others.

Armor Up

Who are the “Taste Makers” in the sport of Mountain Biking?  This is a serious and honest question, because in the miniscule twenty-something years that this sport has really been grinding along, there have been some wild fluctuations in equipment [hardgoods] trends and what’s “cool” [soft goods].  Granted, the equipment trends have more to do with progression in technology and riding styles, but when it comes to the “cool” factor i.e. what we wear while we ride, well the jury is out and I have no idea what why we have/had such odd trends.  You see, initially we had the offshoot look of being road riding’s step-sibling thanks to lycra - a period of growth that we thankfully overcame on a general scale as participants, but a stigma we still fight in mainstream culture.  Like awkward teenagers, the tight clothing only showed the world our glaring faults as a sport, so it was a welcome relief when the ultimate badass arrived to save the day with rebellion and aggression.  Shawn Palmer was (and is) the posterboy for “NFG” and being the man/best at everything.  His personal imperfections and attitude made him an immediate hit with the fans, so it is no surprise that his use of moto gear created a shift in the industry for what standard-issue riding gear should and would become.  Fast forward a bit, and here we are with our own “Mountain Bike Look”: tailored fit, “athletic” materials, things that “wick” and more “durable” types of stitching than you can shake a grimy glove at.  This is great all around: I have selection of color, brands, and various segmented lines of riding wear.  Everyone looks factory on their Weekend Warrior rides granny-gearing it at 10am with their hungover friends.  

   What will be most notable on these weekend rides is that a very strong portion of riders will have knee pads on - lightweight, hardening foam styled slip-ons.  Add in gloves, helmet, and a hydration pack, and one could say that these groups are well-armored for a light 10 mile Saturday morning ride.  Now, pretend this is google maps, zoom out, find the nearest local downhill race, and zoom in.  What do you see?  I’ll tell you what I see: riders with nearly the same kits, minus the packs, and add on a chin bar to the helmets.  During the time of Palmer, armor was abound (unless your last name was “Kovarik”), and riders looked more ready to joust than ride. I find this odd, because if anything, the average speed of riders is higher now, and the equipment technology inspires riders to push even harder.  I’ve heard the argument, “pads are heavy”, “pads give me arm pump”, etc.  I get that, it happens to me too.  I can understand shedding the exoskeleton for a race run, sure, but to not pad up in practice seems stupid to me.  Many friends of mine prefer to run less than ideal amounts of padding, and that’s their prerogative.  But, I have heard the argument of looking dumb, or “like hockey players” as excuses for just running a wafer thin jersey and some light knee pads.   After all, Sam Hill did that for Worlds one time and was fine when he fell...but guess what?  Even Napalm wore more protection than that, and he was aggression embodied when he rode.  

What I am getting at here is this: just because a pro decides to shed the protection, and looks cool/badass/not “hockey”, does not mean you should too.  They average a speed of 25mph at all times when riding, you are a Cat 2 rider who takes a go-around in your race run.  The truth is that pads are cool.  When you fall, it hurts less (mostly), you don’t end up with scrapes on 40% of your body, and y’know what?  From what I gather, hockey players look pretty rugged.  So, yes, looking cool is important.  But what’s more important is not looking like a Johnston and Johnston commercial covered in gauze because you “totally over-cooked that sick left hander into the fade-away”.  I’m not your mom, I get that, but I cringe every time I see a rider wash out on gravel or a root section and go ass-over-teakettle without any buffer between them and the ground.  

    An unfortunate example is Taylor Vernon, the Factory GT Junior who did a serious number to his back on a what looked like a simple bit of track.  A very strong example of when armor could have helped.  Kyle Strait once remarked (in regards to riding Rampage in just knee pads and a helmet) that, he felt more comfortable without hulking pads, while Wade Simmons countered the statement by saying he wears it because he knows better.  In fairness to both Kyle and Wade, (both Rampage winners) they are both right...I'd also point out that Kyle is The Hulk, minus the green appearance, so wearing armor might be superfluous.

