Had a early start at 7:30 for my backcountry race and boy was I getting excited and nervous too but that’s normal😂. I made sure to get the holeshot (for photos and stuff) then just cruised out to the dirt. Once we hit the dirt, me, Mike Donahue(a really fast dude) and 2 others pushed the pace hard a destroyed the group. I bided my time and waited till right before the singletrack to attack so I could be on it first and ride my own pace(cuz I didn’t care if they got mad that I was going to slow🤷♂️) I rode a solid tempo pace up the 3 mile singletrack climb. At the top me and this random dude had a BIG sprint for the downhill singletrack! I didn’t have enough power to make it there first and for the next minute I was puzzling over who wanted to get to the downhill first THAT bad! I studied him for a minute then I realized he was wearing a Levi’s Grand Fondo Jersey and I was like OHHHHHHH! Shorter dude, bald, lean, and freakin fast, yup that must be Levi, Levi Leipheimer! Being a roady he didn’t rip the downhill but oh well, I was okay with being right on him for the descent. We popped out on the road I grabbed a bottle from my bro then 30sec later Levi attacks and DEMOLISHED US up the climb. I rode with Mike and another guy till 1/2 mile before the top then I couldn’t hold their pace anymore which made me mad haha. I made it to the Sponner Feed Station in 5th then my legs turned to 💩 I dropped back to around 15th and I almost had a fit, but I managed to grab ones guys wheel so could draft across the Flume Trail. About halfway done with the Flume we went into the shadows. Next thing I know. SWISH SWISH SWISH!!! I was like NOOOOOOO! I got passes by 5 more people and the NEXT JUNIOR! I was fit to be tied but I managed to keep my cool and plug it with some Slime Bacon as fast as I could. I hammered the flat only catching one guy😂 We came out on Tunnel Creek Road my Dad gave me my bottles and we hammered on. Right before we dove into the Long Tahoe Rim Trail climb I filled my tire and looked back to see my 45 year old buddy Troy Deibert and Gnarly singlespeed racer Steven Mills (this time with gears) closing on me. I was like Ughhhhhhhhh nooo, not what I need right now! I fended them off for half the climb them the just whished by me. If I wouldn’t have been 15 I would’ve cried😭 because I couldn’t keep up😅 I trugged on to the Peak and began my descent down Sunflower Hill Trail, third switchback down and my tire rolls and I land on my face having a dirt snack. Yummm. Thennn i proceeded to full my tire(AGAIN 🤬) I sent down that trail more than any other trail I have ridden desperately trying to gain positions, which I did(3). Once I hit the fire road me a CZ Racer friend of mine drilled it for 3 miles roughly till then I begged a racer at the last feed station for a CO2 cuz my tire was nearly flat. Booking down the INSANE Secret Trail I caught très amigos and proceed to drop them hahahahah! Buttt on the next climb I just had to slow down with cramps on the horizon if I continued at the same pace(which let them catch me again) 1 by 1 they got away😡😵 I would’ve caught them on the last descent but my tire being nearly flat and me not wanting to go on a co2 hunt 5 short miles to the finish I we as crazy fast as I could — dying. Did some pavement drifting on my fronty flat to get to the line 2nd in Juniors and 22nd overall. What’s with me and my weird coincidental numbers 🤷♂️😂
Satisfied and disappointed at the same time, it’s a good result but I hate to break my winning streak in Carson City😢 All in all a good day on the bike, just like Epic Rides promises!
The first crash I was caught in was the 2015 Bariani Road Race. The crash occurred after racing 56 miles, 300ft before the finish, as a racer in the front of the peloton was blown sideways by a gust of wind, causing a domino effect crash. I instinctively swerved off into a paved ditch to avoid the multi-racer pileup, crashing there.
In 2016 during the last lap of the Folsom Criterium, the rider in 5th or 6th position crashed 2 bike lengths in front of me. Causing me to slam on the brakes to slowly ride around the crashed riders. This set me so far back that I had no shot at the win.
In 2017 during the Cantua Creek Road Race, the racer in 4th, who was directly in front of me crossed wheels and went down causing me to go over my handlebars. I untangled my bike and had to chase back to the lead group blowing all of my energy. I just caught them before the finishing climb where I was dropped.
