The Moab Ho Down bike fest

    The Moab Ho-Down is a low key race held every year around Halloween in Moab, Utah.  My dad thought this might be a fun end of season race so we left early on the Friday before Halloween weekend and headed south to sunny Moab.  On the way down we picked up Tanner Hart, one of my good biking friends, and a completely fun person to hang around with.  After a quick three and a half hour drive we found ourselves in the beautiful Southern Utah desert.  Due to his vast experience in the town of Moab, Tanner was officially titled as our guide for this trip.

     After getting our truck temporarily fixed, the clutch pedal was sticking,  we headed to the Chili Pepper Bike shop to sign up for the race.  I registered as a pro but was told there might be a JR category, and that if there was, the race officials would put me in it.  After Tanner and I dug through the free stickers for a while we found some pretty pimp ones.  Departing the shop sticker rich, we rallied to go practice Amasa Back, the DH course.

     Tanner directed us to the start of the trail and then we began the long hike to the top.  He was wearing some gnarly shants, which must have helped him on the hike up.  We stopped frequently to practice and debate lines at the more technical parts.  It took us a long time to reach the top, and then from the top we rode down and took one stop about midway down.  All in all we spent about 4 hours practicing the course.

    The next day we got up fairly early and went into town to eat breakfast at the Jailhouse Cafe.  They have delicious food that is a little spendy but worth it.  After breakfast we made our way up to the race course.  On the hike up to the top I stopped and practiced a section for a little bit, then walked up to the top non stop.  The course was more like a super D than a Down Hill, so I knew whoever pedaled consistently throughout the entire course would be fastest.  I don't remember much from my run, except that I sat on my seat a lot (which was probably a good move) and that I pedaled fairly consistent all the way down.  I ended up in first place and Tanner got fifth out of like 10 or so JRs.

The winning Junior DH run.

Tanner airing out the drop

   


























 

    After the race we went out for lunch and ran into Mikey Sylvestri and some dudes from Cove bikes.  One of the people he was with was going to be in the Dirt Jump Jam the next day, and we all put our bets on him to win it.

 

     Sunday we showed up to the jam right as they finished putting up the in run (ramp off a huge shuttle bus).  The Cove kid who's name ended up being DJ (how fitting)  was boosting them.  The first jump is the most lippy, and cranker jump I have ever hit, but the next two were not too bad.  I made it into the final some how and was set on gooning it up as much as possible, with Mikey as my coach I got pretty goony.  But the over all highlight has to be Tanner trying to hit the first jump on his downhill bike.  He spent almost all of practice putting more air in his fork, and pumping himself up to hit it.  The best way to describe his attempt is an almost back flip to super man bail to huge case to  belly slide down the landing...  I have to give him major props for his effort.   I will conclude that was definitely worth some G.N.A.R.  points.          

    

Hitting the first booter

DJ the winner of the Ho-Down Jump Jam