If you really are more confident without pads on, all the power to you.  However, if your complaints are, “It’s too heavy” or “It gives me arm-pump”, I would suggest hitting the gym and lifting some weights and/or get proper fitting armor.  Having been racing nearly ten years at this point, my Dainese suit (not a plug, just a reference point) has helped me out countless times.  I don’t bounce any more, so I appreciate the buffer, even after cultivating a physique a teammate of mine described as a “linebacker build”.  I’m only writing about this because 2013 was a big year for this sport.  The competitions got fast, bigger, and gnarlier on both racing and freeride side of things.  Mitchell Scott wrote a piece about how dangerous Rampage is and even Team Robot got in on the action.  Both writers were just saying what we were all thinking, and thusly made me think about how we have some great options for protection, but no one seems to bother with it.  This isn’t intended to be a “scare-you-straight” piece, nor is it s plug for a brand, it is just a frank reminder that style versus safety may sometimes be a compromise, but at the end of the day there is a clear winner.

Catfish

Being polite is proper, but being a dick is more fun.  Team Robot is what happens when the sane find insanity after the world stops being polite.  Just like HBCTCI1990, tabloid-style journalism is hilarious and helps keep everyone on their toes.  It is all part of the “Catfish Effect”, keeping the bullshit right at the top fighting with what is “proper”, making people think about what it is they are reading or being told.  Many folks with sensitive dispositions can’t handle reading contradictory information because it makes them feel uncomfortable with their own level of intellect or lack there of.  The general consumer just wants “easy” and puffy, cream-filled text that tells them point-blank “this was fun” or “this guy is cool” because it is easy and has no ill effect on the simple composition of their self esteem.  

   I [don’t] hate to be the one to break it to you, but the world is not that neat and orderly, especially when it comes to this sport.  We are not as big as the NFL or FIFA or NASCAR, so we don’t have an overloaded news source giving us the dirt on our favorite riders or brands.  Instead, what we do have, are individuals who call it like they see it, and offend everyone because being crass isn’t always the best delivery system for new information or opinions (but it sure is effective!).  While praising the rebels goes against my better anti-establishment senses [NOTHING IS COOL, EVERYTHING IS GARBAGE], I have to tip my hat to Mr. Sponsel and those brilliant minds behind HBCTC.  It takes both a sharp mind, and a sharper tongue to shake up the readership of this sport, and make it stick.  

    Much like Steve Jones, Seb Kemp, and some of the other heavy hitting keyboard enthusiasts, a risk is taken with every piece that goes live.  Not every single one is met with a rousing round of applause or a crowd of nodding heads.  In fact, there are frequent times when a piece misses the target entirely - not because of poor writing, or bad channeling of exposure; no, it comes down to the reader.  While writing a piece, one can gauge the reader’s reaction, but only to a degree, and sometimes that degree is a lot higher or lower than anticipated.  But guess what?  Tough.  Putting together coherent thought and insight, week in, week out, it isn’t easy.  Just because the subject matter may go against your grain or not be entirely in your wheelhouse doesn’t mean these people are bad at their jobs or are vacuous morons.  

    The reality, is that the customer is not always right.  So, next time you read a piece, and it doesn’t line up with you exactly like your horoscope does (OMG THAT’S SO ME), take a moment to consider reading between the lines, and trying to feel out if there is a bigger message being discussed within the text you’re looking at before you decide to subject everyone else to a half-witted comment or a poorly constructed diatribe filled with semi-relevant anecdotes and conjecture.  We are only here to make you think, and I won’t apologize if that is too much to ask of you, the reader.

Le Odeur De Vélo

When my friends and I go out and shuttle a local hill, I always opt to sit in the bed of the truck with the bikes.  Why?  Well, the wind blowing through my hair and the open freedom...who are we kidding, it’s so I can escape the smell of my friends.  It’s an undeniable aspect of riding in the same gear every time you hit the trails - gloves, helmets, shoes, pads; they get funky.  I’m ok with this, I just choose to escape it when I can is all!  But, this has me thinking, what does this sport smell like?  Motor sports have that tinge of exhaust, gas, oil, and grease; “traditional” sports smell like dirty feet; winter sports smell like hot wax and metal shavings; what is our signature scent?

    Smell is the strongest sense tied to memory, so this is a fair question to ask, as we all can relate to the concept.  The more interesting part of the question lies within each of our own life’s experiences with riding.  I grew up in New England; we have wild seasons, lots of deciduous trees, and an endless array of smells permeating our consciousness from woodsmoke to sugar houses (where maple syrup is made).  For me, I always come back to the smells of Fall when I think about riding - the crisp air, the wet foliage, and the light mud from the rain.  These are distinct in my mind, and I think it’s because I’ve always hated the season, and these three aromas reminded me why: I (used to) have to go back to school, winter is coming, bike season is coming to a close; it made my gut hurt.  Similarly, the smell of fresh cut grass, dusty air, and grungy riding gear reminds me of summer: race season, fresh racecourses, and being with my weekend family of miscreants.  All of this is cataloged in my mind, so acutely, that if I walk by my riding gear here at home, I get a twinge of butterflies thinking about the last ride I went on, when I aired a gap way too far...constant reminders that make me smile.  