5 days later during the Thunderhill Circuit race, on a tight, wet, corner on the last lap, a racer’s front wheel slid out causing a major crash. I again had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing, setting me far behind the lead group.
2 days later during the Steve Harrison Criterium 2 1/2 laps in someone slammed into my rear wheel going into a corner nearly causing me to crash. The rider broke my rear wheel spoke and damaged my derailleur to the point where I couldn’t shift, and I was stuck in a small gear. I ended up riding to the pit zone and was forced to use a neutral bike throughout the rest of the race.
I’ve learned that if I get involved in a crash it is nearly impossible for me to get a points result, which I am seeking in order to upgrade from Category 3. Since I have been caught in so many crashes, I know that in order to avoid being crashed out, I need to stay in safe positions in the peloton and always be ready to react and avoid any potential crashes!
Some might think racing 1 hard race a weekend is challenging but doing 4 difficult races in 3 days at the Chico Stage Race is so much harder. 
You have to eat and drink enough before, during and after each race to keep your body performing. Mental and Physical recovery is essential. If you have a physically tough race one day you need to know your body and get the rest you need to recover. Keeping a positive state of mind and knowing what you can do to improve the next day is important if you have a mentality bad race. 
For the past 3 years I have competed in one of the most amazing race events in America, the one and only Downieville Classic! I fell in love with this event the very first time I competed in it. The Downieville Classic has so much to offer: the two sweet races, the cool activities, the awesome people, and the amazing feeling of being on the podium.
My XC Race started at 9:35 Saturday morning. In the first leg of the 29 mile XC race, I had to suffer my butt off up an 8 mile,3,000ft climb! I was the 3rd junior racer to reach to Packer Saddle summit this year, just 2 minutes behind the leader Dylan Fryer.
Eager to close the gap I hammered the first section of trail. Once I hit the road I saw Dylan walking backwards up the course because of a race ending crash. Knowing that the next racer was close I pushed myself even harder and caught up to the new leader Tate! Tate and I battled back and forth for the remaining 15 miles of the race. I attacked on the descents, and Tate pushed me on all of the climbs. We battled with each other for what seemed like ages. Until the last 2 miles of the race, where Tate was finally was able to gap me out! “Noooo”, I thought as I saw him slowly pull away! I gave everything I had trying to catch him but in the end he beat me by 18 seconds! I ended up taking 2nd in the XC, and led the All Mountain (AM) competition going into Sunday’s DH Race! “YES!!!”
At 12:15 I lined up for my 12:24 start. I was the last junior to start, and I watched as my fellow competitors started in 30 second intervals. At 12:23 I move up to the start line as the racer in front of me didn’t show up for their start. GO! I took off at full speed and charged down the course! As I sped down the course, I thought to myself I’m feeling pretty good! It must have been true because within 5 minutes I had caught my first age group race opponent! I quickly caught another one of my competitors as I pedaled with even more drive! Throughout the rest of the race I kept passing racers and crossed the finish line feeling confident that I took the win!
After anxiously waiting for 45 minutes the results were posted and I came in second 2 seconds off of first! Dang it!!! 
That was a disappointment! But, even though I was second in the DH battle, I won the war, and was able to claim The Junior Expert U18 Downieville Classic All Mountain “World Championship” Title!
After each day’s race at The Downieville Classic, I wandered the venue that contained bike and component company Booths. I also ran into pro racers like: Carl Decker, Adam Craig and Kelli Emmit. When I became hot I took a trip down to the refreshing Yuba River. While down at the river I relaxed on a tube, walked the slack line and watched the Shimano cast off contest (where competitors try to get a weight into a floating 2×2 square where whoever gets it in the most wins!) 
I also watched the river jump where competitors ride off a ramp jump into the river. The best trick wins! Finally I played king of the floating box with a bunch of kids, which is just a cooler, more fun version of king of the hill! It was a hard game because getting pushed in the freezing water all the time was not desirable! After I finished hanging out at the River I headed up to the awards area to jump up on the podium with my awesome competitors !
The Downieville Classic Race and Festival was awesome! I had an great time hanging out in the cool town of Downieville, talking to and hanging out with some cool people. I will always remember how I claimed my first Downieville Classic All Mountain “World Championship” Title!
