Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544109
Flashback! April 2026 5 With our first event of the season, Carolina's Firewater, now behind us, I'm reflec ng on the event and my experience of ge ng back behind bars a er a five-month hiatus. Oh yeah, your editor Kurt was in dire need of some "Thro le Therapy," but I'll be honest, having ridden and raced this property a number of mes over the years, I know how good it can be when the condi ons are right. In fact, when the gods of dirt are smiling down from above, there's nothing like it in my opinion. When it's wet, it's an en rely different story altogether with soil slicker than gorilla snot that can send you to the forest floor in a heartbeat. Having wadded it up last year, the day before the race, I'll admit, I had my concerns, and I'm not too proud to admit, possibly a bit of Pre-Season Ji ers. Like most, when new to the sport, we didn't understand the value of proper gear and technique, and we paid the price with injuries that kept us off the bike for months at a me. No fun when your season is only 5 months at best. As for myself, my feet took it hard during those first few years of serious riding, having broken every toe on both feet more than once, before I understood the value of quality riding boots. But, even with top-shelf boots, unless you're riding on the balls of your feet, you risk the chance of folding your foot under the peg from that errant log or stump. Most of us have been there and, by now, have learned from our mistakes. The fact remains, even with proper gear and technique honed by years of experience ripping through the trees, incidents can and will happen. This is why, even though it may be uncomfortable, we need to be fully armored when se ng out for a ride. As I look back at a number of wicked wipeouts I've had over the years, I'm thankful that I'm pre y good at heeding my own advice. In fact, I can recall vividly an inci- dent that could have easily ended my life if it weren't for proper gear. The year was 1998, at an early-season ride in Templeton, Massachuse s, an area once known for incred- ible single-track. Riding with a buddy, we set out in the morning, ripping what looked like the first tracks of the season as we had just lost the snowpack. Surprisingly, the trails were in decent shape, with min- imal blowdowns over the winter, and we soon began to pour it on, freight-training through the forest. With the pre-season ji ers behind us, we carved through the woods with me hot on my buddy's rear fender. It's funny what we remember in life, but I can vividly recall that morning 28 years ago as clearly as if it were yesterday. My bud sweetly railed a third-gear corner, dragging the le footpeg. As he stood it up, exi ng the corner, it was then that I spo ed the blunt end of a fallen tree dangling directly in front of me as if I were in a jous ng contest. Yup, his peg had caught a dead tree and li ed it up to about a 30-degree angle with his peg. With no me to react, I thought to myself, "This is gonna hurt," and took the blunt end to the chest. The end of the tree, about 4" in diameter, I'd guess, had stopped me dead while my bike ripped out from under me. This is where it got interes ng: the tree was about 12 feet long with its trunk s ll embedded in the dirt. The force of a 200-pound German travelling about 30 mph was enough to stand that tree up with me s ll riding the blunt end, and pole vaulted me up and over my bud- dy, passing him in the process, and landing directly in front of him in the trail. It was mind-blowing to say the least, and I jumped to my feet, full of adrenaline, pumping my fists in the air! Seconds later, the lights went out as I passed out from the pain. What I'm sure had saved my life that very day was my Acerbis Zoom Plus chest protector. I'd never worn a chest protector previously, and from a sugges on of a friend, I'd bought it only weeks before. I didn't emerge en rely unscathed from that wild chain of events with 5 broken ribs, but I'm sure that Zoom Plus saved my life that day. I've never been one to preach, but please, friends, if you're going to enjoy this sport, suit up properly, because the harsh reality is that what we enjoy so much can actually be dangerous at mes!