    If I had my druthers, there would a perfume for women that smells like a bike shop - the acrid smell of grease and Tri-flow, Simple Green, and that distinct box-of-new-bike-parts scent.  This to me predates my sensory memory of “what riding smells like” because as a little kid, I would always hang around the bike shop and gawk at all the bikes I wanted to own and ride.  The memories conjured up from this very long-ago time remind me of how far I’ve come.  I can now adjust a derailleur, I take proper care of my bike, and I know more than most shop guys on the sales floor (humblebrag/part lie).  These are all the intrinsic details that form up my foundation of love for my bike, the sport, and the enjoyment I still get from riding.

    As I mentioned earlier though, this is my experience - others may share some of these smelly details, but we will all have grown up with a different smellscape.  The riders from wetter climates like Washington and Vancouver will probably have more to say about the damp smells of a pine stand and cloud rain forests.  Californians will have stories more related to heat and desert, perhaps the ocean too - this is the beauty of it all.  Our sport has us fixated and intertwined with the elements, nature is ingrained in our psyches, and for me, being out there in the woods, flying through the trees, is such a primitive experience - something that speaks to the core of my being.  

I have scars and lifelong afflictions that I have received from overstepping my natural state of being.  Sometimes I’ll question my lifestyle choices, and consider if I could have spent my time more wisely.  But then, something happens - I catch a wiff of wet leaves or grease, and I am thrown back in time to a place as a kid, and I am reminded: this was never a choice.  This was a path I would have pursued through hell and high water - and I have.  The scent of riding is forever etched into my soul.  It will always remind me of the highs and lows, the smiles and the grimaces, the blood, sweat, and tears that I have given to this sport and all that it has given me in return. 

Quitting Is For Quitters

Defeat is a state of mind, not a state of being.  My dad has always told me to never quit.  He pointedly explained that nothing is gained from giving up, and if you don’t pursue [it] to the end, you will never know what is possible.  If there was ever a man with endless quips of wisdom, he is that man.  From these quick lines and lessons, I have built a strong mind and have lived a well thought out 23 years.  With his words of encouragement, and the general continued support he and my mom give me, I truly feel capable of any achievement should I work hard enough and want it badly enough.

   These are not just empty cliché words that I am hacking out for the sake of filling up lines of text, I am very serious.  In my racing career, I have only DNF’d one race: the last Whiteface 5K race, and it was due to a flat at the top of the course.  I found a course marshal, told them that I was out, and I walked the whole rest of the way down (with my parents funny enough, who were spectating on the day).  It was a terrible feeling, giving up, but at that point I had nothing to gain by trying to negotiate 4.5K of race track with a flat rear tire.  As it is said, “Discretion is the better part of valor” - a well-known idiom my dad shared with me once upon a time.  

   What is there for you, the reader, to gain from my personal tales of having not given up but once?  Well, in racing and riding, and you will not always win or even come close to winning on some weekends - you will fall, your bike will malfunction, etc etc.  But putting the bike away, or getting angry will do you no good.  You will only learn a bad habit of quitting when times get tough.  Instead, get back up (if you can obviously), and keep going.  Many races back when I was a Jr.X racer were still won, “with a crash” - both by myself and my competition.  It is said that winning is an attitude, and I think that definitely worth consideration.

   I always look to the Big Guns, the Pro riders of our sport, for inspiration when I’m faced with a trial or tribulation in which I just want to thrown it all down and wallow in self pity.  If Brandon Semenuk had quit after he went down at Joy Ride this year, he wouldn’t have gone back up for a second run and won, with the highest score of any win to date.   Look at Steve Smith at the Canadian Open!  He had just about the worst run, but he didn’t quit and charged to the line, and WON. Getting back up and trying again is the only way to improve.  Learn from the mistakes made, adjust, and give it all you have on the next try.  I see too many people these days who are unwilling to put in the effort of trying, just to be better than they were before.  Progression is a part of us as a specie, that is why failure, or the appearance of failure is such a terrible feeling that sits in our gut.