I had a great time at the Epic Rides, Carson City Off Road. I had so much fun hanging out around the venue. I loved the fact that the city opened up Mills Park for the racers to camp and hang out at. We had a lot of fun camping and talking with our friend Troy Deibert.
We saw: Joe from Shimano, Jake from Yakima and Billy at Slime. Friday night the was the Pro Fat Tire Crit. We needed to line up at 6:45 for a 7:30 race start so my parents went and watched but Jake and I hung out at camp to stay off our feet and stay rested for our huge race.
I rode with two other racers guys all the way to the saddle before Marlette Lake. I welcomed the short descent down to Marlette Lake. As we reached the base of the climb out of Marlette Lake Basin we caught a single-speeder. We hear him sign ”Oh Crap!” as the climb was filled with 18% grade sections. The winds up on Marlette Peak were gusting to 50 mph and that’s exactly where the course looped around!!! 
Plus there were 2 GIANT snow fields we had to run across. After we topped out near 9000 feet we started descending. There was a technical section where I ran past the two guys to get a big gap. I held it for the next 8 miles on Red Flume Trail and Tanks Road. The next section was a super sketchy descent down the (SSHHHH!!!!) Secret Trail. Seldom used, the first 20 riders created a 3 inch wide rut in the soft dirt the whole way down. I could see tons of places where racers lost it and flew off the trail. Racing Enduro for the last year has honed my technical skills so I stayed on two wheels. 
I reached the Ash To King Canyon Trail I knew it was going to be tough because a 4 mile, 1200 foot climb lay before me. About halfway up my pace slowed a bit because the previous 40 miles were beginning to catch me. Shortly after 2 men passed me, I tried to hang on their wheels but I didn’t have enough gas. When I reached the top I rejoiced! I went in Enduro mode down the 3.1 mile singletrack descent and 2 miles of fire road after that. When I reached the 2 and 1/4 miles of pavement remaining I time trialed to the finish.
Race Time: 4:14:09 and Outcome: 1st in the Juniors 18 and Under and 22nd overall. Jake impressed us all and won the overall Amateur class. Thank you Mom and Dad for all of the support out on course, I know no one else that covered 3 out of 4 Comfort Stations. Thanks to my sponsors for the support!!!! After the race we had lunch with Troy at Reds 395 Grill near the venue. It was decorated with tons of pieces of history. We watched Finish of the Pros race Sunday and saw: Geoff Kabush, Todd Wells, Russell Finsterwall, Katerina Nash, Rose Grant and Amy Beisel take the top steps. The Carson City Off Road was a awesome event, I’m so proud of my race and the results I achieved and I had so much fun. I can’t wait to come back next year!
Racing the NICA NorCal High School League this year was great. One of the many reasons I love the High School League because I got to meet and hang out with so many kids. At the first race alone I made over 10 new friends. I am a lot less nervous at the start because my friends talk and joke with me. The League was great in getting lots kids on bikes. It is really inspiring watching K.C. Fontes tearing it up with one leg! All of the races have been super fun and great experiences. 
The first race was extremely hard, I tried to hang with the leaders but they were too strong and I placed 4th. Race #2 was Epic! I had a decent start in 7th. Throughout the race I passed kids until I caught 3rd place. It came down to a sprint but I was crashed into the fence and I ended up in 4th because of it. The third race was similar to the first but at the end two kids I was beating passed me and placed ahead of me in 3rd and 4th. Race #4 was a lesson and it showed me what I needed to work on. 
This year’s NICA High School League was so Unique…Epic…and…Awesome!!! My goal for next year in the High School League is to get a Junior Varsity Leaders Jersey. I can’t wait for next year!!!
Over my 10 years of bike racing I have raced, ridden, and pushed many different forks to the max of their performance, and although they worked well I never knew there would be a better option available for XC racing. This year I finally have the closest fork to perfect, The Lauf Trail Racer Boost.
Lauf Forks have been the best performing XC forks on the market since they were introduced. In early 2016 Lauf introduced a second generation fork, The Lauf Trail Racer Boost. The Boost Fork is now 20% stiffer, laterally, and forward & aft. This increases the suspension’s performance and gives you more feedback and control during your ride! What follows is a review of the Lauf Trail Racer Boost.
