 From L to R - Chris and Lance Canfield |
Lance’s
words |
Here I sit, waiting for the doctor to see me. I have a separated shoulder and possibly broken ribs. The Red Bull Rampage has finally caught up with me. This would have been my third year participating. I pose the question; is it worthwhile pursuing such a dangerous and potentially financially risky sport in the pursuit of glory? Is it truly glory or is it about improving skills and pushing personal limits? Does the risk of injury and financial burden outweigh the need to prove ones self? This is the question that has been plaguing me since my return from the Rampage.
I arrived at the site Wednesday evening with just enough time to go hit the Monkey (The Flying Monkey is a nasty technical trail in Virgin - ed.). Bender was just returning from his ride and gave us a spot for the tent in his yard. We met up with a few guys and packed the truck for a shuttle. Virgin is one of the most beautiful and, for riders, un-nerving placing on earth. I just needed to have a calm mindset going into the event and I had been working on that mindset for weeks. It was all coming together. Thursday morning we woke to another beautiful day and went to the first rider meeting. Everything was the same as past years so we were soon ready to do some scoping and cleaning lines. There was a lot of looking going on but little riding. The riders are smart enough to know that a good line must be prepared and carefully inspected to reduce the risk and increase the chances of sticking it. My approach was to practice everything I intended to ride. I rode my entire qualifying run on Thursday and felt great about the day!
Lance Canfield was destroying the qualifying course in training.
Friday I went over to the finals canyon and inspected and cleaned lines. Around 3 pm I went up to practice. I lined up my first hit and dropped in. The landing was a white clay layer with some shale on top with a sandy wash below. I landed and sped up unintentionally until I hit the soft dirt below. I high sided and sent myself over the next cliff band below. I first hit the wall square with my head and shoulder and then fell head over heals to the bottom. Somewhere along the way I managed to smash my glasses in - through my helmet and received a few bloody reminders on my face. I remember it being like a snowboard crash, when you are head over heals and have no idea where you are or if you are ever going to stop. The EMT’s were there quickly and were very helpful. These guys are the unsung heroes to the fallen. The rest of the evening was waiting rooms and x-rays. My family and friends had all flown and driven far to see me compete and I felt ashamed to not be riding. They where very supportive and, I believe, relieved to see me not risking it all. Sometimes minor injuries are good in the long run and I feel that applies in this case. Allowing my bike habit (pronounced “crack”) some time off, I am free to focus on Canfield Brothers for a few weeks.
| Saturday morning, Bender kicked off the comp with the biggest drop I have ever seen first hand! I was amazed at how many good, new lines where found and skillfully ridden during qualifying. What an amazing show! I think it was more amazing to watch qualifying than the finals. There were so many creative lines and the limits of what I thought was possible were shattered before my eyes. Greg Smith had a huge vertical line picked out that led to a cliff. You had to pin a corner right when you landed and if you missed, large cliffs and rocky exposure waited below. I was blown away to see him ride it. I was scared shitless for him! He dabbed but all in all it was amazing. Same with Wade Simmons second run! A 15’ drop to a narrow goat path landing that he not only hit clean - he threw his bike sideways in the air for a few extra style points. I was tortured to be watching and not riding. I think everyone likes to think that they could be doing what these guys are doing, but in the end we realize there are benefits to both sides, spectating and riding. Finding a balance and trying to come home in one piece should be the goal. |
 The
Brothers Canfield scoping a line. Photo Shawn Spomer |
Sunday the riders were in great form and it was nice to be spectating for the first time. The finals were amazing and, like most spectators, I was dying to get a better view. I think we were lucky to not have any spectators fall off a cliff. The flagged zones put us dangling on the cliff edge just waiting for an overzealous fan to nudge someone over. I saw some great riding and came away with a new sense of limits that I know will be pushed and built upon in future events. I am nervous that the tricks that were being pulled off will drive the freeride sport towards a big air, trick competition instead of emphasizing technical descending and stylish, creative drops.
Only Lance and Robbie Bourdon attempted this line in 2002. Neither rider managed to clean it.
The judging was good but, like all new events, we need some refining to establish the competition as a freeride event. Dock riders for taking the easy way down! Give points for creative riding! Minor point docking for dabbing and more for crashing! Staying in control and doing it with style and flow is half the battle. Going big and redefining a do-able route is the other half. If this year’s event is any sign of the events to come, I might as well put my big bike away and go to the jump park to learn the flip! I do think it is very cool that Cedric learned to flip at the event, or so I hear. He was truly a smooth and comfortable rider.
Every rider there was pushing it and I feel there is a bigger crowd of riders that could handle this type of riding if given the chance. I would like to see a qualifying event that has a more open entry policy. Let’s not have people that don’t ride make the decisions on who can and can’t be in the comp. Let the riders prove themselves without having to submit video and race results. I don’t have a camera and if it wasn’t for being in the right place at the right time, I wouldn’t have been invited either. And while I’m bitching let’s see some money in the sport. There must be a better way to promote these guys. Get corporate sponsors to pay up, get heath insurance for the event and cover it in a more mainstream fashion. Where is ESPN? In support of the promoters, they have done an exceptional job of getting the Rampage to where it is today. We learn and grow with every day and so should the events!
The Canfield Brothers F1.
As the doc tells me to start riding again, I am thinking to myself, where do I go from here? Will I get hurt again? Probably. Is the risk worth it? Hell YES! Will the medical bills get the best of me? We’ll see. And what about the glory of riding in such a profound event? Seeing riders doing things that blow me away allows me to push my personal limits and set new goals for myself. I do it for myself - for the shear enjoyment and personal satisfaction I get from stomping that hip or pulling out the big save. Proving to myself that “I got that shit” is what it’s all about! Thanks Christopher for being the one that knows that “I got that shit”.
Props to everyone that participated. Riders, bike humping friends, photographers (the ones that stayed out of the lines) and especially the fans! Without the fans and their lust for the sport there would be no future for these events.
| The Canfield Brothers - the boys and the bikes About the best thing about Interbike is all the cool people you meet. The bike industry is filled with people doing it for the love - inspiring folks for whom the bottom line isn't the bottom line. Amid that impressive group Lance and Chris Canfield stood apart. They are two genuine, enthusiastic individuals who remind us all why we are in the bike business. When you toss in the realization that they make some of the coolest bikes around they hit mythical status. 'Rider owned' has been a buzzword in the bmx business for a long time but mountain biking is mainly ruled by larger companies. It takes a lot more technology to build a 9" travel duallie than a bmx. Sombrio is another rider owned brand but there really aren't many others. |
 Chris
Canfield with the F1.Lance is talking to Thor and Sara Wixom |
Rider owned doesn't just mean that the owner rides a bike. Jay Miron's company - Macneil - is considered rider owned because he is one of the riders pushing the sport. As it says on the Canfield Web site "Our designs are a result of what happens when the riders are the engineers." One look at the linkage of the F1 will tell you that this is a sophisticated linkage and a thoroughly engineered bike.
A closer look at the F1 linkage.
The boys make some very fine machines - bikes that allowed Lance to finish 8th in the 2002 Rampage. This is no finicky exotic though; the Canfields ride hard and they want a bike that's built to last. They build bikes for you by building them for themselves first.
For a closer look go to the Canfield Brothers Web site.