   Watch the crash reels of the edits and bike movies available to you.  The riders we look up to take some horrible slams.  They don’t stop though, they either dust themselves off or heal up, and then get right back to it.  If you love what you do, you’ll stop at nothing to keep doing it.  It’s a tough sport we’ve all chosen as a life partner, the going will never be easy.  But the risk versus reward and associated feelings we get from the ride are hard to ignore.  The next time you are feeling down and out, just remember that it took Steve Peat seventeen years to with the title of World Champion. 

Changing Of The Guard

Steve Smith.  What else needs to be said? With an outstanding end to the season, the Canadian Chainsaw Massacre showed us all that his chain was as sharp as ever. From humble beginnings, once an underdog, a young gun exploding with potential, race fans have waited to see what lay dormant under than grin and facial hair.  As the seasons progressed, the power unleashed from the British Columbia native spawned speculation about potential.  Could he reel in the wild riding?  Was he all flash and no bang?  With results building steadily, and medaling at Worlds in 2010, the collective held its breath. What was going to happen next?  After some close moments and many a valiant effort, doubters were silenced in Hafjell in 2012 when he won his first World Cup downhill race.  Enter 2013 and the beast was unleashed:  He is now a top tier competitor who has pointedly cemented his place in downhill by winning 3 consecutive World Cup rounds this season, and becoming the most recent winner of the Elite Men's World Cup overall title.

This maturation process we witnessed has been nothing short of exemplary.  Backed by big industry leaders like Red Bull, SRAM and Devinci, he was given the tools he needed to craft the dream in his mind - a dream echoed in The Collective’s film, “Seasons.”  Steve Smith still has that same affable demeanor, but he is no longer that wild teen kid on a bike.  He made a five-year plan, and executed it with perfection.  His dedication and maturity is both admirable and inspiring.  It is a stark contrast compared to a lot of other riders who seem to flying by the seat of their pants, or say, Aaron Gwin, who has said many times over in interviews that he is in it just for fun.  While he trains, diets, and rides to prepare, Smith and Gwin’s fires have different fuel sources and it’s not hard to miss.  Gwin is all about the grin, the good times - he is super laid back, typical “Cali” attitude.  Smith on the other hand is intense to the core, he has dedicated his whole life to gaining his success.  He laughs and jokes too, but keep in mind people think of Chainsaws with they think of Smith.  To each their own at the end of the day, it is just remarkable how such different approaches to the same task at hand can have similar outcomes.

While Steve’s success is unique, this coming-of-age process is something that can be seen all throughout the ranks of WC racing. The Junior Men’s title was hotly contested all season long, and the Top 20 Elite Men’s was an all-out battle.  What we are seeing is a paradigm shift, that tipping point, where all of this latent talent, having been fostered for many years in these young riders, is finally finding form.  

Loic Bruni, Josh Bryceland, Neko Mulally - these guys are on that cusp of adulthood, the spread between them only being five years.  Mental and physical maturity is shining through with smart riding, smart training, and getting down to business.  “The Naturals” have been nurtured, the results show this clearly.  Loic just got 2nd in one of the hottest final races of the past five seasons; Josh is showing great form; Neko is making massive steps towards the top; the progression is no longer years in the making, it is nearly race-to-race.  The hype is real and 2014 is going to be madness.  With a talent pool so vast, so deep, beyond the four names above, the downhill race circuit is going to short-circuit.

Downhill racing has never been more exciting.  The unfortunate injuries incurred by a few top names at the end didn’t detract from the caliber of efforts, and if anything, it made quite a few guys try harder to make up some lost ground.  I think the sport is perhaps on its way to a new zenith.  With bike technology rapidly evolving, the athletes raising the standard of athleticism and skill, amazing media coverage, we are right on our way to a second coming of “The Big Show,” full of unmeasurable enthusiasm.

With the World Cup race season excitedly wrapped up, it is safe to say that riders upped the ante like never before - 2013 was a raucous affair.  Competitors have retreated to the far corners of the globe to refresh, recalculate, and prepare again for this year’s battle.  What the winter months have procured remain to be seen.  Riders Instagram, facebook, and tweet about their training, while still keeping their cards close.  After many glimpses of brilliance from up-and-comers, and some struggles from the veterans, we can be sure efforts have been re-doubled and scrutinized finely.  There were many questions raised throughout 2013 regarding wheel size, frame construction, riders’ abilities, and the powers at the controls - no sound answers have been reached, even now six months later.  With the end of the off-season already upon us, the excitement for the future continues to build.  I have been missing the racing dearly, and I look forward to seeing who will surprise us with their riding, and which companies will showcase ground breaking technology and help revolutionize the sport.

