If I may say so, my debut BikeTrials event at the Ocoee Whitewater Center was awesome. What’s more, everyone else said the same!

I got there Friday morning to start setting things up and the sunshine was already heating up. After a brief discussion with the powers that be concerning where I could put sections, I went to work at around Noon. It usually takes me about six or so hours to set 6 Pro/Expert sections and 4 Sport/Beginner sections so I knew I would be pushing the limits of daylight. Luckily, the proximity of everything at the Whitewater Center made it a lot easier.

I must admit that I did have a bit of a hard time finding the right terrain for the beginner sections. When you have a few large, flat rocks interspersed with smaller, round rocks and a sidewalk running down the middle, it can be difficult to make the sections not too hard and not too easy. In the end, I ended up opting for sections that were a bit on the hard side for most although I really tried to find a “rollable” line. I apologize for the difficulty and hope the beginners had an enjoyable time nonetheless. The two Sport classes were the largest and, judging from the even points spread, had the most appropriate sections. I saw some serious skills in development here.

As you may have already heard, the Expert and Pro sections had many worried by their length. I’m known for setting long, technical sections that push the best riders toward the 2-minute limit. Even so, as far as I saw, no one got a five due to exceeding the time limit. Although, I may have been elsewhere when it happened. I would have to say that the most impressive rides of the day were Lance winning both Expert classes with low scores and Andy’s finish on the whole day with just a 2 (total!). And, believe, the Pro courses were very hard!

A huge thanks to Larry from the Ocoee Adventure Center and the Cherokee Forest Service for allowing me put on this event. I also must thank Murfreesboro Outdoor and Bike, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports and Red Bull and, most especially, my parents for their indispensable support. Oh, and I must not forget Jeff Edgington for donating a whole box of custom-made t-shirts, stickers and coozies. Finally, thank you to all of the riders for coming. You are what make my efforts worthwhile.