05/16/2008

More Views from a Couch - Dirt
My mom always said that I liked dirt. As a kid I must have really liked dirt because I see all these pictures of me covered in it or eating it. Yes that is right I would take big gobs of the stuff and putting it into my mouth. Maybe I thought it was chocolate pudding or maybe I just liked seeing people's faces wrinkle up in disgust. Well what ever it was I was sure that I had out grown it…..until a fateful day not too long ago.

It was hot and it was early evening. A friend of mine had told me about a place in White Rock where they ran dual slalom clinics on Wednesday nights. For $10 bucks and you would get a flagged, groomed course, a BMX style start gate, laser timing, video taping of your runs, professional coaching and three hours to get as many runs in as you could. Deal of the century. So where does the dirt come in? Hold on.

We got there a little early and unloaded the bikes. Mine was a sweet RM Altitude. The top portion of the course was flat with a bermed 90-degree right hand turn just 20 feet after the start gate. As you passed through the berm you had to sprint hard to clear the double jump before you descended into the steep section of the course. I was new to this type of riding and looked a little out of place in my Mexican poncho (the only thing I had with long sleeves) and my XC helmet. I didn't have any body armour but why would I need it? This wasn't dangerous was it?

The pep talk with Jeff, my riding partner, had convinced me that I needed to "own the course". In my mind "own the course" translated in to "go really fast". I can do that after all I am a good rider, I could ride every trail in the endowment lands.

The part of the course which I had second thoughts about was the double jump. I had seen the beginning to the Wide World of Sports enough times that I could sense that this might be trouble. The first time through the course eased all of my anxiety as I rode" through" the double failing to get any air - next time. The second time I sailed out of the berm and hit the jump fast, caught my back tire on the top of the second jump but rode away. I knew this would be easy. My confidence was at an all time high. The third shot was going to be big. I would sprint out of the berm, clean the jump and hit the steeps nice and smoooooth, just like butter. The gate dropped, I was focused, and I had a clean start. I knew the number of pedal strokes I had before I hit the lip of the jump. Legs pumping like mad, my bike and I were one. The air was big, I was smiling…. and my bike was going sideways. I honestly don't recall what happened next. When I came conscious I could not move anything, except my tongue. Which takes me back to the first part of the story about dirt because my mouth was full of it, dry silty dirt. I pushed as much of it out of my mouth with my tongue as I could. Slowly the feeling came back into my body and after about 10 minutes I was able to, with assistance, stand up. Off to the hospital we went. A severely lacerated face and major concussion later and I was ready to go home.
Funny thing was I didn't even scratch my helmet.

I still love dirt. I ride in it, I build jumps from it but I have decided that I know longer want to eat it. Until next time

Couch

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