The Lauf Trail Racer Boost is the best XC fork I have ever ridden and there are many things that make it the best! The Lauf Trail Racer Boost is the lightest XC fork on the market, being made completely of carbon ( and 6 fiberglass leaf springs ) it comes in at only 2.20lbs! The Lauf Trail Racer Boost also features 60mm / 2.35in of travel, it’s maintenance free, has 15mm thru axel, a tapered steer tube and comes with a 5 year warranty!
The Lauf Trail Racer Boost is not only light, but I feel it is the best performing XC fork. CLIMBING: The Lauf Trail Racer Boost blows all other XC forks out of the water when it comes to climbing. A racers ability to climb is most greatly effected by weight/gravity. No one can argue that shedding 1.00-1.75lbs off your fork will significantly boost your performance! Unlike the bobbing of an Air Sprung traditional fork, the fiberglass leaf springs of the Lauf Boost Fork do not flex during stand up climbing. This allows me to put all of my energy into the pedals without loosing it through the compression of the fork. And I don’t have to mess around or maintain a lockout! DESCENDING: Our Team has raced the Lauf Fork at events like: The Downieville Classic XC Race and The Mammoth Mountain Kamakazie Games XC Race. 
Time after time the Lauf Fork has proven its ability to handle the rugged trails. Given the great benefit we receive from climbing with the Lauf at those difficult courses I wouldn’t trade it for another fork! The Luaf’s 60mm of travel is progressive, which means it is the most compliant in the beginning – perfect for absorbing small bumps and rocks- and becomes stiffer the further it compresses. Exactly what you need for bigger hits and bigger drops!
This is my 2nd year of riding a Lauf, and 1st year of riding a Lauf Boost. I haven’t had a single problem or complaint about either Fork. So if your looking for a lighter, better and faster XC fork, acquire a Lauf Trail Racer Boost it will be the best fork you’ve ever ridden!
The Sea Otter Classic is one of my favorite events in the country! We have attended the Sea Otter Classic for 5 years in a row. Each year we attend Sea Otter we get to meet racing legends and cool people! Starting at our first year at Sea Otter we’ve continuously met some of the most well-known athletes in the world. We’ve met Pro Racers like Todd Wells, Geoff Kabush, Kathryn Pendrel and Emily Batty. 
Last year we even met the World Champ Nino Schuter after he had just won the Sea Otter Classic Pro XC Race! SO COOL! That year we also met Shimano Sponsored Pro Motocross Racer Justin Barsha while he was hanging out at the Shimano Booth!
This year while we were waiting in line to finish our last Enduro we were amazed to see Danny Macaskill doing a backwards nose-wheelie down the famous Corckscrew! Later, we were even able to get his autograph and a pic with him! Sea Otter is awesome!
I also love attending Sea Otter because we get to say “Hi” and hang out with our racing friends, and friends from the bike industry! This year we even shared a campsite with a racing friend, Troy Dibert. Camping with Troy was really fun and enjoyable, as we told jokes, shared stories and just had a good time. The Sea Otter Classic has become more than just a races event, to me it is a place to say “Hello” to all of your old friends and to make new friends, which in my mind in just as priceless as winning the Sea Otter Classic.
It was super exciting getting to meet him, I could barely contain it! Throughout the four days the Expo was open we reacquainted with our sponsors, checked out their new products and ran into buckets of friends. 
Joe at Shimano showed us their DI2 XTR electric shifters and derailleurs. We saw Ergon’s new Gel filled Saddle and at FSA Mike showed us their new Gravity Dropper Post, and much, much more. 
During the weekend a few booths had their Pro Trails Riders performing at different times during the day. There were three big pump tracks in the Expo but with all of my Team responsibilities I didn’t have the time to ride them. Chain Reaction Cycles had a contest where you pumped around a pump track as fast as you could. The fastest time won a prize. In my XC race, I placed 3rd and was able to stand on the huge Sea Otter stage in the middle of the Expo. 
I finished 25th out of 67 in the U19 Enduro and was the best 14 yr old which made me super happy! It was super fun creating our own Yackle Brothers Racing Expo by the Red Bull Racer Registration with our sponsors Banners, Flags and Ez-ups.
With 75,000 attendees passing by our Sponsors and Team got a lot of recognition. The Expo is a big part of what makes the Sea Otter Classic a great event. I had a great time in the Expo! You should come out to the Sea Otter Classic and definitely check out the Expo.
Yackle Brothers Racing 