Underdogging It

The Underdog; the crowd favorite; the people’s champion.  We all look to The Underdog as a testament of hard work, deserving talent, and latent potential just waiting to burst into a wildfire of success.  Downhill racing has alway had a handful of riders with the editorialized title of Underdog, and once this given title is assumed, all hell breaks loose.  With the surge of support and the energy of a crowd screaming for a win, it is only a short time before The Underdogs become regular contenders.  In the past six years, we have seen a host of riders (male in the case of this piece) enter in as the Underdog and explode into race winners, and constant podium contenders.  

In my racing memory, there have been some particularly notable riders who came in hot on the radar, stayed the course, and hit the mark with authority when the time came.  The first rider of the crop I have in mind is Sam Blenkinsop.  The New Zealand native is known for his style, bike control, and affable demeanor.  When he got picked up by Yeti, we as a collective audience zeroed in on Blenki and watched with baited breath, just waiting for him to piece it all together.  Then, in 2008, on a wet and wild Schladming track, a stellar textbook run rocketed the young gloveless wonder into the limelight when he stomped out a win over expected winner (and 2nd place finisher) Sam Hill.  Fanboys all around the globe went nuts, Bleki flashed the stink eye, and that was that - a new name was added to the list of World Cup winners, and was simultaneously struck from the list of Underdogs.

In 2012, it was an all-out battle of The Underdogs.  Gwin was on fire, the bar had been raised, and the young guns looking to prove themselves had put in the work over the winter.  The results sheets saw Top Ten names creeping up to Top Five consistently, and suddenly, what looked like a runaway season for the American came to a halt when Brook MacDonald handedly won round 6 in Val d’Isere.  The excitement felt by everyone who follows the WC season was palpable in all mediums from print to online - the bike-o-sphere went berserk.  Bulldog, on flat pedals, charged his way with pure grit to the top box and gave everyone cause to hoot and holler.  The quiet powerhouse proved not only that the  young crop of riders were ready to play with the top guys, but that flat pedals were still relevant and capable.

A month and change after the Kiwi breathed some fresh air into the race scene, the whole circus moved way, way North to Hafjell, Norway.  But before a single pit tent went up, something quite important happened: Steve Smith swept Crankworx, earned the nickname of “The Canadian Chainsaw Massacre”, and found new form.  The internet was buzzing, the hype-machine was turning, and all eyes turned to the last major race of the year.  The new track was fast as hell and fun-as-can-be; Dirt TV was making us jealous one daily edit at a time.  Then on Sunday, something happened: Gwin was out, and there was a new #1 - the wild Canadian who had been wowing us all for years, put down a stormer of a run clean and clear, and came out on top.  I am pretty sure I heard a dull rumble in the air as all of Canada lost it (thankfully no riots happened).  A long awaited win was now in the history books, and another chair was added to the hall of World Cup winners.  

Even after moving two of the crowd favorites off the list in 2012, there are still plenty of heads to cheer on in the Underdog category.  Josh ‘Maimi Bryce’/’Ratboy’ Bryceland is knocking at the door each race, and it is only a matter of time at this point before the most unintelligible WC rider has to give a winning interview.  Brendan ‘Brendawg’ Faircloth is due up as well.  He has been whipping, gapping, and hooning his way into our hearts for years, and we can all feel his desire to reach the top step - never count out the man with the meanest knacks in the biz.  
2013 was a tremendous year of racing, with spirited racing, gritty performances, nail-biting runs, and another Underdog-come-Contender in the form of Remi Thirion.  The Juniors were breeding more Dark Horses for the mid-ranks of the Elites, and because of that, the bookies are busier that ever taking bets for who the next breakthrough rider will be for 2014.  Will the new crop of race winners back their performances of the past?  Will the other podium contenders make it to the top step finally?  Will a seasoned veteran make a come-back?  The season is just ahead of us with only a few weeks until Round 1, and I for one, am thoroughly fired up to finally hear the starting beeps count down, letting us all know it's go-time once again.