GROM Racing - Enjoys the DirtyBird

Luca Shaw and Eric Vest Shredding the CourseWhat a great weekend at Hawksnest racing the DirtyBird. Practice on Saturday brought perfect trails and a short shower in the afternoon to make things interesting. Sunday; a perfect day for racing with overcast skys, as breeze and no rain.

The App State guys put on a great race with super sponsors and great support from Hawksnest. The course was in great shape and ready to be enjoyed by over 100 racers.

GROM Racing was set up right at the finish line. Cane Creek, Industry Nine, and Specialized had the racers ready to conquer the mountain. The bikes (frames, shocks and wheels) performed flawlessly. GROM Coach Christopher Herndon walked the trail on Saturday providing instruction to GROM racers and others within earshot. On Sunday, Christopher hawked the finishline to see how his racers performed and to assist other racers with bike repairs.

As typical, the GROM tent was the hang-out with lots of fellowship, laughter and food. GROM Racers Walker Shaw and Ben Calhoun attended the race even though they are both on the injured list (broken arm and collar bone, respectively). Assistant Coach Tim Price was at home recovering from shoulder surgery on Friday (all went well and Tim looks forward to joining the team at Snowshoe for the first race and riding camp).

GROM Racers got into the spectator action following their race runs. Cowbells, handlebars, and airhorns were going strong to encourage other racers on the course. GROMs popped up in a series along the course (wearing their black Specialized jerseys and matching TroyLee Designs pants) to cheer on other riders. You could hear riders after their runs, "who were those kids - that was great!"

Official times aren't available online yet, but GROM Racers finished well:
5th Place: Eric Vest
4th Place: Will O'Brien
3rd Place: Jay Fesperman
2nd Place: Luca Shaw

Photos are on the way soon. Check them out at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49804868@N02/sets/72157624242208496/

Related Sites:

www.dirtybirddh.com

http://www.hawksnest-resort.com/defaultzipline.php 

Clemson Freeride's Downhill Race

by GROM Racer Will O'Brien

I had the opportunity to attend the Clemson Downhill race held in South Carolina and really enjoyed it. The fun track and good atmosphere made for a great warm-up race for the upcoming season. We arrived at the race with lots of our new gear: Specialized jerseys and gloves, Troy Lee Design pants and helmets, and Smith goggles- so we definitely stood out on the track. I had never ridden the course before, which was full of high-speed berms and 25 foot tables to keep things interesting. It was a one day event, so we got just a few hours of practice before racing with the two run format. My first run was fairly fast, but I ended up stuck in the tape after clipping a tree. However, I was able to redeem myself during the second run, taking 3rd place behind teammate Luca Shaw. All-in-all, the race was a fun introduction into the new season, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season!